What is a UAE investor or partner visa?
An investor or partner visa is a UAE residence visa that your own company sponsors, because you are a shareholder named on its licence. Free zones such as Meydan and RAKEZ give an investor visa to a sole shareholder and a partner visa to each owner of a company with several shareholders. Both work the same way: the company holds the immigration file and you hold the residence.
Which authority handles your visa depends on where the company is licensed:
- Free zone company: you apply through the free zone authority. ICP requires free zone companies to request their establishment card through their own authority.
- Dubai mainland company: GDRFA Dubai issues the residence.
- Mainland company in another emirate: ICP issues the residence.
ICP issues every Emirates ID, whichever emirate sponsors you.
Mainland owners
A mainland company first opens a file with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and gets its establishment card. MoHRE sets the visa quota from the company's legal status, premises, projects and needs. In Dubai, GDRFA lists its investor and partner residence under the five-year Green residence, which needs a paid share of at least AED 1 million. The right category for a smaller stake depends on the emirate and your company, so confirm it with the authority before you apply. Our Dubai mainland company setup guide covers the licence side.
Who qualifies for an investor visa?
You qualify if you are a shareholder named on a valid UAE trade licence, and your company has an establishment card and a free visa allocation. Some nationalities also need a good conduct certificate.
- Shareholding: your name must be on the licence and on the Memorandum of Association or partnership agreement. Some free zones set a minimum. Meydan asks for AED 50,000 or more of share capital for an investor or partner visa.
- Establishment card: the company needs this immigration file before it can sponsor anyone.
- Visa allocation or quota: in a free zone, your package or office sets the number. Meydan allows up to six allocations per licence, and a DMCC flexi-desk allows one to three. On the mainland, MoHRE sets the quota.
- Passport: valid for at least six months.
- Age: Shams sets 18 as the minimum age for investor and partner visa applicants, and RAKEZ sets no fixed maximum age for shareholders.
- Medical test and insurance: applicants aged 18 and over must pass a medical fitness test, and every applicant needs valid UAE health insurance.
- Security approval: RAKEZ, for example, says investors, partners and managers of every nationality need pre-approval.
Compare visa allowances zone by zone in our UAE free zones guide.
How much does a Dubai investor visa cost in 2026?
A first investor visa usually costs AED 6,450 to about AED 7,850 in published free zone fees, before health insurance and, in most zones, the medical test. That range includes the company's establishment card, which is paid once per company, not per person.
Government fees
The immigration authorities publish the base fees below. Free zones, typing centres and service providers add their own charges.
| Item | ICP (emirates other than Dubai) | GDRFA Dubai |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment card | AED 100 application, AED 100 a year and AED 100 smart services, plus AED 2,000 e-system subscription | AED 200 plus 5% VAT, AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams and an AED 50 service fee |
| Entry permit | AED 100 application, AED 100 issuance and AED 100 smart services | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| Change of status inside the UAE | AED 500 | AED 500 plus AED 20 |
| Residence permit, two years | AED 100 application, AED 100 a year and AED 100 smart services | AED 200 plus AED 20, and AED 20 delivery |
| Emirates ID, two years | AED 100 a year plus AED 100 smart services | The same ICP fee |
| Medical fitness test | Set by each emirate's health authority | In Dubai, AED 270 for standard 24-hour results at a Salem centre |
Sources: ICP and GDRFA Dubai service pages, and a Dubai Salem centre's price list (VFS Global), checked 22 October 2026.
Free zone visa fees
Free zones bundle the government fees with their own. These are the published figures for one investor visa, checked on 22 October 2026.
