Checking an Italian company: a guide for UAE businesses
Updated to
In short: a UAE trade licence tells you nothing about an Italian company. Italian companies are recorded in Registro Imprese, the register of the Chambers of Commerce, so compare the legal name, registered office and VAT number on the contract with that register before you pay or ship. If you plan to buy a stake, Italy's "golden power" decree can require a notification from non-EU buyers.
Two systems, two kinds of record
| UAE counterparty | Italian counterparty | |
|---|---|---|
| Permission to trade | A licence issued by the department of economic development of the emirate (mainland) or by the free zone authority (free zone) (U.AE: steps to start a business on the mainland; U.AE: starting a business in a free zone) | Entry in Registro Imprese, with data from the Chambers of Commerce (Registro Imprese, the Italian business register portal) |
| Legal form | LLC, PJSC, PrJSC and partnerships on the mainland; FZE, FZ Co. and others in free zones | S.r.l., S.p.A. and other forms; the form is part of the legal name |
| Who may own it | The federal law on commercial companies allows 100 per cent foreign ownership of mainland companies, with some restricted activities (U.AE: full foreign ownership of commercial companies) | Ownership is shown by Italian official sources; control tests are in art. 20 of D.Lgs. 231/2007 (Normattiva: D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 20) |
The trade licence you receive from a UAE partner and the Italian register entry of your Italian partner are different documents from different systems. Never infer one from the other.
Where to start
- Trade licence vs Registro Imprese: check an Italian supplier
- Who controls an Italian S.r.l.? A guide for UAE companies
- Acquiring an Italian company from the UAE: golden power
- Italian company report glossary for UAE readers
Where Veryfy fits
Veryfy is a self-service check on Italian companies and Italian individuals, with one-off prices and no subscription.
| Product | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Verifica | €19 | Full company check, beneficial owner, shareholders and directors, estimated operating credit line, protests and insolvency signals, sector comparison, free anti-scam check |
| Decisione | €49 | Everything in Verifica, plus properties registered to the company, links with other companies, restated financial statements |
| Istruttoria | €99 | Everything in Decisione, plus risk algorithms developed by experienced risk managers |
| Negatività e procedure concorsuali | €5.90 | Protests and insolvency proceedings only, with source and date |
| Titolare effettivo | €9.90 | Who really controls the company |
| Essenziale | €14.90 | The two above together |
Every company product comes with a free Check anti-truffa (anti-scam check): it looks at the VAT number in the EU VIES register, free webmail or disposable email, domain age, domains flagged for malware or phishing, SPF and DMARC protection, the VAT number shown on the website, data breaches affecting the site, and whether the IBAN is correctly written and from a country consistent with the company.
The service and the report are in Italian, and they come from Italian official sources: company names, offices and procedures keep their original Italian wording. Veryfy does not offer a translated report, and checkout is in Italian for now.
Frequently asked questions
Does a UAE trade licence cover a company in Italy?
No. On the UAE side, the mainland trade licence comes from the economic department of the emirate and the free zone licence from the free zone authority. An Italian company is recorded in Registro Imprese.
Can a UAE company own 100 per cent of an Italian company?
Italian law does not stop it by itself, but a non-EU buyer of control in a company holding strategic assets must notify the Italian government under art. 2(5) of D.L. 21/2012, and the government can impose conditions.
Is the Veryfy report available in English or Arabic?
No. The service and the report are in Italian because they use Italian official data. Company names, offices and procedures keep their Italian wording and the glossary in this cluster explains them.
Sources
Official sources opened and read on 2026-10-24.
- U.AE: steps to start a business on the mainland
- U.AE: starting a business in a free zone
- U.AE: full foreign ownership of commercial companies
- Registro Imprese, the Italian business register portal
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 20
- Normattiva: D.L. 21/2012, art. 2
General information, not legal advice. Sources verified on 2026-10-24.
Frequently asked questions
Does a UAE trade licence cover a company in Italy?
No. On the UAE side, the mainland trade licence comes from the economic department of the emirate and the free zone licence from the free zone authority. An Italian company is recorded in Registro Imprese.
Can a UAE company own 100 per cent of an Italian company?
Italian law does not stop it by itself, but a non-EU buyer of control in a company holding strategic assets must notify the Italian government under art. 2(5) of D.L. 21/2012, and the government can impose conditions.
Is the Veryfy report available in English or Arabic?
No. The service and the report are in Italian because they use Italian official data. Company names, offices and procedures keep their Italian wording and the glossary in this cluster explains them.
Want to check a specific company?
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Check an Italian company