UAE Visa Allocation Calculator — How Many Visas Can Your Free Zone Company Give? 2026
UAE free zone companies can sponsor a limited number of UAE residence visas, determined by office size or package. This guide explains how visa allocation works in different UAE free zones and how to calculate how many visas your company can sponsor in 2026.
In this guide:
- UAE Visa Allocation Calculator — How Many Visas Can Your Free Zone Company Give? 2026
- How UAE Free Zone Visa Allocation Works
- Visa Allocation by Free Zone Package
- Free Zone-Specific Visa Allocation
- How to Increase Your UAE Visa Quota
- Who Counts Against Your UAE Visa Quota?
- Planning Your UAE Visa Requirements
How UAE Free Zone Visa Allocation Works
UAE free zone visa quotas are tied to physical office space or package tier, not company type. The more space you have, the more visas you can sponsor. Flexi-desks and virtual offices have the lowest visa allocations.
Visa Allocation by Free Zone Package
- Freelancer permit (no company): 1 visa only (for permit holder)
- FZE flexi-desk (entry package): 2-3 visas typically
- FZE small office (10-20 sqm): 4-6 visas
- FZE medium office (20-50 sqm): 6-10 visas
- FZE large office (50+ sqm): 10+ visas
- FZCO (multiple shareholders, flexi-desk): 3-4 visas (slightly more than FZE)
Free Zone-Specific Visa Allocation
- IFZA flexi-desk: 3 visas standard
- Shams virtual: 3 visas
- RAKEZ flexi-desk: 2-3 visas
- DMCC flexi-desk: 3 visas
- JAFZA (no space package): 2 visas
- Fujairah Creative City (freelancer): 1 visa
How to Increase Your UAE Visa Quota
- Upgrade to a larger office: most free zones allow visa quota increase with office upgrade (office rent + admin fee)
- IFZA visa upgrade: available by renting a flexi-desk at the free zone (additional AED 3,000–5,000/desk/year for 1 additional visa)
- DMCC: can request visa quota increase by demonstrating business need to free zone authority
- Downside: larger office = higher annual costs; balance visa needs against cost increase
Who Counts Against Your UAE Visa Quota?
- Investor visas: the company owner/shareholders; typically the first visas issued
- Employee visas: employees sponsored by the company; each uses 1 visa slot
- Dependent visas: spouses and children sponsored by UAE residents are NOT counted against the company’s visa quota — they are sponsored by the individual resident, not the company
Planning Your UAE Visa Requirements
- Solo founder: 1 visa (yourself); any package works
- Couple (both want UAE visa): 2 visas minimum; standard flexi-desk package (3 visas) covers this
- Small team (3-5 people all needing UAE visas): need 3-5 visa quota; flexi-desk upgraded package or small office
- Growing company (10+ UAE employees): small-medium office with 10+ visa quota; consider cost of larger office vs visa need