A visa quota is the number of people a company may sponsor for UAE residence: its owners and partners, its employees and, in many free zones, their families. Every company has one, and it is set by where the company is licensed and how much space it holds. When a business wants to hire faster than its quota allows, the quota, not the budget, becomes the limit.
What Decides Your Quota
| Where the company is | Who sets the quota | What it follows |
|---|---|---|
| Free zone | The free zone authority, which sponsors and processes the visas | The license package and the office: at DMCC, a flexi desk allows up to 3 visas, a serviced office 4 or 5, and physical space 1 visa for every 9 square metres |
| Mainland | MOHRE, through its work permit quotas for establishments, with GDRFA for residence | The establishment and the premises it leases |
Free zone visas are issued and regulated by the zone, not by MOHRE, and DMCC's guide notes that a free zone visa "does not permit onshore (mainland) employment". A free zone employee works for the free zone company; a mainland employee needs a MOHRE work permit inside the mainland company's quota.
An Allocation Is Capacity, Not an Obligation
Meydan Free Zone puts it plainly: a license's visa allocation "only defines the capacity the company can activate if required". Its licenses start with 0 to 6 visa allocations, and a license with three allocations does not mean three people must be hired. The allocation can cover founders or partners, employees, and dependants such as a spouse or children. Plan the allocation for the next twelve months of hiring, because changing it later is a separate request.
How to Check Your Visa Quota
- Free zone company: on the free zone's own member portal or with its client service team. The allocation is part of your license and package.
- Mainland company: through MOHRE, which runs the work permit quotas for establishments service, using the company's establishment details.
- Before you hire, compare the quota with the visas already issued, including the owners' and any family visas on the company file.
How to Increase Your Visa Quota
In a free zone
Free zones raise the allocation in two ways: moving to a larger office or facility, or a request to the authority for an increase, subject to its approval. DMCC says a company's quota "may be eligible for an increase in some instances", and Meydan says most free zones allow additional visas beyond the base allocation at an extra cost.
Through GDRFA Dubai
GDRFA's page for requests to open or increase work visa quotas lists what to provide, and the requests are sent by email to gdrfadquota@dnrd.ae:
- A copy of the commercial license and the establishment card.
- A copy of the lease contract (Ejari).
- A copy of the passport of the owner, partner or service agent.
- A certificate of classification of the establishment from the Department of Economy and Tourism, and for hotels, the certificate of hotel facility units.
- A letter committing to a housing allowance where housing is not provided for employees.
- For a farm or stable, the map and the title deed.
On the mainland, through MOHRE
Mainland work permit quotas are requested through MOHRE's quota service for establishments. The premises behind the request matter: the quota follows the space the company actually holds, so a larger team usually means a larger registered office.
When the Quota Is Full
A company that has used its quota has four practical options:
- Increase it with the free zone or through MOHRE and GDRFA, which usually means more registered space.
- Upgrade the free zone package or office, if the zone ties visas to the facility.
- License a second company with its own allocation, for example a free zone company for a separate line of business. Each license carries its own quota.
- Stop and check before anyone starts work: a person working for a company that does not sponsor them, without the right permit, is a violation for both sides.
Which of these fits depends on the activity, the jurisdiction and how quickly you need the people. We look at the company's license, establishment card and current visas, and tell you the fastest legal route and its cost in writing.
Getting More Visas for Your Company
We handle quota requests, establishment card updates and the visas themselves through our establishment card and company visa services, and set up second companies in a free zone when that is the faster route. For the cost of each new hire, see the employment visa cost; for your own visa as an owner, the partner and investor visa. Companies that would rather hand over the whole file, the quota, the permits and every renewal date, use our PRO services in Dubai.
Visa quota questions
The number of people a company may sponsor for residence: owners and partners, employees and, in many free zones, dependants. Free zones set it by package and office; on the mainland it follows MOHRE's work permit quota for the establishment and its premises.
It depends on the zone and the office. DMCC allows up to 3 visas on a flexi desk, 4 or 5 in a serviced office and 1 for every 9 square metres of physical space. Meydan's licenses start with 0 to 6 visa allocations.
In a free zone, by moving to a larger facility or requesting an increase from the authority. Through GDRFA Dubai, by emailing gdrfadquota@dnrd.ae with the commercial license, establishment card, Ejari, the owner's passport and the other documents its page lists. On the mainland, through MOHRE's quota service for establishments.
Not on that visa. DMCC's guide says a free zone visa is tied to the business or employment in that free zone and does not permit onshore (mainland) employment.
No. Meydan describes an allocation as the capacity the company can activate if required; it does not oblige you to hire.
Sources
- Request to open or increase work visa quotas, GDRFA Dubai: documents and the request email. Read 25 October 2026.
- Your guide to applying for Dubai free zone visas with DMCC, DMCC, 30 March 2026: quota by office type, free zone versus mainland employment. Read 25 October 2026.
- How many visas do I actually need when setting up a free zone company, Meydan Free Zone, updated 29 July 2026: allocations of 0 to 6, capacity not obligation, increases. Read 25 October 2026.
- Work permit quotas for establishments, MOHRE: the mainland quota service (not readable from our side on 25 October 2026).
