How to Start an Immigration Business with Meydan Free Zone

Every relocation to the UAE involves a stack of paperwork, a visa pathway, and a tight window of compliance to clear. The new job, the property purchase, the family move: each one runs through that same process, and most people don’t handle it alone. They hire an immigration consultant.

The UAE has spent the last five years rewriting its residency rules to attract talent, capital, and long-term residents. The result is heavy, sustained activity in residency applications, and steady demand for professionals who can guide individuals, families, and businesses through the process.

The numbers tell the story. According to IMI Daily, citing Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs¹, the GDRFA issued 158,000 Golden Visas in 2023 alone, nearly double the 79,617 issued in 2022 and more than triple the 47,150 issued in 2021. Across the wider population, Global Media Insight² reports that expatriates now make up around 88.5% of the UAE’s 11.35 million residents. For an immigration consultancy, that means a deep, recurring client base: first-time movers, long-term residents renewing status, and businesses sponsoring foreign staff.

Dubai’s Golden Visa pipeline is no anomaly: issuance jumped from 47,150 in 2021 to 158,000 in 2023, more than tripling in two years. Pair that with expatriates making up 88.5% of the UAE’s 11.35M population and you have a recurring, deep client base for any immigration consultancy positioned to serve it.

Source: IMI Daily / Dubai GDRFA (Aug 2024); Global Media Insight UAE Population Statistics 2025 (2025).

Every visa, work permit, and residency renewal is a service touchpoint. As the UAE’s population keeps growing and its residency programmes keep expanding, immigration consultants stay busy because two factors run in parallel. Government policy keeps changing, and global demand for UAE residency keeps rising.

Whether you’re advising private clients on Golden Visa eligibility, helping employers process work permits, or running a full-service relocation agency, operating legally in Dubai requires the right immigration trade license.

7020.14: Immigration Consultancy

Activity code 7020.14 covers advisory and consultancy services for individuals, families, and businesses navigating UAE immigration. Consultants under this code provide strategic guidance on visa categories, eligibility, sponsorship structures, business immigration planning, and compliance with residency regulations.

This is the strategy and advisory layer of the immigration profession. You help clients work out which visa pathway fits their situation, you assess their qualifications against eligibility criteria, you plan corporate sponsorship structures, and you guide them through regulatory requirements before any paperwork is filed.

Day to day, this might mean advising a multinational on how to structure work permits for a relocating leadership team, assessing whether a senior executive qualifies for a Golden Visa under the AED 30,000 monthly salary threshold, or guiding a family through the sequence of approvals required to bring elderly parents under a long-term sponsorship.

This activity code suits founders building a strategy-led consultancy practice. It tends to attract people with backgrounds in HR, corporate mobility, immigration law (in an advisory capacity), or international business consulting.

However, this business activity excludes;

• Design of computer software for accounting systems
• Legal advice and legal representation (requires separate legal qualifications)
• Accounting, bookkeeping, auditing, and tax consulting
• Architectural, engineering, and other technical advisory work
• Advertising, marketing campaign creation, and promotional services
• Market research and public opinion polling
• Executive search and senior recruitment placement
• Educational consulting (school selection, curriculum advisory, etc.)

Third-Party Approval: No third-party approval is required for activity code 7020.14.‍

Anti-money Laundering Requirement: This business activity is exempt from AML requirements. 

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7490.92: Immigration Services

Activity code 7490.92 covers the operational, hands-on side of immigration: completing and submitting paperwork, liaising with government authorities, providing translation and interpretation, and supporting clients through the practical steps of relocating to the UAE.

This is the execution layer. You take a client from “approved in principle” to fully resident in the UAE, handling the documents, the submissions, the follow-ups, and the post-arrival logistics. It also covers the human side of relocation, including housing introductions, school placements, and cultural orientation.

Day to day, this might mean processing a Golden Visa application end-to-end on behalf of a real estate investor, arranging certified translation of foreign academic credentials for a healthcare professional, helping a newly arrived family find housing and schools, or coordinating work permit issuance and Emirates ID registration for a corporate sponsor.

This activity code suits founders running full-service relocation agencies, family-focused immigration firms, or B2C consultancies that handle cases from initial consultation through to settlement.

However, this business activity excludes;

• Wholesale or retail auction activities, including online auctions and used motor vehicle auctions
• Real estate brokerage (buying and selling properties)
• Bookkeeping and routine financial record-keeping
• Management, architecture, and engineering consultancy
• Advertising design, display creation, and industrial design
• Convention and trade show organisation
• Independent auctioneer activities
• Loyalty programme administration, consumer credit, and debt counselling
• Authorship of scientific and technical books and independent journalism

Third-Party Approval: No third-party approval is required for activity code 7490.92.‍

Anti-money Laundering Requirement: This business activity is exempt from AML requirements. 

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Who Is This License For?

Both activity codes serve professionals working in the immigration space, but the right code depends on the kind of practice you intend to build. The table below maps common founder profiles to the activity code that fits their service model.

Why Apply for Your Immigration Business License with Meydan Free Zone?

Beyond the activity code itself, Meydan Free Zone offers a setup environment built for client-facing professional services. The process is fast, fully digital, and ready for businesses that need to onboard clients quickly.

• Guaranteed bank account on company formation
• License recognised by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce
• Online shop access with a choice of more than 30 marketplaces
• Apply for unlimited visas under your license
• Full access to Meydan’s clearing, forwarding, shipping, storage, and warehouse network
• Direct application for an import / export code through Meydan Free Zone

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Citations

¹ IMI Daily, citing Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). The First 5 Years of the UAE Golden Visa: Examining Its Impact and Evolution. Investment Migration Insider, August 2024.

² Global Media Insight. United Arab Emirates (UAE) Population Statistics 2026. GMI Research, 2026.