You have started a new business in one of the free zones in the UAE. You've set up the processes and are looking for a new team to help your business grow. Getting a Dubai Free Zone visa is pretty easy, whether you want to hire someone from the UAE (someone who works at Dubai's onshore location) or from another country.

But with so much information available today, it can be hard to understand the visa process, including who is eligible, what the rules are, and how much it will cost.

Most free zone authorities put a cap on how many visas each business can get. If a company wants to get more visas, it can either move to a bigger office or ask the free zone authority for permission to get more visas.

This blog gives you a lot of information about the procedures, types of visas, and eligibility requirements for each type of visa. This will help you make an informed decision about which visa to get.

Four Types of Dubai Residence Visas at DMCC

When you use DMCC to apply for a visa, the process is easy and clear.
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) sets a limit on the number of visas you can get based on the size of the office you choose. For instance:

• Flexi desk: Up to 3 visas
• Serviced office: 4 or 5 visas depending on the size of the office
• Physical space: 1 visa for every 9 square metres

The UAE Ministry of Labour has nothing to do with free zone visas. Each free zone authority has its own employment law, and the terms of the job contract are in line with labour law. People with free zone visas are not allowed to work outside of the free zone, or "onshore," because they do not have a full UAE work contract.

Every company with a DMCC licence can apply for four types of visas: an Employment visa, a Dependents' Resident visa, a Partner/Investor visa (which includes a Business Visit visa), and a Student visit visa.

Each of the four visas comes with different scenarios, such as how to apply for a new visa, how to renew an old one, or how to transfer access for employees who already live in the UAE. Visit this page to find out more about how each category is broken down.

Employment Visa

A company with a DMCC licence must make sure that its employees are allowed to work in the free zone by making sure they have an employment residence visa, an ID card, or an access approval.

Identity cards and access permissions are another way for a business owner to give permission to an employee who is not directly sponsored by the company.

Employment Residence Visa

The most common way to get a visa is to get a job with a business in a free zone and sign a contract to live there. A free zone employee's visa is paid for by a free zone authority (in this case, DMCC), not by the employer.

To start their application, an employee in a free zone needs a letter of appointment from their company. This type of visa is good for one, two, or three years, and the process for applying is different for employees who live outside of the UAE and for those who live in the UAE.

Identity Cards

If you want to hire a woman who is sponsored by her husband or father, you will need to get an ID card for this woman employee. The ID card can be used for a year. Each electronically issued ID card is a new count against the number of visas your company is allowed.

Access Approvals

If you want to bring someone in to do temporary work at your office who is not an employee, you will need to get permission to let them in. This is usually for consultants, contract workers, and workers from sister or parent companies who need to work temporarily in DMCC. A valid Access Approval can be used for 1, 3, or 12 months. Access Approvals are only given to up to 30% of the workers who are doing the work.

Dependents’ Resident Visa

Through DMCC, a company with a DMCC licence can apply for UAE residence permits for sponsored employees and their dependents, such as their wife, children, parents, parents-in-law, and housemaids. But this application will have to follow the rules and laws of Dubai's Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship (FAIC).

A dependents' entry permit is valid for 60 days. If the family member does not pass the medical test, they cannot stay in the UAE.

Partner / Investor Visa

This kind of visa is perfect for foreigners who want to start their own business in Dubai or put money into companies that are already there.

An investor visa is good for three years, and the immigration office does not need a deposit.

Business Visit Visa

A company with a DMCC licence can also pay for a foreign team member to do business in UAE. DMCC can help this worker get a business visitor visa. This kind of visa can be used for a month.

Student Visa (University and Institution)

A student at a university or school licenced by the DMCC can apply for a student visa. A visa for a college student is good for one year, and a visa for an institution is good for 90 days.

Key Criteria for DMCC Visa

All visa applications are taken care of by DMCC's online portals. Each application has its own set of documents that must be sent along with it. The process for getting a visa also changes based on whether the applicant is inside or outside the UAE.

If the employee application is outside of the UAE, it must include the Emirates ID, a copy of the most recent passport, a photo the size of a passport, a signed offer letter, relevant education certificates, a signed employment contract, and a medical fitness certificate. The Emirates ID and medical fitness certificate can be issued by DMCC, but you don't have to use this service.

If the employee application is in the UAE, they will also need an Emirates ID, a document showing that their status has changed, and a copy of their current visa.

Some of the most important things to think about when applying for any kind of visa are:

Employment Visa

• When applying for an employment entry permit, your passport must be valid for at least six months.
• The UAE Embassy in the home country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Dubai must both attest the relevant education certificates.
• If the applicant lives in the UAE area, all certificates need to be legally translated into Arabic.
• You can apply for your potential employee's health insurance through one of the 45 local health insurance plans in the UAE that have been approved by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

Dependents’ Resident Visa

• Employees who make at least AED 4,000 per month and live in at least a one-bedroom apartment can pay for their wife and children to stay in the country.
• Employees who make at least AED 20,000 per year and have a place to live can sponsor their parents and parents-in-law.
• Dependants must have valid health insurance.
• If the employee's title is "clerk," "sales," "executive," "administrative officer," "assistant," etc., then that person has to give a three-month bank statement.
• To be eligible for sponsorship, the sponsor can't work as a worker or in a job similar to that of a housemaid.
• You can still apply for a dependents' resident visa with DMCC if you are only a shareholder of a DMCC licenced company and hold a Dubai residence visa but not an employee residence visa issued by a free zone authority (in this case, DMCC).

Partner / Investor Visa

• If your DMCC-licensed company has more than one shareholder who owns at least 50,000 shares, you can get a partner visa for them.
• You can get an investor visa if you are the only owner of your DMCC-licensed company.

Business Visit Visa

• Each company can ask for up to three of these visas at once.
• This kind of visa can't be renewed and can't be paid back.
• If the application is turned down, the costs are not refundable.

Student Visa (University and Institution)

• Minimum of six months left on the passport and a letter of application from the university or institute

Hassle-Free Visa Services with DMCC

The DMCC Member Portal makes it easy for you to do a lot of things for your business, like get licenses, make changes to your business, and get NOCs. The portal makes it easy to handle all of your business tasks in one place, giving you more time to focus on what's most important for your business.

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