A freelance visa in Dubai has two parts: a freelance permit, a licence in your own name to work for yourself, and, where the issuer offers one, a residence visa linked to it. As of October 2026, GoFreelance prints AED 7,500 a year for its freelance package, plus AED 2,000 for the establishment card and AED 4,600 for a one-year or AED 5,042 for a two-year visa, and Ras Al Khaimah’s RAKEZ, outside Dubai, prints a “starting from” figure of AED 6,100. Your own free zone company is the other route: the company holds the licence and sponsors your visa. First Idea’s Standard costs AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA for a company and one residence visa.

Which route fits depends less on the fee than on what the licence has to do for you. A permit covers one person working in their own name, and RAKEZ says its freelancers cannot open a corporate bank account or hire staff, and are personally liable for the debts of their work. A company invoices in its own name, can hire, and applies for a business bank account. The tables below set each issuer’s published fees, checked on 27 October 2026, next to what each route lets you do.

Key takeaways (fees and rules checked 27 October 2026)

  • A freelance permit is issued in your own name, not a company name: GoFreelance covers listed tech, media, education and design activities, and RAKEZ’s permit page names media and education professionals (its licence types page adds IT professionals and analysts); RAKEZ allows one activity per permit.
  • GoFreelance prints AED 7,500 a year for its package (AED 7,520 in its own FAQ), AED 2,000 for the establishment card and AED 4,600 or AED 5,042 for a one-year or two-year visa. RAKEZ, in Ras Al Khaimah, prints one “starting from” figure, AED 6,100.
  • Neither permit lets you hire staff. RAKEZ adds that its freelancers cannot open a corporate bank account and are personally liable for business debts.
  • Under Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023, a natural person’s (an individual’s) business is subject to corporate tax only where its turnover exceeds AED 1,000,000 in a calendar year.
  • First Idea sells the own-company route: Standard is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA for a company and one residence visa, explained on our free zone visa in Dubai page.

WhatsApp Amir: freelance permit or my own company?

By First Idea Consultant. Reviewed by Amir Aslam, Founder. Updated October 2026.

What is a freelance permit, and who issues one in the UAE?

A freelance permit is a licence issued to you as a person, not to a company, that lets you work for yourself in the activities the issuer allows. RAKEZ describes the freelancer as a professional who works “as an independent contractor and in the form of a sole practitioner”, in his or her own birth name. GoFreelance says its licence is issued only in your name as it appears on your passport.

A freelance visa is the residence visa that goes with the permit, where the issuer offers one. At GoFreelance the visa is applied for separately from the permit; RAKEZ offers its permit with a visa or, for UAE residents, without one. The table shows the three issuers this guide covers, with what each one’s own website says on 27 October 2026.

Freelance permit issuers, from their own websites, checked 27 October 2026
Issuer Who the permit is for Residence visa Source
GoFreelance, the freelance package of Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai Design District (the website is owned and managed by TECOM Group PJSC) Freelancers in the tech, media, education and design activities on GoFreelance’s list A one-year or two-year visa, which GoFreelance calls an employment visa, applied for separately on the axs portal gofreelance.ae; terms and conditions
RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone) Media and education professionals, on the permit page; RAKEZ’s licence types page adds IT professionals and analysts. One activity per permit RAKEZ lists eligibility for a UAE residence visa. UAE residents can take the permit without it, with their current sponsor’s no objection certificate rakez.com freelancer permit; licence types
MOHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) The freelance work permit that GDRFA Dubai lists as a requirement for the green residence permit for self-employment Not printed: we could not read MOHRE’s own website on 27 October 2026 GDRFA Dubai service page

The green visa is a separate, self-sponsored route for the self-employed. The UAE government portal lists freelancers and self-employed people among those eligible for this renewable five-year residence visa (u.ae, updated 28 July 2026). GDRFA Dubai asks for a MOHRE freelance work permit, a bachelor’s degree or specialised diploma, and self-employment income of at least AED 360,000 a year for the two preceding years, or proof of financial solvency (checked 27 October 2026). The other residence routes are on our UAE residence visa page.

