Category Archives: Business Visa

Free Zone Visa: How to Apply for a Free Zone Visa in the UAE?

The UAE has cemented its role as one of the world’s top global hubs for tourism, businesses, and investments in no small part due to the establishment of numerous free zones in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and across the UAE.

With the aim of attracting more foreign investments, visas are being issued to foreign nationals wishing to take advantage of the perks and benefits being offered by the free zones in the UAE. Here, we take a closer look at the free zone visa; its benefits, costs, application process, and more.

What is a free zone visa?

A free zone is a geographical area with certain tax advantages setup in order to attract investment and development of economic activities. Within the free zones, the prevailing rules are more lenient than the rules prescribed in the rest of the country.

As such, companies established within these free zones enjoy leniencies extending to certain tax exemptions, visa assistance, networking opportunities as well as 100% ownership.

To put it simply, a free zone visa is a type of residence visa issued by the GDRFA for individuals associated with free zone companies. This means that a free zone visa may be in the form of an investment visa, an employment visa, or other types of visa.

For example, an entrepreneur looking to establish their company in a free zone may apply for an investor visa. Conversely, those working for a free zone company are eligible for an employment visa.

Who is eligible for a free zone visa?

Those who are eligible for a free zone visa include the following:

• individuals employed by a free zone company. Typically, the free zone company will apply on the employee’s behalf as well as cover all associated costs





• entrepreneurs planning on setting up their companies in a free zone. They would be required to apply for the visa through the free zone authority and bear the costs





• individuals already holding a freelancer visa may also apply for a free zone visa





• Note that free zone visa holders are not allowed to work outside of the free zones.

What are the benefits of a free zone visa?

As with other UAE residence visas, holders of the free zone visa are legally allowed to work and live in the UAE. They are also entitled to financial and banking services, healthcare services as well as applying for a UAE driver’s licence.

Other benefits of a free zone visa are as follows:

• full foreign national ownership (100%)





• exempted from personal, import, and export taxes





• exempted from corporate taxes for a fixed period of time with the option for renewal





• eligibility for long-term leasing options (up to 25 years).

What is the validity of the free zone-visa?

As per the latest announcement made by the authorities, the validity of free zone visas has been reduced from three years to two.

However, free zone visas that have already been issued will remain valid for three years. The change will affect freshly issued free zone visas including those that are currently being processed.

How do I apply for the free zone visa?

The steps involved in applying for a free zone visa are as follows.

Step 1: Register for E-Channel services
Start by registering at the ICP’s E-Channel services. You’ll be asked to provide some personal details.

Step 2: Apply for your entry permit
After completing your registration, the next step is to apply for an entry permit. You can learn about the details of applying for a UAE entry permit in our dedicated article below.

Step 3: Activate your entry permit
Once you have obtained your entry permit, you would need to activate it. This simply means getting your entry permit stamped by immigration officers in the UAE. This involves either submitting your passport for stamping, presenting your visa to immigration at an airport upon arrival, or departing the UAE by land and having your permit stamped on re-entry.

Step 4: Medical and Emirates ID registration
A medical exam and a fitness test are required to obtain a free zone visa. The medical exam involves a blood test to check for any infectious disease as well as a chest X-ray. The process is typically completed within a few hours and the results will be available in three working days. These tests are a requirement for obtaining your Emirates ID. You can learn more about how you can apply for your Emirates ID in our dedicated article.

Step 5: Residence visa stamping
Submit your passport to the UAE’s immigration authority to obtain a residence visa stamp or sticker. Note that this process has been reported to take 15 days which means you won’t be able to leave the UAE.

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UAE Business Visa : The United Arab Emirates has become an increasingly popular destination for expats worldwide. Opportunities exist all over this culturally diverse country, mostly centered around Abu Dhabi and Dubai. With its cosmopolitan appeal and established digital infrastructure, the UAE naturally becomes one of the most sought-after destinations for entrepreneurs and businesses to ply their trade.

