Free Zone PRO Services
Employee visas and the paperwork around them, in the six free zones we work with.
Your zone holds your staff's file
A free zone company’s staff are sponsored through its zone, not through the federal ministries. The federal portal says so directly: “You can apply for work permit and residence visa for your employee with the respective free zone authority” (u.ae, recruiting in free zones, updated 27 October 2026).
So the work follows the zone. We handle the employee visa cycle and the paperwork around it — Emirates ID, medical, renewals, cancellations — in the six free zones we work with, and we quote each zone on its own published words below rather than one general procedure.
What we file for a free zone company
- Employee visas through the zone: entry permit, stamping, renewal and cancellation
- Emirates ID and medical fitness typing for the zone's staff
- The immigration card the zone needs before anyone is sponsored, on its own page: Free Zone Immigration Card
- Visa allocation checks against the company's licence and office package
- Dependants, where the zone sponsors them
- Portal filings in the zone, followed to completion
Get this quoted
Itemised in writing, government charges shown separately, before anything is filed.
Which one do you need?
Who this page is for
- Companies in SPC, SHAMS, Dubai South, Meydan, RAKEZ or Ajman NuVentures
- Founders adding their first employees after setup
- Companies near their visa allocation, checking what the package allows
- Companies with staff leaving, where visas must be cancelled in order
- Owners who want one desk across the zone portal and the paperwork around it
What the zones ask for
Each zone sets its own list in its portal. What we ask for to start, whichever zone:
- The company's licence and immigration card
- The employee's passport, photo and, for a renewal, the current visa and Emirates ID
- The zone portal access arrangement and who signs for the company
Anything zone-specific is confirmed with you at quotation, from that zone's own requirements.
How a free zone PRO file runs
- Which zone, which package. We read the licence and the visa allocation it carries.
- A written quote, with the zone's charges kept apart from our fee.
- The papers are collected against the zone's own list.
- Filing in the zone portal, then the medical and Emirates ID steps that follow.
- Follow-up until the visa is stamped, renewed or cancelled.
- Dates on our list: the visa, the Emirates ID and the immigration card, each on its own date.
Timing, fees and what each zone publishes
- Timing: each zone sets its own, and we confirm it for your zone at quotation.
- Fees: each zone prices its own transactions, and the charge can depend on the package. We read your zone's current charges and list them in your quote.
Fees: Quote on request. Our service fee is quoted in writing. The zone's charges are listed separately in your quote.
Employee visas through the zone
The cycle is the zone's: the application in the zone portal, the entry permit or change of status, then stamping; later the renewal, and in the end the cancellation. Dubai South's page sums up its side in one line: "Owners and approved staff apply for UAE residency tied to the company." (dubaisouthbh.com, updated 12 November 2026). We file each step in the zone portal and follow it, and we keep the visa's date apart from the licence's, because the two do not move together.
Emirates ID and medical fitness
A free zone visa still needs the medical test and the Emirates ID, as Ajman NuVentures puts it in its FAQ. We type both and follow them to the result, the same way as on our Emirates ID & Medical Typing page.
The six zones, each in its own words
SPC Free Zone. Its page on the establishment card lists what the card makes possible, including "Sponsoring employees for residency visas" and "Renewing residency visas", and warns that failing to renew the card "could prevent a company from processing new visa requests" (spcfz.ae, published 7 May 2026, updated 10 November 2026). SHAMS. Its FAQ answers "Can I obtain a dependent visa for my family?" with "Yes.", and on incorporating with an existing visa: "Yes, and we do not require a NOC from your existing sponsor." It adds that its answers "are subject to change as and when instructed by the Government of the UAE" (shams.ae, no date shown, read 13 November 2026). Dubai South. "The visa count depends on your license and office option." and "Official guidance sits with GDRFA Dubai for residency." (dubaisouthbh.com, published 28 March 2026, updated 12 November 2026). Meydan. "License renewal keeps the Business License active but does not automatically renew visas, Emirates ID or medical insurance." and "These run on their own dates." (meydanfz.ae, published 15 October 2026, updated 13 November 2026). RAKEZ. Its Service Catalogue names "New Visa Service (Employees)", "Visa Renewal (Employee)", "Visa Cancellation (Employee)" and "Health Insurance Plan" among its services (rakez.com catalogue, no date shown, read 13 November 2026). Ajman NuVentures Centre. "licensed companies are entitled to apply for UAE residence visas for their employees, shareholders, and dependents." and "The visa quota depends on the office space/package chosen." (ancfz.ae, published 18 October 2025, last modified 10 July 2026).
Not published officially
- One procedure for all six. None is published; the federal portal sends you to the respective zone.
- A visa number that applies to every company. The zones tie it to the licence, the office or the package, as Dubai South and Ajman NuVentures say above.
- Zone charges on this page. They change with the package, so we quote your zone's current charge in writing instead of reprinting figures here.
- Any total.
Free zone PRO questions
Who issues a free zone employee's visa?
The zone. "You can apply for work permit and residence visa for your employee with the respective free zone authority" (u.ae, updated 27 October 2026).
How many visas can my company get?
It depends on the zone and the package. The federal portal: "The number of visas that a business can get depends on various factors such as the package they have signed up for" (u.ae). Each zone's own words are quoted in the zone sections.
Which free zones do you work with?
SPC Free Zone, SHAMS, Dubai South Free Zone, Meydan Free Zone, RAKEZ and Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone.
Does renewing the licence renew the visas?
No. Meydan's renewal page: "License renewal keeps the Business License active but does not automatically renew visas, Emirates ID or medical insurance." (meydanfz.ae, updated 13 November 2026).
What comes before the first visa?
The company's immigration card. SPC lists "Sponsoring employees for residency visas" among what the card makes possible (spcfz.ae, updated 10 November 2026). See Free Zone Immigration Card.
Is the medical and Emirates ID part of a free zone visa?
Ajman NuVentures' FAQ: "The process includes a medical fitness test, Emirates ID, and visa stamping." (ancfz.ae, last modified 10 July 2026).
Can I sponsor my family through the zone?
Where the zone says so. SHAMS answers "Can I obtain a dependent visa for my family?" with "Yes." (shams.ae, read 13 November 2026).
Does a free zone company use MOHRE for its staff?
Generally not; the zone handles permits and visas for its companies. Mainland permits are on MOHRE Work Permits.
What do the zones charge?
Each zone prices its own transactions, and the charge can depend on the package. Your quote lists your zone's current charge separately from ours.
Can I have a monthly desk instead?
Yes. The Monthly PRO Desk runs a free zone file the same way as a mainland one.
Each zone is quoted from its own published page, with the date on the page or the date it was read where the page shows none, alongside the federal portal u.ae. Zones change their rules, packages and charges without notice; we confirm the current position with your zone before filing. AL HUDHUD provides documentation and processing support. Final approvals rest with the zone and the relevant government authority.
Last updated: November 2026.
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