What does your own company cost with First Idea?

Your own company with First Idea costs AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA for Standard, a company with one residence visa, as of October 2026. Premium is a company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance. Meydan and IFZA are separate packages, so read one column.

First Idea Consultant packages with a residence visa, as of October 2026
Package What it covers Meydan IFZA
Standard Licence, memorandum of association (MOA), flexi-office address and certificate of registration, plus one residence visa, establishment card, medical, Emirates ID and corporate tax registration AED 23,136 AED 23,436
Premium Company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance AED 28,136 AED 28,436

Premium is account opening assistance, not a delivered account. KYC, short for know your customer, is the bank’s own check on the company, its owners and the source of funds. 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.

A company in any other zone, RAKEZ included, has no First Idea package price. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote. The line-by-line breakdown of each package is on our business setup cost in Dubai page, and the zones are compared in our Meydan and IFZA guides. For the RAKEZ permit itself, our RAKEZ freelancer permit section sets out what RAKEZ publishes.

How much does a freelance visa cost in Dubai in 2026?

A freelance visa in Dubai costs the permit fee plus the establishment card and visa fees, which GoFreelance prints at AED 7,500 a year, AED 2,000, and AED 4,600 for a one-year or AED 5,042 for a two-year visa (checked 27 October 2026). GoFreelance is the only issuer checked for this guide that prints all three on its own website. An establishment card is the immigration file a licence holder needs before a visa can be issued, and GoFreelance calls it a prerequisite for its visa. Every figure below is the issuer’s own, with the issuer named.

Freelance permit and visa fees as each issuer publishes them, checked 27 October 2026
Issuer Item Fee as published What the page says about it
GoFreelance Freelance package, per year AED 7,500 in the page header (“Conditions apply”); AED 7,520 in the page’s FAQ The FAQ says the fee is “just the cost for the freelance package” and does not include a visa. The licence renews every year
GoFreelance Establishment card AED 2,000 Listed as a requirement for the visa
GoFreelance One-year visa AED 4,600 “Visa and establishment card fees are subject to change”
GoFreelance Two-year visa AED 5,042 The visa is linked to the validity of the freelance licence and the establishment card
RAKEZ Freelancer permit package “Starting from” AED 6,100 RAKEZ offers 1 and 2-year packages. The page does not say which package the figure is for or whether it includes a visa
GDRFA Dubai Green residence permit (self-employment) AED 200 residence permit fee, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham, AED 500 if you are inside the country and AED 20 delivery The residence permit fees only. The applicant first needs a MOHRE freelance work permit. GDRFA Dubai adds that the issuance fee increases by AED 100 a year whenever the residency is over two years
MOHRE Freelance work permit Not printed We could not read MOHRE’s own website on 27 October 2026, so no MOHRE fee is printed here

GoFreelance prints two figures for the same package: AED 7,500 a year in its header and AED 7,520 in the FAQ answer on whether the fee includes a visa. We show both because the page shows both. Ask GoFreelance which one applies to your application before you pay.

The published figures leave things out. GoFreelance lists valid medical insurance, a UAE phone number, your original passport and a passport photo as visa requirements, but prints no fee for medical insurance, the medical test or the Emirates ID. GoFreelance also says all fees associated with a GoFreelance licence application are non-refundable.

What does a two-year GoFreelance visa add up to?

A two-year GoFreelance visa adds up to AED 14,542 in the first year on GoFreelance’s published fees: AED 7,500 for the package, AED 2,000 for the establishment card and AED 5,042 for the visa. On the AED 7,520 figure in its FAQ, the total is AED 14,562. The package renews every year and the visa depends on it, so the package fee comes round again in year two.

Freelance permit or your own company: what can each one do?

