UAE residence visas for business owners
When you set up a company in the UAE, your UAE residence visa comes through it. The company sponsors you and your staff, and once you hold your visa you can sponsor your family. Which route fits depends on your shareholding and what you own, not on how much paperwork you're willing to do.
Speak to us about your situationDo I buy UAE residency separately from my company?
Residency isn't a separate product you buy. It flows from the company. Set the company up properly and the visa, the Emirates ID and the ability to sponsor your family and staff follow. For one owner's version of this, see our case study of a UK property investor whose Dubai mainland company we set up to hold property, with her visa and bank account arranged alongside it.
- Your residence visa comes from the company. The company sponsors you as its owner or partner.
- Issued whether your company is in a free zone or on the mainland.
- Most owners take the standard visa, which we usually arrange for two years.
- The golden visa runs ten years and suits owners who qualify on Dubai property or public investment.
- Once you hold your visa, you can sponsor your family, and the company sponsors your staff.
- In our experience the process takes about two weeks end to end.
- Our IFZA price for your residence visa is AED 8,000 every two years.
- Immigration residency and tax residency are separate questions, and we keep them apart.
Which UAE residence visa route fits me?
Which route fits comes down to your shareholding and what you own. Here's how the two main owner routes compare.
| Route | Who it suits | Validity | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard residence visa, through your company | Most owners setting up, in a free zone or on the mainland. | Usually two years with us, renewable while the company is active. | AED 8,000 every two years, our IFZA price. |
| Golden visa | Owners who qualify on Dubai property of AED 2 million or on public investment. | Ten years, renewable. | Quoted for your situation. |
The establishment card adds AED 3,000 a year to the standard route. Mainland visas are quoted for your case. The full price list is in the cost section below.
The standard visa is shorter by design. The government's own rules say a residence visa "can be for 1, 2 or 3 years on a sponsored visa, or up to 5 or 10 years on an unsponsored visa." Two years is what we usually arrange. Source: u.ae's general rules for the residence visa.
There's also a five-year green visa for investors and business partners who can show investment or contribution to a business venture in the UAE. ICP is the federal authority for residence and identity, and it says the green visa "is granted for a period of five years, with the option of renewal". It's a niche route we don't typically handle. If it's genuinely the better fit, we'll tell you and point you the right way. Source: ICP's green residence service.
How do I choose between the standard visa and the golden visa?
Work it from what you and your family actually need, not from the headline number. For most owners the standard visa that comes with the company is enough. It lasts two years with us, renews while the business is active, and lets you sponsor your family.
The golden visa is worth it only if you qualify and you want the longer term. Dubai Land Department gives a "10-years renewable residence permit" for Dubai property worth AED 2 million or more. ICP gives the same ten years to investors in public investments. The golden visa also renews "without the need for a sponsor", so your residence no longer hangs on the licence. Sources: Dubai Land Department's golden visa service and ICP's golden residency page.
It also gives you more freedom to spend time outside the UAE without losing residency. If the standard visa covers you, there is no reason to pay for more. If the golden route genuinely fits, we will tell you.
More often than not the standard two-year visa is the one we put a UAE owner on at Start Business Services, and the golden visa only earns its cost when someone genuinely needs long stretches outside the country.
How does residency work in practice?
In practice, the company sponsors you and your staff, and once you hold your visa you can sponsor your family. Here is how each part works.
Do I need a local sponsor?
For most mainland commercial activities, no. 100% foreign ownership has applied since 2021, so there's no Emirati sponsor on your company. In the government's words, the law "abolishes the requirement for a majority Emirati shareholder or local partner". A small number of strategic activities still require Emirati participation, and we confirm whether yours is one before you commit. More on corporate sponsorship. Source: u.ae's page on full foreign ownership of companies.
How does sponsoring my family work?
Once you hold your own residence visa you can sponsor your spouse and children. Most owners clear the income condition, but it has to be shown: "The sponsor must have a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation." You'll also need some attested documents, such as marriage and birth certificates. Family members aged 18 and over take the residence medical, so children under 18 skip it. Source: u.ae's page on residence visas for family members.
Where your family start depends on where they are. If they are still abroad, we apply for an entry visa for residence, which lasts 60 days from the day they arrive. They fly in on it and finish the process here. If they are already in the UAE, their status is changed in the country, and that carries an extra fee. Source: GDRFA Dubai's family entry visa service.
How do staff visas work?
If you'll employ people, the company sponsors their visas too. How many you can issue is tied to your set-up: office space on the mainland, or the visa allocation in your free zone package.
On the mainland, MOHRE is the labour ministry, and for staff hired from abroad it says "The establishment must have an electronic quota available". Someone already working in the UAE moves to you by a transfer of their work permit. Employment visas can be applied for before the person arrives or once they're already here, which helps when you're hiring someone who hasn't moved yet. Sources: MOHRE's services for recruiting a worker from overseas and transferring a work permit.
What are the steps to get the visa?
Residency follows the licence: establishment card, entry permit, then the residency steps. For a Dubai company the residence file goes through GDRFA Dubai, the city's residency department. In our experience the medical is a blood test and a chest X-ray. Biometrics come a day or two after the medical results are submitted. That is an electronic hand print and a digital signature, recorded for your Emirates ID.
Then comes the Emirates ID application. We often see the digital residence visa issued the same day, with the Emirates ID card arriving two to four days after. We coordinate it so you make one trip, not two. In our experience, allow around two weeks end to end.
