UAE Green Visa for Self-Employed

The UAE Green Visa for the self-employed is a 5 years residence permit for freelancers and self-employed professionals, with no employer or sponsor. It's issued by ICP and, in Dubai, by GDRFA.

• Status: active
• Income: at least AED 360,000 a year from self-employment in each of the previous two years, or proof of financial solvency
• Permit: A freelance or self-employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).
• Education: Bachelor's degree, specialised diploma or equivalent.
• Local work: Yes, as a self-employed professional

Unlike the UAE Remote Work Visa, it allows work for UAE clients. The UAE guide compares the routes.

ICP sets these conditions for freelancers and the self-employed:

• Work permit: A freelance or self-employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).
• Education: Bachelor's degree, specialised diploma or equivalent.
• Income: annual freelance income of at least AED 360,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency in each of the previous two years, or proof of financial solvency for the whole stay.

The income test is set in dirhams; dollar figures quoted elsewhere are conversions, not the rule. Family: Yes, holders can sponsor a spouse and children under the approved requirements.

GDRFA Dubai lists for the residence permit:

• A passport copy valid at least six months.
• The self-employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).

Proof of the degree and of income or solvency supports the MOHRE permit and the ICP conditions. The medical fitness test and Emirates ID are part of every residence file, and GDRFA notes that documents can vary with the data entered.

• Entry visa: AED 200 (GDRFA).
• Residence permit: AED 200 base fee, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham and AED 20 delivery. GDRFA adds AED 100 for each year a permit runs beyond two years, and in-country applicants pay AED 500 more (GDRFA).

The MOHRE permit, medical test, Emirates ID and health insurance are charged separately. Dollar fee figures quoted on other sites aren't official.

Where to apply: First obtain the MOHRE self-employment permit, then apply to ICP or, in Dubai, GDRFA online or at an AMER center.

1. Get the MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit.
2. Applicants abroad get the self-employment entry visa (GDRFA).
3. Apply for the green residence permit through ICP or GDRFA smart services with UAE Pass or a username, or at a customer center, and pay the fees.
4. Complete the medical test and Emirates ID.

No official processing time is published.

• Length: 5 years.
• Renewal: Renewable for another five years if the holder still meets the requirements.
• After expiry: a grace period of 180 days to stay after the permit expires or is cancelled.

No official source describes a path from the Green Visa to another status. Keeping the MOHRE permit valid and the income or solvency test met is what keeps renewal open.

The Green Visa carries no tax regime of its own. Under Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022, a person is a UAE tax resident after 183 days or more in the country within 12 consecutive months. Holders of a residence permit also qualify after 90 days if they have a permanent place of residence or a job or business in the UAE, and anyone whose usual residence and center of financial and personal interests is in the UAE qualifies too.

The UAE charges corporate tax on individuals only when their business turnover passes AED 1 million in a calendar year. Wages, personal investment income and real estate investment income are outside that tax whatever the amount (Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023).

That turnover threshold matters most for this visa: a freelancer whose business turnover passes AED 1 million in a calendar year falls under corporate tax and has to register with the Federal Tax Authority.