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A partner visa in Dubai is the GDRFA green residence permit for a partner investor: a residence for someone who owns a share in a licensed company, valid up to five years, with no employer or guarantor. GDRFA lists AED 200 for the permit plus AED 10 and AED 10 in fees, AED 500 if you apply from inside the UAE, and AED 20 delivery. It takes 48 hours once the file is complete.
"Partner" here means a business partner, a shareholder in a licensed company. To sponsor a wife or husband, see spouse visa or husband visa instead.
The older two- and three-year "investor" or partner visas no longer appear on current GDRFA pages. What GDRFA issues today is the green permit described below. Facts on this page come from the GDRFA partner investor service page, checked .
Who can apply
You qualify if you are an investor or partner in a commercial project in the UAE, with:
- the approval of the competent authorities, and
- authorisation to practise the licensed activity.
GDRFA does not publish a minimum share value or capital for this permit. If someone quotes you a fixed share value as a rule, ask them for the official source, because GDRFA's page shows none.
Documents
| Document | Note |
|---|---|
| Personal photo | White background |
| Passport | Valid 6 months or more |
| Partnership agreement, MOA or investment contract | Must show you as partner or investor |
| Trade licence | Valid, with you named |
If you joined the company after it was formed, the licence and MOA must already show the change. A partner change is a DET amendment with a notarised MOA amendment first: see trade licence amendment.
Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residence permit | AED 200 |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 |
| Applying from inside the UAE | AED 500 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
| Each year of residency beyond two years | AED 100 more on the issuance fee |
Source: GDRFA partner investor green residence service, checked .
On top of the permit come:
- Medical fitness test for applicants aged 18 and over. The official Dubai fee for a normal test is AED 270, with faster VIP options. See medical test for visa.
- Emirates ID from ICP: AED 100 per year of residence plus an AED 100 smart application fee (ICP, checked ).
- Typing or Amer charges, if you file through a center. Published price lists of Dubai typing centers show about AED 100 to AED 300 per GDRFA transaction at Amer, as a service charge on top of government fees.
Partner visa or golden visa
| Partner green permit | Investor golden visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | Up to 5 years | 10 years |
| Minimum investment | None published | At least AED 2,000,000 deposit, capital or shareholding |
| GDRFA permit fee | AED 200 | AED 1,100 |
| Sponsor needed | No | No |
If your stake is AED 2,000,000 or more, look at the golden visa first. Below that, the partner green permit is the usual route.
Steps and where each happens
- DET: the trade licence names you as a partner.
- GDRFA (app, website, or an Amer center): the green residence application with your documents and fees. If you apply from inside the UAE, the AED 500 inside-the-country fee applies.
- Medical center: the fitness test.
- ICP: Emirates ID application and biometrics.
- GDRFA: the residence permit is issued, 48 hours from a complete file.
Renewal
GDRFA lists a separate renewal service for the partner investor green permit, on the same terms as the first issue. Start well before expiry. Before you file, check:
- the trade licence is valid (renew it first: trade licence renewal)
- your passport has 6 months or more left
- you book a new medical test and renew the Emirates ID with the visa
Cancellation
GDRFA's cancellation service covers all residence types. The fee is AED 100 plus AED 10 Knowledge and AED 10 Innovation, with 48 hours to complete. GDRFA asks for passport copies. Cancel the permits of any family members you sponsor at the same time, because their visas depend on yours.
After a cancellation a grace period runs before the AED 50 a day overstay fine starts. For a green residence holder the length depends on which official page you read; overstay fines in Dubai sets out both. Our visa cancellation page covers the process in detail.
If you are closing the company too, cancel the partner visa and staff visas before the establishment card, because GDRFA will not cancel a card while sponsored persons are still on it.
Family under a partner visa
Green visa holders may sponsor first-degree relatives. Each family member gets a residence permit of their own, with its own medical test (for those 18 and over) and Emirates ID, and their visas run with yours. The rules, salary and housing papers are on our family visa page.
Common problems
- Licence not updated. You bought into the company but DET still shows the old partners.
- Passport too short. Under 6 months left stops the application.
- Medical test missed. The permit cannot be issued without an approved result.
- Family left behind. Family visas tied to yours lapse when yours is cancelled.
Filing your partner residence
Send your trade licence, MOA and passport. The partner team checks that the licence and MOA both name you as a partner, the point where most investor files stall, especially after a share change that DET has not yet recorded. They type and submit the green residence application with GDRFA, book your medical and Emirates ID biometrics and follow up until the permit is issued. Renewals, family visas under your sponsorship and the cancellation when you leave the company go through the same team. One total price is agreed first, with the GDRFA fees and the service charge listed separately.
