How to Obtain an Investor Visa in Dubai: A Step-by-Step Guide

Dubai is one of the most popular places in the world to live and work, yet it is also one of the most expensive. The city of Dubai is a brilliant example of continuous development, technical innovation, economic expansion, and a high quality of life for all its inhabitants and residents, especially when compared to other cities of similar size. No wonder so many people desire to live in this thriving city; it should come as no surprise to them. Obtaining an investor visa in Dubai is one of the most straightforward methods of obtaining a Dubai resident visa.

The United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai, is a popular destination for foreign national investors and entrepreneurs looking to expand their business operations into new markets. This is due to the fact that Dubai has a growth-oriented strategy. The administration of Dubai is continuously working on revising and establishing laws and regulations that will help the city’s economy and society grow. This, in turn, results in laws and regulations that are favourable to and encourage entrepreneurs and investors to pursue their goals.

What is an Investor Visa and how does it work?

The UAE Government offers a variety of visas, each of which is tailored to the purpose of your travel to the country. An Investor Visa is one of the types of visas available. The UAE investor visa, also known as a partner visa or a business visa, is granted to foreign investors or entrepreneurs who have established their companies in the United Arab Emirates.

There is a distinction between an Investor Visa and a Partner Visa.

Despite the fact that some people believe the words investor visa and partner visa to be synonymous, there is a significant distinction in their meanings under the immigration law.

Dubai investor visa is granted to entrepreneurs who establish a single proprietorship in Dubai and want to do business there. This kind of business has a single owner structure and does not have any shareholders or partners. For example, if you create a mainland business in Dubai with a professional trade licence and operate as a single establishment, your visa will be labelled as an Investor Visa.

When an entrepreneur establishes a company in Dubai mainland with more than one owner or shareholder, a Dubai partner visa is granted to that individual. In the case of setting up a Limited Liability Company (LLC) on the mainland of Dubai, you will be required to associate with a local sponsor in accordance with UAE legislation. Due to the fact that your company will have more than one shareholder, you will be granted a Partner Visa in this situation.

Aside from the differences in structure and language, both the investment visa and the partner visa are identical in terms of legality and advantages.

Who is eligible to apply for a Dubai investor visa?

If you are 18 years or older, you have the legal right to become an investor, an entrepreneur, or a shareholder in any business in Dubai or across the United Arab Emirates. As a result, you will be able to apply for a residency visa in the UAE.

The duration of the visa’s validity

An investor visa in Dubai is valid for three (3) years from the date of issue. If you want to extend your investor visa every three years, you must go through the procedure of having your medical exam done, renewing your medical insurance, and getting an Emirates ID in order to do so.

The advantages of obtaining an investor visa

Starting your own business in Dubai and becoming an investor both have their advantages. The following are some of the advantages of obtaining an investor visa in Dubai.

Because an investment visa is valid for three years, you are immediately eligible for a three-year Dubai resident visa when you apply for an investor visa.

Sponsor family members — With an investor visa, you may sponsor members of your immediate family to become permanent residents of the United Arab Emirates. Your spouse, children, and parents are all considered immediate family members.

Travel is extremely simple if you have a Dubai investor visa, and you may travel to any GCC nation for business or pleasure with relative ease. When applying for a travel visa to these countries, having investor status may assist to expedite the procedure significantly. With a work visa, however, you are not assured the same level of convenience.

When you have a Dubai investor visa, you may live outside the nation for a maximum of one (1) year at a time without having your residence in the UAE terminated or suspended. In the case of work or dependant visas, however, this is not true. These visas only enable you to stay outside the UAE for a maximum of six (6) months at a time, after which your UAE resident visa would be revoked.

Long-term visa — Having an investor visa and establishing a successful business endeavour in the UAE may improve your chances of obtaining the UAE Golden Visa in the future. The Golden Visa, a 10-year UAE residence visa, was introduced in 2019 to promote commercial development in the nation and to recognise and reward investors and entrepreneurs who have made significant contributions to the country’s economic progress.
How to get a visa for investment in Dubai

There are two routes that you may use to get a visa for Dubai investment.

