Alveena Ahmad
One of the best places in the world to conduct business is Dubai. Entrepreneurs from all over the world are drawn to the UAE by its absence of income tax to set up shop and do business there.
Those who manage a mainland or onshore business in the UAE are given regular visas. Golden Visas need to be approved by a business incubator or come with a minimum investment of 2 million dirhams. Please understand, all prices mentioned in this post are subject to a specific timeframe and may change with time.
Outline of the business visa program in the UAE
An entry and stay permit in the Emirates is known as a business visa. Visit and residency visas are the two primary categories of business visas.
Visit visas are granted to visitors arriving on business trips, attending conferences and meetings related to their profession, or researching investment opportunities in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE is open to citizens of 81 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival.
A residence visa is granted to entrepreneurs who wish to relocate to the country. Candidates must either run a successful business in Dubai or one of the other emirates to qualify. These visas may be valid for 2, 3, 5, or 10 years, and holders may stay in the UAE during that time.
An applicant is required to get an electronic entrance permit before being granted any type of residence visa. Depending on the kind of residency, it is valid for a period of 1 to 6 months. This period of time can be used to complete biometrics requirements, submit applications for a residency permit, and pass medical exams.
Following acceptance, an Emirates ID card serves as your resident visa. For residence visas, stickers in passports are no longer utilized.
Types of business visas in DubaiÂ
|
Visit visas |
Residence visas |
|
|
Sponsored |
Self-sponsored |
|
| Exploring business opportunities with a single-entry visa | Visas for owners and shareholders of companies in free zones | Company owners and shareholders can obtain a green visa |
| Business meetings, conferences, and other similar activities require multiple entry visas | Â Visas for shareholders and owners of companies in the mainland | Startup founders and investors are eligible for a Golden Visa |
There are two types of business visas: self-sponsored and sponsored. Before  2022, a corporation, a citizen, or a resident of the UAE had to sponsor all business visas with the exception of Golden. New self-sponsored visit visas and Green Visas were introduced once the visa system was updated.
The status modification fee for any business visa application made from within the UAE is AED 550–650 ($150–177).
How to get a visit visa for entrepreneurs and investors?
Single-entry. If you’re merely visiting Dubai to seek business prospects, think about obtaining a visit visa. Launched on October 3, 2022, this license. If you wish to study the market and assess your company’s potential, you can apply for this visa. A visa is good for 2, 3, or 4 months.
For a visa to Dubai or any other emirate, you can apply online. In the latter scenario, after clicking on the link, you must select one of the three cards that read “Visa — Single entry — Look for Investment Opportunities 60/90/120 days — Issue new visa.”
You’ll be required to complete a form, upload the required files, and pay the associated fees. A copy of your passport, a colored photo, and your qualification certificate are required documents. You will receive the visa by email after it has been approved.
A security deposit and an application fee that varies depending on the length of the visa need to be paid in order to get a single-entry visit visa.
Visa costs
|
Cost item |
Dubai |
Other emirates |
| Security deposit | AED 1000Â | AED 1025 |
| 60-day visa application fee | AED 555.75 | AED 470 |
| 90-day visa application fee | AED 685.75 | AED 630 |
| 120-day visa application fee | AED 815.75 | AED 790Â |
Multiple-entry:Â If you frequently travel to the UAE for conferences, exhibitions, business meetings, and other events, you might want to apply for a multiple-entry visa. You can enter the UAE and stay there for up to 90 days with this visa.
The five-year validity of a visa:Â The cost of the application is 650 AED ($177). A passport, a picture, a travel insurance policy, and a bank statement from the last six months with a balance of at least $4,000 or its equivalent in another currency are all needed.
Choose the “Visa — Multiple entries — Long-term Tourism (5 years) for All Nationalities — Issue new visa” card to submit an online application.
Requirements for getting UAE residence visas through business:
Requirements for obtaining a business-related resident visa for the UAE-sponsored residence business visa. By registering a firm and acquiring its Establishment Card, all of which can be done online, you become eligible for a UAE residency permit. Your resident visa, which is good for up to 3 years, is sponsored by your firm.