| Free zone | First investor visa | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|
| Ajman Free Zone | From AED 6,450 | Establishment card, E-Channel, entry permit and residence visa |
| IFZA | AED 6,750 | AED 3,750 visa, AED 1,000 investor or partner fee, AED 2,000 establishment card (2024 schedule, latest public) |
| Shams | About AED 7,050 | Allocation, e-channel, immigration card, Emirates ID typing and visa (calculator estimate) |
| SPC Free Zone | AED 7,415 | Allocation, establishment card, e-channel, visa with Emirates ID, medical test |
| Meydan Free Zone | About AED 7,850 | Visa, allocation and establishment card; medical and Emirates ID from AED 2,250 extra |
| RAKEZ | AED 4,620 plus VAT | Visa only; e-channel is AED 2,200 plus an AED 5,050 refundable deposit if not in your package |
| DMCC | In the AED 43,780 Jump Start package | Licence, establishment card, flexi-desk and one two-year visa |
A solo founder at Meydan who takes the AED 12,500 licence, one investor visa and Meydan's medical and Emirates ID service should budget from about AED 22,600 in Meydan fees for the first year. At SPC, the Standard licence with one investor visa comes to AED 14,290 in SPC fees. RAKEZ also sells an AED 14,000 package that includes the licence and one residence visa.
Costs to add
- Health insurance from an insurer the immigration authority accepts. The residence is not issued without it.
- Change of status, if you are already in the UAE: IFZA charges AED 1,600, RAKEZ AED 985, Ajman Free Zone AED 800 and SPC AED 700.
- Family visas and their deposits, covered below.
How long is the visa valid, and how is it renewed?
An investor or partner visa is usually valid for two years, and it renews while you stay a shareholder and the licence stays valid. Meydan, IFZA, SPC and RAKEZ describe their shareholder visas as two-year visas, and DMCC also lists one-year visas. Three-year free zone residence permits ended in October 2022.
To renew, the company applies before expiry with:
- A valid licence and establishment card. IFZA's terms warn that a late establishment card renewal blocks further visa applications.
- A new medical fitness test and current health insurance.
- The renewal fee. ICP charges AED 100 to apply, AED 100 a year and AED 100 for smart services. Free zones add their own: IFZA lists AED 3,750, and Ajman Free Zone starts at AED 2,400. Meydan and Shams also renew each visa allocation every year, at AED 1,850 and AED 1,600.
After a residence expires or is cancelled, the grace period depends on the category. ICP gives 180 days to Golden, Green and Blue residents, 90 days to skilled workers at levels 1 to 3 and property owners, 60 days to permits issued with a guarantor or host, and 30 days to all other categories. ICP does not name investors or partners, so confirm your period before you cancel. GDRFA Dubai states 60 days. After that, ICP's fine is AED 50 a day.
Can you sponsor your family on an investor visa?
Yes. Once your residence is issued, you can sponsor your spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs. Meydan says eligible parents can also be sponsored. Your family's residence matches yours and cannot run longer.
ICP's main conditions are:
- Monthly income of at least AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus housing.
- Housing that suits the family's size, owned or rented.
- Proof of kinship: an attested marriage certificate and children's birth certificates.
- Valid health insurance and, for family members aged 18 and over, a medical fitness test.
- A financial guarantee of AED 3,000 per family member for an investor's family, capped at AED 15,000.
In Dubai, GDRFA adds that a partner's share must be at least AED 48,000 in the partnership agreement. Free zones charge their own dependant fees: SPC lists AED 5,000 per person, and Meydan around AED 6,000, plus an AED 3,000 deposit when the investor sponsors.
Staying outside the UAE and cancelling the visa
A standard residence visa usually lapses if you stay outside the UAE for more than six months. RAKEZ, for example, tells residents to re-enter within 180 days of leaving. ICP exempts Golden, Green and Blue residents while their residence is valid.
If you must stay away longer, ICP issues a permit to stay outside the UAE for more than six months:
- Apply from outside the UAE after 180 days abroad, with proof of a valid reason. Your company or you can apply.
- Your residence must have more than 30 days left, and you must enter within 30 days of approval.
- ICP charges AED 100 for each month beyond six months, plus AED 100 for smart services.
- The service does not cover Dubai residence, so Dubai visa holders should contact GDRFA Dubai. Approval is not automatic.
To cancel, the company applies to the authority that issued the visa:
- Cancel your family's visas first. ICP requires dependants' permits to be cancelled before the sponsor's, or placed on hold for a limited period for a fee.
- For an investor or partner, ICP asks for a certificate showing the licence was cancelled or the shares given up.
