With a freelance license, you will be able to:
- Conduct a freelance business within your chosen category
- Work online and remotely
- Offer your services to clients through your chosen work portal
- Legally accept money in your bank account
- Work without a NOC within the Emirate of Dubai
- Enjoy a high-quality lifestyle offered by Dubai
- Be a part of one of the largest growing gig economies in the world
- Access a growing community of freelancers from across the globe

When applying as a resident of the UAE,
- Colored passport copy
- Colored Residence Visa copy
- Colored passport-size photographs
- Emirates ID copy
- Resume
- Social media profiles that will be used for conducting business
- Educational certificates
- Local address and phone number
- 3 trade name options

Some common factors to include in a freelance contract are:
Recitals: Include the who, what, when, where, and how in your contract.

Duration: Getting an estimated duration of the project would help you as a freelancer in the case where you would require additional time to make any changes.
Timeline: Include a timeline for your clients as well so that they can reply with any requests or queries for you. This can help you structure your future tasks as well.
Deliverables: Ensure to mention the way you would be delivering the files to your client. This can be done to avoid any miscommunication and last-moment changes to the file types.
Remuneration: Freelancers usually charge by the hour. The payment terms should be mentioned and followed clearly to avoid any confusion in the future. 
Cancellation policy: In some cases, a project may get canceled after you start working on it. Without a contract, you may not get paid at all. Therefore, ensure to include a cancellation clause in your contract.
General conditions: These may include the laws of the land, non-disclosure agreements, confidentiality, and so on.

Here are some essential elements to include in a freelance business plan:
Company Summary and purpose
Target audience
Your services
Competitor differentiation plan
Client acquisition and management plan
Marketing and sales strategies
Goals, milestones, and timelines
Financial plan and expenses

Be an expert in your field: You can stand out from the competition by offering exceptional service at an appropriate price. Freelancers are not hired based on the fact that they are cheap but based on their expertise and the service they offer.
Be active on social media: As a freelancer, you should be active and available on social media as you never know where your next gig would come from.
Ask for recommendations/reviews: You should always ask for recommendations and reviews from your clients that you have worked with. Their kind words and recommendations can increase your reliability and help you secure more gigs.
Build a portfolio website: As a freelancer, a portfolio website is like having a storefront for your products and services. Your clients, both existing and potential, can know your levels of services and decide to hire you.
Use SEO: Using Search Engine Optimization can help you increase your rankings on search engines and make your profile more visible to potential clients.
Start a blog: A freelance blog can be beneficial in more ways than one. You could monetize through affiliate marketing and even share your expertise with others.
Email marketing: Email marketing can make your customers know about new offerings, discounts, and other services. It can help you keep them engaged between purchases.
Create free profiles on freelance websites: Creating profiles on freelance websites can help you increase your reach to a variety of audiences.
Networking: As a freelancer, networking is essential. They not only help you build connections but could also help you secure more and better gigs.
Join and connect through forums: Forums can help you provide knowledge to others over the internet and even advertise your work and ability to potential clients.

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
Dubai Business Women Council
Abu Dhabi Business Women Council
Dubai Women Establishment
Women Entrepreneurship Summit MENA

Online tutor, Personal trainer
Make-up or hairstylist
Interior designer
Web designer
Sports instructor
Journalist
Life coach
Marketing or PR professional
Babysitter or nanny

To start working as a freelancer and living in the UAE, you will need to have a residence visa and a freelance license.

The two common types of pricing strategies for a freelancer include hourly and project-based (fixed) pricing. Hourly pricing refers to projects being priced according to the number of hours that a freelancer works on a particular project. Some examples of an hourly-based project include customer service and technical support. The project-based (fixed) pricing strategy is charging a fixed rate for the entire project. Your payment would be based on the results you deliver instead of the number of hours you spend working on the project. This option is ideally recommended for projects with clearly defined deliverables. Some common examples of fixed-price contracts include web design and mobile app development.

This could differ as per the rules or the ares you are freelancing from; however, you are not required to do an annual audit of your financial accounts as a freelancer. It is advisable to keep accurate accounts of your finances in case this status changes in the future.

The cheque would have your name and all freelance transactions would be carried out under your name.

A freelance license needs to be renewed on an annual basis. With Freedom2Work, you can choose from our packages and apply for a freelance license and visa based on your requirements.

You can request to get a salary certificate, NOC, consulate and embassy letters, NOC for driving license, as well as other official letters. However, you can check with our in-house experts for more details.

You can make the payment through cash, a card, or a check. Once the permit gets approved and is issued, you would receive it as an electronic permit.

Normally, once you apply for a permit, you would receive it within 10-15 working days. However, this time is subject to change without any prior notice.

If you are being sponsored by another company and you decide to leave that company to obtain a freelance permit, you would need to acquire a release letter of no objection (NOC) for you to apply for the said permit. However, if you have already canceled your visa and are applying for a permit then a NOC will not be required but only the visa cancellation page. If you are being sponsored by your spouse or parent to reside within the UAE, you would only need a NOC letter from them and you will not be required to change your visa status.