Here’s all you need to know about applying for a UAE business visa; its benefits, requirements, and more.

What is the UAE business visa?

The UAE business visa allows foreigners and expatriates to obtain long-term visas for themselves and their dependents. The UAE business visa is a part of the Golden Visa residency program, first implemented in 2019. The Golden Visa system enables expats to study, live and work in the UAE without a national sponsor and grants them 100 percent ownership of their business in the UAE.

Any professionals having entrepreneurial experience are eligible for the UAE business visa. Entrepreneurs who have their own business set up and wish to do so again in the UAE can apply for a business visa.

Those who reside outside the UAE can apply for a 6-month visa which will be temporary and can be used for multiple entries. Visa applicants who reside in the UAE itself will be provided a 1-month visa. In both cases, the visas should be converted to a residency permit before the temporary visa expires.

UAE business visa benefits

Over the years, the UAE has streamlined the process of setting up business in recent years, by facilitating streamlined regulations and massively reducing red tape to nurture a conducive business environment. If you are thinking about launching in the Emirates there is a healthy selection of locations to choose from.

Prime among these are free trade zones that offer businesses competitive set-up packages, attractive incentives, and reduced costs and taxes, in addition to other benefits, like the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ) in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.

With a UAE business visa, the applicant is allowed to enter the country for a period of 6 months with a multiple-entry visa and can facilitate the procedures of establishing the business, exploring possibilities for growth and settling in. The applicant can also nominate up to three senior staff from the firm to obtain a UAE residency.

UAE business visa holders can sponsor their dependants but are subject to the requirements and conditions laid down by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security.

UAE business visa requirements

All applicants must meet the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security requirements. The requirements include a health assessment and a background check.

To be able to substantiate your experience as an entrepreneur in the UAE, you will need to prove that you have been a majority shareholder of a start-up or a member of its senior leadership. You must also propose a business idea or plan that you wish to bring to life in the UAE. Moreover, you must be willing to relocate to the UAE and establish a business legally in any one of the seven emirates.

The UAE business visa under the Golden Residence for Entrepreneurs can be obtained under the following circumstances:

• The person is a founder or one of the founders of a previous entrepreneurial project that was sold with a total value of not less than AED 7 million (USD 19,05,850.80).





• The approval of the Ministry of Economy or the competent local authorities is required for projects or ideas.





• Qualifying for a business visa does not assure that the applicant will indeed receive the visa. Specialized committees review the application and the relevant documents and will grant the visa approval accordingly.

The following are the primary documents that are required to be submitted to apply for a business visa in the UAE:

• Copy of a valid passport





• 2 – 3 passport-size photographs





• Cover stating the purpose and duration of your stay.





• Proof of investment (if any)

UAE business visa application

To successfully apply for the visa, your nomination must first be approved by an incubator supported by the government of the United Arab Emirates.

You will need to follow the procedure mentioned below to apply for a business visa:

• Get your nomination approved by any one of the business incubators supported by the UAE government.





• Receive an invitation on your registered email to apply for a UAE business visa from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.





• If your nomination is approved, gather and submit the necessary documents to complete your application process.





• Once the business visa application is approved, you will receive an email with the payment details and voucher. You can then pay the required fee and download your business visa.

Please note: If your business visa application is rejected, you can apply for it again, but only after 90 days. Since getting the necessary approvals and gathering the documents can be tedious, we suggest you hire a local business consultant or a legal adviser to help you through the application process.

UAE business visa processing time

The application procedure will take around 60 days, including 30 days for the initial application review and another 30 days for the applicant to fulfil all the requirements once they have been successfully nominated.

UAE business visa extension

As mentioned earlier, applicants residing outside the UAE will be given a 6-month visa to enter the UAE and explore the opportunities. Before this temporary visa expires, they will be required to convert it into a residency permit. Those residing in the UAE will be granted a temporary one-month visa and need to convert it into a residency permit before the visa expires.

Such visas can be converted into residency permits conveniently at SERVICES1 in Emirates Towers, Dubai or through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security.

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