Establishing an insurance or reinsurance company in the UAE - whether in a financial free zone or under Central Bank supervision - requires meeting
Insurance & Reinsurance Licensing covers legal assessment, documentation and practical support in the UAE. It is typically relevant to businesses, investors and founders establishing or operating under federal, emirate-level or free-zone rules. The applicable requirements and competent authority depend on the activity, place of establishment and where the service or transaction is performed.
The applicable framework depends on the activity, place of establishment and place of performance. UAE federal law, the relevant emirate’s law and free-zone rules are distinguished as the matter requires.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026
Establishing an insurance or reinsurance company in the UAE - whether in a financial free zone or under Central Bank supervision - requires meeting capitalisation, governance, actuarial, and solvency standards that vary by regulator. We manage the licensing process and support ongoing prudential compliance.
We advise on jurisdiction selection (DIFC, ADGM, or mainland), prepare the licence application with all supporting governance and financial documentation, and coordinate with the supervisory authority through to approval.
Post-licensing, we support compliance with solvency-margin requirements, reserving standards, reinsurance-arrangement reporting, and fit-and-proper assessments for new appointments.