A free zone visa is a UAE residence visa sponsored by a company licensed in a free zone. When the company is yours, it sponsors you. The company is licensed and receives its establishment card, then you complete the entry permit or status change, the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics, and your residence visa is issued. First Idea Consultant LLC prices your own visa together with the company, never on its own. Standard, a company with one residence visa, is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. Premium, the company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance, is AED 28,136 at Meydan or AED 28,436 at IFZA.
WhatsApp Amir for the package with visas and a written breakdown
By First Idea Consultant. Reviewed by Amir Aslam, Founder. Updated September 2026.
Free zone visa cost: what your own visa costs with a company
Your residence visa needs a sponsor, and for a founder that sponsor is the company. So the figure that means anything is the company with the visa in it. These two totals are fixed written prices, not ranges.
| Package | What it includes | Meydan | IFZA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Licence, Memorandum of Association, flexi-office address, certificate of registration, one residence visa, establishment card, medical test, Emirates ID, corporate tax registration | AED 23,136 | AED 23,436 |
| Premium | Company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance: everything in Standard plus digital business bank account opening assistance, one personal bank account opening assistance and a digital company stamp | AED 28,136 | AED 28,436 |
Meydan and IFZA are separate free zones. The two columns are alternatives, not figures to add.
Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
With local bank account opening assistance instead of the digital account (physical presence required), Premium is AED 33,136 at Meydan or AED 33,436 at IFZA, as itemised on our price hub.
0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
What the Standard total is made of
| Row | Meydan, 1 visa | IFZA, 1 visa |
|---|---|---|
| Trade licence | AED 12,500 | AED 12,900 |
| Visa allocation | AED 1,850 | AED 2,000 |
| Establishment card | AED 2,000 | AED 2,000 |
| Residence visa (Meydan); Manager or Employee visa (IFZA) | AED 4,000 | AED 3,750 |
| Normal medical | AED 400 | AED 400 |
| Normal biometrics and Emirates ID | AED 386 | AED 386 |
| Professional service fee | AED 2,000 (promotion, regular AED 3,500) | AED 2,000 (promotion, regular AED 3,500) |
| Total | AED 23,136 | AED 23,436 |
Government fees and requirements may change without prior notice. The professional service fee is a promotion; the regular fee is shown in the row.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Inside-country status change | AED 1,600 additional, if applicable |
| VIP Medical | AED 750 instead of normal medical |
| Earlier biometrics appointment assistance | AED 600 additional |
Every row, including Premium and Gold, is on our cost of setting up a business in Dubai page, and the tiers sit side by side in our Dubai company setup packages.
Why there is no visa-only price
A UAE residence visa always has a sponsor behind it. For a founder the sponsor is the company, so “my visa” is really the licence, the visa allocation and the establishment card, and then the visa, medical test and Emirates ID. Take one of those away and there is nothing to issue the visa against.
Typing centres publish price lists for single visa stages, and those are useful when a sponsor already exists: an employer, a spouse, a parent. They do not describe the founder’s route. That is why this page carries no starting figure for a visa on its own, and why we never subtract our Basic licence price from Standard to invent one. If you already hold a licence and want a visa added to it, that is quoted in writing instead.
A second visa, a partner’s visa, staff visas and a visa for an existing licence are quoted, not priced. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
What a free zone visa is, and what it lets you do
A free zone visa is a UAE residence permit whose sponsor is a company licensed by a free zone authority. The free zone manages the company’s immigration file, and residency itself is issued by GDRFA in Dubai and by ICP federally. The file says “free zone” because of who sponsors you, not because of where you may live: your home, your children’s school and your bank can be anywhere in the UAE.
What it gives you: residence in the UAE, an Emirates ID, the ability to apply for personal bank accounts (each bank decides), a tenancy in your own name, and the ability to sponsor your family once the sponsor conditions are met. Our family visa UAE page covers dependants when it is live.
What it does not give you is a job with an unrelated employer. DMCC publishes the clearest version of the rule: a free zone visa “does not permit onshore (mainland) employment”, and free zone employment is “administered through the relevant free zone authority rather than the mainland MOHRE process” (DMCC, dmcc.ae blog dated 30 March 2026, checked 21 September 2026). For an owner that is not a restriction in practice: you manage and work in your own company.
