Staying compliant
Registered agent and registered office
For Prescribed Companies and Foundations with no premises
In short
Prescribed Companies and Foundations do not lease space. They hold a registered office with a DIFC-licensed provider, which also keeps the statutory records, handles filings and acts as the point of contact with the Registrar.
What you get
- Registered office address inside the DIFC
- Statutory record keeping at the registered office
- Registrar filings and annual renewal
- Service of process and official correspondence handling
- Due diligence file maintenance on beneficial owners
Timeline: Ongoing, appointed before incorporation
The provider is part of the structure
For a Prescribed Company the registered office provider is not an administrative convenience, it is a condition of the entity existing in that form. The relationship has to be in place before incorporation and continue for as long as the entity does.
It also carries know-your-customer responsibility for the structure, which is why the onboarding due diligence is real. Families and sponsors who treat it as a formality are usually surprised by the depth of the source of wealth questions.
Questions
Can I use my lawyer's address as the registered office?
Only if that firm is licensed in the DIFC to provide registered office services. The provider has to be DIFC licensed for the purpose, not merely present in the Centre.
Not sure which DIFC licence you need?
Answer eight questions and we will tell you the licence route, the likely cost and the realistic timeline. It takes about two minutes and there is no obligation.