Currently, the free zone in UAE offers many advantages for all those entrepreneurs who wish to start their new company in this country. Among the most outstanding, obtaining different visas for its workforce. Every good businessman should know that his best asset will be his employees. Therefore, they should be offered the comfort the free zone offers in legal matters. For instance, obtaining the DMCC visa status, and obtaining one of the long-stay permits that they provide.
In this article, you will see everything related to the different long-stay permits offered by the DMCC and its different DMCC visa processes. First of all, you will see what it is and all the benefits that the Dubai Multi Commodities Center Freezone offers. Consequently, we will show you how is the eligibility to obtain the different visas that exist. Finally, you will see in detail the description of these visas and their respective requirements.
1. Do you know what is DMCC and the Benefits that Entrepreneurs can have?
The DMCC or Dubai Multi Commodities Center is a free trade zone. In addition, it is the largest in all of the UAE and is located in Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai. It was established in the year 2002 and serves as a commodity exchange dealing with various major sectors. Among these sectors are energy, metals and steel, energy, and agricultural products.
DMCC is a prestigious free zone in the UAE to be able to establish a business. It is in charge of promoting foreign investment, which is the driving force of the country’s commendation. This area is an excellent investment opportunity for those foreign investors who wish to invest in Dubai. This occurs due to the large number of benefits that it offers to its companies.
Among the benefits that this area offers us is the 100% ownership of foreign companies and the repatriation of capital. In addition, it offers zero personal and tax rates, no currency restrictions, and a wide variety of commercial activities that are allowed. We can find a cluster of industries that is unique and has a specially designed infrastructure.
Has consistent networking opportunities through DMCC events. There are office solutions that are flexible, which include office services, shared offices, and flexi desks. Establishing a company in this area will give you the possibility of obtaining residence and work permits. This will be for both employees and shareholders.
2. What are the types of Visas that you can apply for at DMCC and how many correspond to you as an Entrepreneur?
The workforce that a company has is one of the most valuable assets. This is an investment that will serve as a key to stability and the position that the company will have in the market. Setting up a new business in the UAE free zones can be a bit of a daunting task.
These issues can arise because one will need to understand the visa process, legality, eligibility, and fees. Having information from different sources can bring confusion and more if you are not sure of its accuracy and credibility. However, getting proper guidance will give you the ability to grow your business with a large workforce.
There are different types of visas that foreign employees can apply for and it is important to know the DMCC visa status. Next, you can see different types of residence visas that you can obtain in Dubai or specifically in DMCC:
2.1 The types of Visas and some Additional Information
You may opt for an employment visa, resident dependent visa, partner/investor visa, and student visitor visa. Visa applications at DMCC are in principle straightforward and simple. This occurs because these free zone visas are not related to the UAE Ministry of Labor.
The authorities of the free zones have their labor law and the terms that are required in the employment contract are in accordance with the labor law of the UAE. These free zone visas do not allow people to work outside the free zone. This is because they do not have an employment contract in the UAE. For this reason, it is important to verify your DMCC visa status if you wish to work outside the free zone.
The visa fee that is established in DMCC will depend on the size of the office that has been selected. In this way, a flexible desk will have up to 3 visas and an office with a service of 4 or 5 visas depending on the size of the office. In addition, physical space will have 1 visa for every 9 square meters.
3. Learn Everything about the Process to obtain any type of Visa in this Free Zone
Above, the different DMCC visa statuses to which you can apply were mentioned. In addition, there are additional ones that come out as derivations, from the main ones. Next, you will see all the long-stay permits you can opt for for your company’s employees.
3.1 Work Visa
The first DMCC visa status to mention is the work visa. When you have a DMCC license all employees must be authorized to work in a free zone. This can be done with an identity card, work residence visa, or access approval. Alternative methods for a company to authorize a worker to work without being directly sponsored by the company include identity cards and access approvals.
3.1.1 Work Residence Visa
In case you want to establish a business in a free zone through an issued work contract; the most common DMCC visa status is the work residence visa. The sponsor for this long-stay permit is the free zone authority, it sponsors the employee’s visa and not the employer. All employees need an appointment letter from their company in a free zone to start their application.
This visa is valid for one, two, or three years, everything will depend on the application that you propose. The application process may vary for employees inside or outside the UAE.