What do you handle, and what does it cost?
We handle it start to finish: the PRO work, the applications, the bookings, the medical and the Emirates ID. We take you, your staff and your family to every appointment.
That means the whole application: getting the photo right and to the correct proportions, the applicant's details correct, issuing the entry permit, the change of status, the passport entry stamp where it's needed, and finally collecting the Emirates ID and delivering it to you.
At the prices we set in September 2026, this is what the visa side of an IFZA company costs with us:
- Establishment card, AED 3,000 a year. It is the document that lets the company sponsor visas.
- Your residence visa, AED 8,000 every two years. It covers the medical, biometrics, the Emirates ID and getting you to each appointment.
- Each additional person's visa, AED 8,000 every two years. It is the same service for a spouse, a child or a member of staff.
- Each extra visa also adds AED 2,100 a year to the IFZA licence.
- IFZA runs first-visa promotions from time to time, and when one applies we pass the discount on to you.
We don't publish a mainland visa price or a golden visa price, because both depend on your situation. Most clients deal with Gareth directly, and the same person stays with it the whole way.
What it costs depends on the route, the number of family members and whether staff visas are involved; we give you the exact figure for your situation before any work starts. The same prices sit on our IFZA free zone page. For how the visa fee sits alongside the licence, the medical, the Emirates ID and health insurance in a full budget, see our breakdown of what a relocating owner actually pays for a UAE residence visa.
"We had an excellent experience throughout our relocation and business setup process in Dubai. From company formation and residency visas to Emirates IDs, banking support, and medical coordination, everything was handled professionally, efficiently, and with great communication throughout."
Frequently asked questions
Do I get UAE residency automatically when I set up a company?
Not automatically, but the company is what makes it possible. Once the licence and establishment card are in place, the company sponsors your residence visa. That is a separate set of steps after the licence, not part of it.
Can I work in the UAE on my residence visa?
Yes. Your own residence visa, sponsored through your company, is what lets you run and work in the business. Anyone you employ needs their own visa, which the company sponsors.
How long does a UAE residence visa take?
In our experience, allow around two weeks end to end once the licence and entry permit are in place. The medical and biometrics are a couple of days apart, and the digital visa is often issued the same day as biometrics. The Emirates ID card follows two to four days after.
What documents do I need for a residence visa?
Your passport, a photo, the entry permit, your medical test result and the Emirates ID application. On the company route, the trade licence and establishment card sit behind it. We prepare and submit the set for you.
How long does a UAE residence visa last?
With us, the standard owner or partner visa usually runs two years and renews while the company is active. The golden visa runs ten years, renewable, for owners who qualify on Dubai property or public investment.
Can I bring my family?
Yes. Once you hold your own residence visa you can sponsor your spouse and children, subject to the income and housing conditions. We check those against your situation before anything is applied for.
What's the validity of a family visa?
A family visa is linked to yours, and it can't outlast it. In the government's words, "The expiry date of the dependent's residence visa will not exceed that of the sponsor." So we renew yours and theirs together. Source: u.ae's general rules for the residence visa.
Can I sponsor staff?
Yes, the company sponsors employee visas. How many you can issue depends on your office space on the mainland or the allocation in your free zone package.
How much does a UAE residence visa cost?
Our IFZA price is AED 8,000 for a two-year residence visa, plus AED 3,000 a year for the establishment card. Each additional person's visa is AED 8,000. Mainland and golden visa costs depend on your situation, so we confirm the exact figure before any work starts.
Can I switch a free zone visa to a mainland one?
Yes, in either direction. Moving between a free zone visa and a mainland one means cancelling the old visa and issuing the new one, and we handle the switch.
Is there anything to keep up each year?
Yes. The licence and your residence visa renew on their own cycles, and your UAE bank will ask for updated documents each year to keep the account active. We track these so a renewal doesn't creep up on you.
Do I have to live in the UAE full-time to keep it?
No, but you can't stay away too long. The government's rule is that a resident who lives "outside the UAE for more than 180 days continuously" has the residence visa cancelled automatically. The golden visa is more flexible. It gives "the ability to stay outside the UAE for more than the usual period of six months". Sources: u.ae's general rules for the residence visa and its golden visa page.
Immigration residency and tax residency are separate, and a UAE visa doesn't by itself change your tax position at home. Your own accountant or tax adviser at home is the person to confirm that. For UK owners we set out how UK tax residence works after a move.
What happens to my visa if I close the company?
Your residence visa runs off the company, so winding it down means cancelling your visa and any you sponsor. If you want to stay attached to the UAE, you move onto a new residence visa and Emirates ID, through another company, property, or the golden route. We plan that transition so you're not left without cover.
Do I qualify for the golden visa?
Maybe. It depends on Dubai property of AED 2 million or more, public investment, or one of the other set categories. We'll tell you plainly rather than putting you through an application that won't land. → Golden visa: who qualifies and what it costs
Where to read next
The visa flows from the company, so the structure comes first: UAE company structures.
The other half of being operational: opening a UAE business bank account.
What a visa costs in a full relocation budget: UAE visa costs explained.
What the golden visa actually costs: golden visa costs.
Whether you need a local sponsor: corporate sponsorship.
How a move affects your tax at home: UK tax residence.
Thinking about your UAE move?
Tell us what the business does and where it's heading, and we'll set out the residency that fits and what it takes to get it.
Talk to usRelated reading