Guide · updated 16.10.2026 · 8 min read · Lucent Legal team

Investor and partner visa through your own company in the UAE

The most common route to residency for an entrepreneur: open a company and get your visa through it. The company acts as sponsor, the owner gets a visa and an Emirates ID, and can then sponsor the family. The steps are the same on the mainland and in a free zone; thresholds, quotas and fees differ. A larger share and capital open the green and golden visas, which are self-sponsored and run for 5 or 10 years.

How it works

A UAE residence visa always has a sponsor. For an employee, the sponsor is the employer. For a company owner, the sponsor is their own company: it registers with immigration as an establishment and issues a visa to the partner or investor.

The steps:

1. Licence. The company is registered on the mainland or in a free zone.
2. Establishment card. The company registers with immigration (GDRFA in Dubai, ICP in other emirates) or through the free zone portal. In Dubai the GDRFA issue fee is AED 200 plus VAT, plus AED 10 each for the Knowledge and Innovation Dirham fees.
3. Entry permit if the owner is outside the UAE, or a status change if already in the country.
4. Medical test and biometrics for the Emirates ID.
5. Health insurance. Mandatory for the visa in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
6. Visa stamp or e-visa and Emirates ID.

Timelines depend on the emirate and zone: from a few working days in free zones with their own visa centres to several weeks on the mainland. Zones publish their own fees. For example, as of 16.10.2026 the SPC Free Zone owner visa starts at AED 4,495 including the medical test and Emirates ID, and the Meydan Free Zone investor visa starts at AED 4,000 plus an establishment card from AED 2,000. Zone comparison: cheapest free zone in the UAE.

Quota: how many visas the company gets

The licensing authority sets the quota. On the Dubai mainland it follows the floor area in the Ejari lease; in a free zone it follows the package: flexi desk, coworking or office. Fujairah Creative City, for instance, lists the quota in each package, from zero visas in the media package to 15 in Business Multi Visa.

If you plan visas for yourself, a partner and staff, work out the quota before you choose a package: free zone vs mainland.

Family: when a partner can sponsor relatives

An owner with a visa through their own company can sponsor a spouse and children. In Dubai GDRFA sets a condition: the partner's share in the memorandum of association must be at least AED 48,000. GDRFA also checks income and housing: AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with accommodation. The family member visa fee is AED 200 plus VAT.

Other emirates and free zones have their own conditions; check them before you apply. The rules for children, parents and spouses are in UAE residence visa.

Green visa: 5 years, no sponsor

The green visa is a five-year residency where you sponsor yourself. For an investor or partner, GDRFA Dubai requires a share in the company of at least AED 1 million in paid capital. According to ICP, a green visa holder can sponsor family.

The practical difference from a company visa: the green visa does not depend on the establishment card or the quota, and you don't need to redo it when you switch companies.

Golden visa: from AED 2 million, or through taxes

ICP issues investor golden visas on three grounds:

• a UAE company with capital of at least AED 2 million, or a partner's share of at least AED 2 million;
• a company paying at least AED 250,000 in federal taxes a year (or a partner's share of tax matching that amount);
• a deposit of AED 2 million.

The capital cannot come from a loan. For entrepreneurs without large capital, ICP has a separate category: an SME with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million, a business idea approved by an incubator or authorised body, or previously sold ventures worth at least AED 7 million.

Duration: ICP lists 10 years for every category, while u.ae shows 10 years for investors and 5 years for entrepreneurs and real estate. Confirm the term for your category before applying. More in UAE golden visa 2026.

What happens to the visa if the company closes

A company visa lasts as long as the company. When you close, visas are cancelled before the licence: dependants first, then employees, the owner last. After cancellation you get a grace period to leave or change status. An expired licence blocks visa renewal even before closure. The procedure: closing a business and company liquidation.

Common mistakes

• Taking a flexi desk package and finding the quota has no room for a partner's visa.
• Recording a partner's share below AED 48,000 in the memorandum and being unable to sponsor family in Dubai.
• Missing the licence and establishment card renewal, so the owner's visa can't be renewed.
• Planning a golden visa on capital funded by a loan.

Topic: Doing Business in the UAE

Get a lawyer's help: Company formation in the UAE

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.