Smart Zones® - Your UAE Entry Partner
Business • Residency • Banking • Wealth • Investment
Smart Zones® - Your UAE Entry Partner
Business • Residency • Banking • Wealth • Investment
VARA Licensing, Dubai, UAE
Published application fees run from AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 per regulated activity. Here's how VARA licensing and ongoing compliance work.
Free, no-obligation consultation on licence category and cost.
VARA (the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority) licenses and supervises businesses providing virtual asset services in Dubai, across activity categories such as exchange, broker-dealer, custody, lending and advisory services. Licensing runs in two stages: a preliminary assessment leading to Authorisation to Incorporate, then incorporation, governance submission and full licence issuance. Published fee figures cite application fees of AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 per regulated activity, plus annual supervision fees of AED 80,000 to AED 100,000, and licensed businesses must maintain ongoing AML/CFT compliance after licensing.
Why It Matters
VARA (the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority) requires any business providing virtual asset services in Dubai to hold a licence, with published application fees running from AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 per regulated activity and annual supervision fees on top. Getting the licence is only the start, ongoing AML/CFT compliance obligations apply throughout, and falling short can trigger enforcement action, so both stages need to be planned for from day one.
Getting Licensed
Preliminary assessment and Initial Disclosure Questionnaire (IDQ), leading to Authorisation to Incorporate (ATI).
Incorporation, governance submission and full VASP licence issuance for your specific regulated activity.
VARA-licensed companies can be structured with full foreign ownership.
A dedicated regulator gives licensed VASPs a credible, internationally recognized compliance framework.
100% repatriation of capital and profits, with no currency restrictions.
Before You Apply
Confirm which of VARA's licensed activity categories your business falls under.
Prepare governance and management documentation required for Stage 2 submission.
Have an AML/CFT compliance policy ready for ongoing supervision requirements.
Budget for application and annual supervision fees per regulated activity.
Getting Started
Identify which VARA-regulated activity your business falls under.
File your Initial Disclosure Questionnaire for preliminary assessment.
Obtain ATI once your preliminary assessment is approved.
Set up your legal entity within the relevant jurisdiction.
File governance, management and AML/CFT compliance documentation.
Settle application fees for your specific regulated activity.
Obtain your full VARA licence once all approvals are complete.
Meet annual supervision, reporting and AML/CFT obligations going forward.
Budgeting
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Application fee (per activity) | AED 40,000-100,000* |
| Annual supervision fee | AED 80,000-100,000* |
| Ongoing AML/CFT compliance | Ongoing, budgeted separately |
| Nationality requirement | Open to any nationality |
*Indicative only, based on published fee figures at the time of writing. VARA's fee schedule is set and updated by the regulator directly, confirm current fees before budgeting a total.
Our Story
Smart Zones® UAE has helped more than 45,000 clients worldwide set up, relocate and protect their interests across the UAE, backed by 13+ years of experience in company formation, residency, banking and family trust formation.
Request Callback
The trust formation process was seamless from start to finish. Highly recommend Smart Zones UAE.
Professional, transparent, and fast. Exactly what I needed for my family's estate planning.
Clear guidance throughout and no hidden costs. Would use them again.
Responsive team and a genuinely smooth setup process from our first call to licence in hand.
Handled everything remotely for us with zero surprises on cost. Would use them again without hesitation.
Frequently Asked, and Ready When You Are
Send your details and our team will reply with next steps and a tailored quote.
Smart Zones® - Your UAE Entry Partner
Business • Residency • Banking • Wealth • Investment