A DMCC licensed business must understand the DMCC visa process and ensure that its employees are authorized to work in the free zone by possessing an ID card, an employment visa, or an access approval. The employees of the company are considered the greatest assets. Investing in your employees is great because they will serve the company and play an important role in its stability and market standing. Therefore, all employees in DMCC companies must provide a residence permit sponsored by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), unless their spouse or father sponsors them. The validity of the resident permit is 3 years.
Starting a business in the Free Zones of the UAE can become overwhelming because you need to understand the DMCC visa process properly. Other than the visa process, eligibility for a visa, expenses in obtaining a visa, and legal regulations should also be kept in mind.
With all the information mismatching with each other it has become confusing, however, with proper guidance and hiring new people, it has become very easy to find out what is the actual DMCC visa process.
Types of DMCC Visas
There are a total of 4 types of DMCC visas.
- Employment Visa.
- Dependent Resident Visa.
- Investor Visa.
- Student Visit Visa.
DMCC visa application is simple. The visas for free zones do not deal with the UAE Ministry of Labor. Every authority in the free zone has its employment laws but the terms that are mentioned in the employment contract follow UAE labor law. The Free zone visas do not allow anyone to work outside of the free zone as they do not hold a UAE labor contract.
Employment Visa
The employees working for a DMCC-licensed company must be authorized to work in a free zone if he has an Employment Residence Visa, Identity Card, or Access Approval. Access approval and identity cards are alternative methods for a company to authorize without directly being sponsored.
Employment Residence Visa
This is the most common visa type by any free zone business through an employment contract. A free zone authority sponsors the free zone visa employee’s visa instead of the employer. An appointment letter is required by the company to the employee before he begins his application to work in the free zone. This visa type is for different time frames mostly one, two, or three years.
Identity Card
A free zone company can hire an employee having his father as a sponsor through an Identity Card. This is valid for one year. Each time the company issues an electronic card, it counts as one visa used from the allowed visas for your company.
Access Approval
Access Approval is mostly used to allow someone who is not an employee of your company to come to your office for temporary work. This mostly applies to consultants, contractors, and employees of a sister or parent company who want to work on-site in DMCC temporarily. An ace’s approval is valid for up to a period of 1, 3, or 12 months.
Only up to 30% of the working employees can get access approvals.
Dependents Resident Visa
There are special conditions and circumstances where a Dependents Resident Visa is applied.
- A person who receives a salary of a minimum of AED 4000 monthly and lives in a minimum accommodation of one bedroom is eligible to sponsor their wife and children.
- A person who receives a minimum salary of AED 20,000 with proper accommodation can sponsor his parents or parents-in-law.
- A proper health insurance for dependents.
- If a person holds a designation like a clerk, assistant, admin, etc., then that person needs to submit a bank statement for three months.
- The sponsor’s job must not be equivalent to a housemaid’s job if he wants to be eligible for sponsorships.
Investors/Partner Visa
A partner visa is ideal for foreigners looking to start their business in Dubai or invest in existing companies. The validity of the partner/investor visa is three years, and no deposit is required at immigration. If you have multiple stakeholders having a minimum share of AED 50,000 in your DMCC-licensed company, then you can obtain a Partner Visa for them.
Student Visa
A student at a DMCC-licensed institution or university can apply for a student visa in the UAE. The validity of an institution visa is ninety days, while a university visa is valid for one year.
Student visa applicants can apply under two scenarios, depending on their country of origin. Applicants from inside the country will have to pay AED 1230, while applicants outside the country applying for an entry permit will have to pay AED 450. Both applicants need to provide the following documents,
- A latest passport-sized photograph
- Passport copy
- Letter from the university
- Letter from KHDA
- Emirates ID card registration form
- Medical fitness certificate
- Copy of current visa (for applicants residing in the country)
Steps to Apply for a DMCC Visa or DMCC Visa Process
- Complete the application form to apply for a visa on the DMCC portal.
