Investor Visa
UAE residency for shareholders and directors of a Free Zone or Mainland company. 2-3 year validity, family sponsorship enabled, full UAE banking access.
What Is the Investor Visa?
The UAE Investor Visa (also called Partner Visa) is issued to shareholders and directors of UAE-registered Free Zone or Mainland companies. It grants the right to live and work in the UAE, open bank accounts, sponsor family members, obtain a driver's license, and become a UAE tax resident. Standard validity is 2 years for Mainland investors and 3 years for Free Zone investors, fully renewable.
The Investor Visa is the default path for entrepreneurs setting up a UAE company — it is bundled with the incorporation process. Compared to the Golden Visa it is faster and cheaper (no AED 2M investment requirement) but offers shorter validity. Most clients open their UAE company AND get the Investor Visa in one combined process taking 4-6 weeks total.
Who Can Apply
- Shareholder or director of a UAE-registered company
- Active business license (Free Zone or Mainland)
- Memorandum of Association (MOA) listing you as shareholder
- Minimum share capital varies by emirate (typically AED 50K-300K)
- Clean medical fitness test (blood + chest X-ray)
- No prior UAE visa violations
Cost Breakdown
Government fees + Insight service fee. No hidden costs.
Estimates only. Final quote depends on dependents, urgency and current government fees. We confirm in writing within 24 hours.
Step-by-step Application
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01
Company setup or activation
You must have an active UAE business license — Free Zone or Mainland — listing you as shareholder/director.
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02
Entry permit application
We submit your entry permit application (e-visa) through the relevant authority — typically issued in 3-7 days.
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03
Status change to UAE
If you are already in the UAE on a visit visa, we convert your status to investor visa. Otherwise, you enter on the entry permit.
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04
Medical fitness test
1-hour appointment at an approved medical centre (blood draw + chest X-ray). Results in 2-3 days.
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05
Emirates ID + visa stamping
Biometrics capture (30 min), then visa is electronically issued. Emirates ID arrives within 5-10 days.
What You Need to Provide
- Passport copy (6+ months validity)
- Passport-size photo with white background
- Entry permit / current UAE visa copy
- Emirates ID (if existing UAE resident)
- Medical fitness test result
- Application form signed by sponsor / self
- Trade license copy of the UAE company
- Memorandum of Association (MOA) listing you as shareholder
Investor Visa vs Other UAE Visas
Investor Visa — Frequently Asked Questions
There is no fixed national minimum — it depends on the Free Zone or Mainland emirate. Most Free Zones require minimum share capital of AED 50,000-100,000 declared (not deposited). DMCC requires AED 50K declared, IFZA effectively zero capital, JAFZA depends on entity type. Mainland LLC requires AED 300K share capital (often declared, not deposited).
Yes. As Investor Visa holder you can sponsor your spouse, children under 25 (or unmarried daughters of any age), and parents (subject to AED 20,000+/month income threshold). Each dependent gets a 2-3 year visa tied to your validity.
10-15 working days from start to Emirates ID issuance, if you are inside the UAE. Add 3-7 days for the initial entry permit if you are outside. The corporate bank account adds 2-4 weeks (separate timeline).
You must not be outside the UAE for more than 180 consecutive days, or the visa will be cancelled. There is no minimum required time inside the UAE per year — just avoid the 6-month absence.
No — you can hold only one active UAE residency visa at a time. If you have multiple UAE companies, the Investor Visa is from the primary one. Other companies you own but don't reside under are still legitimate.
They are the same thing in practice — terminology varies by authority. "Partner Visa" is more common for Mainland LLC shareholders, "Investor Visa" for Free Zone shareholders. Same validity, same rights, same renewal process.
Apply for Investor Visa
