UAE Employment Visa for Dubai Companies

A UAE employment visa lets your Dubai mainland or free zone company hire foreign staff legally, with the work permit and residence issued in Dubai. We prepare the file and take it through MOHRE, GDRFA Dubai or your free zone, step by step.

Description

A UAE employment visa is the residence a company sponsors so that a foreign hire can live here and work for it. In Dubai, the permission to work and the permission to reside come from different offices, and your licence type decides which ones you deal with.

Mainland companies licensed by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) get the work permit through MOHRE, the federal human resources ministry, and the residence from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai). Since 2024 most private mainland employers submit both through the Work Bundle, one platform that brings MOHRE, GDRFA, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and ICP together. Still deciding on a structure? Our page on Dubai mainland company formation shows how hiring works on that route.

In a free zone, the zone itself, for example DMCC, IFZA or JAFZA, receives the application on its portal and passes it to GDRFA Dubai for the residence. There is no MOHRE permit, although UAE Labour Law still governs the job. How many people you can sponsor is set by your licence package or office space.

Before filing, three things must be in order: the licence is current, the Establishment Card is active and the quota has room. On the mainland, MOHRE sorts jobs into five skill levels and expects a bachelor's degree for levels one and two, a diploma for three and four, and secondary school for level five. A certificate from outside the UAE needs full attestation before it counts.

A hire coming from abroad lands on the entry permit and has 60 days from arrival to complete the rest. A candidate who already lives here can switch status from inside the country. The Dubai steps are a DHA medical screening, an insurance policy, fingerprints and photo for the Emirates ID, and finally the residence, which now exists digitally against the Emirates ID rather than as a passport sticker. Dubai's health insurance law makes the employer cover every employee, and the residence will not be approved until that policy exists.

On timing, the government's target for a complete Work Bundle file is around five working days. What actually decides your date is when the candidate flies in, whether their certificates are already attested and how soon the medical and fingerprint appointments fall. We give you a date range after reviewing the file.

UAE Labour Law puts recruitment and visa costs on the employer; you cannot recover them from the employee's pay. Five things move the total: mainland or free zone, where the candidate is now, the role's skill level, which insurance plan you pick and any express processing. Send us the role and the candidate's nationality on WhatsApp or live chat and we will reply with a written quote.

Once the residence is out, mainland salaries are paid through the Wages Protection System. A staff member who meets the income and housing test can then bring relatives over through Dubai family visa sponsorship. Companies that recruit often tend to use a Dubai PRO monthly retainer for new hires, renewals and cancellations, and it pays to stay ahead of Dubai trade licence renewal: a lapsed licence or Establishment Card freezes every new visa and renewal.

What's Included

Review of licence validity, Establishment Card and remaining quota
Skill-level check of the job title against the candidate's certificates (mainland)
MOHRE offer and work permit filed on the Work Bundle (mainland)
Employee application filed on the free zone portal (free zone)
Entry permit for a candidate abroad, or status change for one already here
DHA medical screening appointment
Advice on the employee insurance Dubai law requires
Emirates ID filing and fingerprint appointment
Residence filing with GDRFA Dubai
Help with the MOHRE contract and WPS payroll set-up (mainland)

Requirements / Prerequisites

A current Dubai licence, from DET or a Dubai free zone
An active Establishment Card
Room in the company's visa quota
Mainland: MOHRE offer letter signed by the company and the candidate
A job title the candidate's qualification supports
Any existing UAE work permit or residence of the candidate cancelled or transferred
Candidate's passport with six months or more remaining
Employee health insurance paid by the company

Required Documents

Copy of the candidate's passport
Photo with a plain white background
Attested degree or diploma where the skill level calls for one
Signed MOHRE offer (mainland) or the zone's employee form (free zone)
Existing UAE residence, or proof it was cancelled, for candidates already here
Insurance certificate
Licence and Establishment Card, where the authority does not already hold them

Our Process

Check the licence, Establishment Card and quota
Match the role to the candidate's qualification and attest certificates
File the MOHRE offer and permit on the Work Bundle, or the free zone application
Receive the entry permit, or change status for a candidate in the UAE
Candidate arrives; the 60-day window to finish starts
DHA medical screening
Insurance policy issued
Fingerprints and photo for the Emirates ID
GDRFA Dubai issues the digital residence; Emirates ID card delivered
Mainland: sign the MOHRE contract and start WPS payroll

Pricing

Contact via WhatsApp

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the UAE employment visa process take in Dubai?

Around five working days is the government's target for a complete Work Bundle file. Your real date depends on the candidate's flight, whether their certificates are attested, the DHA medical result and the fingerprint appointment. We give you a date range once we have reviewed the file.

Employment visa cost in the UAE: what is it made of?

The total is built from the work permit (mainland) or free zone filing, the entry permit or status change, DHA medical, insurance, Emirates ID and the residence. Licence type, the candidate's location, skill level, insurance plan and express options all change it. We send a written quote for each hire.

Can I deduct visa costs from the employee's salary?

No. UAE Labour Law makes the employer responsible for recruitment and visa costs.

Which authorities handle employment visas in Dubai?

MOHRE for the mainland work permit, GDRFA Dubai for the residence, your free zone authority if you are licensed in one, DHA for the medical and ICP for the Emirates ID.

Do I have to insure my employees in Dubai?

Yes. Dubai's health insurance law requires employers to cover each employee, and GDRFA will not issue or renew the residence without an active policy.

Which jobs need an attested certificate?

It follows MOHRE's skill levels: a bachelor's degree for levels one and two, a diploma for three and four, secondary school for level five. Certificates from abroad are legalised in the country of issue, at the UAE mission there and by the UAE's foreign ministry.

My candidate already lives in the UAE on another visa. Is that a problem?

No, but the old work permit and residence have to be closed or transferred before yours is issued. They can then switch to your company without leaving the country.

Will my employee be able to bring their family?

Yes, once they earn AED 4,000 per month (AED 3,000 if you house them) and have suitable housing, which in Dubai means an Ejari-registered lease or their own title deed.