The UAE is not a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough for official use there. Foreign documents generally need UAE attestation instead: notarisation, home-country authentication, UAE mission attestation, and final UAE MoFA sign-off. This guide covers the process for company formation, banking, property, and powers of attorney.
The UAE Corporate Tax return deadline is 30 September 2026 for businesses with a 31 December 2025 year-end, nine months after financial year-end as required by the FTA. Filing applies even at zero profit or loss. Miss it, and penalties start at AED 500/month (months 1-12), rising to AED 1,000/month after, plus 14% annual interest on unpaid tax.
The UAE Central Bank Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025, came into force on 16 September 2025 and introduced a one-year transitional period for affected businesses. With the deadline falling on 16 September 2026, fintechs, payment providers, insurers and qualifying technology businesses face an important compliance review. The law also expands the CBUAE regulatory framework through provisions including Article 62.
The Dubai property market is undergoing major changes, driven by property tokenisation, flexible rental payments and new shared housing regulations. In H1 2026, Dubai recorded nearly AED 420 billion across 112,850 real estate transactions, while property sales reached AED 286.4 billion across 86,005 transactions. These developments are creating new opportunities and compliance considerations for investors, landlords and property operators.
DIFC and ADGM are leading UAE jurisdictions for family offices, wealth structuring and succession planning. In 2026, DIFC applies a USD 50 million minimum net asset requirement for its applicable family office framework, while ADGM requires USD 10 million for a Single Family Office. DIFC also introduced its VCC regime in February 2026, expanding investment structuring options for families.
The DIFC Variable Capital Company (VCC) introduces a flexible investment structure for family offices and fund managers in 2026. DIFC now has more than 1,250 family-related entities, while its top 120 families collectively manage over USD 1.2 trillion in global assets. The VCC enables multiple sub-funds within one corporate vehicle, supporting segregated investment strategies and greater structural flexibility.
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