Free Zone Investor and Partner Visa: Share Capital Requirements by Zone

Free zone companies can sponsor residence visas not just for employees but for their own shareholders, investors, and partners, and the eligibility test for this category works differently to an employment visa: rather than a salary threshold, it runs on a minimum share capital or shareholding requirement set individually by each free zone authority.

The specific figures vary by zone rather than following a single UAE-wide standard. DMCC, for example, has been described as requiring partner and investor visa applicants to hold a share certificate showing a minimum of 50 shares amounting to AED 50,000 in total share capital. Other free zones set their own thresholds tied to their own company formation packages, so a shareholding that qualifies for an investor visa in one zone will not necessarily transfer directly to the same visa category in a different zone without meeting that zone's specific requirement. Establishment and immigration cards, generally renewed annually at a modest cost per card, must also be active and valid throughout the visa period for the sponsoring company to remain eligible to issue any visa at all, whether for an investor, partner, or employee.

Investor and partner visas issued through a free zone are typically valid for two to three years, similar to a standard employment visa, and are separate from the Golden Visa's much larger AED 2 million investment threshold; a free zone investor visa is a distinct, generally more accessible category rather than a smaller version of the Golden Visa. Holders can generally sponsor family members on the same terms as other UAE residence visa categories, provided the standard salary or accommodation criteria for family sponsorship are separately met.

Because share capital thresholds, bundled fee structures, and renewal terms are each set independently by the dozens of free zone authorities operating across the UAE, anyone planning to qualify for an investor or partner visa through company ownership should confirm the exact current requirement with their specific free zone rather than assuming a figure quoted for one zone applies elsewhere.