UAE Residence Visa
UAE Residence Visa Through Your Company: Investor vs. Employment, Cost, and Timeline
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UAE Residence Visa
A UAE investor or partner visa through your own company costs around AED 6,500 per person and typically runs for 2 to 3 years, renewable. Employment visas sponsored through a company license cost AED 3,500 to 7,500 depending on role and processing speed. Both require an active trade license and, for mainland companies, a registered office — this is not a separate process from company formation, it is the next step of the same one.
Investor visa vs. employment visa: which one is yours
If you own shares in the company sponsoring you, you are typically looking at an investor or partner visa — tied to your shareholding rather than a job title. If you are being hired by a company (including one you do not own, or one where you are an employee rather than a shareholder), it is an employment visa, tied to your role and salary as declared on the labour contract. The distinction matters because the two have different documentation requirements and, in some structures, different validity periods. We will confirm which applies to you before starting the paperwork — it is usually obvious, but company structures with mixed shareholder-employee arrangements sometimes are not.
What it costs
| Visa type | Typical cost (AED) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Investor / partner visa | ~6,500 per person | Includes entry permit, status change, medical test, Emirates ID, and stamping |
| Employment visa | 3,500 – 7,500 per person | Varies by role, salary declared, and processing speed |
| Immigration establishment card | 2,000, one-time | Required at company level before any visa can be processed |
| Dependent visa (spouse or child) | AED 2,500 per person | Requires the sponsor own visa to be active and typically a minimum salary threshold for employment-sponsored cases |
| Medical test and Emirates ID | Included in most quoted packages | Mandatory for every applicant regardless of visa type |
Timeline & What you will need to provide
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Entry permit issuance | 2–5 working days |
| Status change or entry (if outside UAE) | Same day on arrival |
| Medical fitness test | 1 working day, results typically within 2–3 days |
| Emirates ID application | Same day as medical test |
| Visa stamping | 3–7 working days after medical clearance |
End to end, most residence visas are complete within 2 to 3 weeks of the entry permit being issued, assuming no additional security or medical clearances are required — a small number of nationalities and professions require extra approval steps that can add time, which we will flag upfront rather than let you discover partway through.
What you will need to provide
- Passport, valid for at least six months
- Passport-size photo, white background, UAE visa specification
- Trade license copy of the sponsoring company
- For investor visas: proof of shareholding, typically the Memorandum of Association or share certificate
- For employment visas: signed labour contract and, in some cases, educational certificate attestation depending on role
- Current visa status or entry stamp, if already in the UAE
- No-objection certificate, if switching sponsorship from an existing UAE employer
Sponsoring your family & How it works, step by step
Once your own residence visa is active, you can generally sponsor a spouse and children as dependents, subject to minimum salary or shareholding thresholds that vary depending on whether you are on an investor or employment visa. This is a separate application from your own but runs on a similar documentation and timeline basis. If long-term family residence independent of any single company or job is the actual goal, compare this against our Golden Visa page — the property route in particular gives broader and longer family sponsorship rights without tying status to continued employment or shareholding.
How it works, step by step
- Eligibility check. We confirm whether you qualify for an investor or employment visa based on your role and shareholding.
- Establishment card. If your company does not already have one, this is the prerequisite step at company level.
- Entry permit. We apply for your entry permit or status-change permit if you are already in the UAE.
- Medical test and Emirates ID. Completed in person once your permit is issued.
- Visa stamping. Your passport is stamped with the residence visa once medical clearance and Emirates ID processing are complete.
- Dependent visas, if applicable. Once your own visa is active, we process sponsorship applications for your spouse and children.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to move on this? WhatsApp us at +971 54 201 9999 or call directly — most first conversations take fifteen minutes and tell you exactly where you stand, with no obligation.