If you earn between AED 187,500 and AED 375,000 per year as a freelancer, then you can register for VAT if you choose to. If you make more than AED 375,000 per year, then you would have to register for VAT.

Yes, you can work as an independent contractor with a company and from its premises in a Free Zone.

Freelancers in Dubai can get paid through mediums such as PayPal, Payoneer, bank wire transfers, checks, and accounting software.

Some of the benefits of a business plan include that they help you get back on track in the event of a downfall. A business plan would include possible solutions for any problems you might encounter along the way.

A freelance business plan helps you take an in-depth look at the viability of your business. It includes strategies that you can refer to build your client base and grow your business’ revenue.

A formal contract is legally binding and signed between the client and the freelancer. It is mainly used by organizations. An informal contract, on the other hand, is more like a letter of agreement used by small businesses or individuals requiring a service for personal use. Loopholes could arise more in an informal contract as compared to a formal one.

The two common types of freelance contracts include Formal and Informal contracts.

Broadly speaking, some of the essential tools you, as a freelancer, would need include accounting, web hosting, project management, and time management software.

You will require to obtain a NOC from your primary employer to be able to work on weekends.

Freelance visa holders can travel in and out of the UAE without any restrictions. However, as per the regulations, you must not stay outside the UAE for a period exceeding 6 months for a stretch to ensure the validity of the visa. Those who do end up staying outside the country for more than 6 months could face automatic visa cancellation.

According to the regulations, freelancers require a Ministry of Labour contract that mentions their monthly salary. You can sponsor your family if you have a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or higher.

An invoice is a legal document that includes detailed billing information for a transaction for the service provided by you as a freelancer. An invoicing service can help you create and generate VAT-inclusive invoices for your clients.

No, only specific professional activities are allowed under a freelance license. To carry out trading activities, you must have a trade license with either freezone, mainland, or offshore company setup.

As a freelancer, you will be able to work in person across the Emirate of Dubai. However, you will be able to provide your services throughout the UAE through the online medium.

Generally, yes. You can transfer your current employment visa to a freelance visa; however, we, at Freedom2Work, would require your visa cancellation copy before proceeding to apply for the freelance visa. For more details, you can get in touch with us at info@freedom2work.com or 800-FREEDOM (373 3366).

If your visa is currently under the cancellation process, you would submit your visa cancellation along with the required documents to our Freedom2Work office. Upon approval and payment, you will be able to receive your freelance visa.

Yes, you can start freelancing work from home with a freelance license in Dubai.

No, freelancers are not required to take office space. You are free to work from whatever premises you wish.

No, you cannot hire or sponsor any employees through your freelance permit because your license would indicate that you operate as a sole trader.

Yes, you can open a bank account. However, the approval depends on the banking partner.

No, the freelance license will only be issued in your name.

The freelance permit is valid for 2 years and will be renewed on an annual basis.

In the UAE, having health insurance along with a residence visa is mandatory. You can let us know of your health insurance needs and our Freedom2Work team can help assist you to choose the right policy.

When applying for a freelance license with Freedom2Work, it would take an estimated 14 working days for your application to be approved.

No, but you can always apply for a UAE residence visa and, in the meantime, obtain a freelance license. Contact us at info@freedom2work.com to know more about it.

Yes, all freelancers in the UAE will require a residency visa to live and work in the UAE. All non-residents will have to apply for a residency visa, while all residents can choose to convert their residency visa to a freelance one. For more details, please contact our team.

If you need to cancel your license for any reason, the main costs you would handle are health insurance cancellation and visa cancellation fees. However, this is subject to change without any prior intimation.

Service professionals looking to freelance in Dubai can choose from the pre-approved set of categories from the DET. If you are unable to find your chosen category, connect with our experts at info@freedom2work.com or 800-FREEDOM.

Yes, you can work as a freelancer while having a full-time job under the new Labour Law. However, you may need to get permission from your employer for the same; in some cases, you would also need to acquire a no-objection certificate (NOC) to work as a freelancer while having a full-time job.

To start working as a freelancer and living in the UAE, you will need to have a residence visa and a freelance license.

To know more about the benefits and inclusions of these packages, get in touch with us.

To know more about the pricing of our freelance packages, please contact us.

Freedom2Work offers 3 packages, namely Gold, Silver, and Platinum.

We, at Freedom2Work, provide a 2-year freelance license. With guidance from our experienced in-house experts, you can enjoy a hassle-free process and get started with your freelance career in Dubai. Get in touch with us today at our toll-free number 800-FREEDOM (373 3366) or at info@freedom2work.com to know more.

UAE citizens, residents, or non-residents can now apply for a freelance license. Moreover, individuals can now apply for a freelance license from outside the country and then come to work and live in the UAE!

Yes, freelancing is legal in the UAE. To kickstart your career as a freelancer in Dubai, UAE, you need to have a valid freelance license and a residence visa.