Representative Office of a Foreign Company

Representative Office of a Foreign Company in Dubai, UAE

Activity Code: 511006 (7010003) Activity Group: Representative Office License Type: Commercial Description: This is an office established in Dubai by any international company or enterprise to represent it in the UAE in order to promote its products and services, boost business, or facilitate commercial agreements between the principal customers, such office is not allowed to carry out any trading activity nor enter into commercial transactions and deals by itself.

General Conditions

• External Approval: Ministry of Economy; Representative offices must register with the Ministry of Economy
• An automatically renewable bank guarantee in the amount of AED 50,000 is required
• The representative office must obtain the necessary external approvals for activities requiring such.
• The name must be identical to the name of the mother company and it will carry the suffix representative office.
• In case the facility has failed to renew the registration of its offices for a period of two successive years, such offices shall be administratively de-registered. Likewise, the penalties and fees will be deducted from the bank guarantee.

Requirements – DED

• Original Parent Company Documents

1. 1.  Memorandum / Articles of Incorporation
   2.  Certificate of Incorporation
   3. Trade License, if applicable
   4. Share Certificates
   5. Certificate of Good Standing, 1 year old
   6. Certificate of Incumbency, 6 mos old

• Tenancy Contract and Ejari Certificate
• Passport Copy, Emirates ID and Family book of the Local Service Agent. In case the local agent is a legal entity, a copy of the trade license with the names and nationalities of the shareholders issued from the competent authority of the Emirate in which the company was established, shall be attached.
• Local Service Agent Agreement
• Board Resolution to establish a representative office and assigning the Manager – Attested by the UAE Embassy in the home country and counter attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE and it must be legally translated in Arabic and further attested by the Ministry of Justice.
• Power of Attorney in favor of a legal representative to sign on behalf of the parent company – Attested by the UAE Embassy in the home country and counter attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE and it must be legally translated in Arabic and further attested by the Ministry of Justice.
• Copy of Passport, residence visa and Emirates ID or the most recent entry stamp (6 months old) of manager on the license. If holding a valid UAE Residence Visa, an NOC is required.
• Passport Copy of beneficial owners of the Parent Company
• Initial Approval Certificate from the Ministry of Economy

 Requirements – Ministry of Economy Initial Approval

• Trade Name Reservation
• Initial Approval Certificate
• Original Parent Company Documents (These documents must be attested by the UAE Embassy in the home country and counter attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE and it must be legally translated in Arabic and further attested by the Ministry of Justice.)

1. 1.  Memorandum / Articles of Incorporation
   2.  Certificate of Incorporation
   3. Trade License, if applicable
   4. Share Certificates
   5. Certificate of Good Standing, 1 yr old
   6. Certificate of Incumbency, 6 mos old

• Board Resolution to establish a representative office and assigning the Manager – Attested by the UAE Embassy in the home country and counter attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE and it must be legally translated in Arabic and further attested by the Ministry of Justice.
• Power of Attorney in favor of a legal representative to sign on behalf of the parent company – Attested by the UAE Embassy in the home country and counter attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE and it must be legally translated in Arabic and further attested by the Ministry of Justice.
• Local Service Agent Agreement
• Passport Copy, Emirates ID and Family book of the Local Service Agent. In case the local agent is a legal entity, a copy of the trade license with the names and nationalities of the shareholders issued from the competent authority of the Emirate in which the company was established, shall be attached.

 Requirements – Ministry of Economy Registration (Post License)

• Letter from a certified auditor accepting appointment as auditor of the representative office
• Copy of the trade license
• Power of Attorney in favor of a legal representative to sign on behalf of the parent company – Attested by the UAE Embassy in the home country and counter attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE and it must be legally translated in Arabic and further attested by the Ministry of Justice.
• A Bank Guarantee letter for AED50,000
• Copy of the manager’s passport, residence visa and Emirates ID

Steps

Step 1: Initial Approval Certificate Step 2: Trade Name Reservation Step 3: Apply for the corresponding external approval (if applicable) Step 4: Signing of Local Service Agent Agreement at the Notary Public. Please note that all shareholders need to present at the time of signing. Step 5: Submit required documents to the Ministry of Economy and obtain MOE initial approval certificate Step 6: Submit the initial approval, original approved DED form, trade name reservation, tenancy contract with Ejari, and all the documents mentioned above to DED and obtain payment voucher. Step 7: Collect Payment Voucher & make payment Step 8: Obtain Trade License Step 9: Apply for representative office registration in the Ministry of Economy