The UAE virtual work visa suits people employed by a company abroad. A company residence visa suits people who run a UAE business. Here is how they differ and which questions decide the choice.
People moving to Dubai usually land on one of two visa routes. The virtual work visa is for someone who lives in the UAE and works for an organisation outside it. A company residence visa is for someone who owns or works for a UAE company. They solve different problems, and the wrong choice can leave you unable to do the work you came to do.
The UAE government portal says foreigners employed outside the UAE are permitted to live in the country with a virtual work visa. The one year visa lets the holder work in line with the terms and conditions issued with the visa. Under it, a foreigner may live in the UAE while working for a company outside the UAE.
The portal lists these requirements for an application to ICP:
You can apply to ICP or to GDRFA in Dubai. The Dubai service page describes a permit issued without a guarantor or host in the country for a year, subject to renewal. It lists a residence permit fee of AED 200 plus extra charges, including a fee of AED 500 for applying inside the country. Fees and thresholds change, so check the service page on the day you apply.
A company visa is tied to a UAE company. The portal says you apply for the work permit and residence visa of an employee with the respective free zone authority, and that the number of visas a business can get depends on factors such as the package it has signed up for.
Investors and business partners may also qualify for a Green visa, which the portal describes as a renewable residence visa valid for 5 years, with no need for a sponsor and the ability to sponsor family members. Check the current Green visa conditions with ICP before you plan around it.
If you are tax resident in another country, neither visa settles your tax position there. Ask an adviser in that country before you move.
Many people start on the virtual work visa and later set up a company when they take their first UAE client or want to hire. Treat that as a planned step. The virtual work visa runs for a year, so decide early whether the business will start inside that year, and ask the free zone how a visa application works for someone already living in the UAE.
DBC packages with one visa start from USD 4,605 (AED 16,900) in AFZ and from USD 5,969 (AED 21,905) in Meydan Free Zone. The same zones without a visa start from USD 1,948 (AED 7,150) and USD 5,313 (AED 19,500). Add visas on /pricing or /pricing/calculator.
Tell us how you earn and where your clients are, and we will tell you whether a virtual work visa or a company visa fits. Book a Free Discovery Call
More published insights from the same category.
What the government pages say about sponsoring a spouse and children, the fees listed on the GDRFA service, and the points you must confirm for an investor visa holder.
Your licence is issued, so what comes next? The residence visa and Emirates ID steps in sequence, with the deadlines and late fees that apply once you hold the card.
Book a discovery call and discuss your specific UAE expansion questions with DBC.
We use cookies to measure site traffic and the results of our ads. Cookie policy
