Company formation and licensing in the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong, VASP licensing in the EU and BVI, and company formation for virtual asset businesses in Costa Rica and Panama
Three centres we know from the inside for companies, licences and structures, and four more for virtual asset businesses: VASP licensing in the EU under MiCA and the British Virgin Islands, and company formation and structuring in Costa Rica and Panama.
971
United Arab Emirates
25.2048 N / 55.2708 E
Onshore, over forty free zones, and two financial centres with their own laws and regulators. The choice of zone is a regulatory decision, not an address.
Regime
Regulator / vehicle
65
Singapore
1.3521 N / 103.8198 E
One regulator for banking, payments, capital markets and insurance. Clear rules, high expectations on substance and governance.
Regime
Regulator / vehicle
852
Hong Kong
22.3193 N / 114.1694 E
A common law centre with separate regimes for securities, virtual assets, stored value and money services.
Regime
Regulator / vehicle
Virtual asset businesses beyond Asia
MiCA, BVI, Costa Rica, Panama.
For virtual asset businesses that need a licence or a company outside the UAE and Asia, or a second one alongside it.
EU
European Union
MiCA
Crypto-asset service provider authorisation from one national regulator, passported across the EU.
284
British Virgin Islands
BVI FSC
VASP registration with the Financial Services Commission under the Virtual Assets Service Providers Act, 2022.
506
Costa Rica
Company formation
Company formation and structuring for virtual asset businesses, with the group designed around where the licence sits.
507
Panama
Company formation
Company formation and structuring for virtual asset businesses, with the group designed around where the licence sits.
FAQ / Questions
Questions we are asked.
Can I set up a Singapore company from Dubai?
Yes. A Singapore private limited company can be incorporated without travelling, but it needs at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore, and a local registered address. We provide both, so the company can be run from Dubai.
Should my holding company be in the UAE, Singapore or Hong Kong?
It depends on where the owners live, where the operating businesses and regulators are, the tax treaties that matter to you and where the group banks. We compare the options on your actual structure.
Which UAE jurisdiction is best for a regulated financial business?
Regulated financial services are usually set up in ADGM or DIFC. Virtual asset businesses in Dubai outside DIFC are licensed by VARA, and some payment activities by the Central Bank.
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