Before Atlas forms a company we search the register. Before a bank opens an account it searches the register. Before you sign with a DIFC counterparty, you should too. The DIFC public register is free, takes seconds and answers the question that matters most, which is whether the entity in front of you exists and is in good standing. It also gets misread constantly, so this guide covers what each field means and what the register deliberately leaves out.
How to search
Open the public register page on difc.com. There is no login and no fee. Type the company name, or a distinctive part of it, into the search. Partial matches work, and searching on one or two distinctive words is more reliable than typing a full name that may differ slightly from the registered one.
Each result shows the same set of fields:
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Registered number | The entity's DIFC registration number, which stays with it for life and is the reliable identifier when names are similar |
| Name | The registered name, which may differ from the trading name |
| Status | Active, Dissolved, or Inactive, Struck Off |
| Sector | Non-financial, Financial-related, or Retail |
| Activities | The activities on the entity's licence, as the Registrar has recorded them |
| Location | The registered office address within the DIFC, shown for active entities |
Reading the status
Active is the only status that means the entity is currently registered and licensed. It can contract, hold assets and open accounts.
Dissolved means the entity has been wound up. It no longer exists. Any document dated after dissolution that purports to bind it is worthless.
Inactive, Struck Off means the Registrar removed the entity from the register, typically for persistent non-compliance: unpaid licence renewals, unfiled confirmation statements, an unanswered notice. A struck off entity has not been wound up in the orderly sense; its affairs were simply never closed. Counterparties sometimes find a struck off entity still trading, which is the moment to stop.
Reading the sector and activities
The sector is the Registrar's broad categorisation. Non-financial covers holding companies, advisory and consulting firms, technology businesses and most Prescribed Companies. Financial-related covers entities carrying on or connected with financial services. Retail covers the restaurants, salons and shops in the centre.
The activities field lists what the licence permits, in the Registrar's own wording: "Holding Company", "Management Consultancies", "Managing a Collective Investment Fund" and so on. This is the field worth reading closely. A company whose licence says Holding Company is not licensed to provide services to third parties, and a company whose activities do not include a financial service is not authorised to carry one on, whatever it calls itself.
What the register does not show
The register is a register of entities, not of people or money. It does not show:
- Shareholders or directors. The register of members and the register of directors are kept by the company at its registered office.
- Beneficial owners. Beneficial ownership is filed with the Registrar under the DIFC's UBO regime and made available to authorities, but it is not published.
- Financial statements. Accounts filed with the Registrar are not on the public search.
- Regulatory status. A Financial-related sector tag tells you the entity is connected with financial services. It does not tell you whether the DFSA has authorised it, or for what.
- Trusts. A DIFC trust is not registered and never appears. Our guide to DIFC trusts explains how a trustee evidences one instead.
Checking a DFSA licence
For any firm that claims to be regulated, the DIFC register is the wrong place to look. The DFSA maintains its own public register of authorised firms, the financial services each may carry on, any restrictions on the licence, and the individuals approved to perform licensed functions such as Senior Executive Officer or Compliance Officer. A firm can be on the DIFC register as Financial-related and absent from the DFSA register: that usually means it is a registered Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession, such as a corporate services provider, rather than an authorised firm. Atlas itself is DFSA-registered in that category (reference F012915), which is a different thing from being authorised to provide financial services, and the register is where a client can check the difference.
Why we search before we file
Two practical uses. First, a name check: the Registrar will not register a name that conflicts with an existing one, so a search before the application saves a rejected filing. Second, counterparty diligence: a buyer, lender or landlord who confirms an entity is Active, licensed for the relevant activity and registered at the stated address has done the first and cheapest part of its due diligence. What the register cannot do is tell you who stands behind the entity, and that is where the company's own registers, its constitutional documents and, for regulated firms, the DFSA register take over.
If you need the corporate record behind a DIFC entity kept in the state a counterparty will expect to find it, our company secretarial service maintains the registers the public one does not show.
This article is general information and does not constitute legal, tax or regulatory advice. DIFC and ADGM rules change; confirm the current position with a qualified adviser for your specific case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a company is registered in the DIFC?
Go to the public register page on difc.com and search the company name. Every entity registered with the DIFC Registrar of Companies appears with its registration number, current status, sector category, the activities on its licence and its registered location. There is no fee and no login. If the name returns nothing, the entity is not a DIFC entity, whatever its stationery says.
What do the status labels on the DIFC register mean?
Active means the entity is currently registered and licensed. Dissolved means it has been wound up and no longer exists. Inactive, Struck Off means the Registrar removed it from the register, usually for persistent non-compliance such as unpaid renewals or unfiled returns. Only an Active entity can validly enter contracts, open accounts or hold assets.
Can I see who owns a DIFC company on the public register?
No. The public register shows the entity's corporate details and licensed activities, not its shareholders, directors or beneficial owners. Beneficial ownership information is filed with the Registrar under the DIFC's Ultimate Beneficial Ownership Regulations and shared with authorities on request, but it is not published. A counterparty that needs ownership detail asks the company for its register of members and its constitutional documents.
How do I check whether a firm is regulated by the DFSA?
Use the DFSA's own public register on dfsa.ae, not the DIFC company register. The DFSA register lists every authorised firm, the financial services it is licensed to carry on, any restrictions, and the individuals approved for licensed functions. A firm on the DIFC register with a sector of Financial-related should also be on the DFSA register; if it is not, it may be a registered DNFBP rather than an authorised firm, which is a different status.
Why does a company I know exists not appear on the DIFC register?
Three common reasons. It may be a DIFC trust, which is never registered. It may be registered elsewhere in the UAE, for example in ADGM, which has its own register, or on the mainland. Or the name you searched is a trading name rather than the registered name; search on distinctive words rather than the full name.
Key Takeaways
- The DIFC public register at difc.com is free and needs no login. Search by company name to see the registration number, status, sector, licensed activities and registered location.
- Status tells you whether the entity is current: Active, Dissolved, or Inactive, Struck Off. A counterparty that is not Active cannot validly contract.
- The register does not show shareholders, directors, beneficial owners or financial statements. Beneficial ownership is filed with the Registrar but is not public.
- For a firm claiming to be DFSA regulated, check the separate DFSA public register, which lists authorised firms, the financial services they may carry on and the individuals approved to perform licensed functions.
- A DIFC trust will never appear, because the DIFC keeps no register of trusts.