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Setting up a free zone company almost always comes with a visa route attached. Knowing how it works before you apply saves confusion later.
How much is a free zone visa in Dubai?
There is no single fixed price for a free zone visa in Dubai. The cost depends on the free zone you choose. It also depends on the visa package in your licence. The number of visas you take changes the total too. Ask each zone for its current visa fees first.
Every free zone company links its visa quota to its licence package. So plan your UAE free zone setup and your visas at the same time, not separately.
How to Get a Dubai Free Zone Visa
The process follows your company formation, not the other way around.
- Set up your free zone company. Your licence package sets your visa quota. Once you’ve settled on your free zone licence in Dubai, the visa route becomes available.
- Apply for an entry permit. This lets you enter or remain in the UAE while your residence process completes. Most zones process this stage within a few working days once your company file is complete.
- Complete a medical test and Emirates ID registration. These are standard steps for any UAE residence visa, free zone or otherwise. The medical test screens for communicable diseases. It is a same-day visit at an approved centre. Results usually clear within a few working days.
- Receive your Emirates ID. Once the authority approves your residence, your Emirates ID serves as proof of residency. The UAE stopped putting residence visa stickers in passports in 2022. The card usually arrives by courier once it is printed.
Each stage depends on the one before it. A delay early on pushes every later step back. Common causes are an incomplete medical file or a missing document at the entry-permit stage.
Free Zone Visa Cost and Validity
Since October 2022, free zone residence visas run for up to two years. Before that, many zones issued three-year visas. Cost follows the same drivers as your licence. These are the free zone, the visa category, and how many visas your package includes.
Renewal follows the same steps as the first application, minus the initial company setup stage. Start your renewal before your current visa expires to avoid a gap in your legal residence status.
Benefits of a Free Zone Visa
A free zone visa gives you legal residence tied directly to your own company, not an employer. This means you control the visa yourself rather than depending on a third party to sponsor you.
It also opens standard UAE residency benefits. You can open a personal bank account and sponsor family members. You also get UAE services that need an Emirates ID. Family sponsorship rules depend on your income and visa category. Confirm your eligibility with the UAE’s federal identity and residency authority or your setup consultant.
Sponsoring Family on a Free Zone Visa
Free zone visa holders can usually sponsor a spouse and children. First, their own residence visa and Emirates ID must be fully active. The federal identity and residency authority’s standard threshold sets the minimum salary at AED 4,000 a month. It drops to AED 3,000 if your company provides accommodation. Your salary certificate usually comes from your employer. For a founder, that is often your own free zone company.
You’ll also need a registered tenancy contract (Ejari or the local equivalent). It must fit the size of your family. Each family member you sponsor also needs valid health insurance. These rules are the same for free zone and mainland visas. The free zone doesn’t change the sponsorship rules themselves.
Free Zone Ownership and the Golden Visa
Owning a free zone company can also open a path to the UAE’s 10-year Golden Visa. It is separate from your standard free zone visa. Dubai’s residency authority sets the routes. The main investor routes are:
- Company investment: your share of a company’s assets is worth at least AED 2,000,000. A free zone company counts. You need a certified financial report from an accredited UAE audit firm. Free zone owners also need a certificate from the free zone confirming the capital and your share.
- Real estate: property investment of at least AED 2,000,000
- Bank deposit: a UAE bank deposit of at least AED 2,000,000, held for a minimum of two years
The Golden Visa doesn’t replace your standard free zone visa route. It is a longer-term option. It suits founders whose company or personal investment already clears the AED 2,000,000 bar. Check it once your business reaches that scale. A 10-year residence permit removes the two-year renewal cycle.
Free Zone Visa vs Employment Visa
A free zone visa comes from your own company licence. An employment visa comes from an employer sponsoring you as staff. If you’re the founder, the free zone route ties your residence directly to the business you own. Are you joining a free zone company as an employee? Then that company usually sponsors you on an employment visa under its own licence.
Both fall under the UAE’s residence visa system. For the general residence visa framework beyond the free zone mechanism, see our UAE residence visa guide.
Conclusion
A free zone visa follows your company setup automatically. Your licence package sets your visa quota. The process runs through an entry permit, a medical test, and an Emirates ID. The Emirates ID is your proof of residency. Renewal repeats the same steps, at least every two years.
Setting up and need the full visa picture sorted alongside your licence? Our team handles your Dubai free zone setup and visa process together.
This guide is general information. Visa validity, cost, and eligibility differ by free zone and visa category. Check with the free zone authority or a setup consultant for your own case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a free zone visa in Dubai?
Cost depends on the free zone, the visa package tied to your licence, and how many visas you take. There is no single fixed figure.
How long is a free zone visa valid?
Since October 2022, free zone residence visas are valid for up to two years. Before that, many zones issued three-year visas.
What is the difference between a free zone visa and an employment visa?
A free zone visa is tied to your own company licence as the founder. An employment visa is issued through an employer sponsoring you as staff.
What salary do I need to sponsor family on a free zone visa?
The standard minimum is AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 if your employer provides accommodation. The salary certificate usually comes from your employer, which for a founder is often their own company.
Can owning a free zone company qualify me for the UAE Golden Visa?
Yes. If your share of the company’s assets is worth at least AED 2,000,000, backed by a certified financial report and a free zone certificate confirming your capital and share, you can apply for the 10-year Golden Visa investor route.
