What is the indicative cost?

From US$ 4,500 + government fees. The lower bound is for clean, standard profiles; the upper bound is for complex ownership structures, multi-jurisdiction projects or regulated activity. A fixed quote follows a 30-minute scoping call.

Do I need to be physically present in the UAE?

In most cases, no. The entire process runs remotely under a notarised power of attorney. A handful of jurisdictions require an in-person visit (typically biometrics for a residence permit) — we plan those as efficiently as possible.

Do you handle the follow-on — banking, tax, compliance?

Yes. Every project is built so the same desk that runs this service takes on ongoing banking, monthly bookkeeping, annual filings and compliance. No hand-off to another provider.

What if my situation isn't standard?

Non-standard situations — complex ownership chains, regulated activity, exits from high-tax jurisdictions, existing structures — are the norm for us, not the exception. We scope in 30 minutes before issuing a quote.

Who actually does the work — partners or account managers?

Every project is led by a named partner. Senior staff handle the filings. Administrative tasks (delivery, courier, calendar) sit with junior staff. The partner remains the single point of contact across all eight practices.

Does tax residency change automatically?

No. Tax residency is determined by domestic tests in the origin and destination country, not by visa status. We coordinate the visa and tax sides specifically to keep the position consistent.

Founder visa in the UAE | INNOVA Consulting Group

▸ About this service

What is founder visa in the UAE?

Founder visa is one of 6 parts of our “Immigration & Relocation” practice. It covers the full cycle from initial scoping to operational launch, run by a single named partner from our the UAE desk.

What it is in the UAE: canada SUV · UK Innovator · Estonia. Residency comes together with the legal entity. Corporate tax (CT) compliance is now a serious operational matter, not a formality.

▸ In detail

How we handle founder visa

The “Founder visa” project in the UAE is structured as a 4-stage process run by a single named partner.

Entrepreneur visas, employment passes, investor residency — sequenced with the corporate setup so neither blocks the other.

The same desk that runs founder visa handles your banking, bookkeeping, compliance and — where needed — your wind-down.INNOVA · Operating model

▸ Jurisdiction

Why the UAE

The UAE is a strategic hub with a 9% corporate tax, Free Zone relief on qualifying income, and residency tied to the company structure. We work with every key zone, know the real banking onboarding timeline, and know how to avoid getting stuck on KYC requests.

▸ 01 · Advantage

A reliable regulatory environment

Residency comes together with the legal entity. Corporate tax (CT) compliance is now a serious operational matter, not a formality.

▸ 02 · Advantage

Banking ecosystem

Tier-1 banks (ADIB, FAB, Emirates NBD, HSBC ME, Mashreq) can be opened with the right KYC documentation. Realistic timeline: 2–6 weeks. An account without the "right" document pack means another 3 months of correspondence.

▸ 03 · Advantage

Corporate tax 9% (0% on qualifying Free Zone income)

The real tax position depends on the structure — we model it before registration.

▸ 04 · Advantage

INNOVA desk on the ground

Dubai · since 2018

▸ Why us

Why INNOVA

Operational differences that hold up on the 2nd, 5th and 10th project — not just at first impression.

01

One partner — the whole cycle

Registration, banking, tax, compliance, immigration — run by one team from start to finish.

02

14 years of practice

Working since 2012 through several regulatory cycles — including FATCA/CRS, the tightening of banking, and the introduction of UAE CT.

03

Regulator-grade documentation

Every output document is ready for audit and investor scrutiny — whatever the size of the deal.

04

Multi-jurisdiction within the group

Cross-border work is handled inside the group — no chain of external subcontractors.

▸ Process

How the work is structured

A 4-stage process led by a single named partner — from the intro call to the operational hand-over.

01

Route assessment

Routes and realistic timelines

▸ Result: Selection of the optimal route

3 daysStep 1 of 4

02

Document gathering

Certificates, financial documents and references

▸ Result: Document-pack assembly

2–4 weeksStep 2 of 4

03

Submission

Filing with the embassy or online

▸ Result: Application preparation

1 weekStep 3 of 4

04

Decision and relocation

Approval, biometrics, entry and settling in

▸ Result: Submission and ongoing handling

1–6 monthsStep 4 of 4

▸ Information exchange

What we need from you · what you get from us

What we need from you to begin, and what you receive on completion.

▸ From you

What we need

→

Passport + biographical dataall family members
Education + qualificationswhere the route requires
Police clearance certificatesper jurisdiction
Financial evidenceto thresholds
Health and insurancewhere required

▸ From us

What you receive

↓

Visa / residence permitissued
Resident cardbiometric
Tax-residency application supportdocumented
Family-member visaslinked
Renewal calendarset up

▸ Engagement formats

Four ways to work together

We don't quote a fixed price without understanding your situation — cost depends on the complexity of your case. Start with a free call, then we pick the right format.

M/01

Intro call

A 30-minute online consultation. We discuss your situation, define the project scope, and propose a structure and timeline. Free.

30 min · freeBook →

M/02

Written analysis

A written consultation with a full review of the business — tax positioning, structure options, jurisdiction comparison, banking path. Turnaround: 5 business days.

5 b.d. · on requestRequest →

M/03

Operating roadmap

For complex situations — multi-jurisdiction structures, regulated activity, founder relocation. A full plan with stages, dependencies, deliverables and timing.

2–4 wks · on requestRequest →

M/04

Direct execution

You know what you need — we execute. No advisory mark-up and no discovery phase.

2–8 wks · on requestStart →

▸ About cost We don't work at dumping rates and we don't publish a fixed price list — every project is scoped individually. The exact price is quoted after the intro call, usually within 24 hours.

▸ Questionnaire

Fill in the questionnaire

Complete the online questionnaire: it creates your account on the portal, where your structure, renewal reminders and documents will live.

Fill in the questionnaire

4 steps · creates an INNOVA portal account · 24h review.

▸ Online · ~5 min

→

▸ INNOVA portal · what you get

Once you submit the questionnaire we create a portal account. Inside: your live structure, a renewals calendar (annual returns, register updates, tax filings), a document vault (certificates, share register, bank letters), a partner chat and project status. A single place for your entire operational life.

▸ Client review

From a client

A review from a client who went through a comparable project. Verified, the engagement is ongoing.

INNOVA registered our UAE structure, opened the account, arranged the visas and onboarded an accountant in under six weeks. “One partner” isn't marketing: literally one person answers for everything.

AE

Fintech founder

Dubai, UAE · name under NDA

▸ Sector

Fintech

▸ Project

DXB · 14 mo · ongoing

▸ Status

Anonymised · ongoing

▸ FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The questions we're asked most often. If yours isn't here, an intro call is the fastest way to get an answer.

Most “Founder visa” projects in the UAE run from 2 to 8 weeks start to finish. The fastest stage is document filing; the longest is post-registration onboarding (banking, tax registration). A single named partner runs the project throughout.