Foreign Legal Entity (Branch) Registration

Overview: A foreign company that wants to establish a permanent presence in the UAE may register a branch at the UAE Trade Register. A branch is not a legal entity but is the extension of a foreign (parent) company.

Purpose: Registration of a Branch of a foreign company

Main specifications:

• full dependence on the foreign (parent) company
• identical business operations as a foreign (parent) company
• identical legal name as a foreign (parent) company
• liability is borne by a foreign (parent) company
• no minimum capital requirements

Registering authority: UAE Trade Register

Term of registration: 2-3 working days

Personal presence: Optional

Conditions for registration:

• Foreign (parent) company outside the UAE
• Director/Authorized Representative – Minimum 1 (maximum – unlimited) natural/legal person of any nationality/jurisdiction
• Registered office address in the UAE

Required documents (must be legalized and translated if the language is other than English):

• Passport or European ID card (for all directors/authorized representatives of an intended branch)
• Proof of residential address not older than 3 months (for all directors/authorized representatives of an intended branch)
• Extract from the Trade Register of a foreign (parent) company (not older than 1 month)
• Minutes of the General Meeting of a foreign (parent) company stating the decision to register a branch
• Articles of Association of foreign (parent) company
• Memorandum of Association of foreign (parent) company
• Certificate of Incumbency (stating the details of the Directors and/or Authorized Representatives) of a foreign (parent) company
• Document, authorizing to use of the registered office address (Copy of the Rental Agreement, Authorization Letter from the Owner, Certificate on Property)