BUSINESS SETUP · HOLDING
Holding structures: SPVs, offshore vehicles and foundations
A holding vehicle is not a cheaper trading licence. It is a different instrument, for shares, real estate, intellectual property and succession, and it should be chosen after the residency objective, not before it.
ADGM SPV
Priced from the official schedule, not an estimate.
| Line | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation | USD 200 | ConfirmedConfirmed |
| Registration, including USD 300 data protection | USD 700 | ConfirmedConfirmed |
| Commercial licence | USD 1,000 | ConfirmedConfirmed |
| Total to incorporate | USD 1,900 | ConfirmedConfirmed |
| Annual renewal | Around USD 1,200 | ConfirmedConfirmed |
ADGM SPV fees are Confirmed via the ADGM Registration Authority. Corporate service provider fees sit on top and are Indicative. Free zones change pricing frequently and run promotions. Confirm the current schedule before committing. Figures marked Indicative come from registered agents and consultancies and must be verified against the zone's current schedule.
English common law, USD 1 minimum capital, no physical office when using a corporate service provider, and able to hold Dubai real estate in designated areas under the 2018 DLD and ADGM memorandum. Passive holding only: it cannot trade, invoice, employ or take a functional office.
Last updated 13 August 2026 Next review Q4 2026
THE ALTERNATIVES
And the practical difference between them.
DIFC Prescribed Company
Common law in Dubai, useful where the wider group already sits in DIFC or where a DIFC foundation is the parent. Eligibility is conditional on a qualifying purpose or applicant.
RAK ICC
Low cost international company for holding shares, real estate in approved areas and intellectual property. No UAE trading, no visas.
JAFZA Offshore
Long established and accepted by the DLD, but it requires embassy attestation on every transaction while ADGM is electronic. That is why ADGM is now the cleanest common-law route.
Foundations in ADGM, DIFC and RAK ICC
For succession and asset protection. Worth the cost where there is genuine estate planning need across jurisdictions, not for a single small operating company.
THE OVERLAP
Holding structures against the Golden Visa, which nobody covers.
Holding property in a corporate structure aids succession, because shares transfer instead of re-titling property, and it ring-fences liability.
But the Golden Visa property route is assessed on the individual's DLD-valued ownership, so holding through a company can complicate personal eligibility.
Sequence deliberately: decide the residency objective first, then the holding vehicle, then the operating licence. Buying personally and transferring to a foundation later triggers DLD transfer fees. Set the SPV up before purchase where corporate ownership is the goal.
QUESTIONS
Asked before the vehicle is chosen.
Can an ADGM SPV trade or employ people?
No. It is a passive holding vehicle. It cannot trade, invoice, employ or take a functional office. If you need to invoice, you need an operating licence alongside it.
Can an ADGM SPV hold Dubai property?
Yes, in designated areas, under the 2018 memorandum between the Dubai Land Department and ADGM.
Does holding through a company affect my Golden Visa?
It can. The property route is assessed on the individual's DLD-valued ownership, so corporate ownership can complicate personal eligibility. Decide the residency objective first, then the holding vehicle, then the operating licence.
Why ADGM over JAFZA Offshore now?
JAFZA requires embassy attestation on every transaction while ADGM is electronic. That single practical difference is why ADGM is now the cleanest common-law route.
Sources
- ADGM Registration Authority Schedule of Fees 2025
- Dubai Land Department and ADGM memorandum of understanding, 2018
- DIFC Prescribed Company Regulations
GO DEEPER
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