For expatriate entrepreneurs whose residency rests on a trade licence rather than an employer, renewal season now looks very different. Since the start of 2026, immigration authorities across the Emirates have been applying a stricter test of whether a company is genuinely trading, and the paperwork reflects that shift.
The lease is the first hurdle. A tenancy contract registered in the company's own name is now mandatory, and a residential Ejari held personally no longer counts. The premises must be an approved commercial workspace, whether that is a private office, a flexi desk or a warehouse, and the details must match the trade licence exactly. Mismatched names and expired contracts are among the most common reasons files are sent back.
Second comes proof that the visa holder actually lives in the country. A recent utility bill issued by the local electricity and water authority, in the applicant's own name and showing a residential address, is now requested as standard. Telecom invoices are sometimes accepted, though practice varies between counters.
The financial test is the one catching most people out. Applicants are asked for six months of corporate bank statements from a bank inside the country, showing real movement: customer receipts, supplier payments, salaries, running costs. Advisers report that a balance in the region of fifty thousand dirhams is expected, alongside documented share capital of roughly forty eight thousand dirhams per partner. Dormant accounts invite scrutiny.
Trade licences and establishment cards must each carry at least sixty days of remaining validity. Where the conditions cannot be met, the visa is cancelled and the holder must move onto employment sponsorship or leave.
The practical advice from corporate service firms is blunt: start six months out. Bank history cannot be manufactured in the final week.