Ranking among the best economies in the world, very few come close to UAE’s thriving business landscape. Ranking in the top leagues of world’s most cost-efficient, prosperous and desired locations to set up a business venture, the UAE commands a versatile economy enriched with natural resources and diverse business avenues.
UAE continues to be a major destination for FDI inflows, which touched $11 billion in 2017, accounting for 22% of the total FDI in the MENA region, further solidifying its position as one of the best-managed economies in the region.
With a business oriented culture and progressive investment regulations, the UAE government accommodates scores of business activities and investment opportunities for startups, SMEs and Large Enterprises, with more than 130 of the top fortune 500 companies have their dedicated office setups in UAE.
Types of Investor Visa in UAE
There are 3 major types of investor visas in UAE, namely Freezone Investor Visa, LLC investor Visa and Property Visa.
- Freezone Investor Visa
Freezone Investor visa is a 3-year visa. The process is quite simple and does not involve a UAE national to endorse sponsorship or purchase property in UAE. The free zone authority practices 100% control over visa and business setup process.
- Mainland LLC Investor Visa
Similar to Free zone Investor visa, Mainland LLC investor visa also grants 3-year tenure to its holder. However, certain requirements are added since the visa is approved on the basis of the Memorandum of Association (MoA), LLC agreement and Partners list certificate through relevant UAE government departments.
- Property Visa
Property or real-estate visa is a 2-year renewable visa issued by the Dubai Land Department. Property visa holder grants the holder residency, an Emirates ID and family sponsorship. Unlike Freezone and LLC investor visa, the process involves approvals from the Dubai land department, NOC from the police department, Title Deed from estate registration trustee department and Taskeen Application. This service allows an investor to apply for visa where the value of his residential property equals or exceeds one million Dirhams (AED 1,000,000). This service is provided by the Real Estate Investment Promotion and Management Centre.
Investor Visa Cost
The investor visa cost in UAE varies for every jurisdiction and have been summed up below. These visa costs are subject to revisions by the respective authorities and may vary accordingly. Also, prior to Investor visa application in UAE, E-Channel registration is mandatory. Your business setup consultant will guide you through the process for the same and the E-Channel fees varies for different jurisdictions with a tentative cost of around AED 7,200 with a refundable element of approximately AED 5,000 on trade license cancellation.
| S.no. | Jurisdiction | Investor Visa (AED) | Medical & Emirates ID (AED) | Total (AED) |
| 1 | Ajman freezone | 4960 | 820 | 5780 |
| 2 | Creative City Fujairah freezone | 4960 | 820 | 5780 |
| 3 | DMCC Dubai freezone | 7555 | 820 | 8,375 |
| 4 | UAQ freezone (UAQFTZ) | 3300 | 820 | 4,120 |
| 5 | RAKEZ (RAK freezone) | 4730 | 820 | 5,550 |
| 6 | Sharjah Media City (SHAMS Sharjah freezone) | 4400 | 820 | 5,200 |
| 6 | Dubai South (DWC) freezone | 4460 | 1120 | 5,580 |
| 7 | Dubai Mainland (Dubai LLC company) | 2600 | 1120 | 3,720 |
Investor Visa Process
The process starts with bank deposit depending on the type of visa the investor has applied for. This validates the investor holds sufficient capital to open a company in UAE. After submitting the relevant documents, the immigration authorities will approve the visa. Once the Business Incorporation process is complete and establishment card granted, the applicant must apply for the E-channel registration and then begin the Investor visa application.
While the three incorporate different legal formalities and judicial requirements, they also share several similarities in the process. The details of the process are as follows:
Procedure
- The investor submits completed investor visa application and fees
- For Property visa, the net worth of the property must be AED 1 million or above and minimum monthly Income must be AED 10,000
- Immigration and Naturalization department processes the immigration file
- The investor enters UAE and is given 60 days to submit all documents and complete biometrics scanning and medical test
- The applicant will go through medical test for health inspection
- The investor will collect Emirates ID from Immigration department
- Visa will be stamped on the passport shortly after that
Documents Include
- Passport copy and 4 Passport size photographs in white background (6 passport size photographs for Property visa)
- Copy of entry stamp or valid UAE visa (in case already in UAE)
- Good Conduct certificate from Dubai Police – applicable for Property Visa
- Memorandum of Association (MOA) – applicable for Dubai LLC Investor visa
- List of Shareholder – applicable for Dubai LLC Investor visa
- Partnership Contract copy
- Original Emirates ID of Partner or PRO
- Copy of Immigration Establishment Card
Benefits of a UAE Investor Visa
The advantages of owning a UAE investor visa are numerous. The visa holder is privileged to unlimited investment opportunities, residential benefits, world-class lifestyle, strong political stability and promising ROI.
- Gives the holder the opportunity to interflow with worlds most dynamic business community
- Owns world’s most technologically advanced infrastructure
- As a liberal regime, UAE gives freedom in scores of aspects that most business outposts do not
- Ranks in world’s most recognized hubs job hunting
- Allows prospective investors to open business setups in a matter of days and avail specialized benefits with respect to their business activity
- Allows 100% ownership, 100% tax exemption and 100% repatriation of capital funds and profits
- Offers investors easy family sponsorship facilities, education for children, nanny visas and high quality lifestyle
How can IBG help?
IBG Consulting is one of the top full stack business setup agencies in UAE, offering an array of quality services for company setup, PRO services and business visa processing. To help you with your investor visa process, we assign UAE’s most seasoned professionals to assist you every step of the way, from documentation and approvals down to final visa stamp in streamlined fast and trackable process.