A freelance permit lets one person work in their own name, while your own free zone company invoices in its own name, can hire staff and applies for a business bank account. Limited liability, which Meydan’s regulations give its companies, means the owners’ liability for the company’s debts is limited to what they paid for their shares, subject to the exceptions in Dubai and UAE law. The table compares the two permits with a Meydan or IFZA company, row by row.

What each route lets you do, from the issuers’ pages, u.ae, Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023 and Meydan’s and IFZA’s pages, checked 27 October 2026
What you need GoFreelance permit RAKEZ freelancer permit Your own Meydan or IFZA company
Name you work and invoice under Your name as it appears on your passport; “All the transactions will be carried out under your name only” Your own birth name, not a company name The company’s registered name
Activities The tech, media, education and design activities on GoFreelance’s list One activity per permit Meydan: three groups of business activities can be chosen at incorporation without additional cost (Meydan FAQs). IFZA: several activities can be combined on one licence (ifza.com)
Staff No: the licence “does not allow you to hire or sponsor staff” No staff and no additional visa under the permit The company is the employer and applies for staff visas. The u.ae work visa page says the employer applies for the standard work visa
Family visas The page does not say The page does not say You sponsor family as a UAE resident; u.ae’s salary rule is written for employees, see the family note below
Bank account “You may open a personal bank account”, with cheques in your name “Freelancers shall not be eligible to open a Corporate Bank Account” The company applies for a business account in its own name; see the bank note below
Corporate tax A natural person’s (an individual’s) business: subject only where turnover exceeds AED 1,000,000 in a calendar year (Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023) The same decision applies to a natural person’s (an individual’s) business The company: see the tax note below
Liability The page does not say “Freelancers are personally liable for any debts and other obligations” Meydan: the company’s liabilities are its own, except as provided by Dubai and UAE law, and a shareholder’s liability is limited to the amount paid for the shares (regulations, clause 5.2)
Company documents The page does not mention any No memorandum of association or certificate of incorporation is issued under the permit Memorandum of association and certificate of registration, both in Basic and every package above it
Renewal The licence renews every year 1 and 2-year packages The licence renews with the zone; see the renewal note below

Bank account. A business bank account is in the company’s name, which neither the GoFreelance nor the RAKEZ permit gives you. 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.

Corporate tax. Corporate tax treats a person working on a permit and a company differently. For your own company and you as its owner: 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. The rates match the u.ae corporate tax page (updated 30 March 2026, checked 27 October 2026).

For a natural person, meaning an individual rather than a company, Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023, issued on 8 May 2023 and in force from 1 June 2023, makes a business subject to corporate tax only where its turnover exceeds AED 1,000,000 in a Gregorian calendar year. Wages, personal investment income and real estate investment income do not count, whatever the amount. A natural person whose business is not subject to corporate tax is not required to register.

Family visas. The UAE government portal’s page for families of employees sets a minimum salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation (u.ae, updated 28 September 2026). The page says employers and employees with valid UAE residence visas can both sponsor their families, states its salary test for employees, and adds that green visa holders can sponsor first-degree relatives. Neither permit page says how it treats a permit holder, so ask the issuer before you plan family visas. The documents are on our family visa in the UAE page.

Renewal. A company licence renews with its zone when its term ends, and Meydan’s FAQs say a Meydan licence can be issued for up to 10 years. No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. The renewal steps are in our trade licence renewal guide.

Which route fits your situation?

The route that fits your situation depends on who pays you, whether you will hire, and whether you need invoices and a bank account in a business name. The decision table matches common situations to what the published rules point to.

