- Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 18:00 GST
- Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
SERVICE · GOVERNMENT LIAISON
Establishment Card Services
The Establishment Card, also known as the Immigration Card, is what lets your company sponsor visas at all, issued, renewed, upgraded or amended correctly before it blocks your hiring plans.
Response within 15 minutes during working hours
Overview
What the Establishment Card covers
The Establishment Card is your company’s registration with GDRFA, the prerequisite for sponsoring any residence visa, including the owner’s own. It is often called the Immigration Card, both names refer to the same document, not two separate ones. Without a valid, correctly updated card, no employee, dependent or investor visa can be processed under your license.
It needs to be issued when the company first sponsors a visa, and kept current as your license, premises, authorised signatories or visa quota change, an expired or mismatched card is one of the most common causes of a stalled visa application.
- Initial establishment card issuance
- Card renewal ahead of expiry
- Category upgrade to match increased visa quota
- Authorised signatory addition or removal
- Amendment for license, premises or ownership changes
- Coordination with your visa quota allocation
Benefits
Why get this handled proactively
Unlocks visa sponsorship
Nothing else, not even the owner’s own visa, can proceed without a valid establishment card.
Never lapses unnoticed
Tracked and renewed ahead of expiry so hiring plans never stall on an expired card.
Kept in sync with your license
Updated automatically when your license, activity or premises change.
Signatory changes handled fast
New authorised signatories can transact on your file as soon as the update clears.
Fast turnaround
Straightforward renewals and amendments typically clear within a few working days.
Who this is for. Any UAE company about to sponsor its first visa, renewing an existing establishment card ahead of expiry, changing an authorised signatory, or updating the card after a license or ownership amendment.
Requirements & Process
What you’ll need, and how we run it
Documents & eligibility
The file is short and closely tied to your current license status.
- Trade license copy, current and unexpired
- Memorandum of Association
- Passport copy of the company manager or owner
- Tenancy contract or Ejari registration matching the licensed premises
- Previous establishment card, for renewals
- Passport copy of the new or outgoing authorised signatory, for signatory changes
- Board resolution or letter confirming the signatory change, where applicable
Additional documents may be required depending on your licensing authority. We confirm the exact list for your case before any fee is paid.
How it works
The 4-stage process
Most establishment card transactions complete within two to five working days.
| Stage | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 01. File review | We confirm your license, premises and signatory details match GDRFA’s records before filing. | 1 working day |
| 02. Application submission | The establishment card issuance, renewal or amendment is submitted to GDRFA. | 1 working day |
| 03. Fee settlement | Government fees are settled to release the card. | 1 working day |
| 04. Card issuance | The establishment card is issued, renewed or updated and ready to support visa applications. | 1–2 working days |
Get your establishment card sorted
Tell us your current status, a senior consultant confirms the requirement and quote in writing, usually within the hour.
No spam. No follow up calls unless you ask. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm.
