A "freelance visa" in Dubai is two things bought together: a freelance permit or license that lets you work without an employer, and a residence visa that the free zone issues on the back of it. The main official packages are GoFreelance, run by the Dubai Development Authority's communities, at AED 7,500 a year for the license plus AED 4,600 for a one-year visa or AED 5,042 for two years, and RAKEZ's freelancer permit from AED 6,100. Both are limited to certain professions. If yours is not on the list, the route is a small company instead.
Freelance Visa Cost in Dubai
| GoFreelance (Dubai Development Authority) | RAKEZ freelancer permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Tech, media, education and design activities | Media and education professionals |
| License or permit | AED 7,500 a year, plus AED 10 each for the Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams | From AED 6,100 |
| Residence visa | AED 4,600 for one year, AED 5,042 for two years | Eligible for a UAE residence visa; one- and two-year packages |
| Establishment card | AED 2,000 | Not stated on the permit page |
| Where you work from | Hot desk in Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Design District or Dubai Knowledge Park | RAKEZ business centres |
GoFreelance lists what the visa needs: the freelance license, the establishment card, a UAE phone number, valid medical insurance, your original passport and a photo. The Dubai Development Authority gives two working days for the license itself, applied for online, with a passport copy, any no-objection certificate your activity needs, and a self-declaration if you already hold a visa.
Who Can Get a Freelance Permit
Freelance permits are restricted by activity. GoFreelance covers tech, media, education and design activities, and RAKEZ's permit is for media and education professionals. If your work sits outside those, the freelance permit is not your route, and the answer is usually a license rather than a permit. That restriction is the single most important fact on this page, and it is missing from most articles about UAE freelancing.
A freelance permit identifies you as a sole practitioner: under the DDA license you trade in your own name rather than a brand name.
The Five-Year Route: Green Residence for Self-Employment
For established freelancers there is a five-year residence with no sponsor. GDRFA Dubai's green residence for self-employment asks for:
- A freelance work permit from MOHRE.
- A bachelor's degree, specialised diploma or equivalent.
- Annual self-employment income of at least AED 360,000 for the two preceding years, or proof of financial solvency throughout the stay.
The residence permit fee is AED 200, with AED 500 more if you apply from inside the UAE. The income condition is the one that decides most applications: it describes a working freelancer with a track record, not someone starting out. If you are at the beginning, the green residence is a target rather than a starting point.
The Alternative Most People End Up Using
If your profession is outside the freelance lists, or you want to invoice under a business name, hire later or sponsor family, the practical route is a small company rather than a permit. A free zone license with one visa gives you the same legal ability to work, plus a residence visa from your own company. The cheapest free zone licenses compares the entry points, and the own visa guide sets out every self-sponsored route side by side. For a consultant, how to start a consulting business in Dubai walks the whole route.
Which One Fits You
| Your situation | The route |
|---|---|
| Tech, media, education or design, starting out, want to live in Dubai | GoFreelance license with a one- or two-year visa |
| Media or education, looking for a lower entry price | RAKEZ freelancer permit with a residence visa |
| Two years of AED 360,000+ freelance income and a degree | Green residence for self-employment, five years |
| Any other profession | A free zone or mainland license with one visa |
| Already resident on a spouse's visa | A freelance permit alone may be enough to work legally |
| Selling to mainland UAE companies at scale | A mainland license: see mainland business setup |
What Nobody Tells Freelancers About the Tax Side
A freelancer operating through a company registers that company for corporate tax like any other. A natural person carrying on a business above the turnover threshold has obligations too. Neither is heavy at small scale, and both carry a penalty for being ignored. The corporate tax filing deadline sets out the mechanics, and Small Business Relief is the provision most freelancers will actually use.
Getting Your Freelance Visa
We check your activity against the freelance lists, apply for the permit and the visa, and handle the medical, Emirates ID and insurance through our PRO services. If a small company fits you better, we price that instead through our business setup services. Tell us your profession and whether you are inside the UAE, and you get the route and a written figure.
Freelance visa questions
Through GoFreelance, the two-year visa is AED 5,042, on top of the AED 7,500 yearly license and the AED 2,000 establishment card, with valid medical insurance required. The one-year visa is AED 4,600. GoFreelance notes that visa and establishment card fees are subject to change.
People whose work falls in the free zone's freelance activities: tech, media, education and design at GoFreelance, media and education at RAKEZ. Other professions need a license instead. The five-year green residence for self-employment also needs a MOHRE freelance permit, a degree and AED 360,000 a year for two years.
Of the official packages we checked, RAKEZ's freelancer permit starts lowest, at AED 6,100, for media and education professionals. GoFreelance in Dubai is AED 7,500 a year. The visa is extra in both cases.
It makes you eligible for one. GoFreelance and RAKEZ freelancers can apply for a residence visa through the free zone, paid on top of the permit. Without that visa, residence has to come from somewhere else, such as a spouse's sponsorship.
No. Working without the appropriate permit or license is a breach regardless of who is paying you or where they are based.
If you operate through a company, that company registers and files like any other. A natural person carrying on a business above the turnover threshold has obligations as well. Small Business Relief is the provision most freelancers end up using.
Sources
- Freelancer License Registration (Sole Professional License), Dubai Development Authority: fee, dirhams, documents, two working days. Read 25 October 2026.
- GoFreelance: license price, one- and two-year visa fees, establishment card, requirements, activities. Read 25 October 2026.
- Freelancer permit, RAKEZ: starting price, eligible professions, residence visa eligibility. Read 25 October 2026.
- Issuing a green residence permit (self-employment), GDRFA Dubai: MOHRE permit, education and income conditions, fees. Read 25 October 2026.
