Getting a work visa in the United Arab Emirates

Expats moving to the likes of Dubai and Abu Dhabi must secure a work permit; this ultimately forms part of the Emirati residency visa. This guide includes the following information:

Working in the United Arab Emirates

With tax-free salaries and thriving industries, it’s easy to see why expats flock from around the world to work in the United Arab Emirates.

Data from World Bank shows that the UAE’s population is around 9.8 million. Around 70% of this figure lives in the two largest emirates: Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The UAE is a hotbed for expat workers with a business culture that keeps its’ eye on the world. The United Nations estimates that 88% of the population is foreign. Expats in the UAE most commonly hail from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Iran.

UAE visa requirements are relatively straightforward, however, there is still plenty of red tape and processes to navigate. A new golden visa system was introduced in May 2019, which offers investors and people with ‘specialized talents’ long-term residency.

Work visas in the UAE

When moving to the UAE, you will ultimately need to get a residence visa, on which your work permit (sometimes known as a labor card) will be listed. To get a visa, you will need to have proof of a contract or job offer from a company based in the UAE.

Work visas are issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDFRA) in the emirate you move to.

Your employer will usually apply for and fund a residency visa on your behalf, but they will first need to prove it adheres to quota rules on how many foreign workers they can employ.

Both the residence visa and the associated work permit usually last for one or two years, depending on your employment contract.

Other types of work permits in the United Arab Emirates

Five-year visa

As part of the golden visa system, it’s possible to get a five or 10-year residence visa to live in the UAE. Five-year visas are available to people who invest AED 5 million or more in property. They must retain these investments for at least three years.

They are also open to entrepreneurs with a minimum capital of AED 500,000 and outstanding students who gain a minimum grade of 95% in public or private secondary schools.

The five-year visa also allows families of the applicant to reside with a UAE work visa.

10-year visa

10-year visas are available to people who invest at least AED 10 million, either in an investment fund, new, or existing company. Real estate can only make up 40% of this investment.

People with specialized talents can also get a 10-year visa. There are various rules and stipulations surrounding what classifies as a specialized talent, but broadly speaking it includes top doctors, specialists, and inventors. People with a 10-year visa can bring their families to the UAE.

Five-year retirement visa

Since the start of 2019, it has been possible to get a five-year retirement visa if you are aged 55 or over. To be eligible, you will need to meet one of the following criteria:

• Property investment of at least AED 2 million
• Savings of at least AED 1 million
• An income of at least AED 20,000 a month

Family visa

Once you have got a standard residency permit, you can sponsor your immediate family members to live with you. To be eligible, you will need to have a minimum salary of AED 4,000.

You have 60 days to apply for a visa for any dependents once you are a resident. Your family members generally receive visas for one, two, or three years depending on your job and contract duration.

Applying for a work permit in the United Arab Emirates

Once your company secures visa quota approval from the Ministry of Labour, you can sign your contract and return it to the employer. At this point, the employer can apply for a work permit on your behalf.

The government undertakes approval checks, which include ensuring your new role couldn’t have been given to any unemployed UAE nationals, as well as background checks on the employer.

After approval, you’ll receive an Employment Entry Visa (or a pink visa). You can usually pick this up at the airport and allows you to live in the UAE for two months while you finish your residency visa application.

Once you are in the UAE, you need a medical screening and attend the Emirates ID service center (sometimes known as a Customer Happiness Center) to show your passport and entry permit and undergo biometric tests.

Once the Ministry of Labor receives your medical results and employment contract, they process you onto the payroll system.

You can now have your residence visa stamped into your passport. Once you have this, you may open a bank account and access government services. After 10 days, you can collect your Emirates ID card.

Visa requirements around the UAE

UAE visa requirements change over time, and individual emirates have the ability to set some of their own regulations. With this in mind, it is useful to check the GDRFA website of the state where you will be living:

• Abu Dhabi
• Ajman
• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Ras Al Khaimah
• Sharjah

The cost of work permits in the United Arab Emirates

Your employer should cover the cost of applying for your residence visa. How much they will need to pay depends on which skill level your job is categorized in.

Workers in Level 1 are those with bachelor’s degrees or equivalent qualifications. This can include jobs such as doctors, accountants, and teachers. Visas cost AED 300.

There are four sub-categories to Level 2. They include people who have completed diplomas and work in vocational fields, such as mechanics. The cost ranges from AED 500 to AED 2,000.

For people with lower-level qualifications (for example those who work in administrative roles), the charge is AED 5,000.

Each of these figures can be rise higher once medical tests, legal fees, and translation costs have been factored in. Work visas for people aged 65 or over cost an additional AED 5,000 every two years.

In addition to the costs of applying, there is also a fee for issuing the ID card; this varies depending on whether the application is made in person or online. You can find the latest fees on the UAE government website.

Changing or renewing work permits in the United Arab Emirates

If your residence visa is set to expire, your sponsor needs to seek to renew it or face large fines. The UAE gives a grace period of 30 days to stay after a visa expires.

After the grace period ends, charges rise from AED 25 a day (first six months) to AED 50 per day (next six months) and AED 100 a day (after a year or more).

Generally, you can renew your visa 30 days before it expires. However, it is possible to do so earlier with the permission of the local government. You will need to pass another medical check as part of the process.

Useful resources

• UAE consulate in London
• Dubai Naturalisation and Residency department
• MOHRE: Job offers and contracts services
• Golden visas in the UAE