Visas and residence
Investor and partner visa for UAE company owners
An investor or partner visa is the residence visa for a person who owns a UAE company or holds a share in one. The trade licence and the company's immigration file support the application, so the owner needs no employer. It suits founders who want to live in the UAE, run the business in person and sponsor their family.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Who it is for
- Owners, shareholders and partners named on a UAE trade licence
- Based on
- Your share, as shown in the Memorandum of Association, partnership agreement or investment contract
- Dubai category
- GDRFA Dubai lists a Green Residence for investors and partners, valid for up to five years
- Larger investments
- May qualify for the 10-year Golden Visa in the investor category
- Authorities
- ICP federally, GDRFA Dubai for residence issued in Dubai, the zone authority for free zone companies
- Done in the UAE
- Medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics
Overview
When you own a company in the UAE, the company can support your own residence. Your name and share appear on the licence and in the Memorandum of Association, the company opens its establishment card with immigration, and your residence application is filed on that basis. You are on the file as an owner, so no employer and no employment contract stand behind your visa.
The category you receive depends on your share and on where the company is licensed. GDRFA Dubai and ICP list a Green Residence for investors and partners in a commercial project. It is issued for up to five years without a guarantor or employer, and it requires a minimum share value and approval from the competent authorities. Owners with larger investments can look at the Golden Visa. Where neither applies, the residence is normally processed as a sponsored visa under the company's file, and sponsored visas run for one, two or three years.
Free zone companies apply for the owner's visa through the zone authority, and the number of visas a zone allows usually depends on the package or office you take. Category names, conditions and validity differ between authorities and are revised from time to time. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you before the licence is issued, so the share structure supports the visa you want.
Why owners plan the visa with the licence
Residence that rests on your company
Your visa is tied to the business you own, not to an employer. Changing clients or contracts does not touch your residence.
Your share is written correctly
The authority reads your share from the Memorandum of Association or partnership agreement. We check the wording before the licence is issued, because changing it later means a licence amendment.
The right category from the start
Green Residence, Golden Visa and a sponsored owner visa each ask for different evidence. Your consultant tells you which one your shareholding can support.
A base for your family's visas
Once your residence is issued you can apply to sponsor your spouse and children, subject to the family sponsorship conditions.
One file for company and visa
The licence, the establishment card and your residence are prepared by the same consultant, so you are not asked for the same document twice.
What to have ready
- Your passport copy, valid for at least six months
- A recent personal photograph with a white background
- The company trade licence showing you as owner or partner
- The Memorandum of Association, partnership agreement or investment contract that states your share
- The company's establishment card
- Your current visa or entry details, if you are already in the UAE
- Health insurance that is valid in the UAE
Some categories ask for more, such as audited accounts or proof of the capital you invested. Your consultant gives you the exact list for your case.
How the investor or partner visa is issued
We confirm your category
Your consultant looks at your share, the licence and the emirate, then tells you which residence category applies and what evidence it needs.
Establishment card is opened
The company is registered with immigration so that visa applications can be filed in its name.
Entry permit or status change
An entry permit is issued if you are abroad. If you are already in the UAE, a change of status is filed where the rules allow it.
Medical fitness test
You attend an approved health centre in the UAE. The test applies to applicants aged 18 and over.
Emirates ID biometrics
The Emirates ID application is filed with ICP, and you visit a service centre if your fingerprints are needed.
Residence issued
The residence permit is issued and your Emirates ID card is delivered. We put the expiry date on the same schedule as your licence renewal.
Good to know
- Your visa depends on the company. If the licence lapses or the company is closed, the residence has to move to another basis or be cancelled.
- Each partner applies separately. Being named on the licence does not issue a visa by itself.
- An offshore company does not sponsor residence visas. If you need residence, plan a mainland or free zone company.
- A residence visa is normally cancelled after more than six consecutive months outside the UAE. Some investor categories are exempt, which your consultant checks for you.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an investor visa and a partner visa?
They are the same kind of residence. People say investor when one person owns the company and partner when the shares are split between several people. In both cases the share shown on the licence and in the company documents supports the application. The official category name differs by authority, which your consultant confirms.
How long is an investor or partner visa valid?
It depends on the category. The Green Residence for investors and partners listed by GDRFA Dubai is issued for up to five years, and the Golden Visa for investors runs for 10 years. Other sponsored residence visas are issued for one, two or three years. Your consultant confirms the validity for your share and authority.
Can I get an investor visa without being in the UAE?
You can start from abroad. The company can be formed and the entry permit issued while you are outside the country. You then need to be in the UAE for the medical fitness test and, where required, the Emirates ID biometrics. Your consultant arranges both visits close together.
Do I need a minimum share to get a partner visa?
The authorities set a minimum share value for some categories, including the Green Residence and the Golden Visa, and they read it from your company documents. The figures are published by ICP and GDRFA and can change. Caliph checks your planned share against the current rule before the Memorandum of Association is signed.
Can I sponsor my family on an investor visa?
Yes, once your own residence is issued and you meet the family sponsorship conditions. Green Residence and Golden Visa holders can sponsor a spouse and children. You will need attested marriage and birth certificates and suitable housing, and a dependant's visa cannot run longer than yours.
Does a free zone company give me an investor visa?
A free zone company can support its owner's residence, and the application goes through the zone authority. The number of visas usually depends on the package or office you choose in the zone. If several partners need visas, check this with your consultant before you pick a package.
- GDRFA Dubai
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)
- UAE Government portal, residence for doing business
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Ready to establish your company in the UAE?
Book a free consultation. Tell us what you want to open and we come back with the route, the documents and the cost.
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