3.1.2 Identity Cards
Free zone companies have the possibility of hiring a natural person who in turn; is sponsored by your spouse or parent, using an identity card. The identity card is valid for one year. In addition, the electronically issued identity card is counted against the visa fee assigned to the company.
3.1.3 Access Approvals
Finally, there is another alternative which is access approvals. The most common use of this document is to allow someone who is not an employee of the company to come to your office to perform temporary work.
Typically, this is used for contract workers, consultants, or employees of sister companies or branches; who need to work at the headquarters located in DMCC temporarily. Access approvals are valid for 1 or 3 months or one year. In addition, they present a limitation and that is that it is granted only to 30% of current workers.
3.2 Dependent Resident Visa
The second DMCC visa status you will see is the dependent resident visa. In this section, you will see each of the cases with which you can apply for a resident visa for dependents. It is important to mention that this application must comply with the rules and regulations of the Dubai Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC).
First and foremost is that the employee receives a minimum salary of AED 4,000 per month. In addition, you must live in a minimum one-bedroom unit. Thus, you can sponsor your immediate family members (spouses and children). Employees who receive a minimum salary of AED 20,000 and have accommodation; additionally, they can sponsor their parents and in-laws.
On the other hand, valid health insurance must be available for all beneficiaries. In addition, if the employee exercises activities as an employee, sales executive, administrator, assistant, or other similar; You are required to submit a bank statement every 90 days.
The sponsor must have an occupation other than a worker, domestic employee, or any similar; You are not eligible to offer sponsorship to any family member.
Finally, shareholders of companies who hold a DMCC license and have a Dubai residence visa; but, not a residence visa of the employee that has been issued by the DMCC (or any, free zone) authorities; have the ability to apply for a dependent resident visa at DMCC.
The dependent visa requires an entry permit that is only valid for two months. Upon arrival in the country, the beneficiary must undergo medical examinations and if he does not pass them, this person must leave the country.
3.3 Partner/Investor Visa (Business Visit Visa is also Included here)
In this section, you will see two types of visas, which may be useful to you for businessmen.
3.3.1 Investor/Partner Visa
This DMCC visa status is ideal for foreign nationals who have the desire to start their own business in Dubai. And not only for new entrepreneurs but also for people who are investing in companies that already exist. This is a visa that is valid for three years and does not require an immigration deposit.
In case you have multiple shareholders having a minimum share capital of AED 50,000 within the company; furthermore, you have a DMCC license, you can get a partner visa for all of them. If, on the other hand, the only shareholder in the company is you and you have a DMCC license; You are a candidate for the investor visa.
3.3.2 Business Visit Visa
All companies have the possibility to apply for three such visas at the same time. It is important to mention that this type of visa cannot be renewed or refunded. You should also know that the associated costs will not be reimbursed if your DMCC visa status is rejected.
Additionally, businesses with a DMCC license have the opportunity; to sponsor a team member from abroad to visit the UAE for business purposes. DMCC is in charge of helping to obtain a business visitor visa for these workers. This short-stay permit is valid for one month.
3.4 Student Visa
All students can apply for this DMCC visa status, as long as they meet the conditions. This long-stay permit requires a minimum passport validity of six months. In addition, you must have an application letter from the institute or university to which you were accepted. If you have a university student visa, it is valid for one year. But, the institution-issued visa is only valid for 3 months.
4. If you want support for the Entire Visa Acquisition Process, contact KPMPRO Services
As you can see, the DMCC free zone offers multiple visas with easy requirements to meet. Generally, entrepreneurs have many obligations to fulfill, especially when they are creating a new company. In such cases, it often happens that they neglect certain important matters. For instance, the processes of obtaining visas for employees or the pertinent permits to be able to start business activities.
If you are one of those people who needs an expert person who can support you in those important matters; the most viable option is to contact KPMPRO Services. Our team of specialists will take care of all administrative responsibilities; so you can focus solely on running your business. To get in touch with us, you can enter our website and request an appointment with our advisors.
On the other hand, you should know that currently, the Middle East has presented quite remarkable economic growth. Thanks to this, there has been an increase in job opportunities for foreigners from anywhere in the world. If you are interested in exercising your career in one of these countries, the best solution is to enter The Talent Point. You will be able to notice different job offers that can be useful to you. In case you are interested in obtaining more information, you can write to us at contact@thetalentpoint.com.
