Trivup blog
Guides to working and doing business in the UAE and the Gulf.
Freelance visas, work permits, the digital nomad visa and company formation in Dubai, Oman and Saudi Arabia — explained plainly by the consultants who prepare the applications. The authorities decide every application; these guides explain how it works.
Freelance visa
Freelance visa in Dubai: what it means and which of the three routes fits you
"Freelance visa" is shorthand for more than one application. Here are the three routes, how to choose between them, the steps involved, and what renewal and family sponsorship mean.
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Work permit
UAE work permit and residence visa through a licensed agency: who holds what, and what it means for you
A plain guide to the work permit and residence visa route: who employs and sponsors you, what Trivup does, the stages in order, and how it differs from a freelance permit.
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Freelance permit
Freelance permit or freelance license in the UAE: which one do you need?
Both are issued in your own name, but only one lets you invoice clients, use a business bank account, hold your own residency visa and sponsor family. Here is how to choose.
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Digital nomad visa
The Dubai digital nomad visa: who it is for, what to prepare, and when a freelance permit fits better
The remote work visa is for people whose income comes from outside the UAE. Here is who it suits, what to prepare, how the application runs, and when a freelance permit is the better route.
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Business setup Dubai
Setting up a company in Dubai: how to choose between Mainland, Free Zone and Offshore
Mainland, free zone or offshore: the right choice follows from what the company will do, who it sells to, how many visas it needs and whether it needs an office.
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Business setup Oman
Business setup in Oman: choosing between an LLC, an SPC, a branch and a free zone company
Four structures, one decision that shapes everything after it. Who an LLC, an SPC, a branch and a free zone company each suit, and the order a mainland registration follows.
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Business setup Saudi Arabia
Business setup in Saudi Arabia: a Saudi company or a branch of yours?
A foreign investor usually forms a Saudi company (LLC) or opens a branch of a company abroad. Four questions decide which, and a set of registrations follows.
Read the guideNo guides on this yet — ask a consultant instead.
Talk it through
Have a question the guides do not answer?
Tell a consultant where you stand today. You get the route that fits and what it involves, in writing, before anything is filed. Trivup is a private company, not a government website; approval is always the authorities’.