Corporate PRO Services
Free zone visa Dubai
Zone-issued visas — allocation caps, higher per-visa cost, different rules.
- 7Government authorities we file with
- 0%Mark-up on government fees
- 24hTarget to submit an urgent, complete file
- 200+Guides, updated as rules change
- 1Named officer on your file, start to finish
The government entities your application is processed through
We prepare and submit applications on your written authorisation. MIRDXB PRO is a private service provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of any authority shown. Names and logos belong to their owners and are shown for identification only.
Zone fees
What each zone charges, line by line
Example: a Jafza employment visa, government fees from
AED 2,378
Jafza company, 1-year employment visa, normal package, hire from abroad. Lowest zone line on the two schedules checked (Jafza, DMCC); each free zone sets its own fees.
Our service feeAED 500per new Jafza visa, VAT included; DMCC visas AED 750
- Official fee cards, linked line by line
- Zone fees itemised, receipts handed over
- Your total confirmed in writing first
Jafza, 1-year visa, hire from abroad
Jafza company · normal package · applicant outside the UAE
OfficialAED 2,378
- Official fees
- AED 2,378
- Our service fee, VAT included
- AED 500
- Your total
- AED 2,878
Get this quotedSee all 1 fee lines and sources
Jafza, 1-year visa, hire from abroad: official fees Jafza employment visa, 1 year, normal package Jafza AED 2,378 Official fees AED 2,378 Jafza, 2-year visa, hire already in the UAE
Jafza company · normal package · applicant inside the UAE
OfficialAED 3,458
- Official fees
- AED 3,458
- Our service fee, VAT included
- AED 500
- Your total
- AED 3,958
Get this quotedSee all 2 fee lines and sources
Jafza, 2-year visa, hire already in the UAE: official fees Jafza employment visa, 2 years, normal package Jafza AED 2,678 Jafza charge, applicant inside the country Jafza AED 780 Official fees AED 3,458 DMCC, 2-year visa, hire from abroad
DMCC company · our DMCC price list, October 2026 · applicant outside the UAE, normal medical
Our price listAED 4,196
- DMCC price-list lines
- AED 4,196
- Our service fee, VAT included
- AED 750
- Your total
- AED 4,946
Get this quotedSee all 4 fee lines and sources
DMCC, 2-year visa, hire from abroad: DMCC price-list lines Two-year DMCC employment visa for a hire abroad (DMCC schedule line AED 2,972.50) Our DMCC price list AED 2,975 Medical fitness test, normal (Smart Salem fast-track: AED 835) Our DMCC price list AED 330 Emirates ID Our DMCC price list AED 477 Premium insurance Our DMCC price list AED 414 DMCC price-list lines AED 4,196 DMCC, 2-year visa, hire already in the UAE
DMCC company · standard service · inside the UAE, no amendment
DMCC scheduleAED 3,427.50
- DMCC schedule fees
- AED 3,427.50
- Our service fee, VAT included
- AED 750
- Your total
- AED 4,177.50
Get this quotedSee all 2 fee lines and sources
DMCC, 2-year visa, hire already in the UAE: DMCC schedule fees DMCC employment residence visa, new, inside the country, 2 years DMCC AED 3,407.50 Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams (AED 10 each) DMCC AED 20 DMCC schedule fees AED 3,427.50
Health insurance and company-level lines such as the zone establishment card are quoted separately. Except in the DMCC price-list case, so are the medical fitness test, Emirates ID (ICP), the zone's employee protection insurance premium or bank/cash guarantee and typing charges. Our service fee is shown in each case, VAT included, and fixed in writing on your quote. Each free zone sets its own visa fees: the Jafza cases and the DMCC inside-UAE case follow the zones' published schedules, and the DMCC hire from abroad uses our DMCC price list for October 2026. Other zones are quoted on request. Fees are set by each authority and can change without notice; we confirm the current figure on your quote.
Work out a visa total in the fee calculator or see how we price our own fee.
The short version
- A free zone visa is sponsored through the free zone authority, not MOHRE. Different rules, different fees, different portal.
- Your visa allocation is tied to your package and office type. Flexi-desk and workstation allocations are small and fixed.
- Free zone employees generally work within the zone; mainland work needs a permit route such as Dubai's Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit.
- Per-visa costs are not automatically lower than mainland, despite the marketing.
In short: A free zone visa is a UAE residence visa sponsored by a free zone company, with the free zone authority issuing the work permit or employee card instead of MOHRE. The zone files the residence with GDRFA for Dubai zones and with ICP in the other emirates. How many visas you can hold is fixed by your package and office: Jafza allows two per workstation and five per showroom. Costs differ by zone: our DMCC price list (October 2026) puts a new two-year employee visa from outside the UAE at AED 4,196 with the Emirates ID, premium insurance and a normal medical included, while an Ajman Free Zone first visa comes to about AED 7,050 including company set-up lines, with the medical and Emirates ID on top. Health insurance is extra on both.
