An independent
future awaits you
TECOM Group believes in freelance talent and its ability to transform our economy by infusing diverse skills into the community. GoFreelance – take control of your career!
Showcase your
talent at our
marketplace.ae
marketplace connects our community of talented freelancers with companies seeking specialized skills. Freelancers registered with GoFreelance are automatically enrolled on marketplace.ae
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1. If I currently have a full-time job, can I apply for a freelance permit only?Yes, you just need to provide a NOC letter from your sponsor and/or employer.
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2. Am I allowed to work for a company, or in a company’s premises, with my freelance permit?You may work as an independent contractor with that company and from that company’s premises in the free zone.
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3. What are the boundaries of working? E.g. Can I only work in the TECOM free zone or outside the free zone as well?You can work from the TECOM free zones.
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4. Am I allowed to register for VAT?
If you are making between AED 187,500 per year and AED 375,000 per year then you may register for VAT, if you choose to. If you make more than AED 375,000 per year, you must register for VAT. For more information, please visit https://government.ae/en/information-and-services/finance-and-investment/taxation/valueaddedtaxvat
VAT If you don’t register, it’s always a good idea to keep good accounts just in case the policy changes in the future.
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5. Do I need to show my bank details or a yearly audit report at the time of renewal?No. In fact, we do not require you to do an annual audit of your financial accounts as a freelancer. Again, it would be advisable to keep accurate accounts in case this status changes at a later stage.
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6. What about the sponsor NOC? What does that mean?
If you are sponsored and employed by another company, and you decide to leave that company in order to obtain the freelance permit, the company will need to issue a release letter of no objection (NOC) for you to apply for the freelance permit.
If you have already cancelled your visa then the NOC will not be required; only the visa cancellation page. If you are sponsored by your spouse or parent to reside in the UAE, you only need a letter of no objection (NOC) from them. You are not required to change your visa status.
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7. Can I sponsor any employees?No, you can’t hire or sponsor any employees via your freelance permit.
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8. Can I sponsor my dependents?Yes! After your visa has been stamped, you can apply for a residence visa for your dependents via axs. (This excludes residence visas for domestic workers which needs to be applied for outside of axs.)
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9. Can I convert from a regular freelance permit to Gofreelance?Yes, you can, upon the renewal of your current regular freelance package.
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10. Can I transfer from my current visa to a Gofreelance visa?Generally, yes, depending on where the visa has been issued. For more details, please contact the axs Call Centre on 800-4297.
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11. What’s the validity of the freelance permit?The permit is renewable on an annual basis.
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12. Am I allowed to use a company name?No. The freelance permit is issued under your name only.
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13. What name will appear on my cheques?The cheques will have your name, and all the transactions will be carried out under your name only.
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14. Who will be my point of contact if I need to follow up on my application status?Dubai Internet City Business Centre, Dubai Media City Business Centre or Dubai Knowledge Park Business Centre.
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15. If the person is outside the country and has an approved freelance permit via email, can they then apply for a visa through axs?Yes. First you need to visit the website and apply online. After you have been approved, the permit has been paid for and you have received your permit via e-mail, you can then apply for a visa.
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16. What are the type of freelance activities permitted and where can I view them?At present we have tech, education and media activities. For a complete list of activities, please click here.
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17. Does the AED 7500 fee include a visa?No. This is just the cost for the permit.
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18. How much time will it take to get the permit?Once your application has been approved, it should take between 10–15 working days.
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19. How can I apply?To apply, click here and fill in your details with the following documents:
For media activities:
• Application form
• Resume/CV (just a simple one, of about 1-2 pages)
• Passport copy
• Visa copy (if you are applying from within the UAE)
• Bank reference letter (this can come from any local or international bank where you hold an account presently)
• Sponsor’s NOC (if you are applying for a permit and have a current residence visa)
• Portfolio or sample of work (online link or PDF)
For tech activities:
• Application Form
• Resume/CV (Just a simple one, of about 1-2 pages)
• Passport copy
• Visa copy (if you are applying from within the UAE)
• Bank reference letter (this can come from any local or international bank where you hold an account presently)
• Sponsor’s NOC (if you are applying for a permit and have a current residence visa)
For education activities:
• Application Form
• Resume/CV (Just a simple one, of about 1-2 pages)
• Passport copy
• Visa copy (if you are applying from within the UAE)
• Bank reference letter (this can come from any local or international bank where you hold an account presently)
• Sponsor’s NOC (if you are applying for a permit and have a current residence visa)
• Credentials and certificates
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20. What does a bank reference letter look like?Click here for a template.
