Visas and residence
Employment visa and work permit for your staff in the UAE
An employment visa is the residence visa an employer obtains for a foreign employee. On the mainland it comes in two parts: a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, then residence from the immigration authority. Free zone employers apply through their zone. A company needs it for each foreign employee who does not already hold UAE residence.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Work permit authority
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), for mainland private sector employers
- Residence authority
- ICP, or GDRFA Dubai for residence issued in Dubai
- Who applies
- The employer. An employee cannot apply for a standard work visa alone
- Validity
- A standard work visa is valid for two years and can be renewed
- Minimum age
- 18 for a standard work permit
- Free zone staff
- Work permit and residence visa are applied for through the free zone authority
Overview
Under the UAE Labour Law, nobody may work in the private sector without a valid work permit, and an employer may not take anyone on without one. For a mainland company the permit comes from MOHRE, which deals only with establishments registered with it. The company therefore needs its own file, a valid trade licence with no violations and available quota before it can apply for a single employee.
The permit is one half. The other is the residence visa, issued by ICP or, in Dubai, by GDRFA. Between the two sit the entry permit or change of status, the medical fitness test, the Emirates ID application and the employment contract. The federal Work Bundle platform now groups these services in one place, but the employee still has to be in the UAE for the medical test and the biometrics.
Free zone companies follow a different channel. The employer applies to the free zone authority for both the work permit and the residence visa, and the number of visas usually depends on the package or office taken in the zone. Caliph prepares the file for either route. Requirements change with the role and the authority, and your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Why employers give us the visa file
Offer and contract that match
MOHRE expects the job offer and the employment contract to say the same thing. We prepare both on the Ministry's forms so the file is not sent back.
The correct permit type
Recruiting from abroad, taking on someone already working in the UAE and employing a person on a family visa each use a different MOHRE permit. Your consultant picks the right one.
Job title checked against your licence
The occupation on the permit has to fit the activity on your trade licence. We check this before the offer goes out.
Qualifications in the form the Ministry accepts
Skilled roles need academic certificates, and some professions need a licence from their regulator. We tell the candidate what to prepare before the application is filed.
Appointments in one plan
The medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics are booked in sequence, so your new employee spends less time away from work.
Expiry dates on one calendar
We keep each employee's permit and residence dates alongside your licence renewal and remind you before they fall due.
What the employer and the employee prepare
- The employee's passport copy, valid for at least six months
- A clear colour photograph on a white background
- The job offer on the Ministry's form, signed by the employer and the employee
- Academic certificates for skilled roles
- A professional licence where the role needs one, for example in healthcare, teaching or law
- The company's trade licence and establishment card
- The employee's current visa details, if the person is already in the UAE
Nationals of some countries are also asked for a copy of their national identity card. Your consultant tells you if this applies to your candidate.
How an employment visa is processed on the mainland
Company file and quota
We check that the company is registered with MOHRE and with immigration, that the licence is valid and that quota is available for the role.
Job offer
The offer is issued on the Ministry's form and signed by both sides.
Work permit application
The application goes to MOHRE with the documents. The Ministry reviews it, asks for anything missing and then approves. The company then pays the government fees and provides the financial security the Ministry requires.
Entry permit or status change
An entry permit brings the employee into the UAE. A person already here on another visa changes status where the rules allow it.
Medical test and Emirates ID
The employee takes the medical fitness test at an approved centre and gives biometrics for the Emirates ID. Both happen in the UAE.
Contract and residence
The employment contract is completed, the residence permit is issued and the Emirates ID card is delivered.
Good to know
- The employer bears the cost of recruitment and of the employee's residence permit. Passing these costs to the employee is not allowed.
- An employer may not keep an employee's passport.
- DIFC and ADGM have their own employment frameworks, separate from the other free zones.
- When an employee leaves, the labour contract and work permit are cancelled with MOHRE before the residence visa is cancelled.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a work permit and an employment visa?
The work permit is issued by MOHRE and authorises a person to work for a specific mainland employer. The employment visa is the residence permit issued by the immigration authority so that the person can live in the UAE. A mainland private sector employee needs both, and the employer applies for both.
Who pays for an employment visa in the UAE?
The employer. Under UAE labour rules the costs of recruitment, travel and the residence permit are borne by the employer who hires the worker, and charging recruitment fees to the employee is illegal. Caliph gives the company a clear breakdown of the costs before the application starts.
How long is a UAE employment visa valid?
A standard work visa is valid for two years, and the MOHRE work permit for a worker recruited from abroad is also issued for two years. Both can be renewed while the employment continues and the company still meets the conditions.
Can I hire someone who is already in the UAE?
Yes. MOHRE has separate permits for transferring a worker from another establishment and for employing a resident who is on a family member's visa. The documents and steps differ from recruiting abroad. Your consultant tells you which permit fits the candidate and what the previous employer has to complete first.
Does a free zone company need MOHRE work permits?
Generally no. A free zone employer applies to its free zone authority for the work permit and the residence visa, and the zone's employment regulations apply alongside federal law. DIFC and ADGM run separate employment frameworks. The medical fitness test and the Emirates ID steps are the same as on the mainland.
Does my employee need to be in the UAE during the process?
For part of it. The work permit and the entry permit can be approved while the employee is abroad. The medical fitness test is taken at an approved health centre in the UAE and Emirates ID biometrics are given at a service centre here, so the employee must be in the country for those steps.
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
- UAE Government portal, residence visa for working in the UAE
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
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