That's very good first hand real person experience, very valuable for readers of this thread.
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DLS and Fred MIA
- Thread starter Theoffshoreguy69
- Start date
I just thought id offer a further update on my previous post here with a view of it helping others...
Tuesday:
So, this completely concludes the renewal process of the Emirates ID and Residency Visa for a further 2 years.
I also met with @Fred today for coffee, great guy with some sound advice. Good to have him back in business again and I have no doubt we will do further business together - most likely with his Panama setup.
Tuesday:
- Landed into Dubai airport 05:30AM.
- Collected from my apartment by the IFZA PRO at 10:00 and then driven to Smart Salem in Index mall for blood test (only blood test required for renewal - no finger prints or X ray).
- 10:30AM IFZA Pro arranged for renewal of Emirates ID whilst I was having the blood test taken.
- 11:00AM IFZA Pro emailed me the Emirates ID application form and medical certificate.
- IFZA emailed me confirmation of Residency visa being granted 09:30AM. (I paid a little extra for 24 hour Visa submission with IFZA)
- Emirates ID status changed to "Under Processing" 09:50AM.
- Emirates ID status changed to "Approved" 10:00AM.
- Emirates ID status changed to "Card is printed" 12:30PM.
- Emirates ID delivered to IFZA 2:00PM.
- IFZA delivered Emirates ID to me at 4.30PM.
So, this completely concludes the renewal process of the Emirates ID and Residency Visa for a further 2 years.
I also met with @Fred today for coffee, great guy with some sound advice. Good to have him back in business again and I have no doubt we will do further business together - most likely with his Panama setup.
Let me say again: Health insurance is not mandatory to obtain or renew a visa in Dubai. It sounds like someone misled you and sold you unnecessary insurance.
If you’re employed by a company and they fail to provide health insurance, you have the right to file a complaint, as it’s their legal obligation. Especially in cases where your visa is issued through your own company, you are not required to purchase health insurance. And I assume you’re not planning to complain your own company to the authorities.
I’ve been a UAE resident for 7 years. For 5 of those years, I held an IFZA employee visa (as a General Manager) many years without any health insurance and now I’m on a Golden Visa, again without any health insurance.
This.
My pleasure - was a good Exchange - looking forward working with you together and you reporting back here with a review.
I just realized that last year, IFZA charged me for visa renewal fees that were supposed to be free as part of their free visa for life promotion. In addition, their license renewal price was higher than the cost of renewing through DLS.
This year, on top of the no loyalty discount, they also tried to add a random cross-activity fee to the invoice.
I've read other people in this thread facing a similar issue, paying for the visa renewal fee, etc. I'm in contact with them, and they requested to "present the relevant documentation" to prove I was offered a “Free Visa for Life” promotion in order to get it refunded. This is ridiculous considering IFZA themselves mentioned this everywhere.
This post is not a complaint aimed at Fred / DLS. I'm sharing this so others still dealing with IFZA directly can be on the lookout and not be taken advantage by them.
This year, on top of the no loyalty discount, they also tried to add a random cross-activity fee to the invoice.
I've read other people in this thread facing a similar issue, paying for the visa renewal fee, etc. I'm in contact with them, and they requested to "present the relevant documentation" to prove I was offered a “Free Visa for Life” promotion in order to get it refunded. This is ridiculous considering IFZA themselves mentioned this everywhere.
This post is not a complaint aimed at Fred / DLS. I'm sharing this so others still dealing with IFZA directly can be on the lookout and not be taken advantage by them.
It was included when DLS helped with our Trade Licence and Visa Renewals earlier this year.
It’s really good to see that so many of you still have your companies in the UAE, and that a lot of you are even still living there.
So despite the changes to the regulations and the introduction of the 9% corporate tax in Dubai, it seems the place isn’t nearly as bad as some of the earlier drama on OCT threads made it out to be. I’m glad to see that, because I’m seriously considering relocating there myself.
So despite the changes to the regulations and the introduction of the 9% corporate tax in Dubai, it seems the place isn’t nearly as bad as some of the earlier drama on OCT threads made it out to be. I’m glad to see that, because I’m seriously considering relocating there myself.
Thanks to all of you guys reporting back here - IFZA tries there look - I guess it was just to uncomfortable for them to keep working with us as we always forced them to work properly.
Dubai, UAE is still a great place but you need to know how to act and operate - even 0% Tax can be still achieved maybe not with a Dubai Freezone Company but over all.
Dubai, UAE is still a great place but you need to know how to act and operate - even 0% Tax can be still achieved maybe not with a Dubai Freezone Company but over all.
Got more details on this? In what way did you force them to work properly? How would they work non-properly otherwise?
Curious to here how freezones operate in general.
Hello @Fred,
I understand that you are not in business with IFZA anymore. I would highly appreciate some clarification if this is just a money grab from IFZA though.
I did open a company via DLS in 2022, and was satisfied with the process. Since Fred retired I did the renewal last year directly with IFZA. In 2025 I did receive an email that DLS is back in business and did the renewal directly with them.
I am currently outside of the UAE since February and the renewal happened in April. Since my Emirates ID also expired for the first time, I contacted IFZA for the renewal process. Now they are trying to get me to cancel my visa for a fee and offering me to waive the fee of a new residency fee within 90 days.
Why would I have to cancel my Visa, if the license renewal went through and I was in the UAE within the last 5 months?
Thank you for your help.
Kind Regards.
Dear XXX,
Greetings!
Please note, that IFZA does not issue EID, however, valid resident visa is required in order to get an EID issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) in the UAE.
As we understood, your resident visa got expired when you are outside of the UAE. Therefore, it is not possible to renew your resident visa. It is required to cancel the visa first and then reapply again.
As you are eligible for visa free offer with your trade license, AED 3750 will be waived off, if you apply for new visa withing 90 days of current visa cancellation.
To apply for a visa cancellation, we kindly invite you to submit this request directly through our direct link - Direct Immigration Service Letters Request.
Once submitted, you will immediately receive a quotation for the transaction at your registered email address.
You can anticipate the completion of the cancellation within 3 working days from the day we received all the requirements along with the payment.
I understand that you are not in business with IFZA anymore. I would highly appreciate some clarification if this is just a money grab from IFZA though.
I did open a company via DLS in 2022, and was satisfied with the process. Since Fred retired I did the renewal last year directly with IFZA. In 2025 I did receive an email that DLS is back in business and did the renewal directly with them.
I am currently outside of the UAE since February and the renewal happened in April. Since my Emirates ID also expired for the first time, I contacted IFZA for the renewal process. Now they are trying to get me to cancel my visa for a fee and offering me to waive the fee of a new residency fee within 90 days.
Why would I have to cancel my Visa, if the license renewal went through and I was in the UAE within the last 5 months?
Thank you for your help.
Kind Regards.
Dear XXX,
Greetings!
Please note, that IFZA does not issue EID, however, valid resident visa is required in order to get an EID issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) in the UAE.
As we understood, your resident visa got expired when you are outside of the UAE. Therefore, it is not possible to renew your resident visa. It is required to cancel the visa first and then reapply again.
As you are eligible for visa free offer with your trade license, AED 3750 will be waived off, if you apply for new visa withing 90 days of current visa cancellation.
To apply for a visa cancellation, we kindly invite you to submit this request directly through our direct link - Direct Immigration Service Letters Request.
Once submitted, you will immediately receive a quotation for the transaction at your registered email address.
- Outside Country Cancellation the cost is AED1500
You can anticipate the completion of the cancellation within 3 working days from the day we received all the requirements along with the payment.
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