A business may be onshore or on the mainland. Both types are appropriate for conducting international business; the distinction is that mainland businesses can conduct their operations across the Emirates, whereas onshore businesses can only do so in free economic zones. Shareholders of offshore firms are ineligible for a Dubai business visa.
At the time of writing this article, AED 300 ($82) is the cost to issue an establishment card. Each free economic zone has a different registration and visa price. AED 10,000 ($2,700) or even less can be used to launch a business in the least expensive free zones.
Shareholders of a corporation may apply for a self-sponsored Green Residence Visa if they have contributed at least AED 1,000,000 ($272,000) to the company’s capital. An applicant could be a lone proprietor or a partner in a business. An applicant’s first-degree relatives may also apply for and be granted UAE Green Residency.
The Green Residence entrance permit is good for 60 days. The Green Residency Visa has a five-year validity period with the option of extension. Holders of the visa have a grace period of six months after it expires to remain in the UAE.
The cost of the application is AED 3357 ($90). An Emirates ID costs AED 650 ($177) to obtain.
On October 3, 2022, this sort of visa went into effect, and as time goes on, the conditions may change. On specific conditions, skilled workers and independent contractors may also qualify for a Green Visa.
Golden Visas that are self-sponsored are given out to investors, business owners, gifted students, and highly qualified professionals.
A step-by-step guide to obtaining a UAE residence business visa
The whole application procedure may take up to two months.
1. Meet the criteria for the visa category you’ve chosen.
You need to register a business, rent an office, obtain the relevant permits and licenses, and, if necessary, sign a contract with a service agency in order to qualify for a sponsored visa.
You must submit an online application for a Golden Visa Nomination to be nominated for a self-sponsored visa.
If your nomination is accepted, the request will be completed within a week, at which point you will receive a link to finish your application by uploading the necessary files.
After 90 days, you can reapply if your request is denied.
2. Compile your paperwork and get an admission permit.
This is the time to gather all the required paperwork, request an entry permit, and make the necessary payments. Fill out the forms for the medical exam and Emirates ID after you have your permit. If you applied from outside, you may then enter the UAE.
You will additionally require the following documents in addition to those for your company stated in the article’s previous section:
1. A passport photocopy.
2. A white background, 34 cm long, color photograph.
3. Proof that you have never been arrested in your country of residence.
4. A good conduct certificate, which in the UAE is a document attesting to a lack of criminal history.
5. Birth and marriage certificates, if family members are involved.
3. A medical examination
You must now take your medical fitness test at a government health facility. You must pass fluorography and be tested for life-threatening conditions like HIV or hepatitis in order to receive a certificate of health status.
It is also required to obtain insurance for Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Provide biometric information and get an Emirates ID
You will have your iris and fingerprints taken when you apply for an Emirates ID for the first time.
You will obtain an Emirates ID card that serves as a residence permit after your application for a residence visa has typically been considered, which often takes a week.
Advantages of holding a UAE Golden Visa
- Tax and commercial conditions: Residents of the UAE are exempt from corporation, income, and real estate taxes. More than 100 nations have double taxation avoidance agreements with the nation. Canada, China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and India are on this list.
- Residency for employees: Up to three senior employees of a company may be nominated for a residence permit under the business visa program.
- Living outside the UAE is possible: You can obtain a business visa to Dubai even if you reside outside of the UAE if you operate businesses in many nations. Prior to the changes, the holder of a resident visa was required to stay in the UAE for a minimum of six months every year to keep their status.
- Social advantages: Residents of the UAE are entitled to exclusive discounts on healthcare, insurance, automobiles, real estate, and entertainment. Immigrant Invest is an authorized representative for government initiatives in the Caribbean and the European Union.
- Special Discounts: Holders of Abu Dhabi golden visas will receive discounts on a selection of properties from developer Imkan Properties as part of commercial collaborations with the Abu Dhabi Residents Office.
- Deals: They will get exclusive deals on meals, spa services, gym memberships, and accommodations at particular Abu Dhabi hospitality locations.
Visa Guide website: https://visaguide.world/travel