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21. How do I pay for the permit once approved?You can visit the business centre and make the payment in cash, card or cheque. Once the permit is issued, it will be sent to your email as an electronic permit.
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22. Can I apply for a residence visa? What is the cost of the residence visa?1. Yes, you can. As required by the DNRD, you will need to apply for an establishment card first which costs AED 1,750 (to be renewed annually).
2. Once you get the establishment card, you may apply for a residence visa.
3. The standard residence visa is for 3 years. The below cost excludes health insurance but is inclusive of:
a. Visa stamping
b. Medical test
c. Emirates ID
4. If you are applying from outside the UAE then the residence visa cost will be:
a. AED 3,330 (Normal)
b. AED 3,900 (Express)
5. If you are applying from within the UAE then the residence visa cost will be:
a. AED 4,960 (Normal)
b. AED 6,340 (Express)
6. You need to apply for a UAE health insurance separately as part of the residence visa process. For assistance, please call axs on 8004297.
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23. Once I have the freelance permit and visa, can I request for various letters?If you are sponsored for residence through DDA (formerly known as DCCA), then you can request for a salary certificate, NOC, consulate and embassy letters, NOC for driving licence, as well as other letters.
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24. When applying for my salary certificate, what amount do I declare?For the purpose of getting a salary certificate you will need to provide an estimate on what your expected salary could be. This certificate may be required for opening a bank account or sponsoring your dependents.
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25. Do I then need to put the same amount into my bank account?It is not necessary to deposit the same amount into your bank account.
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26. What are the timings of the business centre?The business centre is open 24x7, 365 days a year.
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27. Do Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Park run networking events during the year?Yes, they run a series of networking events.
Ready to join GoFreelance?
Let us know!
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How it works
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Freelance activities
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Apply and upload
Get. Set. GoFreelance.
You can now be part of one of the leading business communities in the region by applying for our freelance offerings within any of these three industries:
• Tech (Dubai Internet City)
• Media (Dubai Media City)
• Education (Dubai Knowledge Park)
You can also acquire a residence visa and access our business centers. For Tech and Education, you can choose one business activity and for Media you can choose up to three activities.
Steps to join
Be independent with GoFreelance in three simple steps.
Sign & Pay
02
Once you receive an email approval on your application, visit our business centre to sign the documents and pay the fees.
GoFreelance
03
Shortly afterwards, your freelance permit will be sent to you via email and you’re ready to GoFreelance!
Documents
During the application process, you will be required to upload the following documents:
• Passport Copy• Visa Copy (if available)
Fees
The fee for the freelance package is AED 7,500 per year, this includes the Freelancer Permit and access to the co-working spaces only. For more information on the establishment card and visa fees; visit the FAQs section Q22 for more information.
Ready to GoFreelance?
Where to go
After your application is approved, visit the appropriate business centre as per your freelance sector.
Dubai
Internet City
Phone: +971 4 391 1111E-mail: gofreelance@dic.ae
Address: Building #4, Ground Floor, Dubai Internet City
Dubai
Media City
Phone: +971 4 391 4555E-mail: gofreelance@dmc.ae
Address: Building #2, 2nd floor,
Dubai Media City
Dubai
Knowledge Park
Phone: +971 4 390 1111E-mail: gofreelance@dkp.ae
Address: Block #18, 3rd floor,
Dubai Knowledge Park
Freelance Activities
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TECH ACTIVITIES
Web, Mobile, Software Development and Architecture Freelancer
• Desktop Software Development
• E-commerce Development
• Game Development
• Mobile Development
• Product Management
• Q&A Testing
• Scripts & Utilities
• Web Development
• Web & Mobile Design
• Software Development
IT and Telecommunication Networking Freelancer
• Database Administration
• ERP/CRM Software
• Information Security
• Network & System Administration
• IT & Networking
Data Science and Analytics Freelancer
• A/B Testing
• Data Visualisation
• Data Extraction ETL
• Data Mining & Management
• Machine Learning
• Quantitative Analysis
• Data Science & Analytics
Customer Service Freelancer
• Customer Service
• Technical Support & Related Services -
EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
Education Advisor
Assists higher education providers, inside and outside the free zone, on various programme requirements, governmental collaborations and students' admission, entrance procedures, etc.
eLearning Advisor
An individual offering eLearning support and consultancy services.
Executive Coaching
Provide organisations with a structured system that identifies the highest standards in coaching leaders, directors and high potential senior executives to motivate and develop other employees' knowledge and skills.
