Short answer: A RAK ICC IBC renewal costs AED 3,950 (1 year), AED 7,250 (2 years) or AED 10,650 (3 years), per the RAK ICC Fee Schedule effective 1 January 2026. Renewal is due annually from the registration expiry date, with a one-month grace period. After that, penalties rise from +10% to +50% across months two to five, a strike-off notice is issued in month six, and a struck-off company can be restored only on payment of dues, penalties and a flat AED 550. Renewal cannot be fast-tracked. If renewing no longer makes sense, the alternative is a voluntary liquidation.
A RAK ICC company does not renew itself, and the registry does not forgive a missed date. Keeping the company alive is an annual decision with a firm deadline and a penalty clock that starts one month after expiry. This guide sets out exactly what renewal costs in 2026, what happens if you are late, what documents you need, and the one rule that catches owners who try to do anything else at renewal time.
First, the naming point: RAK ICC is the offshore RAK International Corporate Centre, not RAKEZ (the RAK Economic Zone). The fees and rules below are RAK ICC's.
The costWhat does it cost to renew a RAK ICC company in 2026?
Renewal is priced by term and entity type. For a standard IBC, the longer the term, the lower the cost per year.
| RAK ICC renewal (2026) | Term | Fee (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| IBC renewal | 1 year | 3,950 |
| IBC renewal | 2 years | 7,250 |
| IBC renewal | 3 years | 10,650 |
| Foundation renewal | — | 1,500 + 750 annual licence |
| Renewal with Corporate Service Provider activity | — | 6,750 |
| High-risk case differential (IBC / Foundation) | — | + 7,000 / + 8,500 |
One counterintuitive point worth noting: renewal costs more than incorporation. A first-year incorporation is AED 3,250, while the annual renewal is AED 3,950. The company is not cheaper to keep than it was to create — a reason to be deliberate about whether an unused company is worth renewing at all.
The deadlineWhen is renewal due, and how long is the grace period?
Renewal is annual, measured from the company's registration expiry date. RAK ICC then allows a one calendar month grace period from expiry, during which you can still renew for the standard fee with no penalty.
That grace month is the line that matters. Renew within it and nothing changes. Cross it, and the penalty scale below begins — and it does not reset. Treat the expiry date, not the end of the grace month, as your real target.
Late penaltiesWhat are the RAK ICC late-renewal penalties?
After the grace month, RAK ICC applies penalties on a graduated scale that climbs each month the company remains unrenewed.
| Delay after expiry | Charge |
|---|---|
| Within 1 month (grace period) | Renewal fee only |
| 2nd month | Renewal fee + 10% |
| 3rd month | Renewal fee + 15% |
| 4th month | Renewal fee + 25% |
| 5th month | Renewal fee + 50% |
| 6th month | Strike-off notice issued |
On a one-year IBC renewal of AED 3,950, that scale works out as:
| When you renew | Total renewal cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| Within grace month | 3,950 |
| 2nd month (+10%) | 4,345.00 |
| 3rd month (+15%) | 4,542.50 |
| 4th month (+25%) | 4,937.50 |
| 5th month (+50%) | 5,925.00 |
What happens if you never renew? The strike-off timeline
Leaving a company unrenewed is not a passive way to close it — it is the slow, penalised route to a strike-off. The sequence RAK ICC follows:
- Expiry. The registration lapses on its expiry date.
- Grace month. One calendar month to renew at the standard fee.
- Months 2–5. Graduated penalties from +10% to +50%.
- Month 6 — strike-off notice. A strike-off notice is issued.
- One further month. A calendar month to make written representations to the Registrar and/or renew with all applicable penalties.
- Formally struck off. If no representation is made and the renewal and penalties are not paid within six months of expiry, the company is formally struck off the register.
Can a struck-off or long-lapsed company be brought back?
Often, yes — but at the cost of everything that accrued. A company struck off after non-renewal may be restored to the register, subject to the Registrar's approval and payment of all outstanding fees and penalties for the struck-off period, plus a flat restoration fee of AED 550.
For companies long past their date, RAK ICC's guidance adds a specific route: if a company has been struck off for more than three years, it can be restored on submitting a request letter from the shareholder or director and paying the renewal dues and penalties applicable — subject to special approval. So even a badly-lapsed company is not automatically lost, though restoration becomes a discretionary, dues-laden process. The decision between restoring and closing is covered in our renewal vs restoration guide.
DocumentsWhat documents do you need to renew?
For a straightforward company, renewal is largely a fee-and-filing exercise. Documentation mainly comes into play where a corporate shareholder or director is involved.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Good-standing evidence (corporate officer) | Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Incumbency, or certified register extract — any current-dated good-standing document is accepted |
| Currency | Dated within the last 3 months |
| Attestation | Not required |
The related RAK ICC document fees, if you need them issued, are a Certificate of Good Standing at AED 750, a Certificate of Incumbency at AED 1,000, and a certified UBO/shareholder/director register extract at AED 500. The key practical points are the two RAK ICC is strict on: the good-standing document must be no older than three months, and it does not need legal attestation — so there is no need to spend time or money notarising it.
Advance renewalCan you renew in advance for two or more years?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis on request — and the fee schedule prices multi-year renewals directly, so it is a standard option rather than a special favour. Given the three-year term is cheaper per year and removes two future deadlines, renewing ahead is often the sensible choice for a company you are confident you will keep. It converts a recurring annual task, and a recurring annual risk of lateness, into a single decision.
