A residency visa and a UAE freelance license – these documents permit you to work legally in the Emirates as a freelancer, a sole practitioner or an independent contractor.

And with more and more people setting up on their own, it’s becoming an increasingly attractive in the UAE and abroad.
 

UAE Freelance Permit Highlights

The Freelancer License enables businesses with flexibility to work remotely. Further, Freelancers are not required to lease any office space and they can avail residency visas for themselves and their dependents. To apply, applicants must provide relevant experience.

To work as a freelancer in the UAE you will need a residency visa and work permit, which is issued by a number of different free zones, i.e. Creative City, Dubai South, UAQ, Ajman, Dubai Media City etc.

Features of a Freelance permit

1. You may work as an independent contractor.
2. A Freelancer shall conduct business in his/her own birth name as opposed to a company name.
3. Freelancers shall not be eligible to open a Corporate Bank Account
4. No Memorandum of Association, Certificate of Incorporation or Partner list shall be issued under the Freelancer Permit
5. The Freelancer can select only 1 activity per Permit and gets only 1 visa eligibility (employment visa)
6. A Freelancer can hold only 1 permit– No additional permit allowed
7. Freelancers shall not be eligible to appoint any staff or obtain additional visa under the permit.

There are only specific categories that you’re allowed to freelance in such as;