A man at a wooden desk reading a printed sheet while the laptop beside him shows a grid of portrait photos, like a media freelancer checking a brief
A solo media freelancer and a consultant who invoices UAE companies can need very different things from a licence. Photo: Michael Burrows on Pexels
Which route the published rules point to, by situation, checked 27 October 2026
Your situation Route the rules point to Why
A solo media or education freelancer with one line of work A freelance permit RAKEZ allows one activity per permit and GoFreelance lists media and education activities. You work and get paid in your own name
A consultant who invoices UAE companies Compare both, as in the example below GoFreelance says you may work for a company as an independent contractor from its free zone premises, with all transactions in your name. A company invoices and applies for a bank account in its own name
You will hire staff or bring in co-owners Your own company Neither permit allows staff. Meydan’s FAQs say a Meydan company can have up to 50 shareholders on a licence
You already live in the UAE on another sponsor’s visa A permit without its visa may fit RAKEZ lets UAE residents take the permit without its visa, with their sponsor’s no objection certificate. GoFreelance accepts a declaration form from people in full-time jobs
You are self-employed, with self-employment income of at least AED 360,000 a year for the two preceding years (or proof of financial solvency) and a bachelor’s degree or specialised diploma The green visa may fit GDRFA Dubai’s conditions for the self-employed green residence permit, which also needs a MOHRE freelance work permit

If the company route fits, our free zone visa in Dubai page sets out how your own company sponsors your residence visa, step by step.

Example: a consultant prices both routes

A marketing consultant who invoices UAE companies can price a freelance permit against a company of their own using published figures alone, as the example below shows.

A man in a blue shirt sitting at a laptop with his hand on his chin, an open notebook and a coffee cup on the table, like a consultant comparing the cost of two routes
Put each issuer’s published permit fee next to Standard at IFZA, AED 23,436 for a company and one residence visa, before you decide. Photo: Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Example: you are a marketing consultant moving to Dubai. You will invoice UAE companies, you need one residence visa, and you are choosing between a GoFreelance permit with a two-year visa and Standard at IFZA. “Marketing Specialist” is on GoFreelance’s list of media activities. The case is made up to show how the figures work; it is not a real client.

Example: first-year figures for one consultant, as published on 27 October 2026
Route What the figure covers First-year figure Source
GoFreelance permit with a two-year visa Freelance package, establishment card and two-year visa. No medical test, Emirates ID or medical insurance priced AED 14,542 (AED 7,500 + AED 2,000 + AED 5,042), or AED 14,562 on the AED 7,520 figure GoFreelance, checked 27 October 2026
Standard at IFZA Company licence, MOA, flexi-office address, certificate of registration, one residence visa, establishment card, medical, Emirates ID and corporate tax registration AED 23,436 First Idea, October 2026

On the published figures, the permit route is AED 8,894 lower in the first year. The two figures do not buy the same things, though. With the permit, your invoices and payments run in your own name through a personal account, and you cannot hire. With the company, invoices go out in the company’s name, and the company applies for a business account in its own name.

Tax is the next check. Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023 makes a natural person’s (an individual’s) business subject to corporate tax only where its turnover exceeds AED 1,000,000 in a calendar year. The company falls under the corporate tax rates in the tax note above, with registration included in Standard.

In this example, the fee gap is not the decision on its own. The decision turns on whether you want invoices and a bank account in a company name, and whether you plan to hire.

Can you move from a freelance permit to your own company later?

You can move from a freelance permit to your own company later, and the way to plan it is as a new company setup: neither GoFreelance’s nor RAKEZ’s permit page describes a conversion route (checked 27 October 2026). You set up the company, and the company then sponsors your residence visa.

GoFreelance says its visa is linked to the validity of the freelance licence and the establishment card, so the permit’s visa rests on the permit. With your own company, the company is licensed, receives its establishment card, and then applies for your residence visa. Our free zone visa page walks through those steps.

If you are already in the UAE when you switch, tell us which visa you hold now. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.

Freelance visa in Dubai: frequently asked questions

The answers below use the same official sources as the rest of this guide, checked 27 October 2026. Each answer names the issuer it comes from, because each issuer sets its own fees and rules.

How much is a 2 year freelance visa in Dubai?

