The digital nomad visa, also called the remote work visa, is a one-year, renewable UAE residence visa for people who live in Dubai while working for an employer, or running a company, outside the UAE. It is not a permit to work for UAE companies or UAE clients. If that is what you plan to do, a different route fits.
What the visa is
It is a residence visa that you hold yourself. No UAE employer sponsors you, and your income continues to come from abroad. The visa lasts one year and can be renewed while you still meet the requirements.
It is easy to mix up with a freelance visa because both let you live in the UAE without a UAE employer. They answer different questions, though. The remote work visa is about where your income comes from: a company outside the UAE. A freelance permit or licence is about working for your own clients, including clients in the UAE.
As always, the decision belongs to the authorities. Nobody, including an agency, can promise how an application will turn out.
Who it fits, and who it does not
The visa is a good match if you:
- work full time for a company outside the UAE and can do the job from Dubai;
- own a business registered outside the UAE and run it remotely;
- earn at least the published minimum and can show it with payslips or bank statements;
- want your family with you, since a spouse and children may be sponsored, subject to the authority's conditions.
It is probably not the right route if you:
- Will work for a UAE company. That is employment, and it needs a work permit.
- Will invoice clients in the UAE. A freelance permit or licence is the route for that.
- Only need a short stay. A visit visa is simpler.
- Earn below the minimum. Other residency routes may still fit.
The income minimum is set by the authority and can change. Trivup confirms the current figure with each client before anyone applies, so check it with the authority or a consultant rather than relying on an old number.
What to prepare
Start with these documents:
- Passport. It should be valid for at least six months, and you need a recent passport photograph.
- Proof of your work. This is an employment letter or contract with a company outside the UAE. If you own the company, it is the company's registration.
- Proof of income. Recent payslips and bank statements that show at least the published monthly minimum.
- Health insurance. The cover must be valid in the UAE for the length of your visa.
- Your current visa. You need this only if you are already in the UAE, so your status can be changed without leaving.
If your family joins you, you will usually also need marriage and birth certificates, attested where the authority asks for it. Each family member is a separate application.
The authority can ask for more in a particular case. A good consultant tells you what your case needs before anything is filed, not afterwards.
How the application runs
There are four stages, and you are needed for two of them.
- Eligibility and documents. Someone confirms that you qualify, checks every document and prepares the application.
- Application and entry permit. The application is lodged. If you are abroad, you travel on the entry permit. If you are already in the UAE, your status is changed.
- Medical and biometrics. You take the medical test and give your fingerprints for the Emirates ID. Trivup books both and tells you where to go.
- Residence visa and Emirates ID. The authority issues the visa and the card. The Emirates ID is what landlords, banks and family sponsorship ask for.
Trivup's part is checking, preparing and coordinating. The authority issues the visa.
You can also apply directly, without an agency, through GDRFA Dubai or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP). Trivup is a private company that helps you prepare and coordinate the application. It is not a government body.
Digital nomad visa or freelance permit?
The difference is who pays you. Both let you live here on a visa you hold yourself, so the question is where your work comes from.
| Digital nomad visa | Freelance permit or licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Your income comes from | An employer or your own company outside the UAE | Your own clients, in the UAE or abroad |
| Working for UAE clients | Not allowed | The route for it |
| What you hold | A residence visa | A permit or licence in your name, with a residence visa when included |
| Renewal | Every year, while you still qualify | Set by the free zone authority and your package |
If you will work for UAE clients
This is the case people most often get wrong. Suppose you move to Dubai and your first customers are local. The remote work visa does not cover that, because it is meant for work for an employer or company outside the UAE. Invoicing UAE clients needs a freelance permit or licence.
If you are in between, say you keep a job abroad now but expect to build a client base here, it is worth deciding before you apply. You can read how the freelance routes differ in our guides to freelance visa routes in Dubai and to choosing between a freelance permit and a licence. The freelance licence, permit and residency page and the freelance permit and licence overview set out those services.
If you are unsure which side you fall on, a consultant can talk it through with you. The digital nomad visa page sets out who qualifies and how we help, and the contact page lists the ways to reach the team.
Questions people ask
Is a digital nomad visa the same as a freelance visa?
No. The remote work visa is a residence visa for people whose employer or company is outside the UAE. A freelance permit or licence lets you work for your own clients, including clients in the UAE.
Can I work for UAE companies on this visa?
No. It is for work for an employer or company outside the UAE. Working for a UAE company needs employment with a work permit.
Can my family join me?
Your spouse and children may be sponsored once your own residence visa is issued, subject to the authority's conditions. Each family member is a separate application with its own requirements.
Is approval guaranteed?
No. The authority decides every application. A consultant can make sure the application it receives is complete and correct, but cannot promise the decision.
Do I need an agency to apply?
No. You can apply directly through the authorities. An agency such as Trivup, which is a private company, helps with checking documents and coordinating the steps. For general questions, see our FAQs.