Incorporation of a new corporation
Demonstration of current investments
Incorporation of a new corporation

The quickest and most straightforward method of obtaining an investment visa in Dubai is to register a company on the Dubai mainland. The legal structure of your business determines whether or not you are a shareholder in the company when you establish it in Dubai. Depending on the legal structure of your business, you may become the firm’s owner or shareholder.

If you want to apply for an investor visa in Dubai, you must first establish your business and then submit the following papers to the Dubai Immigration Department:

a copy of the trade licence
Copy of the company’s Memorandum of Association (in the case of a partnership) or the Local Service Agent Agreement, both of which must be legally certified (for sole proprietorship)
a copy of the company’s certificate of incorporation
Document stating that an existing visa has been revoked (if you have an existing employment or Dubai residence visa you must cancel it)
If you have a visitor’s or tourist’s visa, bring a copy of it with you.

To get your Dubai investor visa, you will need to complete the following steps in their entirety:

Company registration with the Dubai Economic Department is a requirement (DED)
Obtaining your company’s establishment card is a simple process.
Applying for your entrance permission to the UAE (if you are already outside the country), entering the UAE, and completing an in-country status change for your visa are all examples of what you should do.
If you are already in the UAE and are undertaking an in-country visa status change, please see the section below.
Carrying out your medical examination
Making an application for your Emirates ID
Obtaining enough health-care insurance protection
Your passport will be stamped with an investor visa.
Time required for processing

A total of 15-20 working days are needed to complete the whole process of obtaining an investor visa, from beginning to finish. This includes the time it takes to register your new company in Dubai, get a trade licence, go through the visa application procedure, and have your investor visa stamped in your passport, among other things.

Demonstration of current investments

It is possible to get an investor visa in Dubai without having to establish a new business via an alternative route. It is simply necessary for you to provide the Dubai Municipality with evidence of your investment in Dubai.

If your proposal satisfies the qualifying requirements established by the UAE Government, the Dubai Municipality will submit a formal request with the Economic Department on your behalf. The Economic Department will subsequently provide you with a reference file number, which you will need to get a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the Dubai Municipality based on your application. When you apply for your Dubai investor visa, you will be required to submit this letter of authorization to the immigration service.

You must bear in mind, however, that the acceptance or denial of your request is entirely at the discretion of the government authorities responsible for assessing your eligibility.

Requirements for sponsoring members of one’s family

As an investor, you have the option of sponsoring members of your family to become permanent residents of the UAE. Once your investor visa has been stamped in your passport, you may go to the immigration department to apply for a resident visa for your family in the United Arab Emirates.

You must provide the following documents in order to sponsor your family members:

Contract for the rental of a house. The bare minimum in terms of housing is a 2BHK.
If you are the sponsoring spouse, you must provide an attested marriage certificate.
If you are sponsoring a kid or children, you must provide an attested birth certificate(s).
For each sponsored family member, a refundable payment of AED 1,500* is required (to help entrepreneurs during the pandemic, the original deposit amount of AED 3,000 has been reduced to AED 1,500)
Investor Visa Offer from Generis Global on an Exclusive Basis

For more than two decades, we have been assisting entrepreneurs in the formation of their businesses in the United Arab Emirates. We provide new incentives on a regular basis to assist entrepreneurs in realising their goal of having their own company. When you purchase our unique Lifetime Investor Visa package, which starts at just AED 16,500*, you will not only get your Dubai mainland licence and investor visa, but we will also pay the cost of your investor visa renewal for the rest of your financial life.

Whether you are seeking to establish a professional or commercial business, you can be certain that our new offering will be of great assistance to you. Our goal is to assist you in lowering the costs of your new business establishment in Dubai, as well as to provide you with comprehensive assistance during and after the company registration procedure.