Crypto in the UAE, licensing included
What VARA actually regulates, what needs no licence at all, and what a licence costs.
The UAE is one of the few places where crypto income and a residence visa sit comfortably in the same sentence, which is exactly why the noise level is so high. VARA licenses activity in Dubai, ADGM regulates in Abu Dhabi, and a good deal of what people want to do needs no licence at all. Knowing which side of the line you are on is the whole game.
How we help
- 01Whether your activity needs a VARA licence in the first place
- 02What each VARA category costs to apply for and to hold
- 03Which free zones put crypto activity on the licence
- 04How OTC desks in Dubai work and what they charge
- 05What banks currently do when crypto shows up on a statement
Where the money actually is
Tell us what you need
The more concrete you are, the more useful our answer.
Questions people ask first
Do I need a licence to trade my own money?
No. Trading your own funds is not a regulated activity. Handling other people's funds, running an exchange, brokering or offering custody is where VARA starts.
Is crypto income taxed?
There is no personal income tax in the UAE. Corporate tax of 9 percent applies above AED 375,000 of taxable profit if the activity sits inside a company, and that distinction is worth getting right early.
Which free zone for a crypto company?
DMCC and IFZA both issue crypto-related activities at different price points and with different bank appetite. The licence is the easy part. The account is not.
Other things we help with
Setting up a company in Dubai
Free zone or mainland, what each one really costs, and which banks open the account afterwards.
What we trackBuying property in Dubai
What the portal price leaves out, and what a purchase costs from signature to key.
What we trackRenting an apartment in Dubai
What a flat in that tower actually goes for, and how not to hand a year of rent to the wrong person.
What we trackThe Golden Visa, without the sales pitch
Which routes exist, what each one really requires, and which are quietly harder than they look.
What we trackHealth cover in Dubai, and what it skips
The legal minimum, what it does not cover, and where paying more actually buys something.
What we trackYour first six weeks in Dubai, in order
Emirates ID, bank account, licence, DEWA, school places. What comes first and what it costs.
What we trackOpening a bank account in Dubai
Personal or corporate, which banks say yes to whom, and what actually causes a rejection.
What we trackThe freelance permit, priced honestly
Who it fits, what it costs in year one and at renewal, and where it falls short.
What we trackGetting into the night you actually wanted
Tickets, tables and the weeks when the whole city drops its prices.
What we trackThe good ones, as they appear.
Free, no sign-up, leave whenever.
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