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The one freelance visa Abu Dhabi free zones offer on published terms comes through twofour54. The Creative Media Authority (CMA) issues a freelance licence for media, gaming and entertainment work at AED 4,500 for 12 months with 3 activities, or AED 2,250 for 6 months. Licensing and registration fees are waived for the first 2 years. The residence visa is extra: ICP's own fees for a 2 year visa from abroad are AED 1,000, before the zone's charges and the medical.
The Abu Dhabi freelance license at twofour54
twofour54 runs the Creative Zone at Yas Creative Hub, near Zayed International Airport. The CMA, set up under Abu Dhabi Decree Law No. 8 of , is the licensing body. A freelancer registers as a sole proprietor: the licence is in your own name, not a company's.
| Term | Licence fee | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months | AED 4,500 | 3 |
| 6 months | AED 2,250 | 3 |
| First 2 years from issue | Waived, terms apply |
Source: Creative Media Authority regulation and licence page and business package page, checked .
The waiver covers licensing and registration. It does not cover your visa, your workspace or other service charges. In year three you pay the licence fee in full, so ask for the year-three total in writing.
Agency figures for the full freelancer setup swing widely: about AED 3,539 to AED 19,000 (published prices of 2 setup agencies, checked ). The lower one bundles the permit, a flexi desk and 1 visa. The higher one is a setup fee before first-year running costs. Neither is an official price.
What the visa costs on top
The CMA does not publish its visa processing fee. Two setup agencies put a twofour54 visa at about AED 3,500 to AED 7,000 each (checked ), an agency figure and not the CMA's. What we can show for sure are the federal ICP fees that sit under every UAE residence visa:
| ICP service | Fees |
|---|---|
| Entry permit | AED 100 application, AED 100 issuance, AED 100 smart service |
| Residence permit | AED 100 per year, plus AED 100 application and AED 100 smart service |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year, plus AED 100 smart service; AED 150 extra for urgent |
| Change of status inside the UAE | AED 500 |
Source: ICP service pages, checked .
For a 2 year visa applied from abroad, that is AED 1,000 in ICP fees, or AED 1,500 if you switch status inside the country. Zones add their own processing on top, and the medical test and health insurance are separate. As a reference for zone charges in the same emirate, ADGM lists a new 2 year employment visa from outside the UAE at AED 3,237.39, and KEZAD lists AED 1,500 for the employment residence plus AED 300 for the ID card.
Abu Dhabi freelance visa outside media
If you are a consultant, developer, trader or coach, the twofour54 licence will not cover you. No other Abu Dhabi free zone in our checked data publishes a freelance permit. The practical route is a one-person company that sponsors your visa:
- KEZAD. Start-up package with 1 visa at AED 9,450 for a year, VAT included, with a shared workstation. KEZAD lists no minimum capital and setup in 24 hours. See KEZAD.
- Masdar City Free Zone. Business One at AED 17,500 plus VAT with one visa, establishment card and e-channel included. The Startup package at AED 7,000 has no visa quota.
- ADGM. No freelance licence. A tech founder accepted by Hub71 can take the Tech Start-up licence at USD 1,500 a year for 3 years, with 3 visas for each dedicated desk.
Mainland Abu Dhabi licences are issued by the Department of Economic Development. Its freelance terms and fees are not in our verified data, so ask for them directly. For every published Abu Dhabi price, see the cheapest free zone in Abu Dhabi.
Freelance visa Abu Dhabi requirements
- An activity in media, gaming or entertainment that fits the CMA activity list
- A passport with at least six months' validity and a photo
- Your current visa page and Emirates ID if you already live in the UAE
- A workspace arrangement in the Creative Zone (ask which desk option goes with the freelance licence)
- A medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics in the UAE
Steps
- Check your activities against the CMA list and pick up to 3.
- Apply to twofour54 for the freelance licence and agree the workspace.
- Receive the licence; the waiver clock starts on the issue date.
- Apply for the entry permit, or a change of status if you are already here.
- Do the medical and biometrics, then receive the residence visa and Emirates ID.
The CMA gives 14 working days as its estimated timeline for its business setup process. Ask whether the freelance route is quicker.
Abu Dhabi or another emirate
If cost matters more than the address, Dubai's Expo Freelance includes the visa in a single AED 9,000 price, and one-visa company packages in Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah start lower than Masdar's. Our cheapest freelance visa in the UAE page ranks them, and freelance license UAE explains each permit. For the zone itself, read twofour54.
Ask twofour54 through us
Fill in the form on this page with your field, nationality and where you live now. We run UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com as an independent directory. We are not twofour54, the CMA or any government office. We forward your details to the zone or a licensed setup partner, who replies with the licence, visa and desk costs together.
Sources
- Creative Media Authority regulation and licence: authority, sole proprietor route, freelance licence fees
- Creative Media Authority business package: 2 year waiver, timeline
- twofour54 business setup: sectors and location
- ICP entry permit, ICP residence permit and ICP Emirates ID: federal visa fees
- KEZAD setup solutions and KEZAD tariffs: package and visa lines
- Masdar City Free Zone licence and registration: packages
- ADGM tech start-up: Hub71 route and visas
- u.ae family visa: salary rule
- Rizmona twofour54 page and Noble Core twofour54 guide: agency freelancer prices
- Prodesk twofour54 visa page: agency visa estimate, with Riz & Mona
