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A UAE free zone visa is a residence visa linked to a company licensed in a free zone, such as DMCC. The free zone authority issues and regulates it, not the labour ministry that handles mainland work permits. Types include employee, partner or investor and freelancer. How many visas a company gets depends on its office, and costs vary by zone.
The main types
DMCC states that every DMCC-licensed company can apply for four visa types. Other free zones use their own names, but the pattern is similar.
| Type | Who it is for | Notes from DMCC |
|---|---|---|
| Employment visa | An employee of a free zone company | Needs an appointment letter |
| Partner or investor visa | Owners and shareholders | Valid for three years |
| Business visit visa | A short visit to the company | One month, non-renewable and non-refundable |
| Student visa | Students at a university or an institution | University: 1-year residence visa. Institution: 3 months, extendable for 3 more |
Source: DMCC free zone visa page, checked . DMCC does not state employment visa validity there, so ask for it.
How the visa quota works
Free zones cap visas by the space the company rents. DMCC gives a flexi desk up to 3 visas, a serviced office 4 or 5 depending on size, and a physical space 1 visa for every 9 square metres. If you want a team, the office you choose decides how many people you can sponsor. Another zone will use different numbers.
What every residence visa needs
DMCC lists a medical fitness certificate, mandatory health insurance and Emirates ID registration after arrival. ICP counts free zone employment as one of its residence permit categories. See medical test for residence visa and Emirates ID for the steps. A person on an entry permit has to finish residence procedures within 60 days of entry.
What it costs
There is no single price, because each free zone sets its own fees. Government lines that are the same everywhere: the Emirates ID is AED 100 per year of validity plus AED 100 for the smart service. Everything else depends on the zone.
Published Dubai agency and free zone prices, checked :
- Investor or partner visa: about AED 10,000 to AED 18,000.
- Freelance permit plus 2-year visa: about AED 11,000 to AED 16,000. The Dubai freelance permit itself is AED 7,500 a year at GoFreelance.
These are published figures from other companies, not our prices. Compare them with investor visa UAE and freelance visa Dubai.
Free zone or mainland
The choice is often made before the visa question comes up. A free zone company is licensed by the zone and its visas come from the same authority, so one office handles the licence and the visa. A mainland company works through the labour ministry and immigration. If you plan to sell to customers across the UAE, or hire staff who must work off site, ask your adviser early how your licence type affects the permits you need. Changing later usually means cancelling and refiling.
For freelancers, the free zone permit is the licence and the visa sits on top of it. For employees, the contract and the appointment letter carry the file. In both cases keep every receipt, because cancellation and renewal ask for the same documents again.
Limits to know before you sign
- The visa is tied to the free zone company. Working for a mainland employer usually needs another permit, so ask the zone first.
- The number of visas is capped by your office.
- Moving to another employer or zone usually means cancelling the old visa and applying again.
Cancelling a free zone visa
Cancellation runs through the free zone authority that issued the visa, so the company must file it there. After cancellation the grace period starts, and the overstay fine of AED 50 a day applies once it ends, as ICP states. Read employment visa cancellation for the mainland steps and compare.
Documents
- Passport copy valid at least 6 months.
- Photo on a white background.
- Appointment letter or the company licence and shareholder papers.
- Medical fitness result and health insurance.
- Emirates ID application after arrival.
How it works with us
Send your passport and your free zone company or job offer on WhatsApp or the form on this page. A visa adviser checks which visa type your situation fits and what the free zone asks. You get one total price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay, with government and free zone fees named. We prepare the file, follow the medical, insurance and Emirates ID steps and keep you updated. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. The free zone authority and immigration decide each case.
Authorities do not refund their fees after a refusal. Before you pay, your adviser writes down what part of our total, if any, comes back.
Official sources
- DMCC free zone visas: types, validity, quota, requirements.
- ICP residence permits: categories and the 60 day rule.
- GoFreelance: Dubai freelance permit price list.
Checked . Related: work visa Dubai, green visa.
