Visa Services · UAE

Visas, beyond the licence.

A trade licence is the company. The visa is the person attached to it. Most PRO firms treat the visa as a checklist item; we treat it as the part that actually changes your life — where you live, who you can sponsor, what you do next year. Employment, freelance, investor, family residence, renewal, cancellation, status change — this page is what we file most weeks of the year.

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Quick answers

Visa quota per licence
Tied to office size, not licence. Flexi-desk: 1–3 visas. 20 sqm office: 4–6.
Employment visa cost
AED 4,500–6,500 per person + medical & Emirates ID.
Freelance permit
AED 7,500–9,500 all-in. No separate company needed.
Family sponsorship
Min. salary AED 4,000/month with housing, AED 5,000 without.
Visa duration
2–3 years standard. 5 yrs for investors. 10 yrs Golden Visa.
Processing time
5–10 working days new. 1–3 days cancellations.

Company-tied visas

Employment visa (freezone)

For staff hired by a freezone-licensed company. Filed through the freezone's immigration counter. Tied to the sponsoring company; switching to mainland requires transfer or cancellation and re-issue.

Employment visa (mainland)

For staff hired by mainland LLCs and sole proprietorships. Filed through MOHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) and the relevant emirate's GDRFA. Quota tied to the labour file.

Investor / partner visa

For named shareholders of a UAE company. Self-sponsored through the company. Renewable as long as the licence is active and the shareholding is maintained.

Freelance permit & visa

Single-package solution from select freezones — Shams, Ajman Free Zone, Dubai Media City, twofour54. Permit doubles as work authority and visa sponsor. No separate trade licence required.

Family & dependents

Spouse residence

Sponsored under your visa if you meet the income threshold (AED 4,000/month with accommodation, AED 5,000 without). Marriage certificate must be attested in country of origin and at the UAE embassy.

Children residence

Sons up to 18 sponsored under standard residence; over 18 requires student status or separate justification. Daughters can be sponsored regardless of age while unmarried. Birth certificates require attestation.

Parent sponsorship

Possible under specific conditions: demonstrable financial support, mandatory health insurance, both parents sponsored together unless one is deceased. Higher salary threshold applies.

Domestic helper visa

For drivers, nannies, and household staff. Salary and accommodation thresholds apply. Sponsored directly by the resident, not the company.

The residence lifecycle

  1. Entry permit. Issued before the visa stamp. Allows entry to complete medical, biometrics, and Emirates ID. Valid 60 days.
  2. Medical fitness test. Mandatory for all residence visas. Includes chest X-ray and bloodwork. Cost: AED 325–750 depending on speed of result.
  3. Emirates ID enrolment. Biometrics captured at an ICP centre. Card delivered within 5 working days.
  4. Visa stamping. Final residence sticker placed in passport. Valid 2 or 3 years for standard residence, 5 years for property investors, 10 years for Golden Visa.
  5. Renewal. 30 days before expiry. Repeat medical and Emirates ID renewal. Cost: AED 3,500–5,000 for employment categories.
  6. Cancellation. Required when leaving the UAE permanently or changing employer. Takes 1–3 working days. Cost: AED 600–1,500. Skipping cancellation leaves the visa active and accruing fines.
  7. Status change. In-country switch from one visa type to another (e.g. visit to residence, employment to investor) without leaving the UAE. Cost: AED 1,500–2,500.

We track expiry dates for every active client. The diary is the difference between a renewed visa and a fine.

Mainland vs freezone visa — what actually differs

Both grant the same legal right to live in the UAE — to rent, drive, bank, enrol children in school. The difference is on the work side.

Mainland visa. Issued under MOHRE. Permits employment with any mainland company that has you on its labour file. Easier to switch employers — the new company files the transfer.

Freezone visa. Issued under the freezone's immigration counter. Permits employment only with the sponsoring freezone company. Switching to a mainland role usually requires cancellation and a new mainland visa.

