Desk research against primary sources, with the issuing authority linked where a page states an official fee, rule or deadline.
The one-active-visa rule is enforced at the system level, not just as guidance — GDRFA’s database will not let a new residence visa be issued while an existing one is still open, so the cancellation has to complete first. That is different from cancellation being merely requested: a cancellation that is submitted but not yet processed still counts as an active visa, and any new application filed in that gap gets rejected rather than queued behind it.
The free zone exception is narrow and case-specific rather than a general workaround — it applies to particular investor-and-employment combinations under GDRFA guidance, not to anyone who happens to hold two roles. If you are not certain your situation qualifies, treat the default rule as binding and cancel first. A tourist entry stamp does not conflict with a residence visa because it was never a residence status to begin with, which is why re-entering as a tourist while a residence visa is active does not itself cause a problem.
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