# Visa - working for yourself in AD



## piorski (Mar 8, 2017)

Hi!

We are a family, currently living in Scotland, but my wife has accepted a job with a firm in Abu Dhabi and she is travelling there to start working later this month (April 2017). The company is providing residence visas for us.

The plan is wife gets settled with and for the first few weeks / months whilst she is there, she gets familiar with the place / researches places to live longer term / look at schools for our 5 and 7 year olds etc, and we all move over once we know for sure it's for us.

I would need to work over there soon after we move. How difficult / easy would it be, given our situation, for me to get a visa to work freelance for myself? It would be as a Personal Trainer. That would be my ideal - to work for myself (I managed this when we became expats in Singapore for a few years) - but the other option I would have would be to become an employee of a local gym. Would this option be much easier in terms of visas?


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
Depending on your wife's job and salary - she may or may not be able to sponsor you for a residence visa.
What work will she be doing?
You could easily get a job as a personal trainer - but salaries don't seem to be that generous. Most I know will supplement their income by taking cash lessons at a reduced rate from their established clients - rather than putting it through their company (sack and loss of visa if discovered!!)
Cheers
Steve


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## piorski (Mar 8, 2017)

Thanks for the reply

She will be working for a large consultancy as a principal consultant.

With benefits I think her salary will be around 36k per month.

I don't know how easy it would be for me to find a full time fitness job, but, it worked for me very well in Singapore when I worked for myself / able to chose hours etc.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
With that visa category and salary then your wife will be able to sponsor you.
However, if you are on her visa - you are not allowed to work in the UAE on this visa.
You then have a few choices.
Firstly you can get a job with gym or fitness company and they will then sponsor you for a visa - typical salary is quite low - 6000 AED per month until you reach certain number of training hours then a bonus after that. That's why a lot of personal trainers take cash in hand from a few of their customers to supplement their income.
Gyms and training companies tend to prefer women trainers - as they can train women and men, whereas male trainers can't train many of the local women.
Secondly you can start your own fitness company and get a freezone visa for yourself - this costs around 25000 AED per year. Disadvantage is annual cost and you will need to pay the first year up front and find your own customers. If you are good - should be straightforward to get customers.
Cheers
Steve


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## Racing_Goats (Sep 5, 2015)

Your wife's salary will be enough if you're not too extravagant, find school places for September and try the place out - look up Haddins, Vogue fitness, Stayfit, Advantage Sports, they are just a few of many gyms and PT providers here who employ freelance and full time trainers.

There's currently around 150 gyms, clubs and hotels in AD offering membership and classes/training. Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

Given the generally softer economic climate in Abu dhabi, my suggestion will be to not open your own company. The cost is upfront and substantial as Stevesolar mentioned.


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