Dubai residents warned of fake freelance visa schemes leading to fines and data loss

How the scam operates

On 18 October 2026, a 55‑year‑old Dubai resident identified as M.H. encountered difficulty renewing his employment visa because of his age and saw a social media advertisement offering a two‑year freelance visa for Dh7,000. He contacted the advertiser and received the visa and Emirates ID within a week, only to learn later that the document was actually a partner visa for a company he had no connection with.

“He was issued a partner visa of a company that he knew nothing about,” said Firose Khan, CEO of Arabian Business Centre. “Two years later when he tried to renew the visa he came to know that the company had been blacklisted and its other partners were absconding. He was being held liable for the company’s outstanding fines and payments.”

This is one of several counterfeit freelance visa schemes circulating across the UAE. Unscrupulous agents promote these offers mainly through social media, advertising visas at very low rates. “Some people advertise visas for as little as Dh1000 per month,” said Noushad Hussain, MD of Alhind Business Center. “The low prices should be the first red flag because visas are all issued by the UAE government at the same rate.”

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Official response and warnings

Last month a well‑known singer was arrested in Dubai on suspicion of promoting fraudulent freelance visas for payment. The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA Dubai), working with Dubai Police, continues to investigate illegal practices related to visas and residency.

Authorities have repeatedly urged UAE residents to obtain visas and related documents exclusively through official channels.

Noushad Hussain added that those who pursue cheap visas also risk data theft. “Most of those who opt for such cheaper visas connect with these sellers on social media,” he said. “They have no idea who these people are. To get the visas, they have to hand over their passports, visas and Emirates ID copies to these unknown people. There is a possibility that these documents can be misused.”

He advised residents to choose only reputable, well‑known providers for visa and documentation services.

Guidance for victims and legitimate process

Victims of such scams face different outcomes: some become liable for large fines incurred by the companies whose partner visas they held, while others simply lose the money paid to fraudsters advertising on social media or other illicit channels.

One individual described on social media how he arrived in the UAE on a visit visa, attempted to regularise his status with a freelance visa, and lost Dh8,000 to a fraudulent agent contacted via a social‑media platform.

Salam Pappinissery, CEO of YAB Legal Services, noted that money paid to fraudsters can sometimes be recovered, but this depends on how the payment was made, how quickly it is reported, and whether the funds have left the UAE or been turned into other assets. “A victim should act immediately,” he said. “Contact the bank, card issuer or exchange house and request a payment recall, chargeback or fraud investigation. Then ask for the receiving account to be frozen where possible, obtain a police or eCrime report number and share it with the financial institution; and, if the payment originated abroad, report the matter in that country too.”

He also stressed the importance of reporting to police without delay. “Suspected fraud in Dubai can be reported through Dubai Police’s eCrime platform, smart app, or the non‑emergency number 901,” he said. “In Abu Dhabi, the Aman service is available. A victim outside the UAE should also report to the police or cybercrime authority in the country from which the money was sent.”

According to Firose Khan, understanding the legitimate freelance visa system is essential. “There are legitimate freelance visas available in the UAE, but it can only be issued by certain freezones in the country,” he said. “It comes with a visa and freelance license which allows a resident to carry out freelance work and accept payments legitimately within the UAE.”

He added that although the freelance visa is valid for two years, the freelance permit must be renewed each year. The cost varies depending on the chosen freezone, and each freezone sets its own requirements. Applicants may need to submit a passport, a work portfolio, degree or diploma certificates, and a no‑objection certificate.