- ICP charges AED 50 plus AED 100 for smart services. GDRFA Dubai charges AED 100 plus AED 20.
- Free zones may add conditions. Shams asks for an AED 2,100 security deposit before it cancels the last shareholder's visa.
Investor visa, Green visa or Golden visa?
The investor visa is the standard route for most founders. The Green and Golden visas last longer and need no sponsor, but they need a bigger investment.
| Point | Investor or partner visa | Green visa, investor or partner | Golden visa, investor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validity | Usually 2 years | 5 years, renewable | 10 years, renewable |
| Sponsor | Your own company | None needed | None needed |
| Investment test | A shareholding in a licensed company; some zones set a minimum, such as AED 50,000 at Meydan | A contribution of at least AED 1 million | AED 2 million in company capital, a company share, a deposit or property, or a company paying AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes |
| Family | Spouse and children, with AED 4,000 income or AED 3,000 plus housing | Spouse, children and first-degree relatives | Spouse, children of any age and parents |
| Grace period after expiry or cancellation | 30 to 60 days, by authority and category | 180 days | 180 days |
| More than six months abroad | Visa usually lapses | Exempt while valid | Exempt while valid |
With a stake under AED 1 million, the investor or partner visa is the usual route, and you can apply for a Green or Golden visa later if your investment grows. If you own property rather than a company, ICP issues a separate property owner's residence for a completed home, with income of at least AED 10,000 a month or proof of solvency. Our Golden visa guide covers the 10-year route in detail.
Getting an investor visa as an Indian founder
Indian citizens follow the same process as everyone else, plus three India-side tasks: document attestation, FEMA funding and tax residence.
- Travel: company registration and the visa process can start online from India, but the medical test and biometrics happen in person in the UAE.
- Security checks: RAKEZ's list of nationalities that need a good conduct certificate for new visas, effective 20 July 2026, does not include India.
- Attestation: marriage and birth certificates for family visas need Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attestation in India. The UAE Embassy in New Delhi then attests them digitally through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, using UAE Pass. Our attestation guide covers the steps.
- FEMA: putting share capital into a UAE company is overseas direct investment. File Form FC with your authorised dealer (AD) bank to get a Unique Identification Number before you remit. Resident individuals may invest only in an operating business, not in financial services, and their remittances count towards the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit of USD 250,000 per financial year.
- Tax: the UAE does not levy income tax on individuals, but a UAE visa does not by itself end Indian tax residence. India counts your days in India, with 182 days or more making you resident, and can treat some Indian citizens with Indian income above ₹15 lakh as resident. Take advice before you rely on non-resident status.
- Bank account: UAE banks ask for your passport, residence visa and Emirates ID, so apply once the visa is issued. See our corporate bank account guide.
For the full journey, read business setup in Dubai from India.
Common reasons for delay
Most delays come from missing prerequisites, not from the immigration decision itself.
- A passport with less than six months' validity.
- An expired licence or establishment card.
- No free visa allocation left in the package or quota.
- Security pre-approval, or a good conduct certificate for some nationalities.
- Family documents not attested in India.
- A medical result that is not "Fit". ICP completes the residence and Emirates ID only after a Fit result.
- Missing or expired health insurance.
- Not finishing within 60 days of entering on the permit, after which ICP charges AED 50 a day.
How Ofin helps with your investor visa
Ofin's UAE desk handles investor visas for new and existing companies, in free zones and on the mainland.
- Advice on the right category for your stake: investor, partner or Green.
- Company formation, the establishment card and the immigration file.
- Entry permits, medical test coordination and Emirates ID applications.
- Dependant visas for your spouse and children, including document checks.
- Attestation of Indian documents, and advice on India-UAE tax and FEMA rules.
- Corporate bank account support, and tracking of licence and visa expiry dates for renewals.
Ofin's own process allows 3 to 5 days for the establishment card, then 7 to 14 days for visa applications and medicals. These are typical times, not government deadlines. Ofin Legal has a 4.9★ Google rating and has served 5,000+ clients since 2019. Call or WhatsApp the UAE desk on +971 50 523 5779.
