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On the official GoFreelance list, a freelance visa in Dubai is three lines: AED 7,500 for a year's licence, AED 5,042 for a two-year visa and AED 2,000 for the establishment card. With a one-year visa the visa line is AED 4,600. The medical test, Emirates ID and health insurance come on top. Dubai agencies quote about AED 11,000 to AED 16,000 all in.
The official GoFreelance price list
| Line | Price |
|---|---|
| Freelance licence | AED 7,500 a year |
| Residence visa, 1 year | AED 4,600 |
| Residence visa, 2 years | AED 5,042 |
| Establishment card | AED 2,000 |
Source: GoFreelance (TECOM Group) price list, checked . GoFreelance notes that visa and card fees are subject to change and the visa needs valid medical insurance.
Licence, card and two-year visa together are the zone's part of the bill for the first year. Do the sum on the live list, because the visa and card prices can move.
The Dubai Development Authority, which issues the Freelancer (Sole Professional) Licence behind GoFreelance, lists the licence at AED 7,500 plus AED 10 Knowledge and AED 10 Innovation fees. Some agency totals for GoFreelance include those two add-ons, so they come out slightly higher than the list.
The "all inclusive" claim
One Dubai property and relocation blog describes GoFreelance as AED 7,500 a year "all inclusive" with the visa and Emirates ID. The GoFreelance price list says otherwise: the visa and the establishment card are separate lines. If a quote sounds too low, ask for it on the zone's letterhead or check it against the list yourself.
Costs the zone list leaves out
| Cost | Official price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Medical fitness test, standard 24 hours | AED 270 | Dubai medical fitness charges |
| Medical, 6 hours or Smart Salem | AED 700 | same |
| Medical, VIP 2 hours | AED 1,020 | same |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart service fee | ICP |
| Urgent Emirates ID, at ICP centres | AED 150 extra | ICP |
| Fee inside the country, on GDRFA residence pages | AED 500, plus AED 10 and AED 10 | GDRFA |
| Health insurance | priced by insurer | none |
Sources: Dubai Administrative Resolution 66 on medical fitness charges, ICP Emirates ID service page and GDRFA residence pages, checked .
A two-year Emirates ID works out at AED 300. Ask the zone whether its visa price already covers the GDRFA residence fees and the fee inside the country, because the list doesn't say. The fee inside the country matters if you're switching from a visit or employment visa without leaving the UAE. More on the medical stage in medical test for a residence visa and on the card in Emirates ID for residents.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai setup firms publish about AED 11,000 to AED 16,000 for a free zone freelance permit plus a two-year visa (4 published sources, checked ). Some firms fold medical, Emirates ID and insurance into the figure and some don't. Ask every firm which of those extras its number covers.
The green visa route, priced
If you hold a MOHRE freelance permit and meet the green visa rules, the residence costs are GDRFA's:
| GDRFA green visa line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residence permit | AED 200, plus AED 100 for each year over two |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
| Fee inside the country | AED 500 |
Source: GDRFA green visa for freelancers service page, checked .
You also pay for the MOHRE permit. Media quote a two-year fee for it, but we could not read MOHRE's own page, so check it on the MOHRE app first. The green visa needs income of at least AED 360,000 over the previous two years. See green visa UAE.
Documents you need before paying
- Passport copy and photo
- Your current UAE visa page, if any
- NOC, if your case needs one under the licensing rules
- A health insurance quote valid in the UAE
The full checklist is on freelance visa requirements.
Timing and what it costs to rush
DDA states about 2 working days for the licence and GDRFA 48 hours for the residence. Faster medical results cost more: AED 700 for six hours against AED 270 for 24 hours. Most people don't need the faster tier.
Where freelancers lose money
- Paying for a licence in a zone that doesn't list their activity, then paying again elsewhere.
- Picking the 1-year visa to save a little, then paying for a full new visa term a year later.
- Forgetting that the AED 7,500 licence is a yearly cost.
- Not cancelling an employer's visa in time, which delays the new one.
- Buying insurance that doesn't meet the zone's requirement.
How it works with us
Send your activity, passport copy and current visa status on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. A visa adviser checks the activity against the zone list, then builds your budget from the official lines above plus medical, Emirates ID and insurance. You get one total price before paying, with nothing hidden in a single figure. The team files the permit, the visa and the card, books appointments and follows each stage to the end. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. The free zone and GDRFA decide.
If your application is refused, government and zone fees are not returned by the authorities. Before you pay, the adviser confirms in writing what share of our total, if any, comes back.
Official sources
- GoFreelance price list: licence, visa and card prices.
- DDA freelancer licence: AED 7,500 plus add-ons.
- Dubai medical fitness charges: medical prices.
- ICP Emirates ID: card fees.
- GDRFA green visa for freelancers: residence fee lines.
Checked . GoFreelance says its visa and card fees can change, so check the list on the day you pay.
