The work environment of the United Arab Emirates is changing. People lean towards working as a freelancer. The policy changes are initiated by the government to make freelance work visas more affordable and accessible for everyone.

The career option of freelancing is becoming more popular in Dubai. To quote a report from Algorithm Research, Dubai remains the focal point to host 65% of freelancers in the region.

Loads of freelancers work in the fields of social media, graphics design, architecture, health and fitness, websites and software development. 62% of men and 38% of women account for the UAE’s freelance workforce. The majority of them lay in the age group between 21 and 30 years old.

Freelancing has several advantages of better work flexibility, freedom to explore many income opportunities with the rights to choose projects you want to work with. This is easy to see why many professionals in the UAE choose to work as freelancers.

You need a residence visa and a freelancer license to work as a freelancer in the UAE. The government and several visa solutions providers in the UAE have been strict and vigilant to regulate the sector. Some do offer illegal freelancer visa solutions, beware of those visa shops.

Ways to protect yourself from illegal freelancer visa solutions providers

The online advertisements from companies offer a “freelancer visa” or opportunities to make “easy money” without leaving your home. The companies promote easy freelancer visa packages on company websites, and social media platforms for aspiring freelancers to look for opportunities.

Remain cautious when considering freelancing opportunities offline or online. Avoid freelancer scams by watching the warning signs:

The visa shops would promise them permanent residency in the UAE in exchange for a payment. This is not considered legal.

The visa operators give improper advice to lie, omit or fabricate the information in your application. The visa shops run multi-level marketing schemes, that requires you to sell and buy their products to earn money easy and quick.

The online freelance platforms would access your accounts like social media accounts, emails and then use your personal information to access your bank accounts to steal your money.

Scammers would trick you into sharing your freelancing account details by earning extra time and the other purposes like acquiring information about your projects and clients.

Proactive steps would be taken to protect yourself when looking for freelance opportunities. Ensure you don’t short end of the stick in any agreement or project.

When working on the freelance platform, research well so your job being offered is worth pursuing and legitimate. Search the company’s name on the National Economic Register (NER) website and get details.

The contractual agreement between the company and freelancer needs to have valid information. The terms and business details must satisfy both parties to contribute their respective interests.

Business contracts are tricky when working as a freelancer. You have to be meticulous with every project agreement, transaction, and details like payment terms are crystal clear.

Cut off the contact with a scammer and report the scam to the State Audit Institution.

The freelancer license or permit

The freelancer license operates in the personal capacity of the UAE and legally grants professional services to clients. The UAE free zones issue freelancer licenses like Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai Internet City, Ajman Free Zone, Dubai Media City, Fujairah Creative City Free Zone and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Free Zone.

The freelancer licenses are at affordable rates, allowing to work across wide business activities from education, consultancy, events management, film production, entertainment and news media.

The Dubai freelancer visas are registered under sectors like Tech (Dubai Internet City), Media (Dubai Media City), and Education (Dubai Knowledge Park).

The cost of a license or freelance permit depends on the free zone where you can register. The freelancer license packages are from AED 7,500 per year. Additional charges are applied if you need a freelancer visa under the Dubai Development Authority. This is valid for three years and gets renewed every three years with an insurance and immigration card. When you are sponsored by your spouse or parent, you may not require to cancel your residence visa.

The price of a freelance permit ranges from AED 10,000 to AED 20,000 as well as the 1 year or 3-year visa and if you require a residency visa or operational permit to legally work as a sole practitioner in UAE.

Obtaining a freelancer visa in Dubai

To get the freelancer visa, you need to submit the following documents:

• The updated application form.
• A copy of passport.
• The passport size photo.
• The updated curriculum vitae.
• Attestation of Academic certificates by the UAE Consulate or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The professional references of two people with contact details.
• Letter of intent or Work offer with detailed professional background and work experience.
• Get No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your sponsor.

The free zone authority reviews your documents, application and references. To get a legitimate freelancer visa in the UAE, work with a trusted and credible company. We offer a suite of visa solutions and value-added business to support services to freelancers. Consultants at Black Swan assist you to obtain a suitable freelancer visa and handle the complete process on your behalf.

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