The ease of doing business in UAE, the robust business ecosystem, improved lifestyle, secured corporate banking network, lowest crime rates, etc., make UAE the perfect destination for establishing a company.

Why is Investor Visa a Popular Visa Category in UAE?

For business owners, there is a separate visa category known as the Investor or partner visa. Business Owners can register their companies in the mainland, or Free Zones and can apply for the investor visa.

Investor Visa in UAE allows an individual to manage a company of their own and sponsor employees and family members under the newly incorporated company.

Based on the location where the company is established the entrepreneur can apply for the UAE Investor visa.

How to Get a Dubai Investor Visa?

In Dubai, the entrepreneur can obtain an investor visa in two ways –

1. Registering a Mainland Company
2. Incorporating a Free Zone Company

There is one more popular way of obtaining an investor visa in Dubai and that through property purchase of a residential apartment, or a villa worth value (current sale price) above AED 1 Million for a 3-year visa, and AED 5 Million or above for a 5-year visa.

Also, there is a 10-Year investors visa where the applicant must invest about 40% of the total investment value (AED 10 million) in real estate in UAE and the rest in any business establishments or funds in the region.

Documents Required for Obtaining an Investor Visa in Dubai Mainland

• Passport copy
• Photograph with white background
• Memorandum of association for the company
• Copy of the Local Sponsor Agreement with UAE Nationality
• Immigration Establishment Card
• Trade License
• Office Space Lease Agreement
• Bank Statement for last 3 months

How to Apply for Dubai Investor Visa?

In Dubai Mainland, the Investor Visa can be applied in Amer Centres across the city.

After registering the company and obtaining the trade license, the entry permit for the entrepreneur must be applied if he/she is not in UAE currently (if in UAE, apply for the changing status by paying the in-country status change fees).

Steps in Applying Dubai Investor Visa

Once the confirmation of change status is received, the investor visa will be stamped on the entrepreneur’s passport. The required visa stamping fee must be paid to obtain the Investor Visa in Dubai.

The required documents must be submitted to the Amer Center for processing of the investor visa.

There will Extra charge for the medical testing and Emirates ID. The immigration Establishment Card would be required for applying for the investor visa.

Dubai Investor Visa for Free Zone company

The Free Zones in Dubai plays a vital role in attracting significant foreign investment through facilitating company formation.

It also provides the required infrastructure and support functionality to entrepreneurs wishing to invest and settle in UAE.

There is a steady growth in economic activities that are centered around the Free Zones of UAE.

Free Zones in UAE – Major Highlights

The major highlight of a Free Zone company formation is the 100% foreign ownership, ease of business setup, and the tax savings from VAT while being in a VAT Exempted Free Zone.

Free Zones are the favorite choice of foreign entrepreneurs for company incorporation due to the umpteen business benefits and the ease of setting up a company.

Also, obtaining an investor visa is hassle-free with the Free Zone.

How to Obtain Investor Visa for Free Zone Company?

For Obtaining the investor visa for a Free Zone Company, the following documents are submitted to the respective Free Zone Authority.

• Investor passport copy & photograph (white background)
• Establishment Card for the Company
• Company Trade License
• Memorandum of Association
• Tenancy Contract for the Office
• Bank Statement for 3-6 months

It usually takes 5 to 7 working days to complete the whole process of processing the investor visa.

Starting from applying for the visa to the final stamping of the investor visa on the passport the process is streamlined by the immigration authorities in UAE.

Depending on the Free Zones, the time taken to process the investor visa varies as the schedule of processing the visas differs across the Free Zones.

10-Year and 5-Year Investor Visa (Golden Visa)

UAE Government has launched a long-term Golden Visa to boost the economy and provide a platform for long-term investments in the region.

The long-term investor visa enables entrepreneurs to extend their tenure and expand their business investments in UAE.

There is a set of criteria specified by the UAE Government for the investors to be eligible for the investor visa.

To know more about it, read the criteria for Golden Visa in UAE here.

Other Residence Visas Launched in UAE

To make UAE a global tourist, family-friendly, and business-centric country, UAE Government has a list of specific UAE Residence Visas for individuals from different walks of life.

There a student visa for students studying in UAE colleges with the eligibility to sponsor their parents by meeting specific criteria.

Similarly, there is a retirement visa for ex-pats aged above 55 years subjected to few criteria such as having a financial saving of more than AED 1 million, property investment of value more than AED 2 million, etc.

To know more about various UAE residence Visa and steps in obtaining an investor Visa in UAE, connect with our expert team right away!

Contact Us: Aurion Business Consultants

The post Investor Visa Types in UAE – How Company Formation helps in Settling in UAE with Family? appeared first on AURION.

