How Many Visas Can You Get with a Dubai Trade License?

You’ve secured (or are about to secure) your Dubai trade license—great move. The next practical question lands fast: how many visas can I get with my license? While every founder hopes for a single, magic number, Dubai links visa quotas to a few moving parts: your license type, your office/warehouse size, your business activity, and your immigration registrations. This guide explains how the system works in the real world, shows typical ranges, and gives you a simple plan to unlock the visas you need—without paying for space you won’t use.

Why there isn’t just one number

Dubai does not print a visa count on your license. Instead, your quota scales with:

1. Where you set up: Mainland (DET/DED) vs free zone (DMCC, IFZA, Meydan, Dubai South, etc.)
2. Premises type and size: Ejari office, flexi-desk, warehouse, or retail unit
3. Activity & approvals: Some activities influence staffing assumptions
4. Immigration readiness: Establishment card + MOHRE (for employees) activated and linked

Because of this, two businesses with identical licenses might hold very different visa quotas if one rents a 150 m² office and the other uses a flexi-desk. Get details on Business Setup in Dubai.

Mainland vs Free Zone: how quotas are calculated

Mainland Dubai (DET/DED)

• Primary driver: your Ejari (tenancy) area and the business activity.
• Practical range: many firms see roughly 1 employment visa per 8–12 m² of office space as a planning guide (not a rule). Warehouses and retail have their own norms.
• How it works: after your trade license issues, you open an immigration file (establishment card) and link MOHRE for labour quotas. The system evaluates your leased area and activity to allocate an initial quota, which you can request to increase as you grow.

Free Zones

• Primary driver: your facility package (flexi-desk, serviced office, private office, warehouse).
• Practical range:
  • Flexi-desk: often 1–3 visas.
  • Serviced/private office: commonly 3–15+ visas, scaling with size.
  • Warehouse: varies widely; logistics-heavy teams can request higher numbers aligned to operations.
• How it works: each free zone pre-sets a visa allowance per facility type. You can upgrade your office or apply for additional visas if justified.

The visa types you’ll likely use (and how they count)

• Investor/Partner Visa (Residence): For owners/managers named on the license. Counts toward your overall headcount but is not limited by MOHRE in the same way as staff visas.
• Employment Visas: For your hires; driven by MOHRE quota (Mainland) or free zone quota.
• Dependent (Family) Visas: Sponsored by the employee/investor personally. These do not consume the company’s employment visa quota, but the sponsor must meet the salary and housing criteria.
• Temporary Work Permits/Short-term Mission: Additionally,Separate category for temps/contractors; still needs proper registration.

Typical scenarios (so you can benchmark)

• Solo Consultant (Mainland, flexi-desk): 1 investor visa + 1–2 staff visas after MOHRE review.
• Boutique Agency (Mainland, 500–800 sq ft in Business Bay): 1–2 investor visas + 5–10 staff visas depending on layout and activity.
• Trading SME (Free Zone, small private office + small warehouse): 5–12 staff visas aligned to operations; more if warehouse is substantial.
• E-commerce Fulfilment (Dubai South, sizeable warehouse): Starts 10+ and scales as headcount plans are documented.

These are planning ranges, not promises. We’ll validate the expected quota for your location and activity before you sign a lease. Get details on Trade License Amendment Service in UAE.

What actually unlocks more visas (the levers that work)

1. Increase usable space: move from flexi-desk to private office; add an annex or warehouse.
2. Align activity to headcount: ensure your license activities reflect the team you need (e.g., “logistics services” vs “management consultancy”).
3. Clean immigration setup: issue your establishment card promptly; link MOHRE; keep files active and renewed.
4. Documented business need: growth plan, contracts, or orders that justify additional quota.
5. Compliance track record: on-time renewals and no fines make approvals easier.

Don’t forget: the practical steps before visas

1. Trade license issued (Mainland or free zone)
2. Establishment card (immigration file) opened
3. MOHRE (Mainland) labour establishment created and linked
4. Tenancy (Ejari) / facility agreement uploaded and valid
5. Corporate bank account live (helps with payroll/WPS later)
6. E-channel/ICP enrolments where applicable

With these in place, you can start issuing entry permits, complete medical & Emirates ID, and stamp residence visas.

How to budget

• Government fees: visa stamping,Emirates,status change (if in-country),medicals,entry permits,
• Insurance: mainly health insurance per employee (mandatory).
• Zone fees: if in a free zone, visa service fees apply per application.
• Space upgrades: moving from flexi-desk to private office often beats piecemeal quota fights.
• Ongoing: renewals, WPS payroll setup (Mainland), and labour contracts.

We’ll provide an itemised schedule so you see cost-per-visa and the cost of each quota lever (bigger office vs. additional justification, etc.) Looking for a Business Setup Consultant in Dubai?

Mainland vs Free Zone: which route gives more visas?

Neither is “better,” only different:

• Mainland can scale aggressively if you hold the space and your activity supports larger teams (think retail, clinics, hospitality, or service hubs).
• Free zones are predictable: packages clearly state visa counts. Upgrading your facility increases quota in a clean, contract-based way.

If you expect rapid hiring, we often recommend Mainland with a right-sized office or a free zone known for flexible scaling (e.g., Dubai South for logistics, DMCC for trading/consulting). We’ll match the zone to your headcount plan, not just to today’s needs.

Smart planning: space-to-people ratio that recruiters love

• Open-plan desk ratio: 5–7 m² per person (plus meeting rooms and shared facilities).
• Headcount growth path: start with the smallest office that supports 12 months of hiring; upgrade when you hit ~80% utilisation.
• Warehouse teams: add breakout areas and lockers; some approvals expect welfare provisions tied to headcount.

Why this matters: if your space is too small, your visa request will stall. If it’s too big, you bleed rent. We balance both.

Compliance hygiene that protects your quotas

• Renew license, Ejari, establishment card, and MOHRE on time.
• Issue WPS salaries (Mainland) promptly to avoid blocks.
• Keep labour contracts and designations consistent with your activities.
• Track visa expiries 60–90 days out; renew early during peak seasons.
• Maintain accurate organisational charts—approvers often ask.

Quick checklist 

• License type confirmed (Mainland or Free Zone)
• Ejari / facility in place (size suits 12-month headcount)
• Establishment card and MOHRE created and linked
• Investor/Partner visa issued (if required)
• Payroll/WPS and insurance ready
• Hiring plan and designations mapped to activities
• Budget for visa costs and renewals approved

Why choose Black Swan Business Setup Service

Because we turn “it depends” into a clear number and a clean path. We model your visa quota against office options, validate assumptions with the relevant authority (Mainland or free zone), and then run the entire process—establishment card, MOHRE, entry permits, medical & ID, and stamping. You’ll know what you can hire now, what you can unlock in 3–6 months, and what it costs to get there.

Related Articles:

» What is the Process for Registering a Trade License in Dubai?

» How Long Does It Take to Get a Dubai Trade License?

» How to Renew Trade license in Dubai?

» How to get Trade License in Dubai quickly?

» All About Trade License in Dubai

Call +971 56 658 2477 for Trade License in Dubai

There’s no single number printed on a Dubai trade license; there’s a framework that rewards clear planning. Choose the right license location, rent enough space for your next 12 months, set up immigration correctly, and keep your records clean. Do that, and your visa quota grows with your business—without nasty surprises. If you want the numbers mapped to your exact plan, Black Swan Business Setup Service will chart the route and run every step for you.

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