Investor & Residence Visas

The right visa depends on how you hold and use your company. Investor and partner visas are issued to owners and shareholders of a UAE company, sponsored by the business itself, which is why your trade licence and establishment card must be in order first. If you are setting up new, we can run the licence and visa together via mainland company formation or free zone company formation. Employment visas are for staff you hire, sponsored by the company under its labour quota. Family sponsorship lets a resident sponsor a spouse, children and, where income and housing conditions are met, parents.

One important caveat: an offshore company is a holding and international-use vehicle and cannot trade inside the UAE, so it cannot sponsor a residence visa, you would need a mainland or free zone entity for that. Since 2021 most mainland activities allow 100% foreign ownership under Federal Decree-Law 26/2020, though strategic or restricted sectors may still require an Emirati partner and some professional licences or foreign branches need a 0% equity Local Service Agent. We confirm the current rules for your activity, see the official summary on u.ae and the residency requirements on icp.gov.ae.

For a typical investor visa the sequence is: (1) issue or renew the company establishment card with the immigration authority; (2) apply for an entry permit, or change status from inside the UAE; (3) complete the medical fitness test; (4) capture Emirates ID biometrics; and (5) receive the residence visa stamp or e-visa. Family and employment visas follow the same backbone once the sponsor is resident and the licence supports it. Each emirate routes through approved typing centres, and we handle the typing, applications and follow-ups for you.

Indicative official fees give you a sense of scale, but they change often, so always request an exact quote. As published examples: ICP residence-permit government fees are about AED 100 per year, plus medical, Emirates ID and typing; a Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) trade-name reservation is about AED 620; and a Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MOET) foreign-branch initial approval is about AED 3,500. See icp.gov.ae, det.gov.ae and moet.gov.ae for the current schedules. You can also try our cost estimator or read how much it costs to set up a business in Dubai.

Residency sits alongside your tax obligations, so it helps to plan both together. UAE Corporate Tax (Federal Decree-Law 47/2022, effective for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023) is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that; CT registration is required, and a late-registration penalty of AED 10,000 applies, with returns filed and paid within nine months of the period end. Small Business Relief is available where revenue is under AED 3,000,000 per period, up to 31 December 2026. VAT is 5%, with mandatory registration at AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and voluntary registration from AED 187,500. We can set this up through accounting, VAT and corporate tax, and you can verify the figures on tax.gov.ae.

If you are eligible for a longer commitment, the Golden Visa offers 5 or 10 years, for example through real-estate or public investment of AED 2,000,000, an entrepreneur project valued at a minimum of AED 500,000, or a salary of at least AED 50,000 per month for talent routes, with thresholds confirmed on ICP. We also pair visas with a corporate bank account and ongoing PRO and government services. To weigh structures, compare free zone vs mainland or explore UAE free zones.