Free zone setups are sold on simplicity, and the company formation genuinely is simpler. The visa side is where the differences bite, particularly the allocation cap, which is decided when you choose your package rather than when you need to hire.
How is a free zone visa different from a mainland visa?
| Item | Mainland | Free zone |
|---|---|---|
| Labour authority | MOHRE | The free zone authority (DIFC and ADGM apply their own employment laws) |
| Allocation | Quota by premises and activity | Fixed by package and office type |
| Work permit | MOHRE work permit | Zone-issued permit or employee card |
| Residence visa | GDRFA in Dubai, ICP in the other emirates | Filed by the zone with GDRFA (Dubai zones) or ICP (other emirates) |
| Where staff may work | Anywhere in the emirate | Within the zone, generally |
| WPS | Mandatory via MOHRE | Zone-dependent |
| Establishment card | Immigration authority | Issued through the zone |
The official UAE portal puts it simply: you apply for your employee's work permit and residence visa with the respective free zone authority, and the number of visas depends on the package you signed up for. Free zone employees are governed by the zone's employment regulations together with the federal Labour Law, except in DIFC and ADGM, which have their own frameworks.
What does visa allocation mean?
Your visa allocation (or quota) is the maximum number of residence visas the zone will let your licence sponsor at one time. It is set by your facility, not your headcount plan. Jafza's visa guide, for example, allows two visas per workstation and five per showroom regardless of size, starts a plot of land at 20, and ties offices and warehouses to their area.
A flexi-desk package typically carries a very small visa allocation, often one or two. Increasing it usually means upgrading to a larger facility, which is a cost and a lead time, not a form.
Decide your headcount for the next two years before choosing the package. Companies routinely buy the cheapest option and discover the ceiling on their third hire. Where space allows, the request itself is listed by each zone: DMCC charges AED 500 per extra visa plus a AED 250 application, Ajman Free Zone starts at AED 350 for a physical facility, and Jafza lists no charge. Our visa quota increase guide covers the steps.
How much does a free zone visa cost in Dubai?
| Component | Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zone establishment card | DMCC AED 1,825 first issue (schedule); Ajman Free Zone from AED 750 | Company level; DMCC card renewal each year: AED 1,800 (our price list, October 2026) |
| Employee visa from outside the UAE | DMCC AED 2,975 (2 years, our price list; schedule line 2,972.50); Jafza AED 2,378 (1 year) or 2,678 (2 years) | Normal service; urgent and VIP cost more. The full DMCC step with Emirates ID, premium insurance and a normal medical is AED 4,196 on our price list |
| Employee visa, Ajman Free Zone | AED 600 + 1,000 + 2,400 | Security approval, entry permit, residence visa (starting prices) |
| Applicant already in the UAE | DMCC AED 3,407.50 (2 years); Jafza adds AED 780 | Instead of the outside-country line |
| Emirates ID | AED 100/yr + AED 100 | ICP fee, same as mainland; DMCC AED 477 on our price list |
| Medical fitness | Set by the medical centre | Express costs more; our DMCC price list shows AED 330 normal or AED 835 at Smart Salem |
| Medical insurance | Market premium | Mandatory, age and plan dependent |
| Allocation increase | DMCC AED 500 + 250; AFZ from AED 350; Jafza no charge | Only where the facility supports it |
Each zone publishes its own schedule, so "free zone visa cost" has no single answer. On these three published schedules the zone's own visa lines come to roughly AED 2,400 to 4,000 per employee, before medical, Emirates ID and insurance, plus company-level lines in the first year. In Ajman Free Zone, the security approval, establishment card (AED 750), E-Channel (AED 2,300), entry permit and residence visa add up to about AED 7,050 for a first visa. Published mainland government fees for a hire from abroad run from about AED 1,964 to 5,164 depending on the MOHRE category, so the saving in a free zone is usually in setup, not in staffing.
For the full fee lists, see our DMCC company setup guide, Jafza company setup guide and Ajman Free Zone guide.
Which zones we work with
We prepare and submit visa files across Dubai's major zones, including DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, IFZA, Meydan, DIFC, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai South, as well as for mainland companies licensed by the Department of Economy and Tourism. Each has its own portal, document set and processing rhythm; the Dubai free zones list compares them. MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO and visa services company in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. We submit through each zone's official channels; we are not a free zone authority or a partner of one.
How do you get a free zone employment visa?
1. Confirm the allocation
How many visas your package permits, and how many remain unused. This is the constraint that decides everything else.
2. Zone establishment card
Must be valid, exactly as with a mainland establishment card.
3. Entry permit
Applied through the zone. From abroad it is an entry permit; in country a status change.
4. Medical, Emirates ID, residence
The same residence chain as mainland: medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, then the residence is issued. The Emirates ID now replaces the old passport sticker.
5. Zone employment contract
Registered with the zone authority rather than MOHRE.