The active-status ruleWhy renewal has to come before anything else
This is the rule that trips owners who try to combine renewal with another change, and it is worth stating plainly: a company must have active status to carry out any amendment. The RAK ICC portal will not permit a share transfer, re-registration, director change, name change or agent change until the company's renewal is complete.
The practical takeaway: if you are planning a transfer, restructuring or agent change, budget for the renewal as step one. Nothing else will process until the company is current.
Cost driversWhat can push the renewal cost above the headline fee?
The AED 3,950 is the base. Several factors add to it, and it is better to know them before the invoice than after.
- More than three shareholders or directors — AED 200 each beyond three; AED 400 each if they are corporate.
- More than three activities at the activity-group level — AED 550 per additional activity.
- Complex structures — two levels of corporate shareholders add AED 1,250; three or more levels add AED 1,750; involvement of trusts adds AED 1,750.
- Corporate Service Provider activity — the renewal is AED 6,750 rather than AED 3,950.
- Arabic translation of the M&A, if required — AED 2,400.
[VERIFY] All fees and the penalty scale are taken from the RAK ICC Fee Schedule effective 1 January 2026 (items 2.1–2.3, 3.1, 3.4–3.5, 4.2–4.3, 5.8, 5.11–5.12, and Notes 2, 5 and 6) and the RAK ICC Company Renewals FAQ. RAK ICC states that fees are subject to change without prior notice; confirm the current schedule with RAK ICC (rakicc.com) before relying on any figure.
What to doHow should you handle your RAK ICC renewal?
- Note the expiry date — and treat it, not the grace month, as the deadline.
- Decide the term — the three-year renewal is cheaper per year and removes two future deadlines.
- Gather documents early — for a corporate officer, a good-standing document under three months old, no attestation needed.
- Renew before expiry through your registered agent — and before any amendment you plan to make.
- If the company is no longer needed, weigh renewing against a clean voluntary liquidation rather than letting it lapse into a strike-off.
Let Fastlane manage your RAK ICC renewal
Fastlane is a RAK ICC Registered Agent and MoE-Approved Auditor. We track your renewal date, prepare the documents, file the renewal through the portal before expiry, and quote the full RAK ICC fee — base plus any add-ons — upfront. And if the company is no longer needed, we can handle the voluntary liquidation instead, so you are never left choosing between an escalating penalty and an unwanted company.
+971 55 127 3479 · info@fastlanecareer.com
Related guides and services
- RAK ICC liquidation service — the alternative to renewing, if the company is no longer needed.
- RAK ICC liquidation vs strike-off — why letting a company lapse is the risky exit.
- RAK ICC renewal vs restoration — restoring a lapsed company versus closing it.
- RAK ICC liquidation process — the full voluntary winding-up, step by step.
- Company incorporation — setting up a new RAK ICC company.
- Accounting and payroll — ongoing compliance for an active company.
RAK ICC Liquidation
Close the company cleanly if renewing no longer makes sense.
Liquidation vs Strike-Off
Why a lapsed strike-off is the exit to avoid.
Renewal vs Restoration
Bringing a lapsed company back, or letting it go.
Company Incorporation
Setting up a new RAK ICC company.
Frequently asked questions
An IBC renewal is AED 3,950 for one year, AED 7,250 for two years or AED 10,650 for three years, per the RAK ICC Fee Schedule effective 1 January 2026. A Foundation renewal is AED 1,500 plus the AED 750 annual licence. Renewals involving Corporate Service Provider activity are AED 6,750, and high-risk cases carry a differential of AED 7,000 (IBC) or AED 8,500 (Foundation). Additional shareholders, directors, activities or complex structures add further fees. Renewal is charged by RAK ICC and is separate from any professional fee.
Any official, current-dated document showing the corporate entity is in good standing — typically a Certificate of Good Standing, a Certificate of Incumbency or a certified register extract. It does not have to be one specific certificate; any current good-standing evidence is accepted.
Not older than three months. A document dated more than three months before the renewal is treated as out of date, so time the request to stay inside that window.
No. Legal attestation of the Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Incumbency or register extract is not required for a RAK ICC renewal.
It can be considered on a case-by-case basis on request. The fee schedule prices two-year and three-year renewals directly (AED 7,250 and AED 10,650), and the three-year term works out cheaper per year than renewing annually — as well as removing two future deadlines where a missed date could trigger penalties.
If a company has been struck off for more than three years, it may be restored on submitting a request letter from the shareholder or director and paying the renewal dues and penalties applicable — subject to special approval by RAK ICC. It is not automatic, but a long-lapsed company is not necessarily beyond recovery.
Not until the renewal is complete. A company must have active status to carry out any amendment, and the portal will not permit amendments — share transfers, re-registration, director changes and so on — until the company has been renewed. For an agent change on an inactive company that is not yet under your management, you can email renewals@rakicc.com with the NOC for the agent change; RAK ICC renews the company from the backend, which then lets you file the agent change through the portal.
After a one-month grace period from expiry, penalties climb on a graduated scale: renewal fee plus 10% in the second month, 15% in the third, 25% in the fourth and 50% in the fifth. A strike-off notice is issued in the sixth month. Renewal cannot be fast-tracked — the RAK ICC fee schedule states that urgent processing fees do not apply to company renewals.
Fastlane Tax Team
RAK ICC Registered Agent · MoE-Approved Auditor · FTA-Registered Tax Agent · Dubai
This article was prepared by the corporate services team at Fastlane Management Consultancy, a Dubai-based RAK ICC Registered Agent, MoE-Approved audit firm and FTA-Registered Tax Agent. We manage RAK ICC company renewals end to end — tracking dates, preparing documents and filing before expiry — and handle voluntary liquidations where a company is no longer needed.