GoFreelance prints a two-year visa at AED 5,042, in addition to its freelance package at AED 7,500 a year (AED 7,520 in its FAQ) and an establishment card at AED 2,000. That is AED 14,542 in the first year on the AED 7,500 figure. GoFreelance prints no fee for the medical test, Emirates ID or medical insurance and does not say whether its visa fee covers them. Outside Dubai, RAKEZ in Ras Al Khaimah offers 1 and 2-year packages but prints only a “starting from” figure of AED 6,100 (both checked 27 October 2026).

How much does a freelance permit cost in Dubai?

GoFreelance, the freelance package of Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai Design District, prints AED 7,500 a year in its header and AED 7,520 in its FAQ, without a visa. MOHRE also issues a freelance work permit; its fee is not printed here because we could not read it on MOHRE’s own website on 27 October 2026. Outside Dubai, RAKEZ prints a “starting from” figure of AED 6,100 (checked 27 October 2026).

What are the requirements for a freelance visa in Dubai?

For the GoFreelance visa: the freelance licence, an establishment card (AED 2,000), a UAE phone number, valid medical insurance, your original passport and a passport photo. RAKEZ asks for a passport copy and a portfolio, sample of work or qualification certificate, plus a UAE residence visa copy and your sponsor’s no objection certificate if you take the permit without its visa. The green residence permit for the self-employed needs a MOHRE freelance work permit, a bachelor’s degree or specialised diploma, and AED 360,000 a year of self-employment income for two years or proof of financial solvency (all checked 27 October 2026).

Is a freelance permit the same as a freelance visa?

No. The permit is the licence to work for yourself in your own name, and the visa is the residence visa. GoFreelance sells the visa separately, at AED 4,600 for one year or AED 5,042 for two, and says its package fee does not include a visa. RAKEZ lets UAE residents take the permit without its visa if they provide their current sponsor’s no objection certificate (checked 27 October 2026).

Can I sponsor my family on a freelance visa?

Neither GoFreelance’s nor RAKEZ’s permit page says. The UAE government portal’s rule for employees who sponsor family is a minimum salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation (u.ae, updated 28 September 2026), and the same page says green visa holders can sponsor first-degree relatives. Ask the issuer how it treats a permit holder before you plan family visas.

Can I open a business bank account with a freelance permit?

RAKEZ says its freelancers are not eligible to open a corporate bank account, and GoFreelance says you may open a personal bank account, with all transactions in your name (checked 27 October 2026). A company of your own applies for a business account in the company’s name. 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.

Do freelancers have to register for corporate tax in the UAE?

Under Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023, a natural person’s (an individual’s) business is subject to corporate tax only where its turnover exceeds AED 1,000,000 in a Gregorian calendar year, and a natural person whose business is not subject to corporate tax is not required to register. Wages, personal investment income and real estate investment income do not count. For a company of your own and you as its owner: 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.

Can I switch from a freelance permit to my own free zone company?

Yes, by setting up the company and getting your residence visa through it; neither GoFreelance’s nor RAKEZ’s permit page describes a direct conversion (checked 27 October 2026). GoFreelance links its visa to the validity of the freelance licence and the establishment card. With First Idea, Standard covers a company and one residence visa: AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA.

Sources and how we checked

Every issuer and authority fee and rule on this page comes from the official sources below, each read on its publisher’s own website on 27 October 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you file.

About the reviewer

Amir Aslam is the Founder of First Idea Consultant LLC, a business setup firm in Dubai since 2015. He works from Park Regis, ParkLane Tower, Office 812, Business Bay, Dubai.

To ask Amir which route fits you, send three things on WhatsApp: what you do, who pays you, and how many visas you need. We usually reply within a couple of hours.

WhatsApp Amir: freelance permit or my own company?

First Idea Consultant LLC, founded 2015, Office 812, ParkLane Tower, Park Regis, Business Bay, Dubai. Call or WhatsApp +971 56 500 6694, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 9:00 to 14:00. See all packages.

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