Dubai Freelance Visa (TECOM / Free Zone Permit) vs Georgia Remotely from Georgia Programme
A factual side-by-side comparison of two residency programmes. All figures are drawn from the canonical program pages — follow either link in the table header for sources and the full profile.
Dubai Freelance Visa (TECOM / Free Zone Permit) Uae · entrepreneur | Georgia Remotely from Georgia Programme Georgia · digital nomad | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Uae | Georgia |
| Category | Entrepreneur | Digital Nomad |
| Application Fee | $1,500 | $0 |
| Minimum Income | — | $2,000 /mo |
| Minimum Investment | — | — |
| Processing Time | 1 months | 1 months |
| Family Included | Residence visa holders can sponsor family members (spouse and children) at standard UAE dependent visa fees | Accompanying family members may apply for a separate work/stay permit; no additional income threshold stated |
| Path to PR | No | No |
| Path to Citizenship | No | No |
| Physical Presence | Must not leave UAE for more than 6 consecutive months to maintain residency | Visa is valid for 1 year; presence in Georgia required. Many nationalities (including US, EU, UK) can stay visa-free for up to 1 year without this program. |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Allowed |
| Tax Impact | No personal income tax in UAE. Freelance permit allows legal self-employment and invoicing within the UAE, with no corporate tax on personal freelance income below AED 375,000/year. | Georgia's flat 20% income tax applies to Georgia-sourced income. Virtual Zone company status (for IT services sold abroad) offers 0% corporate income tax and 0% dividend tax. Many remote workers use Georgia's favorable tax environment with low effective rates. |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 183 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Territorial | Territorial |
| Renewal Cost | $1,500 | $0 |
About Dubai Freelance Visa (TECOM / Free Zone Permit)
Dubai's Freelance Visa, issued through free zones such as TECOM, twofour54, or Dubai Silicon Oasis, grants a 2-year renewable residence visa and a freelance permit allowing independent contractors and creative professionals to legally work for multiple clients in Dubai. It includes an Emirates ID and the ability to open a UAE bank account.
Full Dubai Freelance Visa (TECOM / Free Zone Permit) profile →About Georgia Remotely from Georgia Programme
Georgia's Remotely from Georgia programme offers a 1-year residence permit to remote workers earning at least $2,000/month from foreign employers or clients, with no application fee and a fully online application process. Critically, Georgia already grants visa-free stays of up to 365 days to citizens of around 95 countries (including the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Israel, and most GCC states) — for those nationalities, the programme adds little practical value beyond official residence-permit status useful for opening Georgian bank accounts and signing long-term leases. It is most relevant to nationalities not on the visa-free list (most of South and Southeast Asia, much of Africa, and the Middle East outside Israel and the GCC). Georgia's flat 1% small-business tax (for individual entrepreneurs registered with annual turnover under GEL 500,000) and territorial-leaning tax system make Tbilisi popular with location-independent founders. The programme is administered by the Public Service Hall and does not itself create a path to permanent residency or citizenship — those routes require separate procedures, with naturalisation generally requiring 10 years of legal residence and Georgian-language proficiency.
Full Georgia Remotely from Georgia Programme profile →Gotchas to Watch For
Dubai Freelance Visa (TECOM / Free Zone Permit)
- ⚠The freelance permit is an annual licence fee — it is NOT a one-time cost. Budget AED 7,500–20,000/yr ongoing
- ⚠UAE corporate tax (9%) applies to sole establishment profits above AED 375,000/yr from June 2023 — check your revenue projections
- ⚠Free zone choice is permanent — switching free zones requires cancelling the permit and reapplying
- ⚠Working outside your licensed activity type is a violation — ensure your permit covers all your actual work
- ⚠Freelance permit holders cannot hire UAE-national staff and have limited scope vs. mainland licence
- ⚠Non-free-zone freelancing (mainland) requires a different licence and is more complex for individual freelancers
Georgia Remotely from Georgia Programme
- ⚠Georgia grants visa-free 1 year to ~95 nationalities — most Westerners simply arrive
- ⚠Individual Entrepreneur 1% tax regime extremely popular with remote workers
- ⚠6-year PR + 10-year citizenship path; Georgia does not allow dual citizenship in most cases
- ⚠Banking strict post-2022 with Russian/Iranian/Crimean nationals due to sanctions
- ⚠Proximity to Russia / Ukraine border creates geopolitical consideration
Neutral reference — we don't recommend one programme over another. Programmes change: always verify each detail against the official source linked on the individual program pages.