Starting from choosing the right company structure to obtaining the trade license, there are few steps that investors must be knowing to have a hassle-free company setup in UAE.

Investors in UAE – Things to Know before setting up a company

Knowing the right steps will help entrepreneurs save significant start-up costs. Also, to successfully run the business operations, the investor must ensure the company registration is done the right way complying with the business laws and authority guidelines.

Things to Know for the Investors before setting up their business establishment in the UAE.

Company Structure

There are a few company structures for setting up a business in the UAE. The company structure varies depending on the business jurisdiction – Free Zone, Mainland & Offshore.

1. Limited Liability Company

Limited Liability Company (LLC) is the most popular company structure in the Mainland of UAE. It No longer requires appointing a UAE National Sponsor for the company (51% share ownership) and the rest by the foreign owner.

Now, expatriate investors can own 100% shares in a mainland LLC Company as per the latest Commercial Companies Law.

There are only few strategic industry sectors and special business activities such as chemical products, petroleum products, banking services, etc., where local partner requirement is still a requirement.

Again, depending on the share capital deposit and approval requirements, the full ownership can be retained by the expatriate investor.

2. Sole Proprietorship

Another type is Sole Proprietorship where the investor will be the Single Owner of the establishment. A professional License has to be taken for this and is a favorable option for consultants, advocates, doctors, to start a small establishment themselves.

3. Civil Works Company

Civil Works Company in the mainland is another common company type that requires a professional license. It requires appointing a Local Service Agent for liaising with the government authorities for administrative and visa works.

4. Public Joint Stock Company

There are other types of Company Structures like Public Joint Stock Company, General Partnership, Simple Limited Partnership, Private Shareholding Joint Stock, and Branch of a Foreign Company.

5. Free Zones in UAE

Moving to the Free Zones there are mainly two Company structures that are Free Zone Establishment – Single Shareholder Company, and the Free Zone Company – Formed by more than 2 and up to 50 shareholders.

Some Free Zones in UAE has the provision of registering an FZ-LLC company structure for the investors, it is a 100% foreign-owned company eligible to enjoy all the benefits offered by the Free Zone

Documents Required for Company Setup in UAE

Most of the companies registered in the Free Zones and the mainland requires very minimal documentation. Few business activities require additional approvals and site inspections.

Often Commercial and Industrial Licenses require site/warehouse inspections and clearance from the government departments for ensuring the safety standards are in place.

Special Approvals and Business History for Corporate Bank Account Opening

Also, there are certain selected industry sectors like Finance, Transports, Oil & Gas, Healthcare, Education, etc., that require pre-approval.

Most of the business activities to be registered requires minimal documentation – investor passport and photograph.

However, during applying for the corporate bank account, the KYC norms would require to furnish previous business history, investor profile, previous company details (if any).

LLC Company in UAE – Documents Required

For LLC Company setup the following documents are required:

• Shareholder Agreement with the UAE National Sponsor
• Side Agreement to protect the rights of the foreign owner as well as UAE National Sponsor
• No-Objective Certificate (if already having UAE Residence Visa)
• Passport Copy & Photograph of Investor
• Board Resolution stating appointing of director/manager to newly formed LLC Company

LLC Company is an establishment in the mainland and can easily expand to locations within the UAE by forming branches of LLC Company. It is an ideal company structure for general trading companies intending to tap the local UAE market.

Steps for Company Steps in UAE

Now comes the understanding of the steps in the company setup process in the UAE. Be it a Free Zone company or an LLC one, the steps are the same. For Free Zones there is no requirement for the local Service agent.

Following are the Steps involved in Company setup in UAE

1. Choose the trade name and get the name approved. Follow the guidelines while choosing the trade name as the brand is built on the trade name
2. Finalize the company structure and the business activity (Aurion will assist you in choosing it right)
3. Choose the right business jurisdiction- Free Zone, mainland, or offshore
4. Submit the required documents, get the clearances and pay the fees
5. Choose the right office space and prepare the tenancy contract
6. Obtain the business license and start operating the business from day 1
7. Apply for a UAE Residence visa and proceed to open a corporate bank account.

Company setup in UAE is relatively straightforward, however, the process could get lengthy if not done the right way.

Hence, it is advisable to take the assistance of experienced Business Consultants like Aurion Business Consultants to set up your company in the most comfortable way.

To know more about Company Formation in UAE, talk to our expert Business Consultants right away!

Contact: Aurion Business Consultants

The post Company Setup in UAE – What do new entrepreneurs/investors need to know? [ A Detailed Guide] appeared first on AURION.