UAEWork and freelance

Green Visa in the UAE

The Green Visa (green residence) is a UAE residence permit that a person obtains and holds themselves, without an employer as sponsor. It is designed for skilled professionals, freelancers and company partners: the right to live, work and run a business does not depend on any particular employer, and the holder sponsors their family themselves. In the scope of rights it grants, green residence sits between the ordinary work visa held by an employer and the golden visa for investors.

Visa term

5 years, renewable

Work

Gives the right to work and to sponsor a family without being tied to an employer

Source: icp.gov.ae — green visa

Three ways to obtain the Green Visa

Green residence has three independent routes in. Meeting one is enough — the conditions are not cumulative.

Employed professional

A contract with an employer in the UAE
A salary from AED 15,000 a month
MOHRE skill level 1–3 and a bachelor's degree

Freelancer

A MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit
Income from AED 360,000 a year in each of the last two years
A bachelor's degree or a specialised diploma

Investor

A share in a UAE company — as an investor or partner
Paid-up capital from AED 1,000,000 (the GDRFA Dubai threshold)
Documents on the investment and the company licence

When the Green Visa will not suit

Three cases in which the green residence route does not work. Each has another lawful path to the same result — residency in the UAE.

You work remotely for a foreign company

Green residence needs a local ground: a contract in the UAE, a MOHRE permit or a share in a local company. Remote work for a foreign employer is covered by a separate visa — there the only test is income from USD 3,500 a month.

Remote Work Visa

Freelance income falls short of the threshold

The threshold is counted for each of the last two years, and the authority offers no way of lowering it. The same result — lawful self-employment and an Emirates ID — is given by a free zone freelance licence.

Freelance licence and visa

You have no bachelor's degree

A degree is compulsory for the employed professional and for the freelancer alike. It is not among the requirements for the investor route — there the test is the share in a company; the other option without a degree is the ordinary work visa held by an employer.

Work visa in the UAE

What it costs

The fees consist of federal ICP payments and — for Dubai — GDRFA rates. Where a branch has its own rate, the line says so.

Residence applicationICP, filing fee	100 AED
Issuing the Green ResidenceICP: AED 100 for each year of validity	500 AED
ICP smart serviceadded to an online application through the website or the app	100 AED
Emirates IDICP: AED 100 per year of residence	500 AED
Change of status without leaving the countryonly if you are already in the UAE; the amount is the same at the ICP and the GDRFA	+500 AED
Residence through the GDRFA (Dubai)the self-employment rate: AED 200 permit + AED 100 for each year after the second + Knowledge and Innovation Dirham at AED 10 each + AED 20 delivery	540 AED
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Change of status without leaving the country” adds 500 AED; the “Residence through the GDRFA (Dubai)” branch replaces the “Issuing the Green Residence” line — 1 240 AED. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	1,200–1 700 AED

Paid separately

Medical examination for residence — compulsory for adults; the amount is not stated in the public ICP and GDRFA cards
MOHRE freelance permit — compulsory for the freelancer route; mohre.gov.ae did not respond when checked
Medical insurance — a policy is compulsory for the residence to be issued, and the price depends on the insurer

The amounts are indicative: the authorities change their rates, and the final bill depends on the emirate and the filing method. For late renewal the ICP charges AED 50 a day.

Documents to gather

The basic package is the same; each route adds its own documents to it.

A recent photograph
A passport copy with at least 6 months' validity
A permit from the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHRE)
For an employee — an employment contract in the UAE
For a freelancer — a freelance permit and proof of income
For an investor — documents on the investment and the company licence
For adults — a medical examination and medical insurance

How the process runs

The freelancer's route — from the MOHRE permit to the resident card. The number on the left shows the order of the steps, the chip on the right the timeline the authority states. Where there is no chip, the ICP and the GDRFA publish no official timeline.

