How Do I Get a Cheaper Freelance Visa in Dubai?

Are you looking for cheap freelance visa in Dubai? You have come to the right place! We’ll show you how to get one without paying too much.



A Cheap freelance visa in Dubai is a question that many people ask themselves when they plan to move to this beautiful country. The truth is that there are no cheap freelance visas in Dubai. But we will tell you how to get one at a reasonable price.



What is a freelance visa in UAE
Freelance visa is a UAE residency visa, which allows living in this country. It’s kind of a self visa in UAE – meaning that there is no company or sponsor behind you.

The visa is issued based on a freelance permit – a work permit for a freelancer. Such a work permit in the UAE can be granted by a few licensing authorities – mainly free zones. Almost every Emirate has a free zone which can issue a freelance license and a visa.

Your freelancer visa will look like a normal UAE residency visa – a pink stamp in the passport, valid for 2 or 3 years.



Start by finding out what type of visa you need.
If you are planning to work as a freelancer in Dubai, then you should first find out what kind of visa you need. There are two main categories of visas available for foreign workers: temporary residence permits (TRPs) and work visas.



Freelance license UAE
Freelance license in Dubai and UAE is a permit issued to a freelancing individual, that allows to work legally anywhere in the country. If you are a freelancer, you may not need a resident visa (if your visa is under your spouse or a company), but you need a freelance permit.

In other words, a freelance visa is optional, but a freelance permit is mandatory for anyone who wants to practice publicly and charge a fee for it.



Benefits of being a freelancer in UAE
Without doubt, freelancing has lots of advantages:
Self time management
Ability to control own workload
Doing what you like
Having longer holidays
Being your own boss
Ability to travel and live in any place
Getting UAE residence visa
Sponsoring a family

Being one of the safest countries in the world, UAE is a great place to start off your freelancing journey. According to research, over 60% of UAE residents would like to become freelancers if they get a possibility.



What can a freelancer in Dubai legally do
Regardless of your profession, when becoming a freelancer and obtaining an official freelance permit, you are allowed to:
Provide services to private individuals
Provide services to businesses
Raise Invoices and receive payments
Work with government agencies



Requirements to become a freelancer
As mentioned above, there are no strict requirements in terms of professional background for the majority of freelancers. You just need to collect certain documentation and apply.

Generally, the required documents would be:
Passport copy
Visa and Emirates ID copy (if you are a UAE resident)
No objection letter from current sponsor (if you are a UAE resident)
Recent photo
CV
Portfolio of works (if applicable)

A freelance visa is a residence visa that allows you to live in the country. You will also need a work permit or freelance license to start legally freelancing in the UAE, along with a freelance visa.



Where to get UAE freelance permit and visa
UAE has dozens of business registration authorities. You have multiple options: freelance visa in Dubai or another Emirate.

Regardless of the place where your permit and visa is issued, you have the same rights to work all over the UAE. The difference between various licensing authorities is in the business activities which they provide for freelancers, and the costs.



Freelance visa in Dubai
Freelancer visa in Dubai can be done by getting a freelance permit in the following authorities:



Go Freelance under Dubai Development Authority
Go freelance offers the biggest range of freelancing activities. They are divided into 4 groups: design, education, media and technology. Each group has a number of activities where you can definitely find a good match for your work permit in UAE.

Be aware that some companies licensed for manpower supply sell work permits and visas under their sponsorship naming it freelance permits. In reality they just provide visas and labour cards in their company without an actual government permit for you to conduct freelance activities.