An "own visa" or "self-sponsored visa" in Dubai means a residence visa that no employer sponsors. Dubai's residency authority, GDRFA, offers five routes: a green residence as an investor or partner, a green residence for self-employment, a virtual work residence, a residence for property owners, and a residence through a company you own. The first four each have an income or investment threshold. For most people the practical route is the fifth: you set up a company, and the company sponsors your visa.
The Five Routes at a Glance
| Route | Who it is for | The condition that decides it | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green residence, investor or partner | Owners of a company | A paid share of at least AED 1,000,000 | Up to five years |
| Green residence, self-employment | Freelancers | A MOHRE freelance 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 | Up to five years |
| Virtual work residence | People employed by a company outside the UAE | Monthly income of at least US$3,500, and health insurance | One year, renewable |
| Property owner residence | Owners of a finished property | A habitable, fully owned property and monthly income of at least AED 10,000 | Set by the permit |
| Residence through your own company | Anyone who sets up a company | A licensed company with a visa allocation | Renewed with the company and its license |
Green Residence for Investors and Partners
This is the five-year residence with no sponsor or employer. GDRFA's green visa for investors and partners sets the bar: on incorporation or contribution, the investor's or partner's share "cannot be less than one million paid Dirhams", and the company must be one of the listed legal forms, which include the limited liability company. The documents are a photo, a passport valid for at least six months, the partnership or investment contract and the trade license. The visa lets you enter and stay 60 days while the residence permit is issued, and GDRFA's expected completion time for the residence is 48 hours.
If your share is below that figure, you are not shut out: your company can still sponsor you on a standard residence, which is the fifth route below.
Green Residence for Self-Employment
The self-employment green residence needs no employer and no contract, but its conditions are strict: a freelance work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), a bachelor's degree, specialised diploma or equivalent, and annual self-employment income of at least AED 360,000 for the two preceding years, or proof of financial solvency for the whole stay. Most people searching for a freelance visa do not meet the income test, and a free zone freelance permit or a small company is usually the faster path.
Virtual Work Residence for Remote Workers
If your employer is outside the UAE, the virtual work visa and residence let you live in Dubai without a local sponsor. GDRFA asks for proof that the work is remote for an organisation outside the country, a salary certificate showing at least US$3,500 a month, valid health insurance and a medical fitness result. The residence is for one year, renewable, and you can sponsor your family for the same period.
Residence for Property Owners
A foreigner who owns property in the UAE can get a residence without a sponsor. GDRFA's conditions: the property must be fully built, habitable and fully owned by the applicant (undeveloped plots do not count), proven by an ownership certificate, and the applicant must earn at least AED 10,000 a month or show financial solvency. In Dubai the application goes through the AMER centres approved by Dubai Land Department.
Residence Through Your Own Company: the Route Most People Use
If none of the thresholds above fits, the route that works is the one behind most "own visa" offers: you license a company, usually in a free zone, and the company sponsors your residence visa as its owner. It also sponsors the people you later hire, within its visa allocation. You are not depending on an employer, and you can keep the visa as long as you keep the company licensed. What each of those hires costs in government fees is in the employment visa cost guide.
What the free zones publish for the visa part:
- RAKEZ: each additional residence visa on its all-inclusive package costs AED 4,000, up to three (RAKEZ). Its freelancer permit, from AED 6,100, is for media and education professionals and is eligible for a residence visa.
- SHAMS: a residence visa costs AED 2,500 to AED 5,500 per visa, depending on requirements (SHAMS).
- Meydan: its license from AED 12,500 a year excludes the visa, medical and Emirates ID, which are priced on top.
Our free zone packages start at AED 4,999 for the license. Tell us which emirate you want to live in, how many visas you need (yourself, family, staff) and what the company will do, and we price the license and the visas as one figure. Comparing zones first? See the cheapest free zone licenses.
What GDRFA Charges
The residence fees are the same across the green, virtual work and property routes:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Entry visa, if you apply from outside the UAE | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| Residence permit, up to two years | AED 200 |
| Each year beyond two | AED 100 more on the issuance fee |
| Knowledge Dirham and Innovation Dirham | AED 10 each |
| If you apply from inside the UAE | AED 500 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
The medical fitness test and the Emirates ID are separate fees. After a green residence expires or is cancelled, GDRFA allows 180 days to stay in the country; after a virtual work or property residence, 60 days.
Which Route Fits You
- You own, or will own, at least AED 1,000,000 of a company: green residence as a partner or investor.
- You are a graduate freelancer earning AED 360,000 a year or more: green self-employment residence.
- Your employer is abroad and pays you at least US$3,500 a month: virtual work.
- You own a finished property outright: property owner residence.
- None of these, or you want to trade in the UAE: your own company, which also lets you hire and sponsor others.
Getting Your Own Visa
We set up the company, open its establishment card and visas, and handle the medical, Emirates ID and stamping through our PRO services. If one of the green routes fits you better than a company, we will tell you that instead. Message us with your nationality, where you live now and what you plan to do in the UAE, and you get the route and a written figure.
Own visa questions
Yes, through one of five routes: green residence as an investor or partner (a paid share of at least AED 1,000,000), green residence for self-employment (a MOHRE freelance permit, a degree and AED 360,000 a year), virtual work (US$3,500 a month from an employer abroad), property ownership, or a company you own that sponsors you.
GDRFA charges AED 200 for the residence permit up to two years, AED 10 each for the Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams, AED 500 if you apply from inside the UAE and AED 20 for delivery, plus the entry visa at AED 200 if you are outside. Medical and Emirates ID are extra. Through your own company, the license is the larger cost.
For most people, a small free zone company that sponsors their visa, because the green routes need a large investment or a high income. Free zones publish their visa prices: RAKEZ charges AED 4,000 for each additional visa on its package and SHAMS AED 2,500 to AED 5,500 per visa.
Green residences, for partners and investors or for self-employment, run up to five years and are renewable on the same terms. Virtual work is one year, renewable. A residence through your own company is renewed for as long as the company stays licensed.
GDRFA gives an expected completion time of 48 hours for these residence and visa services, once the application is complete. The medical test, Emirates ID and, for the company route, the license come before it.
Sources
- Green visa issuance (investor/partner) and Issuing green residence permit (partner investor), GDRFA Dubai: conditions, documents, fees, completion time, grace period. Read 25 October 2026.
- Issuing a green residence permit (self-employment), GDRFA Dubai: MOHRE permit, education and income conditions, fees. Read 25 October 2026.
- Virtual work visa and virtual work residence, GDRFA Dubai: income, insurance, validity, family. Read 25 October 2026.
- Residence permit for the owner of a property, GDRFA Dubai: property and income conditions. Read 25 October 2026.
- RAKEZ SME business setup, RAKEZ freelancer permit and SHAMS cost guide: the free zones' published visa prices.