Pick the visa type that matches where you'll actually work, not the one that comes with the cheapest package.

What visa services typically cost

Service Typical range (AED)
Employment visa (freezone or mainland)4,500 – 6,500
Investor / partner visa5,500 – 7,500
Freelance permit + visa (all-in)7,500 – 9,500
Spouse residence5,000 – 6,500
Child residence (per child)4,500 – 5,500
Parent sponsorship6,500 – 8,500
Domestic helper visa6,000 – 8,000
Residence renewal3,500 – 5,000
Visa cancellation600 – 1,500
Status change (in-country)1,500 – 2,500
Medical fitness test325 – 750
Emirates ID~1,070
Our PRO feeQuoted per engagement

All ranges are inclusive of typical government fees. We send a written cost sheet before any work begins. Government fees are paid at cost with receipts attached.

One visa, one call.

Whether it's a first employment visa, a family-of-five sponsorship file, or a clean cancellation before you leave the country — bring it on the call. The first 20 minutes are free, and you leave with a written next step.

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Visa services — frequently asked

How many visas does my freezone licence include?
Visa quota is tied to your office size, not the licence itself. A flexi-desk typically supports 1–3 visas, a 20 sqm office 4–6, and physical offices scale upward from there. Some freezones (DMCC, IFZA) sell visa packages that bundle quota with the licence.
What does a freezone employment visa cost in 2026?
An employment visa under a UAE freezone licence typically runs AED 4,500–6,500 per person, plus medical fitness test (AED 325–750) and Emirates ID (~AED 1,070). Mainland employment visas land in roughly the same range. Costs vary by freezone, visa duration (2 or 3 years), and whether the candidate applies inside or outside the UAE.
Can I get a freelance visa in the UAE without setting up a company?
Yes. Freelance permits are issued by select freezones — Shams (Sharjah), Ajman Free Zone, Dubai Media City, Abu Dhabi twofour54 — without requiring a separate trade licence. The freelance permit itself functions as both the right to work and the visa sponsor. Typical cost: AED 7,500–9,500 for permit, visa, Emirates ID, and medical.
Can I sponsor my wife and children on a freezone visa?
Yes, if you meet the minimum salary threshold — AED 4,000/month with accommodation, or AED 5,000/month without. Spouse residence costs AED 5,000–6,500. Each child runs AED 4,500–5,500. Children of any age can be sponsored under a Golden Visa; under standard residence, sons over 18 require separate justification.
What is the difference between a freezone visa and a mainland visa?
A freezone visa permits residence in the UAE and employment only with the sponsoring freezone company. A mainland visa (under MOHRE) permits employment with any mainland company that adds you to its workforce file. Both grant the same right to live, drive, and bank in the UAE. The legal difference is the employer scope, not the visa benefits.
How quickly can a UAE residence visa be cancelled?
Cancellation typically takes 1–3 working days once the employer signs off and the file is clean (no overstays, no pending fines, no labour complaint). Cost is AED 600–1,500. Cancellation must be completed before the holder leaves the country permanently — failing to cancel leaves the visa active and accruing potential fines.

About Golden Wasl

Who is Golden Wasl?
A UAE PRO firm with two decades of experience in government relations — handling business setup, freezone licensing, and Golden Visa applications across all seven emirates. Bilingual in Arabic and English. Direct working relationships with Immigration, the Ministry of Labour, and multiple embassies.
What does Wasl mean?
Wasl (وصل) is Arabic for link or connection. It is also the historical name of the area that became Dubai. The name reflects our role: the connection between you and the authorities — not a layer of middlemen, a direct line.
Do you work with clients outside Dubai?
Yes. We work across the UAE — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah. One point of contact for all seven emirates.
How do you charge?
Fixed quotes per engagement, issued in writing before any work begins. Government fees are paid at cost with receipts attached. We do not take referral commissions from freezones, banks, or insurance brokers.
What's the first step?
A 20-minute scoping call. No charge, no obligation. You leave with a written comparison of your realistic options.