Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) is a Dubai free zone, a global financial center for banks, funds, insurers, fintech companies, and other financial entities. It sits on 4,791,600 square feet of land along Sheikh Zayed road Rd, right across the Financial Center road Rd to Downtown Dubai.
Established in 2004 and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), it is a thriving center for financial services and wealth management. It has an internationally recognized legal and regulatory framework, including common-law courts authorized to adjudicate domestic and international commercial disputes. Today, it is home to 4,300 companies, including many of the world’s top banks, insurance companies, and asset managers. DIFC is also a thriving lifestyle hub with extensive residential, dining, shopping, and recreation options.
We are a business consultancy firm that can help with your company setup in DIFC. Work with us to establish your startup or open a Dubai branch. Our help will ensure your smooth entry into Dubai and a seamless DIFC business setup.
DIFC is a world-class financial center. When it comes to company formation, DIFC offers unbeatable benefits and numerous advantages, including the following:
Upon business setup in DIFC, you must decide on your legal form. DIFC allows four primary types of legal structures: companies, partnerships, non-profits, and foundations.
The following are your specific options:
Companies, limited partnerships, NPIOs, and foundations incorporated in other jurisdictions may transfer their incorporation to DIFC. This is called continuation and leads to the formation of the Continued Company, Continued LP, Continued NPIO, and Continued Foundation legal structures.
All legal structures apply to both financial and non-financial entities, but retail entities cannot be NPIOs and Foundations (or their recognized and continued variants).
The DIFC Registrar of Companies receives, reviews and processes applications from would-be DIFC registrants. Private companies must have at least one director but don’t need a secretary or annual general meetings. They may have from one to 50 shareholders without a minimum share capital requirement, with shares available through private placement subscription. Private companies with fewer than 20 shareholders and less than $5,000,000 in annual turnover are considered Small Private Companies, and they’re exempt from filing obligations.
Public companies must have at least two directors, a secretary, annual general meetings, and one to unlimited shareholders. Shares are publicly offered, and a minimum share capital of $100,000 is required, 25% of which must be fully paid up.
The DIFC business setup for funds is a little different. Funds must choose any of these four legal structures:
You must apply for a relevant license upon your company setup in DIFC. The following are your options:
There are seven DIFC categories for the financial and regulated services license: Category 1, Category 2, Category 3A, Category 3B, Category 3C, Category 3D, and Category 4. Relatively low-risk regulated activities like advising and arranging credit deals merit a Category 4 license while accepting deposits and managing profit-sharing investment accounts require a Category 1 license.
We provide a wide range of services as part of the setup process, including:
Ultimately, the total cost will depend on the scope of your requirements. Please reach out to us for a tailored quote.
When you partner with us, the setup process for new businesses in the DIFC Free Zone is as follows:
Once approved, we’ll still be here whenever you need us to help and advise.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd -
Downtown Dubai
Dubai - United Arab Emirates
[email protected]
Everything You Need to Know in Opening a Company in the UAE
