What does a UAE freelance visa really cost?

Only two free zones publish a price at all: GoFreelance at AED 7,500 a year and RAKEZ from AED 6,100. Both are the licence alone — the establishment card, residence visa, medical, Emirates ID and insurance are separate line items.

Last updated: 2026-09-22 · Reviewed against official UAE government sources · Rules change often — always confirm with ICP or GDRFA before acting.

⚠️ Why most cost articles mislead you. They quote a single number. In reality the licence is one line item of five, and only two UAE free zones publish their freelance price at all. Below: what is actually published (with the source), and the line items that turn a "AED 7,500 licence" into a much larger year-one bill.

What free zones actually publish

Issuer	Published licence price	Notes
GoFreelance (TECOM, Dubai)	AED 7,500/year	Published on their site. Includes hot-desk access. Media, tech, education and design activities. Visa priced separately (below)
RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah)	from AED 6,100	Published as a starting price; 1 and 2-year packages. Media and education professionals. Residence visa eligible
SHAMS (Sharjah)	Not published	Popular with freelancers but pricing is quote-only on their own site
IFZA (Dubai)	Not published	Quote-only; figures circulating online are agent estimates, not official

Checked directly on each issuer's own website on 2026-09-15. We deliberately do not repeat third-party "price lists" — the aggregator figures for these zones contradict each other by thousands of dirhams.

The five line items nobody puts in the headline

A freelance licence does not by itself let you live in the UAE. This is the full stack:

#	Item	What it is	Published example
1	Freelance licence	Permission to work independently in named activities	AED 7,500/yr (GoFreelance)
2	Establishment card	Required before the free zone can sponsor any visa for you	AED 2,000 (GoFreelance)
3	Residence visa	The actual right to live here, sponsored by your licence	AED 4,600 (1 yr) / AED 5,042 (2 yr) — GoFreelance
4	Medical + Emirates ID	Mandatory government steps for any residence visa	Government fees, paid per application
5	Health insurance	Legally required to hold a residence visa	Varies by age and cover

So the honest way to read "AED 7,500" is: that is item 1 of 5. Using GoFreelance's own published figures, licence plus establishment card plus a two-year visa already reaches AED 14,542 before medical, Emirates ID and insurance.

Questions to ask before you pay anyone

Ask	Why it matters
Is the establishment card included or extra?	The most common hidden line. Without it there is no visa
What is the renewal price, not year one?	Introductory pricing is normal; year two is the real cost of the decision
Does my exact activity appear on your approved list?	Invoicing outside your licensed activity creates problems with clients' banks and audits
Is a security deposit required, and is it refundable?	Some packages hold a deposit against visa cancellation
Is this quote from the free zone or an agent?	Agents add a margin; the free zone will also deal with you directly

When a Green Visa beats renewing a freelance permit

If you hold a freelance licence and earn AED 15,000+/month or hold a bachelor's degree, the Green Visa gives 5 years of self-sponsored residence instead of short renewal cycles. You still need the licence to invoice clients legally — but you stop paying for a short visa over and over. See also freelance vs remote work visa.

Field notes — what people get wrong. Recurring issues reported in freelancer communities (individual cases vary):

Comparing year-one promo prices across zones and discovering renewal costs reverse the ranking.
Choosing the cheapest emirate, then paying repeatedly to travel there for in-person steps.
Picking a licence whose activity list does not cover the work actually invoiced.
Assuming the licence alone permits residence — it does not; the visa is a separate application.

Verify at the source

Prices change without notice and packages differ by activity. Always confirm the current figure with the issuer before paying:

Frequently asked questions

How much does a freelance visa cost in Dubai in total?

Using GoFreelance's own published figures: AED 7,500 licence + AED 2,000 establishment card + AED 5,042 for a two-year visa = AED 14,542, before medical, Emirates ID and health insurance. Other zones are quote-only, so treat any single 'total' you read elsewhere as an estimate.

Which UAE free zone is cheapest for freelancers?

It cannot be answered honestly from published data alone, because SHAMS and IFZA do not publish freelance prices on their own websites. Of those that do, RAKEZ starts at AED 6,100 and GoFreelance is AED 7,500 — but compare renewal prices and whether the establishment card and visa are included before ranking them.

Do I need a freelance licence to work remotely from Dubai?

Not if all your clients and income are outside the UAE — the remote work visa covers that case. You need a freelance licence when UAE clients pay you. See the freelance vs remote work comparison.

Can I get a freelance licence without a residence visa?

Yes — licence and visa are separate applications, and some freelancers hold a licence while residing on another visa type (for example a spouse's sponsorship). The licence alone does not grant residence.

Sources & verification. Figures on this page were cross-checked on 2026-09-22 against UAE government portals (u.ae, ICP) and current legal-advisory publications. This site is an independent guide by Growtoday Holdings FZE, Dubai — not a government website and not legal advice. Requirements vary by emirate, nationality and case; confirm with ICP/GDRFA or a licensed advisor before making decisions.

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