Validity is set and published by each zone. DMCC publishes three years for its investor visa (DMCC, checked 21 September 2026). For Meydan and IFZA we write the term as issued by the zone and confirm it on your quote, rather than print a single term that neither zone’s own site confirmed on 21 September 2026.
| Free zone visa | Mainland visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Your free zone company | Your mainland company, or an employer |
| Work permit handled by | The free zone authority, “rather than the mainland MOHRE process” (DMCC, checked 21 September 2026) | MOHRE |
| Where you can work | For the sponsoring free zone company | For the sponsoring mainland employer |
| What sets the number of visas | The zone’s rule for your office package, see the quota section below | The size of the premises and the activity |
| How First Idea prices it | Standard or Premium at Meydan or IFZA, the totals above | Written quote; see Dubai mainland license |
Investor visa, partner visa or employee visa: what the label means
Most of the confusion here is naming, not rules. “Investor visa” and “partner visa” are two names for one thing: the residence visa of a shareholder whose own company sponsors them. Meydan separates them by ownership structure. In its own words, “if you’re the sole or majority shareholder, the investor visa gives you direct, self-sponsored residency tied to your ownership. If you’re sharing that ownership with others, the partner visa applies” (Meydan Free Zone, meydanfz.ae partner and investor guide, last updated 22 May 2026, checked 21 September 2026). Meydan adds that the two carry the same benefits, and that the difference rests on structure rather than rights.
So when people ask what an investor visa costs, the answer depends on what they mean. If they mean a residence visa through their own company, the cost is the Standard or Premium total in the price block above. If they mean a visa that comes from owning Dubai property, that is a separate route run by Dubai Land Department, with its own published fee, in row three of the table below.
“Self sponsored visa” usually means the same thing again: owning the company that sponsors you is the self-sponsored route most founders take. The green visa is the federal alternative, with its own threshold, and freelance permits sit inside the licence types explained on our types of trade license in Dubai page.
| Label | Who it is for | Who sponsors it | Published condition | How it is handled here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor or partner visa through your free zone company | Shareholders named on the licence and the share register | Your free zone company | Set by each zone. DMCC’s published example is “50 shares, amounting to a total share capital of AED 50,000” (DMCC, checked 21 September 2026) | Priced with Standard or Premium at Meydan or IFZA |
| Employee (employment) visa | Staff on your licence | Your company, using its visa quota, against an employment contract | Set by the zone and the quota attached to your office package | Written quote; our employment visa page covers it when live |
| Property investor visa | Owners of Dubai property | Dubai Land Department handles it, with the property owner as sponsor | An individual owner may apply “regardless of the property value”; a co-owner’s share must be “not less than AED 400,000”; two years residency; fee AED 10,212.50 (Dubai Land Department, dubailand.gov.ae, checked 21 September 2026) | Not sold on this page. For long-term property routes see golden visa services |
| Green visa (investor or partner) | Investors and partners meeting the federal threshold | Self-sponsored, through GDRFA or ICP | The investor’s or partner’s share “cannot be less than one million paid Dirhams or its equivalent in other currencies” (GDRFA Dubai, gdrfad.gov.ae, checked 21 September 2026) | Explained, not priced |
| Golden visa | Long-term residence on investment, property or talent routes | Self-sponsored | Routes and thresholds are set federally | Not on this page; see golden visa services |
How to get a free zone visa through your own company: steps and timeline
| Step | Who does it | What you provide |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Licence issued at Meydan or IFZA | The free zone authority, on our application | Your activity, passport copies for every shareholder, and the Memorandum of Association naming you as shareholder |
| 2. Establishment card | First Idea with the zone | Signatures where the zone asks for them; this opens the company’s immigration file |
| 3. Entry permit if you are outside the UAE, or status change if you are already inside it | First Idea with the zone and the residency authority | Passport copy and photo. Inside-country status change is AED 1,600 additional, if applicable |
| 4. Medical fitness test | An approved centre; you attend in person | Your presence in the UAE. VIP Medical is AED 750 instead of normal medical |
| 5. Emirates ID biometrics | An ICP centre; you attend in person | Your presence in the UAE. Normal biometrics appointment timing is generally 5 to 7 days, subject to appointment availability |
| 6. Residence visa issued and linked to your Emirates ID | The residency authority | Nothing further, unless a document is queried |
| Step | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Entry permit | 3 to 5 working days |
| Status change, if you are inside the UAE | 2 to 3 days |
| Medical fitness test | 1 day |
| Emirates ID biometrics and card | 5 to 7 working days |
| Visa stamping | 2 to 3 working days |
These are typical times, not a promise. Appointment availability moves the date, and a document query moves it again. Amir confirms the timing for your case in writing.