How long does it take? Zone service cards give their own targets once a file is complete: Ajman Free Zone lists 8 hours each for the entry permit and the residence visa, and Jafza 2 working days for the employment entry permit. The medical result and Emirates ID add time; see processing times.
Where free zone files go wrong
- Allocation exhausted and no space to upgrade into.
- Expired zone establishment card, which blocks every transaction.
- Staff working on the mainland without the permit that requires.
- Assuming mainland rules apply: fees, documents and timelines all differ. The mainland route is set out on our employment visa in Dubai page.
- Attestation not started, which delays free zone files exactly as it does mainland ones. Ajman Free Zone, for example, asks for a degree attested in the home country and by MOFA for its residence visa.
What we do
We check your allocation before you hire, keep the zone establishment card current, and prepare the visa chain for the zone's own portal and requirements. Where the honest answer is that your package caps your headcount, we will tell you what upgrading involves rather than submitting an application that cannot succeed.
Free zone company hitting a visa ceiling?
Send your licence and package details. We will tell you how many visas you can still issue, what each will cost in your zone, and what raising the allocation actually requires.
Free zone visa questions
Are free zone visas cheaper than mainland?
Not necessarily. Company setup can be cheaper and simpler, but the zone's visa lines (for example AED 4,196 for a new two-year DMCC visa from abroad on our October 2026 price list) sit within or above the AED 1,964 to 5,164 range of mainland government fees. Compare the total across setup and the headcount you actually plan to employ.
How many visas does my package allow?
It depends on the package and facility. Flexi-desk allocations are typically one or two; Jafza allows two per workstation and five per showroom, and offices and warehouses scale with area. Your zone authority holds the definitive number.
What types of free zone visa are there?
In practice three: an employment visa for staff, an investor or partner visa for shareholders of the free zone company, and family visas that a resident then sponsors. The shareholder route is explained in our investor and partner visa guide.
How long does a free zone visa take?
Zone steps are quick once the file is complete: Ajman Free Zone targets 8 hours each for the entry permit and residence visa, and Jafza 2 working days for the entry permit. The medical test, Emirates ID and any attestation usually take longer than the zone steps themselves.
Can free zone staff work on the mainland?
Not on the free zone visa alone. In Dubai, the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit, launched in October 2025, lets eligible free zone companies holding a Dubai Unified Licence use their existing staff on mainland work; it costs AED 5,000 for six months. Without such a permit, placing staff at mainland client sites is a compliance exposure for the company.
Does a free zone company need MOHRE quota?
No. The zone authority governs employment, so MOHRE quota does not apply. The zone's own allocation is the equivalent constraint.
Is WPS required in a free zone?
It depends on the zone. Some mandate salary payment through a monitored system, others apply their own rules. Check your zone's requirement rather than assuming the mainland WPS position applies.
Should I choose mainland or free zone?
It depends on where your customers are and how many people you will employ. The trade-offs are set out in free zone versus mainland.
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government: Recruiting in free zones
- DMCC: Schedule of charges
- Jafza: Issuing a visa for an employee (allocation by facility)
- Jafza: Employment visa entry permit (fees and timing)
- Jafza: Additional visa quota
- Ajman Free Zone: Service catalogue
- ICP: Issuing a residency permit (fees)
- GDRFA Dubai
- Dubai Media Office: Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit
Please note. Fees, allocations and processing targets on this page were re-checked on 10 and 11 October 2026 against the DMCC schedule of charges, Jafza's visa guides, the Ajman Free Zone service catalogue, ICP and the other official pages listed above. Each free zone sets its own fees and procedures and changes them independently, so confirm with your zone before budgeting. General information, not legal advice.
Deadlines
The dates that cost money if you miss them
60 days
To use the entry permit
Jafza's employment entry permit is valid 60 days from issue; once it lapses a new or renewed permit is needed and the fee is paid again. jafza.ae
30 days
Grace period after cancellation
After a residence is cancelled, the standard grace in Dubai is 30 days (some categories get 60, 90 or 180 days; your exact period is shown on your cancellation letter) to leave or move to a new visa before overstay fines start. gdrfad.gov.ae
Why MIRDXB PRO
Checked first. Filed right. Priced in writing.
We check before we quote
ILOE, WPS, company category, card validity, overstay and attestation, all checked on day one.
Government fees at cost
Published fees passed through unchanged. Our fee is separate, fixed and in writing before you commit.
Filed at the right counter
Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE, ICP or the owning authority, in the order the authorities need it.
We tell you when the answer is no
We would rather lose the work than lodge something that fails.
How it works
From first message to final stamp, in four steps
- 01
Tell us what you need
One WhatsApp message or call about your situation.
About 30 seconds - 02
We check and quote
File checks first, then government fees, our fee and the timeline in writing.
Before anything is paid - 03
We file it
Submitted at Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE or the owning authority, in the right order.
24h target to submit urgent files - 04
Done, with updates
Progress on WhatsApp at every stage until the file is closed.
Named officer throughout
Knowledge Hub
Read before you apply
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