What is a freelance permit and how is it different from a freelance visa?

They are related but not the same. A freelance permit is the licence that legally authorises you to provide services independently in a defined professional activity (for example media, tech, or education), issued by a free zone or the relevant UAE authority. A freelance visa is the residence permit that gives you the legal right to live in the UAE. You can hold a freelance permit while your residence is sponsored by someone else (such as a spouse), in which case you only need the permit. If you have no other sponsor, you typically obtain the freelance permit first and then use it as the basis for a residence visa — increasingly through the self-sponsored Green Visa route for freelancers and self-employed professionals. The permit defines what you may do; the visa defines your right to stay. Both involve fees set by the issuing free zone and the immigration authorities, and a residence visa additionally requires a medical fitness test, Emirates ID and health insurance. Requirements and fees are updated periodically, so confirm current details on u.ae. A verified UAE legal professional on LEXAI can clarify which combination you need.