How does the RAKEZ visa process work for company setup?

RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone) is a free zone, and its visa process runs alongside your company licence. You cannot apply for visas first — the company comes first, and the licence sets how many visas you can sponsor. The sequence First, establish your RAKEZ entity and obtain a trade or business licence. That licence determines your visa quota, which is the number of residence visas your company can sponsor. RAKEZ then issues an establishment/immigration card that registers your company with the immigration authorities. After that, each applicant — whether you as owner/partner or an employee — goes through an entry permit or e-visa, a status change if they are already inside the UAE, a medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, and finally residence-visa stamping on the residence file. Health insurance is required to issue residence. Because RAKEZ sits in Ras Al Khaimah, immigration steps are handled through the relevant local residency directorate, coordinated with the federal system administered by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). The number of visas you can sponsor is usually linked to your licence type and your office or facility package. How long it takes There is no single fixed national timeline. The visa moves through the defined stages above, and the total time depends on how quickly each one clears. Express or VIP medical and processing options can shorten some stages. Durations vary with your package type, medical-centre load, and whether your documents are already attested. Ask RAKEZ for their current processing estimate for your package rather than relying on a generic figure, and keep passports, photographs and attested documents ready so nothing stalls mid-file. What documents you need There are two layers: company formation documents and immigration documents. For incorporation, expect to provide passport copies of the owner(s) and any managers, passport-style photographs, a proposed company name and your chosen business activities, and — depending on the legal form, items such as a memorandum/articles or a board resolution. Corporate shareholders usually need attested company documents. For the residence visa stage, you typically need the trade licence, the establishment/immigration card, the entry permit, a medical fitness test result, and Emirates ID biometrics. Documents issued abroad may require attestation and legal translation. Exact requirements vary by activity, legal form and nationality, so request RAKEZ's current document checklist for your specific package before submitting. Tracking your application RAKEZ coordinates submissions on your behalf, so it is your first point of contact for the status of a licence or visa file. The entry permit and residence stages themselves sit with the immigration authorities under the ICP system. Fees, quotas and processing details are set by RAKEZ and the immigration authorities and are updated periodically, so request a current, itemised breakdown from RAKEZ directly. For structuring your licence to match your visa needs, or for help reviewing and attesting documents, you can compare verified UAE legal and corporate professionals on LEXAI.