There is no fixed number of visas that comes with every Dubai trade license. How many you can get depends on two things: where your company is licensed, and how much the licensing authority will allow you to sponsor. In a free zone, the number is set mainly by your office package. On the mainland, it is set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), based on your activity, how long you have been operating and whether you follow the labour rules.
That allowance is called your visa quota. This guide explains what it means, how it is worked out in free zones and on the mainland, and what you can do when you need more visas than your licence allows.
What Is Visa Quota?
In simple terms, the visa quota meaning is the maximum number of residence visas your company can sponsor under its licence. It covers the people the company employs or who own it, such as employees and partners on an investor or partner visa.
Your quota is not the same as visas you already hold. It is the ceiling. Every visa you issue uses one slot, and a slot opens again when a visa is cancelled.
Some visas do not use the company's quota because the company is not the sponsor, for example family members you sponsor personally, or someone on a Golden Visa or a freelance permit.
Free Zone vs Mainland: Two Different Quota Systems
The visa quota system in the UAE works differently depending on where your licence is issued:
| Free zone | Mainland | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the quota | The free zone authority | MOHRE, for work permits |
| Main factor | Office package and size | Activity, company age and compliance |
| How to get more | Upgrade the office or request an increase from the free zone | Apply to MOHRE with a business case |
| Where employees can work | Inside the free zone, unless a permit allows otherwise | Anywhere in the UAE mainland |
This is one of the biggest practical differences in the freezone visa vs mainland visa decision, and it is worth thinking about before you choose where to set up.
Free Zone Visa Quota: Tied to Your Office
How many visas a company can get in Dubai's free zones depends mostly on the office it rents. Each free zone publishes its own packages, and a bigger office usually means more visas.
- Flexi desk visa allowance: the entry-level option in most free zones, suited to founders and very small teams. It comes with only a small number of visas.
- Shared or serviced office: a step up, with a higher allowance.
- Private office or warehouse: the allowance grows with the space you lease.
Because every free zone sets its own rules, the same budget can give you a different number of visas in two different zones. Compare the visa allowance, not just the licence price, when you choose. Our free zone company setup team can compare zones for your team size.
Dubai Mainland Visa Quota: How MOHRE Decides
On the mainland, every employee needs a work permit from MOHRE, so MOHRE effectively controls how many visas a mainland company can get. That makes MOHRE the authority behind your employment visa quota in Dubai. Since mid-2022, MOHRE has used published criteria rather than deciding case by case. Under those rules:
- A new company starts with a small quota, generally up to three work permits, unless its activity is on MOHRE's priority lists.
- Companies in priority activities, such as healthcare, education and some service sectors, can receive a larger allocation.
- Established companies that follow the labour rules can grow their quota in proportion to their existing workforce.
So when people ask how many visas a new company can get in Dubai, the honest answer on the mainland is: a few to start with, then more as you hire, pay salaries through WPS and stay compliant.
Your MOHRE file also needs to be set up before any of this. Our guide to MOHRE registration for new companies covers that step, including how company classification affects hiring costs.
Do Investor and Partner Visas Count?
Yes. If you sponsor yourself as a partner or investor through your company, that visa normally uses one slot of the company visa quota in Dubai. Plan your quota around your own visa first, then your staff. If you are deciding between visa types, see our comparison of the investor visa vs employment visa.
Can I Get a Trade License Without a Visa?
Yes. Many free zones offer a trade license without visa slots, which suits owners who already hold a residence visa through a job, a spouse or a Golden Visa. It also lowers the setup cost. You can usually add visa slots later by upgrading your package.
If you need residency, choose a trade license with a visa in Dubai from the start. Takween's free zone setup with one visa starts at AED 10,800. See our trade license Dubai page for the options.
How to Check Visa Quota in the UAE
For a mainland company, the work visa quota and the permits already used can be checked through MOHRE's online services or the MOHRE app with your establishment details, or at a Tas'heel centre. Your PRO can also pull this for you.
For a free zone company, the visa allowance and the visas in use are shown in the free zone's company portal.
If you apply for a visa when the quota is full, the system rejects it. A quick visa quota check in the UAE before a job offer saves you that delay.
Visa Quota Approval From the Ministry of Labour
On the mainland, the first step to hire someone from abroad is a work permit, which MOHRE approves against your quota. People often call this the visa quota approval from the Ministry of Labour (MOHRE's former name). After that, the entry permit is issued, which is the entry visa quota approval stage, and the employee can travel, complete the medical test and Emirates ID, and receive the residence visa.
Before any of this, your company must hold an establishment card, which opens its immigration file. Some people call the overall allowance the establishment quota for this reason. Our establishment card guide explains how it works.
How to Increase Visa Quota in Dubai
If you need more visas, the route depends on your jurisdiction.
Free Zone
- Upgrade to a bigger office or a package with more visas
- Ask the free zone for an increase with a short business case
- Clear any unpaid fees or expired documents first, as they can block the request
Mainland
- Apply to MOHRE through its online services or a Tas'heel centre
- Show a valid licence and Ejari, and explain why you need more staff, such as new contracts
- Keep salaries running through WPS and labour cards up to date
- Meet Emiratisation targets if your company is large enough to be covered
The same steps apply if you want to know how to increase visa quota in the UAE outside Dubai, though each emirate's free zones set their own rules.
Visa Quota Charges in Dubai
There is no single fee for "buying" quota. What you pay depends on the route:
- Free zone: the cost is mostly built into the office package. A bigger package costs more and allows more visas.
- Mainland: the labour quota fee in Dubai is charged per work permit, and the amount depends on your company's MOHRE classification.
- Per visa: each visa also has its own entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and insurance costs.
We give you the full cost per visa for your company before you start hiring.
Common Mistakes With Visa Quota
- Choosing the cheapest free zone package without checking how many visas it allows
- Forgetting that the owner's own visa uses a slot
- Making job offers before checking the quota is free
- Letting WPS payments lapse, which can block a mainland quota increase
- Leaving old visas uncancelled, so slots stay blocked
Plan Your Visas Before You Choose Your Licence
The number of visas you need should shape where you set up and which package you buy, not the other way round. Tell Takween Advisory how many people you plan to hire in the first two years, and we will compare free zone and mainland company setup options with the visa allowance, cost per visa and timeline side by side. For staff visas, see our work visa Dubai service.