Getting a Dubai employment visa involves several steps, and the process can vary slightly depending on your nationality and the specifics of your employment. Here’s a general overview of the process. The employer will act as a sponsor for the employee.
Before you apply
Most visa delays are decided before the first form is typed. These six conditions are checked at the start — because fixing any of them mid-application costs more than confirming them upfront.
Nothing moves until the company itself is clear at MOHRE. Every new employment visa is filed against the employer’s establishment record, so the company file is checked before the candidate’s.
Quota is your permission to hire. Without an approved slot on the establishment file, no work permit can be issued — regardless of how strong the candidate is.
The job title on the permit is not cosmetic. It determines which documents are required, whether attestation applies, and whether the visa clears without a query.
Some things about the candidate must be right before a file is opened, and a few of them cannot be fixed once the application is in.
The offer letter and the labour contract must agree with each other, with the permit, and with what the employee actually signed. Discrepancies get flagged at submission.
Knowing the real cost and the real timeline before you commit is a prerequisite in its own right — particularly when a start date has already been promised.
Required documents
Required documents
Start the process
Gather these 24 items and we can open the file the same day. Tap any line to tick it off as you collect it.
How it works
To apply an Employment visa for any candidate recruited by the company, the first step is to apply the quota. The E-quota application form is available at Tas’heel Centre.
Employer will process the Job offer and work permit application from the Tasheel centre. The job offer letter should include details of your position, salary, and terms of employment. To be accepted, the employee must sign the contract. Work Permit approval: the work permit application will be approved by the Ministry of Labour in 3 to 5 working days.
After receiving the work permit approval, labour insurance is to be paid.
The Labour Fee needs to be paid as per the company category mentioned in the Ministry of Labour.
Entry permit application should be processed from GDRFA or any AMER centre. The cost of the application will vary depending on the type; it should be specified if the employee is located inside or outside the country. On outside country entry permit: once the Entry Permit is issued, the employee can travel to Dubai. On inside country entry permit: once the Entry Permit is issued, status change should be processed.
If the employee is inside the country on receiving the Entry Permit, they need to do a change of status. The application needs to be filed on the Online Portal GDRFA or at the Amer Centre.
Upon arrival, or after change status approval, type the medical application from any typing centre and complete a medical test at an authorized health centre in Dubai. This test includes a blood test and a chest X-ray.
Apply for an Emirates ID through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) after your medical test. When applying, the employee should schedule an appointment if they need to have their biometrics taken. To finish the biometric and photo capture, employees need to go to the Emirates ID Center.
This is applicable only for the employee having a semi-skilled profession. The employee should complete the tawjeeh training from Tawjeeh centres in Dubai before proceeding with contract submission.
After receiving the medical report and Emirates ID application, the residence visa application should be processed from GDRFA or AMER centre. Once the application is approved by the Immigration department, a 2 year residence visa will be issued.
After the residence is approved and the biometric is taken, the original Emirates ID will be sent to the address listed on the application within five to seven working days.
Government fees
Government fees for New Employment Visa Services in Dubai, shown at cost and grouped by the stage they fall due. Our service fee is quoted separately, in writing, before you commit.
Depending on your company category, whether the candidate is inside or outside the country, and whether you use GDRFA or AMER. We confirm the exact figure applicable on the day of filing.
Fees are set by MOHRE and GDRFA and are reviewed periodically. We send an itemised written breakdown showing government cost at cost and our fee separately, before any payment is made.
Benefits
Eleven steps across MOHRE, GDRFA, Tas’heel, a medical centre and an Emirates ID centre. We run all of them as one file.
Applications typed and proofread by our own specialists, with no dependency on a typing centre queue.
Medical and Emirates ID biometrics scheduled together, so the employee makes one trip rather than three.
Where the candidate is already in the country, we check the status change route before starting so nobody falls out of status.
Every fee above passed through at cost, with our fee shown separately in writing.
The same person handles quota, permit, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and stamping.
Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi mainland, plus IFZA, Meydan, DMCC, DSO, DIFC, DAFZA, JAFZA, TECOM, SHAMS, SRTIP, ADGM and RAKEZ.
FAQs
Work permit approval from the Ministry of Labour typically takes 3 to 5 working days. From there, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and stamping usually add around a week, depending on appointment availability and whether the candidate is inside or outside the country. Processing times can vary by nationality where security checks apply.
The employer sponsors the visa and is responsible for the government fees listed above, including quota, work permit, labour insurance, labour fee, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and stamping.
If the employee is already in the UAE, an inside country entry permit is issued at 1,122.50 AED and a change of status is then processed. If the employee is abroad, an outside country entry permit is issued at 472.50 AED and they travel to Dubai on it.
Tawjeeh training applies to employees in semi-skilled professions. It must be completed at a Tawjeeh centre in Dubai before the labour contract can be submitted.
A 2 year residence visa is issued for mainland companies once the Immigration department approves the application. Free zone employment visas are typically issued for 3 years.
After the residence visa is approved and biometrics are taken, the original Emirates ID is sent to the address listed on the application within five to seven working days.
Yes. A VIP medical at 750 AED is available where the normal 300 AED service would not meet your timeline. We book whichever fits the deadline you give us.
Yes. We process new employment visas across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi mainland, and across the free zones we file at.
Get in touch
Business setup, visas, PRO services or Golden Visa — send us the details and a consultant will come back with a clear plan and a full cost breakdown.