Researcher
To conduct research for serving educational institutions, students, faculties, Human Resource Management fields and other participants in the education industry.
Trainer
An individual providing training to professionals in the areas of IT, media, business and management, logistics, languages, and associated areas. -
MEDIA ACTIVITIES
Actor
A person taking up an acting role in a film, TV programme, commercial or an event.
Aerial Shoot Photographer
A person who does aerial still photography as a medium to communicate ideas and express opinions.
Animator
A person who creates characters for animation and produces these animations in motion pictures, video games or animation design.
Artist
A person specialised in one of the visual or fine arts, such as painting, sculpting or singing.
Audio/Sound Engineer
A person responsible for the technical aspects of a sound recording system or sound broadcast.
Brand Consultant
A brand consultant comes up with creative ideas and designs to promote, build and revitalise the brands and products of a company.
Cameraman
A person in charge of photography and motion pictures using all types of camera equipment.
Choreographer
A person who creates original dance sequences and develops new interpretations of existing dance sequences.
Commentators: Radio, Events, Sports, Television
A person who acts as a commentator, journalist or an opinion-maker for readers, viewers and listeners.Composer
A person who creates original music.
Content Provider
A person who creates and maintains databases containing information from an information provider and/or provides documents containing information for a website or electronic media.
Copywriter
A person who creates written aspects for productions such as original catch phrases, slogans and straplines, and also writes advertisements, brochures, sales and promotion materials.
Creative Director
A person who oversees the management of transforming creative media concepts into communicated media.
Critics: Music, Film, Theatre
A person providing documented feedback on industry ongoings.
Director: Film, Television, Music, Theatre
A person who is responsible for the creative decisions of a production.
Editor: Audio/Video
A person acting as an audio/video editor offering services in post-production and involved in the editing process.
Editor: Publishing
A person who develops ideas for upcoming issue themes, identifies and collaborates editorially with writers and contributes his/her own writing and analysis to the project for publications.
Events Planner
A person who designs, organises and coordinates conferences, meetings, exhibitions, shows and other events.
Furniture Designer
A person who designs furniture and home accessories.
Graphic Designer
A person who creates and arranges images to communicate a message, including logo design, 3D design, product decoration, packaging, signage, identities, etc.
Illustrator
A narrative artist who provides visual representation to accompanying text, such as illustrations in children’s books.
Journalist
A person writing articles and reports for broadcast or publication media such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, documentary film and the Internet.
Lighting Specialist
A person skilled in setting the mood, and who shapes and moulds the visual image captured on the television, on film and on video, using lighting effects.
Market Analyst
A person who collects and analyses data to evaluate existing and potential product as well as service markets.
Marketing Specialist
A person who creates and manages marketing strategies to promote products and services, through coordination with advertising and distribution agents.
Media Planner
A person who translates a client’s marketing objectives into a media plan, by identifying the most appropriate target audiences and advertising media.
Music Director
A person who conducts, direct, plans and leads instrumental or vocal performances by musical groups.
Musician
A person who plays a musical instrument for a profession.
New Media Specialist
A person who provides technical advice linking new media to equipment or any kind of new media technology.
Photographer
A person who uses still photography as a medium to communicate ideas and express opinions.
Photojournalist
A person specialised in collecting photographic news content, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast.
PR Specialist
Public relations specialists handling media relations, promotional campaigns and press releases as well as conflict mediation through media communications either by print or broadcast; also arranges media related events between organisation representatives and the public.
Presenter: TV/Radio
A person who presents content and news on radio or TV.
Print Media Specialist
A person specialised in organising, structuring and editing information for printed publications like newspapers and magazines.
Producer
A person who oversees the business and financial decisions for a motion picture including obtaining resources, creating scripts, and overseeing production.
Scriptwriter
A person who creates the written material for television, radio, theatre and film productions.
Set and Exhibit Designer
A person who designs and creates sets for movies, television and theatre productions and special exhibition displays.
Social Media Specialist
A person who specialises in social media platforms.
Social Media Influencer
A person who is a user of social media platforms, has access to a network of followers and who can influence those followers to utilise third party products or services.
Special Effects Producer
A multimedia artist who creates special effects or other visual images on film, video or other electronic media.
Translator
A person certified by a competent authority to convert written materials from one language into another.
Wardrobe Stylist
A person who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures.
Web Developer
A software developer who is engaged in the development of worldwide web applications.
Web Designer
A professional web designer who conceptualises and creates websites on the worldwide web.
Writer
A person who composes all types of creative literature including novels, children's literature, plays and poetry.
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