When a company has more than one owner, each qualifying partner can hold their own UAE residency, sponsored by the business. Here's who qualifies, the share-value rules, what it costs, and how it compares.
The route when a UAE company has more than one owner — each qualifying partner takes residency through the business. Here's where it fits, and where another route is smarter.
An illustrative starting point per partner, on top of the trade licence. Your all-in figure depends on:
We quote each partner's visa clearly against the licence and MoA, and send one written breakdown for the company — so every founder sees exactly what their residency costs before you commit.
Split payments Setup fees can be paid in instalments with Tamara. Your advisor confirms eligibility and terms with your quote.
| Partner visa | Investor visa | Golden visa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company owners | Multiple partners | Sole / main owner | Not required |
| Validity | 2–3 years | 2–3 years | 10 years |
| Share threshold | Yes (mainland) | Yes | Investment-based |
| Sponsor | Company | Company | Self |
| Best for | Co-founders | Solo founders | Large investors & talent |
| Family sponsorship | Yes | Yes | Yes |
In short: the partner visa is the route when a company has several shareholders — each qualifying partner gets residency through the business. A sole owner uses the investor visa; a larger investor who wants licence-independent residency — 5 or 10 years by route — looks at the Golden visa.
A residence visa for a shareholder in a UAE company. When a business has more than one owner, each qualifying partner can be sponsored by the company for their own residency — similar to an investor visa, but shared across the partners.
On the mainland, a partner's share value usually needs to reach the authority's minimum — often cited from around AED 72,000, though it varies by emirate and activity. Free zones set their own rules. We check your MoA before applying.
Each partner named on the trade licence who meets the share and activity requirements can hold their own residency through the company. There's no single 'one visa per company' cap on partners.
Yes — once your partner visa is active you can sponsor your spouse and children, and often your parents subject to income and housing rules.
They're essentially the same mechanism. 'Investor visa' is used when there's a single owner or main investor; 'partner visa' is used when a company has multiple shareholders and each qualifying partner takes residency through it.
Once the licence, MoA and shareholding are confirmed, each partner's visa is usually issued within one to two weeks, including the medical and Emirates ID.
Ask AgentBiz how the share rules apply to your setup, or talk to a human advisor. Honest guidance, an itemised quote, no obligation.
