Offshore Company Registration in Ajman (AFZA) - Business Starting & Setup

Ajman is a small emirate located in the north of the UAE. Establishing an offshore company there became possible in 2014 after the adoption of the Ajman Free Zone Offshore Companies Regulations 2014.

• Can be in English or Arabic.
• Must not be identical or similar to the name of an existing company.
• Must have an ending indicating the legal form.

Offshore company registration in Ajman includes the following steps:

1. Select a company name to be checked for availability and the structure of the company (directors, members);
2. Pay fees for services;
3. Provide the documents for directors/shareholders (documents must be translated into English, certification of translation by a notary or professional translator is not currently required, documents should not be older than 3 months);
4. Prepare and submit a set of documents for company registration, get the documents signed by the officers and shareholders of the company;
5. Receive the certificate of registration, articles and seal in the specified address.

The UAE does not have public company registries that would contain details of shareholders or directors. Information about free zone companies can only be obtained at the request of a local court.

The register of shareholders and directors of the company is not accessible to third parties.

An offshore company cannot rent an office in the UAE and, unlike a resident company, cannot be used to obtain visas for its employees or directors. An offshore company can own real estate located in free zones, and the list of such zones must be specifically approved by a special state agency.

Сompanies are required to have a common seal.

The redomiciliation of companies either to or from the UAE is permitted.

The directors of the company can be any individuals over the age of 18 who have not been declared bankrupt or disqualified. Corporate directors are not permitted.

No secretary is required.

The shareholders of the company can be any individuals or legal entities (except private foundations or trusts) regardless of citizenship / country of registration, and the company is not required to have local shareholders.

Despite that many jurisdictions consider creating a public register of beneficial owners, the UAE does not have one yet. This means that there is no open access to the beneficial ownership information. It is stored by a service provider, namely a company registration agent, trustees, lawyers, accountants and other professionals, subject to strict confidentiality. Information about the beneficial owner can only be disclosed to regulatory authorities (for example, during inspections for its availability) or by court order.

The Regulations do not provide for the minimum share capital. A company can have par value shares (in any currency) or no par value shares.