VARA License Consultant & Lawyers in Dubai
Finjuris is a Dubai legal and regulatory firm that takes virtual asset businesses through the full VARA licensing process: structuring, the Initial Disclosure Questionnaire (IDQ), Approval to Incorporate (ATI), the full VASP licence and the compliance work that follows. Every policy and regulator response is drafted by our own lawyers, not templated.
- IDQ, ATI and full VASP licence under one mandate
- Every policy drafted in-house by our lawyers
- The same team from first call to licence issue
- Fixed-fee proposal after a free scoping call
What a VARA License Consultant Does For You
A VARA licence is granted activity by activity, and each activity brings its own rulebook, capital, staffing and technology expectations. A consultant's job is to turn your business model into a file VARA can approve the first time, then keep it approved.
In practice that means four things.
New to the framework? Start with our VARA license in Dubai guide, which covers licence types, requirements and costs.
Getting the scope right
Mapping what your platform really does to the correct VARA activities, so you neither under-apply (and face enforcement) nor over-apply (and carry cost you don't need).
Building the application
The IDQ, Regulatory Business Plan, financial projections, Responsible Individual profiles and the full policy suite across VARA's compulsory and activity rulebooks.
Managing the regulator
Answering clarification requests and gap lists quickly and consistently, so the file keeps moving.
Making it operational
Coordinating custodians, Travel Rule and blockchain analytics vendors, auditors, banks and insurers, and training the people who will run the controls.
Our VARA Licensing Services, Stage by Stage
The same Finjuris team stays on your matter from first call to licence issue. Here is what we deliver at each stage.
1. Scoping And Structuring
- Activity mapping against VARA's licensed activities, including whether you need a combined licence or a separate custody entity
- Choice of Dubai mainland (DET) or an eligible Dubai free zone, and why DIFC falls outside VARA
- Shareholding, UBO and group structure; Responsible Individual plan, including UAE residency requirements
2. IDQ And Approval to Incorporate (ATI)
- Preparing and filing the Initial Disclosure Questionnaire through DET or the free zone
- Drafting the Regulatory Business Plan and Regulatory Financial Plan
- Fit-and-proper packs for owners, directors and Responsible Individuals
3. Full VASP Licence (Operational Readiness)
- The complete policy suite: governance, compliance and risk management, AML/CFT, technology and information security, market conduct, and the rules for each licensed activity
- Committee charters, accountability matrix and internal controls
- Review of outsourcing and vendor agreements
- Managing every VARA clarification request and gap list until licence issue
4. After The Licence
- Annual renewal and supervision-fee calendar
- Marketing pre-clearance and disclosures
- Policy updates when VARA issues new rulebooks or circulars
- Role-specific training for the board, Compliance Officer, MLRO and staff
VARA Fees and Timeline at a Glance
VARA's own fees are fixed in its fee schedule and paid per activity. They are separate from capital, company formation, office, staffing and professional fees.
| VARA activity | Application fee | Annual supervision fee |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory Services | AED 40,000 | AED 80,000 |
| VA Transfer and Settlement Services | AED 40,000 | AED 80,000 |
| Broker-Dealer Services | AED 100,000 | AED 200,000 |
| Custody Services | AED 100,000 | AED 200,000 |
| Exchange Services | AED 100,000 | AED 200,000 |
| Lending and Borrowing Services | AED 100,000 | AED 200,000 |
| VA Management and Investment Services | AED 100,000 | AED 200,000 |
Most of our clients move from first call to full VASP licence in 3 to 7 months.
The biggest swing factors
- How fast Responsible Individuals are appointed
- Whether corporate documents are attested in time
- How quickly gap-list questions are answered
Why Applications Stall, And How we Prevent it
Scope too broad for the team
Several activities with one compliance hire invites questions.
We size scope to your year-one revenue.Generic policies
Reviewers spot templates.
Ours are written around your product, tech stack and vendors.Missing Responsible Individuals
An application can't progress without them.
We plan RI appointments and residency from day one.Unattested documents
Foreign corporate documents take time to attest.
We send the attestation checklist for foreign shareholders in week one.Treating ATI as permission to operate
It isn't.
We keep marketing and onboarding locked until the licence is issued.Slow gap-list replies
Every day a query sits unanswered is a day added to the timeline.
We work to a fixed turnaround on every VARA query.How to Choose a VARA License Consultant
Ask any firm you are considering these eight questions:
Who drafts the policies: lawyers in-house, or a template library?
Which VARA activities have you taken through to a full licence?
Who writes and signs the responses to VARA's clarification requests?
Do you cover structuring, Stage 2 policies and post-licence compliance, or only one stage?
Will the same team stay on the matter throughout?
How do you handle Responsible Individual sourcing and UAE residency?
Is your fee fixed per stage, and what is excluded?
What happens after the licence: renewal, marketing pre-clearance, rulebook updates?
How we Engage And Price
VARA's regulatory fees and capital are paid directly by you and are never bundled into our fees.
Stage 2 policy drafting
Firms that already hold ATI or use another provider
Fixed fee by activity and policy count [confirm]
Full end-to-end mandate
New applicants starting from scratch
Fixed fee per stage, agreed upfront [confirm]
Training and outsourcing review
Licensed firms or firms with policies in place
Per session or per agreement [confirm]
Frequently Asked Questions About VARA Consultants
Have a question not covered here? Tell us about your matter and we'll discuss the relevant considerations.
Tell us about your matterTalk to a VARA Lawyer
Tell us what you want to offer and to whom. In a free 30-minute scoping call we will confirm which VARA activities apply, flag the likely blockers and give you a fixed-fee proposal.
Book a Free Scoping Call
Tell us what you want to offer and to whom. We'll confirm which VARA activities apply and get back to you within one business day.