- Upload documents which include a photo, passport copy, education certificate, establishment card, and signed offer letter.
- You will receive a confirmation message from DMCC.
- In case of approval, an electronic copy of the entry permit will be uploaded by DMCC on the DMCC portal and the same can be forwarded to the applicant to download and print.
- The HR signatory of the company will e-sign the employment documents.
- Arrival intimation is to be updated on the company DMCC portal as soon as the employee enters UAE.
- Apply for the applicant’s health insurance through an approved local health insurance inside the UAE.
- Apply for Emirates ID in any approved typing center or through the DMCC portal.
- Apply for the medical test in any government-approved hospital, clinic, or center.
- After all this upload documents of medical fitness and a copy of health insurance.
Key Requirements for DMCC Visa
DMCC’s digital portal processes all visa applications. Each case requires a set of documents that vary by visa type. The visa application process also depends on whether you are applying from inside or outside the UAE.
If the employee is applying from inside the UAE, they need to provide a status change document, Emirates ID, and a photocopy of the current visa.
If the employee is applying from outside the UAE, the required documents include Emirates ID, passport-sized photo, valid passport, relevant educational certificates, signed offer letter, signed employment contract, and medical fitness certificate.
When applying for any visa, applicants must be aware of the following criteria,
Employment Visa
The criteria for an employment visa include,
Your passport must be valid for at least six months when applying for an employment entry visa in the UAE.
Educational certificates attested by the UAE embassy in your home country and the MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in Dubai.
All educational certificates must be translated into Arabic if the applicant is within the UAE.
You can also get health insurance for your future employee through one of 45 health insurance companies approved by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
Investor/Partner Visa
An investor/partner visa needs the following,
If you are a sole owner/shareholder of your DMCC-licensed company, you can get an investor visa.
If your company has multiple shareholders with a minimum of 50,000 share capital in your DMCC licensed company, you can get a partner visa for them.
Business Visit Visa
The criteria for a business visit visa are,
Each company is allowed to apply for three business visit visas at a time.
This type of visa is non-refundable and non-renewable.
If your visa is rejected, the costs are non-refundable.
Student Visa (Institution/University)
For a student visa, the applicant requires the following,
A passport with a validity of six months and an application letter from their institution/university.
Renewal of DMCC Visa
To renew a DMCC visa, you must start the renewal process at least one month before your current visa expires. The renewal process includes the following,
- Initiate the renewal process a month before the expiration of your visa.
- Schedule and complete the required medical fitness test.
- Update your Emirates ID if needed.
- Submit the required documents for the renewal application.
- Pay the applicable fee.
- Upon successful completion of the process, you will receive your updated visa and Emirates ID.
DMCC Visa Cost
The DMCC visa cost depends on multiple factors and varies according to need. Every visa type has a different cost. It is always good to get an opinion from an expert who can guide you through all of this process.
DMCC Visa Cancellation
In the case of DMCC visa cancellation, the licensed company must start the process of cancellation of employment residence visa as soon as the employee has resigned or has been terminated. It can be easily processed by applying through the DMCC company portal. There are two sets of steps for the process of employment visa cancelation.
- If the employee is being paid a salary of AED 5000 or less, then the employee and the authorized representative of the company will visit the DMCC counter so that the employee can sign his end-of-service entitlement document in the presence of authorized counter staff. If an employee has dependents who they have sponsored they have to cancel those sponsorships before signing the end-of-service document.
- If the employee is outside the UAE visa cancellation is possible only if the employee spends six months out of the UAE, if the DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Center) visa expires while the employee is outside the country, or if the employee is outside the country for six months but has sent his original passport to the company.
Conclusion
The Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC) member portal facilitates a wide range of services. This includes making business changes, getting NOC, and most importantly the DMCC visa process. The portal allows you to manage all your business tasks from one place and focus on the growth of your company.
Contact Al Riyady for all your business related queries and get expert advice from our experienced business consultants. We can also help you with Golden Visa Services, Corporate Tax, Business Licenses and more.
