Currently, many foreigners want to be part of the flashy job market in Dubai. If you want to start your own business in this country, you will need a UAE business visa. This is a long-stay permit that grants expatriates to enter and remain in the country for a specific period. This visa grants many benefits to its beneficiaries and that is why it is one of the most requested among businessmen.
In this article, we will give you all the information you need to know about the UAE business visa. Every good businessman feels the need to stay in the country where his company was open for a long period. Thus, you can carry out a good execution of the commercial operations and not have inconveniences your company. For this, the best thing is the business visa in UAE, and with this article, you will be able to understand how to obtain it and many other things.
1. Do you know what is a business visa in UAE?
You can find that the business visa for UAE, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai is a permit. Thanks to this permit, foreigners will be able to enter the country and remain within it to carry out any commercial activity. It is important to note that starting a business in the UAE is very beneficial and thanks to this you find different types of business licenses.
You can find that this visa is also known as a Dubai business visa. In addition, it has the advantage that this permit is associated with the popular initiative of the Golden visa. In this way, applicants can get a long-term visa for themselves. On the other hand, you can also opt for a UAE family visa and enjoy the benefits it offers.
It is well known that Dubai is an important center for doing business. Therefore, you should know what the benefits it offers and to know more about this, continue reading the article.
2. Benefits of Dubai business visa
If you are one of those who have an eye on the recent boom in business in the UAE, you should obtain a business visa. In this way, you will be able to operate legally in the UAE and enjoy the benefits that it offers you. Next, we will show you all the benefits of having your business visa in the UAE:
- You will have access to a large market that currently has one of the largest growths.
- You will enjoy important and very attractive tax incentives.
- The entrepreneur has many networking opportunities within a very business-friendly environment.
- You will be able to travel very easily between the UAE and many other countries around the world.
- You will get many opportunities to obtain your long-term residence.
The government of the UAE has observed in recent years, the great commercial attractiveness of this region to foreigners who want to start their businesses. As a consequence of this, the arrival of the business life of the UAE produced a very significant increase in foreign investment and the economic growth of the country.
Also, the promise of permanent residency anywhere in the UAE; has provided great stability to different entrepreneurs who have sought to establish themselves in the region for the long term. However, it is important to know the challenges of doing business, for this reason, you should continue reading to find out about the eligibility of this visa.
3. Who is eligible for a business visa in Dubai
It is important to know all the necessary processes to be able to apply for any UAE visa. In this way, the Federal Identity and Citizenship Authority or ICA requires that all visa applicants follow certain specific guidelines. For this reason, below we will present all the guidelines to be eligible for a business visa in the UAE:
- You must be of legal age in the UAE, that is, 18 years of age or older.
- You must have a valid passport from your country of residence.
- Provide at least one copy of your confirmed airline ticket.
- You must show proof of investment and funds to support your stay in Dubai. In other words, bank statements.
- Offer proof of accommodation for the duration of your stay in Dubai or anywhere else in the UAE where you plan to stay.
- Provide a letter from your employer, stating the intention of your visit to Dubai. In other words, if you are going to improve skills, attend job conferences, etc.
- Provide a copy of your qualifications or, failing that, your educational certificates.
- You will need to submit a copy of your business registration certificate. In addition, if applicable, you must provide a copy of the business license of the company.
After verifying that you meet all these requirements, you will be able to continue with your application process for business life in the UAE. It is important to note that the collection of all these documents can be tedious and very long. However, many companies are responsible for advising you throughout this process.
4. What types of business visas that entrepreneurs can apply?
All those people who wish to start doing business in the UAE, in principle need to enter the country. Subsequently, they are going to need to stay in this nation for a long time. That is why there are two main categories in which the UAE business visas are classified. The categories are mentioned and explained in detail below.
- Visit visas:
These are the most used visas when entrepreneurs need to attend business meetings, conferences, travel or explore new investment opportunities in the UAE. These are short-stay permits that can have multiple or single entries, which are granted upon entering the nation. On the other hand, it is important that you know that citizens of at least 80 nations do not need a visa to enter the country.
In case you find investment opportunities that are attractive to you; later, you can apply for a Dubai investor visa. Thus, you can stay longer in the country for a long time and invest.
- Residence visa:
Generally, this visa is applied for by people who want to move to the UAE. These visas have different validity periods depending on the ones you apply for. They can be 2, 3, 5, and 10 years. To have access to them, the applicant must be involved in the business in some way.
The first thing you must request is an online permit to enter the country (e-visa). Once you are in the country, you must submit the residence application, and pass the medical exams, and other additional procedures. If all goes well, you will get your residence visa in the form of an Emirates ID. Currently, visa stamping is no longer being carried out as it is a redundant process.
There are two types of residence visas and they are those that are autonomous and those that are sponsored. Sponsored visas are continental visas or free zone visas; depending on the jurisdiction in the free zone in the UAE that is established. The autonomous visas are the Green visa and the Golden visa.
5. Step-by-step guide on how to obtain the UAE business visa
If you decide to obtain a UAE business visa, you should know that the process is not complicated. The first and most important thing is to gather the documents. Subsequently, the form must be completed and sent together with the documents. Next, you will see all the steps you must follow to carry out the process remotely.
5.1 Do you know what are the necessary documents?
The first thing you must do to process a business visa in Dubai is to gather all the documents that are requested. Below you will see a list of all the papers that you must have ready before applying for a business visa.
- The business visa application form was completed with the information requested.
- Photocopy of the applicant’s passport. It must be valid for at least 6 months from the date on which the trip is planned.
- Two up-to-date passport-size photographs of the applicant on a white background. One recommendation is that you go to the embassy website and see if there are any specific criteria for photography.
- The letter of invitation is written and signed by the sponsor in the UAE (if applicable).
- A letter of intent to visit the employer. These can be projects, training, conferences, and more.
- Photocopy with the confirmation of the round-trip plane ticket, itinerary, and departure within a range of 1 month after the visa is issued.
5.2 Complete the online visa application form
After you have all the documents, you should find the form online and start filling it out. They will ask you for different personal information, the purpose of your visit to the UAE, and what your travel plans are. Once you have filled out the form with everything requested, you have to send it with all the requested documents. In addition, a consideration that you can take into account is that this process uses the ICA Smart Services system.
5.3 Pay the necessary fees
If your UAE business visa application is approved, you must pay a corresponding fee. It can be done using a payment voucher or by going to the Consulate or the Embassy in the UAE. All fees vary depending on the type of visa you are applying for and its duration.
The fee for obtaining a business visa in Dubai is around AED 3,000 if the visa is single-entry. In case you decide to opt for the multiple entry visa, the cost is AED 5000. On the other hand, the business visa in Abu Dhabi has a price of AED 3500 for a single entry visa. While the multiple entries have a cost of 7000 AED.
5.4 Status of the UAE business visa
After you make the payment, your application must be processed and reviewed. You have to wait at least 14 days to find out if the visa you are applying for is approved or not. It is important that you know that this process is the same regardless of the emirate where you are.
6. We will help you with your Business Setup & Business Visa.
Every good businessman who wants to start his business in the UAE must be in the country to be able to carry out the necessary procedures. In addition, it is important that you keep an eye on everything that is done in the company once you can start doing business. That is why having a UAE business visa becomes essential and if you are looking for someone who can help you with the whole process; just contact Connect Middle East.
With us, you will be able to carry out different important procedures in the creation of companies. For instance, obtaining a UAE business visa, access to PRO services, and much more. If you want to contact us, you have two possibilities. The first is by writing an email to contact@c-uae.com or calling us at +971 43 316 688.