Documents
Meydan publishes the base list for a partner or investor visa: a valid trade licence, the Memorandum of Association naming you as shareholder or partner, a passport copy and a recent photograph, the immigration file and Emirates ID application, and the medical fitness test result and biometrics (Meydan Free Zone, meydanfz.ae partner and investor guide, checked 21 September 2026). Add a copy of your current UAE visa if you are changing status inside the country.
Health insurance is required for Dubai residence, and it appears as its own line on your written quote rather than inside the package totals above.
The medical test and the biometrics need you in the UAE in person, but the licence can be issued before you arrive, so most founders land with the company already formed.
Visa quota: how many visas your company can hold
Most Dubai free zones cap how many visas one licence can sponsor, and the cap is usually tied to the office package. Only the numbers a zone publishes are printed here.
| Zone | Published rule | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|
| Meydan free zone | “Visa allocation is AED 1,850 per visa and up to six allocations are allowed under one license” | Meydan Free Zone, meydanfz.ae company setup cost breakdown, last updated 30 June 2026, checked 21 September 2026 |
| IFZA free zone | IFZA sets the allocation by package; more allocations come with a larger package. We could not verify a quota figure on ifza.com on 21 September 2026, so none is printed here | IFZA, ifza.com; no quota figure verified on 21 September 2026 |
| DMCC business setup, for contrast | “Flexi desk: Up to 3 visas; Serviced office: 4 or 5 visas, depending on the size of the office; Physical space: 1 visa for every 9 square metres” | DMCC, dmcc.ae blog dated 30 March 2026, checked 21 September 2026 |
DMCC work is quoted in writing, not priced on this page. Raising a quota usually means a larger office or an application the authority decides at its own discretion, so plan the number of visas you expect before you pick a package. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Adding a partner, a second visa or staff visas
A second shareholder qualifies for a partner visa only once they are added to the licence and the share register through the zone, and only if the quota has room. The share change comes first, the visa follows.
Staff work the same way with one extra document: an employee visa uses the company’s quota and needs an employment contract behind it. Our employment visa page covers staff visas once it is live.
Family comes after your own visa is issued, because you have to be a resident before you can sponsor anyone.
A second visa, a partner’s visa, staff visas and a visa for an existing licence are quoted, not priced. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Cancelling or transferring a partner visa
A partner or investor visa ends when the shareholding behind it ends: you sell your shares, leave the company, close it, or move to an employment visa or a golden visa with a different sponsor. The order of work matters more than any single fee.
- Dependants you sponsor are dealt with first, either cancelled or moved to a new sponsor, because their residence hangs off yours.
- Where shares are sold, the zone’s share transfer and your visa cancellation run in the order the zone requires. Ask the zone before you sign anything; the sequence differs between zones.
- Your residence visa and Emirates ID are cancelled through the zone and the residency authority. GDRFA Dubai’s service asks for the sponsor’s passport, the sponsored person’s passport, and a work permit cancellation extract from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation for private sector employees (GDRFA Dubai, cancellation of all types of residence permits, gdrfad.gov.ae, checked 21 September 2026).
- A new sponsor then applies for the new visa, inside the UAE as a status change if you stay.
A visa does not move between sponsors. The old one is cancelled and a new one is issued, which means a fresh medical fitness test and a fresh Emirates ID step. Budget for that, not for a transfer.
GDRFA Dubai publishes the grace period directly: “After the cancellation or expiration of the residence permit, there is a grace period of (60) sixty days during which you may remain in the country” (GDRFA Dubai, checked 21 September 2026). Third-party sites print different daily overstay fines, so none is repeated here.
Send your licence details and what you want to cancel or transfer on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
WhatsApp Amir about cancelling or transferring a partner visa
Renewing your visa and your licence
Your residence visa runs on its own cycle and renews on its own terms, with a new medical fitness test and a new Emirates ID step. Visa renewal is quoted in writing.
Your licence is separate, and it renews every year. No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote. The year-two picture for a Dubai licence is set out on our trade license renewal Dubai page.
Bank account and tax once your visa is issued
The visa matters to banks. Personal accounts generally need the residence visa and the Emirates ID first, while the business account file asks for shareholder documents whether or not your visa is finished. Premium includes business bank account opening assistance and one personal bank account opening assistance.
Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next. See our bank account opening assistance and the documents to open a UAE bank account.
0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward. Deadlines for a new company are in our corporate tax registration UAE guide.
Meydan or IFZA for your free zone visa
| Zone | Standard, company with one residence visa | Premium, company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance | Published quota rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meydan free zone | AED 23,136 | AED 28,136 | “up to six allocations are allowed under one license” (Meydan Free Zone, checked 21 September 2026) |
| IFZA free zone | AED 23,436 | AED 28,436 | Allocation set by package; no IFZA quota figure verified on 21 September 2026 |
Both give you a Dubai free zone company with your own residence visa at the totals above, so the choice is rarely about the AED 300 between them. It comes down to whether your activity sits on the zone’s list and how many visas you expect in year two, which Amir checks against both lists before anything is paid. To compare every tier, the four packages sit side by side in our Dubai company setup packages, and readers who need no visa at all should start with the cheapest free zone license in UAE.
Related guides: UAE residence visa and family visa UAE.
Frequently asked questions
What is a free zone visa in the UAE?
A UAE residence visa sponsored by a company licensed in a free zone, with residency issued by GDRFA in Dubai or by ICP federally. When the company is yours, it sponsors you; staff visas use the same company’s quota. It gives you residence and an Emirates ID, and the work it allows is work for the sponsoring free zone company. DMCC’s published wording is that a free zone visa “does not permit onshore (mainland) employment” (DMCC, checked 21 September 2026).
How much does a free zone visa cost in Dubai?
First Idea prices your own visa only together with a company, never on its own. Standard, a company with one residence visa, is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. Premium, the company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance, is AED 28,136 at Meydan or AED 28,436 at IFZA. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
How do I get a free zone visa in Dubai?
Six steps: the licence is issued at the zone, the company receives its establishment card, you take an entry permit if you are abroad or a status change if you are already here, you attend the medical fitness test, you give Emirates ID biometrics, and the residence visa is issued and linked to your Emirates ID. The medical test and the biometrics need you in the UAE in person; the licence can be issued before you arrive. What you provide at each stage is in the steps and timeline section above.
How long does a UAE residence visa take through a free zone company?
As typical times, published on our how to start a business in Dubai page and checked 21 September 2026: entry permit 3 to 5 working days, status change if you are inside the UAE 2 to 3 days, medical fitness test 1 day, Emirates ID biometrics and card 5 to 7 working days, and visa stamping 2 to 3 working days. Normal biometrics appointment timing is generally 5 to 7 days, subject to appointment availability, which moves the date.
What is an investor visa in the UAE, and is it different from a partner visa?
Both are the residence visa of a shareholder whose own company sponsors them. Meydan puts the difference in ownership structure: the sole or majority shareholder takes the investor visa, while shareholders sharing ownership take the partner visa, with the same benefits either way (Meydan Free Zone, checked 21 September 2026). The Dubai Land Department property investor visa and the federal green visa are separate routes with their own published conditions, set out in the label table above.
Can I work in the UAE on an investor visa?
Yes, in the company that sponsors you: you manage and work in your own business under the licence that holds your visa. A job with a different employer needs that employer’s work permit and its own visa, and on the mainland that runs through MOHRE rather than the free zone.
How do I cancel a partner visa in Dubai?
Deal with any dependants you sponsor first, then cancel the visa and Emirates ID through the zone and the residency authority, alongside the share transfer if you are selling. GDRFA Dubai’s cancellation service asks for the sponsor’s passport, the sponsored person’s passport and, for private sector employees, a work permit cancellation extract from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and publishes a grace period of “(60) sixty days during which you may remain in the country” after cancellation or expiry (GDRFA Dubai, checked 21 September 2026). Send your licence details and what you want to cancel or transfer on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Can I open a bank account before getting my residence visa?
The business account file can start as soon as the licence and shareholder documents exist, and each bank decides what it accepts at that stage. Personal accounts generally need the residence visa and the Emirates ID first. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next. See our bank account opening assistance.
Tell us your activity and how many visas you need. Amir comes back with the package, the itemised rows behind it and anything that has to be quoted, and we reply on WhatsApp within a couple of hours.
WhatsApp Amir about a free zone visa
First Idea Consultant LLC, Office 812, ParkLane Tower, Park Regis, Business Bay, Dubai. Call or WhatsApp +971 56 500 6694. Amir Aslam, Founder.