1
MOHRE freelance permit
The first document in the file: both the ICP and the GDRFA require a self-employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources — it confirms the right to work without an employer.
2
Green visa application
48 hours
Filed online through the ICP or GDRFA smart services (login with UAE Pass), in the app or at an Amer centre. The 48 hours is the review time stated by GDRFA Dubai.
3
Entry to the UAE
60 days
The entry visa gives 60 days to complete the residence formalities. Anyone already in the country changes status without leaving.
4
Medical examination
At a government centre: a blood test and a chest X-ray for infectious diseases.
5
Emirates ID and biometrics
The application goes through the ICP website or app, the fingerprints are taken at a centre. The card is issued for the whole term of the residence.
6
Medical insurance
A valid policy is a compulsory condition for the residence to be issued.
7
Residence issued
Final GDRFA approval, resident status; the Emirates ID is delivered by courier.

Who you can bring with you

The holder of Green Residence sponsors their family themselves — including first-degree relatives. The sponsor's income threshold is from AED 4,000 a month, or from AED 3,000 plus housing. Family visas are tied to the sponsor's residence; relatives over 18 take a medical test. If the sponsor's residence has expired or been cancelled, the family has 6 months to obtain a new permit.

Spouse

Sponsored on the general conditions; the visa is tied to the holder's residence.

Sons

Up to the age of 25.

Unmarried daughters

There is no age limit; the only condition is that they are unmarried.

Children with special needs

A separate category in the u.ae list, with no age threshold stated for them.

Parents

There are no separate conditions on the official pages: u.ae states only that a Green Visa holder may sponsor first-degree relatives.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

There is no minimum stay. The rule «180 days outside the country — residence cancelled» does not apply to holders of green residence: they may enter at any time while it is valid

The ICP publishes no separate renewal conditions. Once the permit has expired the holder may lawfully remain in the country for up to six months — the ICP calls this the «flexible grace period» of green residence. What happens on loss of a job or of income is not described on the official pages.

How the Green Visa differs from the golden and the ordinary work visa

The main difference is who holds the visa and what happens on dismissal.

	Green Visa	Golden Visa	Work visa
Term	5 years	5 or 10 years	2 years
Who holds the visa	The holder themselves	The holder themselves	The sponsoring employer
Ground	Qualifications, freelance work or a share in a company	Investment from AED 2,000,000, talent or merit	An employment contract
Absence of more than 180 days	Residence is kept	Residence is kept	Residence is cancelled
Who it suits	Professionals and freelancers not tied to an employer	Investors and people of outstanding merit	Employees of UAE companies

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent residence is not granted in the UAE: the status rests on renewals for as long as the holder meets the visa conditions

Route to citizenship

Time spent living in the country has no bearing on citizenship. A passport is granted on nomination by federal bodies: to investors, doctors, scientists, inventors, figures in culture and their families. The decision is taken by the rulers' courts, the executive councils and the Cabinet, and the previous citizenship may be kept

Frequently asked questions about Green Visa

Are the green visa, green residence and Green Visa the same thing?

Yes, these are three names for one document. The ICP calls it Green Residence and places it among the UAE's long-term residence categories. Strictly speaking it is not a visa but a residence permit: the entry visa is a separate document, used to enter the country before the residence formalities are completed there.

Can you qualify as a freelancer if income falls short but you have savings?

There is no such option on the official ICP pages. For a freelancer one monetary condition is named — freelance income for each of the last two years; replacing it with a deposit or a financial guarantee is not mentioned there. The wording «income or a guarantee» appears in accounts on agency websites, but it has no confirmation from the regulator.

Can the green visa be arranged without leaving the UAE?

Yes. The GDRFA in Dubai accepts applications from inside the country — through the website or Amer centres. Status is changed without leaving; the change of status fee is in the cost table above.

Is the green visa lost on dismissal?

There is no direct rule on the government portals that dismissal cancels green residence: it is issued without an employer as sponsor and runs for its own term. After the residence is cancelled or expires, a grace period is given to remain in the country lawfully and arrange a new status.

Can you work for several companies at once?

Yes, through MOHRE permits. A freelance permit allows services to be provided to individuals and companies without an employment contract, including by foreign nationals on self-sponsored visas. A part-time permit allows work for several employers once the ministry has approved it.

Does a green visa holder pay income tax?

No. The UAE levies no personal income tax — this applies to salary and to freelance income alike.

Other ways to move to UAE

Every route in one list — migration programmes: UAE.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.