Visa routes for a freelancer

The UAE Green Visa is a five-year, renewable residence that does not need a sponsor and lets the holder sponsor family members including a spouse and children.

Freelancers and self-employed people are one of three groups eligible for the Green Visa, alongside skilled workers and investors or business partners.

A Green Visa applicant who is a freelancer must hold a freelance work permit or self-employment permit issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).

A freelancer needs at least a bachelor's degree, a specialised diploma or an equivalent qualification to qualify for the Green Visa.

The income test for a freelancer's Green Visa is annual freelance income of at least AED 360,000 over the previous two years (or the foreign-currency equivalent). ICP lists this alongside proof of stable income or financial solvency; GDRFA Dubai words it as income of AED 360,000 or proof of financial solvency throughout the stay.

Dubai's GDRFA says a foreigner can be given the self-employment Green residence permit, whether inside or outside the country, without a guarantor, employer or employment contract.

For the Dubai self-employment Green permit, GDRFA lists a passport valid for at least 6 months and a MoHRE self-employed permit as the requirements.

In Dubai, u.ae points to GDRFA Dubai for issuing the Green visa.

GDRFA Dubai's fee schedule for the self-employment Green permit lists a residence permit fee of AED 200, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham, AED 500 'fee inside the country' and AED 20 delivery. It adds that the issuance fee increases by AED 100 annually whenever the residency is over two years.

ICP's fee table for a Green Residence lists an application fee of AED 100, an issuance fee of AED 100 per year for a 5-year duration, and a smart service fee of AED 100. A separate AED 500 'status adjustment' fee applies to a change of status inside the country.

Green Residence holders can sponsor first-degree relatives as well as a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 years old and children with special needs, subject to financial-solvency and housing conditions.

GDRFA Dubai's 'virtual work' residence visa (for people employed remotely by an entity outside the UAE) requires proof of monthly income of at least USD 3,500, valid health insurance and a passport valid 6 months; it gives a one-year extendable residence and the holder can sponsor family.

Golden Visa categories include 'Exceptional Talents' such as people in culture and the arts and talents in digital technology, and the Golden Visa lasts 10 years under ICP's guide.

For creatives in culture and arts, ICP lists three tiers: an international award, nomination or recognition ('Creative'), local or regional recognition ('Distinguished'), and a 'Distinguished Professional' tier. That tier lists at least five years of professional experience in intellectual or creative production, creative works published or distributed in the past three years, notable recognition in the field, work with well-known organisations, attention from critics, the media or specialised bodies, and active membership of a prestigious international arts organisation. In Dubai, GDRFA also asks for a nomination letter from the Ministry of Culture, the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority or the Emirates Media Council.

Under ICP's guide, Golden Visa entrepreneurs qualify through an SME registered in the UAE in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000, approval of the venture idea by an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy or a relevant authority, or having founded ventures sold for a total of at least AED 7,000,000. Investors need at least AED 2,000,000 in a deposit, company capital or property, or a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes.

Golden Visa holders can stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months without losing their residence, and Golden, Green and Blue Residence holders can enter at any time while the residence remains valid.