Beware Freelance Visa Buyers!
5 alarming things you must know before starting a freelance business in the UAE!

If you do a Google search on freelance licenses right now, you’ll end up with more questions than answers.

There will be a different price quote for literally the same setup.

But why is it so?

If you dig in deeper like I did, you will see that it costs an average of 8000 AED.

You see, there are many different licensing authorities in the UAE for your business but each licensing authority has different terms and conditions.

- Many are limited by location, meaning you can only do business in Dubai and not the rest of UAE.

- Some limit the type of business you can do, such as choosing 1 from a list of 10 activities.

- Some require work experience or relevant educational qualification.

However, one thing that all the authorities agree on are the legalities and laws that affect freelancing.

These laws consider freelancers as ‘natural persons.’ The trouble with being a ‘natural person’ is that your business is solely your responsibility and you must repay any debt or penalty even if your business becomes bankrupt. As scary and strict as this is, it also means:

a. If you fail to repay a business loan, you will have to pay it from your personal finances (other license types save you from this mess)

b. If you want to get a project from a big company, you can’t… because big companies contract with other companies, not individuals.

c. If your business grows and you want to hire an employee to help you… you can’t.

As a fellow UAE resident, I think you will agree with me that ‘freelance license’ was supposed to be a celebration of easy-start, easy-stop business.

But the reality is like a nightmare.

Do you know what fines freelancers are currently facing in Abu Dhabi?

- 2000 AED fine for not changing visa from sponsored to self-sponsored after the first year of getting the license.

- Difficulty returning to the UAE if you leave without immigration cancelling the license.

- A soul-sucking 42,000 AED fine for not getting ‘approvals’ from the different government departments listed on the license.

The scariest part is that fines only show up when you go for renewal or cancellation of the license. Can you imagine what kind of impact these fines will have on a freelancer’s immigration file?

Will the UAE welcome him/her again inside the country if s/he leave the license as it is?

People are going to bed weeping their pillows wet.

Let me tell you something from a networking event I was at.

I met a freelance accountant named Maye.

Maye had paid 12000 AED for a freelance license and was now paying 100 AED fine every month for a violation she didn’t understand.

All she wanted was to sell her services legally, but instead, the fines made her feel like a criminal.

When she learnt about the license I have and how I am doing 5 activities for 5500, she was hooked!

‘Wow. 5 businesses in one license for 5500? I was paying 12000 for 1 business! I love that you are so upfront. This is mouthwatering!’

I helped Maye pick her favorite 5 activities from a list of 834 activities without any consultation fees.

Maye’s story got me to thinking that violations happen not because people are lazy, but because they simply don’t understand the legal language behind it. For example, thousands of freelances make a violation for failing to report the Ultimate Beneficiary Owner (UBO).

Look at this screenshot from one of the Facebook groups that I am on:

Many people don’t know what the UBO is. A UBO is the person who has the ultimate or complete control on the profits of your business.

As for freelancers, UBO’s are themselves.

You just need to fill out the UBO form and write in your personal details.

One of my friends actually said, ‘It feels like you are doing some criminal activity.’

And I agree with her. It is safer to be anything but a freelance license holder in the UAE right now.

There is so much confusion around freelancing that you’ll pay a fortune and STILL not get any benefits.

What do I mean by benefits?

The benefits I am talking about are:

a. Being able to do multiple businesses for the price of one

b. Avoiding penalties that are currently attracting UAE freelancers, and

c. Starting a business at the least possible cost

If, instead of taking the freelance route, my friend had taken the Free Zone route, life would have been easier.

So what options do you have?

I have spent countless hours in the past six months researching and understanding each type of license available in the UAE. So, what I am telling you isn’t something off the top of my head but the best value that I’ve found for my money.

I have gone with Free Zone license in just a little over 5k.

And I am doing not one, not two, but FIVE businesses under it. That’s almost like paying 1k for each business activity!

I do:

- E-commerce

- Digital marketing

- Business setup advisory

Do you notice that none of these activities are linked to each other? That’s right. I have combined trading, services, and professional consulting all in one license for an insanely low price!

PLUS, I am eligible to get premium contracts from big multinationals.

I am also free from any impact on my personal bank account if I default on a loan.

If you would like me to make a similar combination of business activities for you with the same Free Zone license that I got, I can be reached on WhatsApp and I will do it absolutely FREE OF COST for you.