RAKEFZ is the only all-in-one agent that covers every RAK jurisdiction. For RAK Maritime City, we help shipping, logistics, marine and offshore founders get port-adjacent licences quickly with a dedicated human Relationship Manager.
RAK Maritime City is Ras Al Khaimah’s dedicated maritime and logistics free zone. Located next to RAK Port, it serves ship operators, marine service providers, offshore contractors, logistics firms and trading companies that need Gulf access and free-zone status.
Choose the licence category that matches your activity (maritime services, shipping and logistics, offshore, marine engineering, ship repair/building, trading, or consultancy) and decide whether you need a flexi-desk, office, warehouse, inland plot, or waterfront plot with quay/berth access. Industrial and vessel-related activities need a facility that supports the operation.
Submit your proposed company name for approval and select a legal structure: FZE (single shareholder), FZC/FZCO (multiple shareholders), or a branch of an existing UAE or foreign company. 100% foreign ownership is permitted.
Collect passport copies, photos, CVs, business/technical plan, equipment list and process description for industrial or maritime activities. Corporate shareholders must provide incorporation/good-standing documents, board resolution and UBO declaration, legalised for foreign entities. Industrial projects may need a feasibility study, plant layout and environmental handling plan.
File the licence application with RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority, together with the facility request. New company registration is typically from approximately AED 10,000, while annual licence fees are from approximately AED 20,000–35,000 for trading/service activities and AED 30,000–60,000 or more for industrial/maritime licences.
Negotiate and execute the lease, usufruct or musataha agreement for the chosen office, warehouse or plot. Warehouse/plot rents vary with size and location; long-term leases are commonly up to 25 years renewable, with terms up to 99 years possible.
For industrial, shipyard or vessel-related activities, obtain any temporary NOC or environmental permit from RAK EPDA, and provide safety and technical certificates required by RAK Ports or RAKTA for vessel operation. Apply for the RAK Customs Client Code once the licence is available.
After final approval and payment, receive the trade licence and the immigration establishment card. This allows the company to sponsor employees and start operational activities within the free zone.
Apply for investor and employee visas through the free zone immigration system; each person undergoes medical testing and Emirates ID registration (typically AED 3,500–6,000 per visa including government and medical fees). Then open a corporate bank account, which for maritime/industrial businesses can take 8–16 weeks due to enhanced due diligence.
Industrial, ship repair, shipbuilding, tank storage, diving, offshore construction and other heavy maritime activities may be rejected or delayed if RAK EPDA has not issued a temporary NOC or environmental permit, or if the project lacks an approved Environmental Impact Assessment. Resolve by submitting the technical plan, waste/effluent handling plan and process description early.
A client may assume a shipping or maritime trading licence automatically registers a vessel. It does not. Ship registration is handled by the Federal Transport Authority – Land & Maritime under UAE flag rules, requiring separate technical, safety and ownership documentation. The free zone licence only covers the company activity.
Industrial plots in RAK Maritime City commonly start at about 25,000 sqm, and waterfront plots with an exclusive berth can require around 40,000 sqm. Attempting to lease a smaller footprint for a heavy maritime or industrial activity can be rejected. Confirm the minimum plot or warehouse size with the authority before finalising the business plan.
Activities involving sanctioned jurisdictions, restricted dual-use goods, certain chemicals, nuclear materials, or vessels/owners subject to international sanctions or IMO restrictions may be blocked during compliance review. Prepare vessel ownership, UBO and cargo/asset declarations upfront.
Free zone visa quotas are tied to facility size; a small office package may allow only one or two visas. Seafarers sailing on vessels are often governed by flag-state documentation and UAE port-entry rules rather than a standard free zone employment visa. Verify the correct visa/labour path with RAK Maritime City immigration before recruiting crew.
Marine engineering, ship repair, offshore support and diving activities commonly require class certificates, vessel technical files, diving-system certificates, operator licences or port safety approvals. Missing documents can stall licensing for several weeks. Submit a complete equipment list, certificates and safety management documentation with the initial application.