Freelancing in Dubai · Residence visa
Become a resident freelancer in Dubai,
in your own name.
A Freelance Permit lets you invoice your clients in your own name, and it sponsors your UAE residence visa. 0% personal income tax: it is the most direct, and the cheapest, route to residency.
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UAE permit & visa
Live in Dubai in your own name, without setting up a company.
You get your UAE residence visa, valid across the country, and the right to work and invoice in your own name as a self-employed professional, without setting up a company. In a 0% income tax framework.
We handle the whole process; you focus on your clients.
Free zone (RAKEZ) used: Ras Al Khaimah, an hour from Dubai; the lowest entry cost, and a visa valid across all the Emirates.
In your own name
The freelance permit lets you work and invoice under your birth name, without setting up a company. You get paid into a personal bank account, opened once your Emirates ID and your visa are active.
Residence visa & family
Your permit sponsors your residence visa (1–2 years depending on the pack), renewable. Once resident, you can sponsor your spouse and children from an income of 4,000 AED per month (or 3,000 AED with accommodation provided), evidenced by your statements.
The lowest entry cost
The freelance permit is the cheapest gateway to UAE residency: no share capital, no dedicated office, a shared workstation (flexi desk) is enough to provide the address and open up the right to a visa.
0% on your freelance income
The UAE does not tax personal income: 0% on your freelance earnings. Corporate tax only concerns you if your revenue exceeds 1,000,000 AED per year.
* As a self-employed professional, you only fall within the scope of corporate tax if your business revenue exceeds 1,000,000 AED per year; above that, taxable profit is taxed at 0% up to 375,000 AED and then at 9%. The 0% rate reserved for the "qualifying income" of a free zone is not available to a freelance permit: it requires a company. VAT (5%) only becomes mandatory above 375,000 AED of taxable revenue per year.
This route is right for you if...
You are looking for
Invoicing in your own name
Working as a self-employed professional, without setting up a company
A residence visa
Sponsored by your freelance permit, 1–2 years renewable
Light taxation
0% personal income tax
The lowest entry cost
No capital, no dedicated office; a shared workstation (flexi desk) is enough
Bringing your family over
Spouse and children can be sponsored, subject to income thresholds
Requirements
A valid passport
Valid for at least 6 months when you apply
An eligible activity
An activity from the freelance list (media, consulting, tech, creative…)
Proof of competence
A portfolio of work or an attested degree, depending on your activity
A trip to the UAE
For the medical test, the Emirates ID and biometrics; the rest is handled remotely
A letter if you are already resident
A no-objection certificate (NOC) from your current sponsor if you already live in the UAE
Free discovery call • No commitment
Built for knowledge freelancers
The freelance permit covers individual professions: media and content, education and training, consulting, technology (development, design, data), marketing and advertising, art and creative work. You select one activity per permit; some regulated professions require prior approval.
- Working and invoicing under your birth name
- Registered address provided by a shared workstation
- A residence visa opened up by your permit
You work alone, in your own name → freelance permit, 1 visa, minimal cost.
You want several visas, a trade name or to hire → a company (entrepreneur route).
Your revenue exceeds 1M AED/year → structuring as a company may become relevant (worth reviewing).
BlueVisa handles everything for you
Freelance permit, immigration file, residence visa, bank account: we coordinate it all, and you track progress in real time.
Freelance permit & visa
File #BV-2026-127
Freelance permit issued
Approved on March 8
Entry permit (e-visa)
In progressYour permit sponsors your entry permit with Ras Al Khaimah immigration.
Medical test & Emirates ID
On arrival in the UAE
Drag in your documents
Passport, portfolio, degree...
Your permit and your visa, step by step
From permit to residency, usually in 2 to 6 weeks depending on your situation.
Issuing your freelance permit
Choosing your activity, submitting the application and issuing your individual freelance permit, in your own name.
Checking that your activity is eligible, preparing the portfolio or the attested degree, and submitting.
Opening the immigration file
Opening your immigration file (e-channel): this is what allows the residence visa application.
E-channel registration and opening of the immigration file attached to your permit.
Entry permit or change of status
Your permit sponsors your entry permit to enter the UAE. If you are already there (visitor visa), a change of status is done locally, without leaving the country.
Building and submitting the application, tracking it through to the entry permit being issued.
Medical test, Emirates ID & biometrics
On site: medical examination at an approved center, biometrics and registration of your Emirates ID. Health insurance is required for the visa to be issued.
Booking the appointments, support and coordination of the formalities on site.
Residence visa & bank account
Your residence visa is activated and your Emirates ID issued; you can then open a personal bank account to invoice and get paid.
Opening your personal bank account and support with the compliance formalities.
Indicative timeframes, observed but not guaranteed: they depend on your situation (application from abroad or change of status on site) and on processing by the UAE authorities.
Choose the length of your permit
Freelance permit and residence visa all inclusive, in a renewable 1–2 year pack.
1 year
Freelance permit + 1 residence visa (1 year) + bank account
- Forms and documents pre-filled by BlueVisa (0 paperwork is the goal)
- Tax residency certificate (FTA)
- End-to-end handling of your application by your expert
- Your BlueVisa portal to manage your whole relocation
- Individual freelance permit, in your own name
- 1 residence visa (1 year) sponsored by your permit
- Immigration file and registered address (flexi desk)
- Coordination of the medical test, Emirates ID and biometrics
- Opening of a personal bank account
- Help finding accommodation and preparing your viewings
- Relocation guides included
- Access to the BlueVisa expat community
To get started quickly
2 years
Fewer renewals, more peace of mind
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Everything in the 1-year pack, over 2 years, plus:
- €2,280 saved compared with two 1-year packs
- Fewer renewals to manage
- Permit and residence visa valid for 2 years
- A single set-up for two years
The choice of most of our clients
Full support, from submission to approval
The freelance permit allows only one visa (yours). Once resident, dependent visas (spouse, children) are available as options; priced in your quote.
* All-inclusive price: UAE government fees included (mandatory health insurance and any deposits detailed in your quote). The UAE does not tax personal income (0%).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the freelance permit give a right to a residence visa?
Why does your price differ from the one advertised by the free zone?
Which activities are eligible?
Will I pay tax as a freelancer?
Can I open a business bank account?
How long does it take to get my visa?
Can I bring my family over?
Which documents do I need to provide?
What is the difference with setting up a company?
Why do you talk about Ras Al Khaimah and not just Dubai?
Can BlueVisa handle the entire process?
What about my crypto or tradfi activities?
Your freelance life in Dubai starts here
Let us talk about your activity, the right permit and your residence visa. We handle everything, from submission to approval.
No commitment