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Company Visa Quota Approval in Dubai

Company Visa Quota Approval in Dubai

Permission to employ — how MOHRE assesses it and why it caps hiring.

Mir Ali Licensed PRO consultant · Amer & Tasheel partner

Updated 4 Sep 2026 Get a fixed quote

The short version

Quota is permission to employ — a number of slots MOHRE grants your establishment. No quota, no work permit.
It is assessed on activity, premises size and existing headcount, not on how many people you want.
Approval typically takes 3 to 10 working days; a rejected application can add weeks.
The most expensive mistake is making a job offer before confirming quota exists.

Quota is the constraint most companies discover at the worst possible moment — after the candidate has resigned elsewhere. It sits at MOHRE, it is invisible from the immigration side, and it is the reason a hire that "should take two weeks" turns into six.

What MOHRE assesses

Factor	How it affects your quota
Licensed activity	Determines which professions you may employ at all
Office space	Floor area on the Ejari is a primary input
Existing headcount	How many slots are already used against the file
Company category	Classification affects both cost and flexibility
Emiratisation status	Shortfalls can restrict further approvals
Compliance record	WPS breaches and open complaints count against you

Office size is the usual ceiling

Quota is closely tied to the floor area registered on your Ejari. A small office supports a small headcount, regardless of turnover or how urgently you need people.

Companies that outgrow their quota generally have to take more space before MOHRE will grant more slots. That is a property decision with a lead time, which is why quota should be planned months ahead of hiring.

The process

1. Check what you already hold

Establishments often hold unused slots from previous departures — or believe they do, when an incomplete cancellation has left a slot occupied.

2. Clear anything outstanding

Unpaid MOHRE fines, WPS breaches or open labour complaints will hold the application. Fix these first.

3. Submit through Tasheel

With trade licence, establishment card, Ejari and the professions requested. Lodged via Tasheel.

4. Assessment

MOHRE reviews against activity, space and record. Three to ten working days in normal conditions.

5. Then hire

Only once slots are confirmed should offers go out and work permits be applied for.

What you need

Trade licence, current
Establishment card, current — see establishment card renewal
Registered Ejari showing the office and its area
Emirates ID and passport of the authorised signatory
List of professions and the number of slots requested
Evidence that WPS and any fines are current

Why quota applications are refused

Premises too small for the headcount requested — the most common reason.
Profession outside the licensed activity. A trading licence cannot employ engineers on that basis alone.
Emiratisation shortfall against the requirement for your size band.
Compliance record — WPS breaches or unresolved complaints.
Expired establishment card, which stops the submission outright.
Slots already occupied by staff who left but were never properly cancelled.

Check before you offer, not after

A candidate who resigns on the strength of your offer, then waits six weeks for quota, is a candidate you are likely to lose — and a reputational cost you do not need. Confirming quota takes minutes. Fixing its absence takes weeks.

What we do

We check what your establishment currently holds, identify slots wrongly showing as occupied, clear the blockers MOHRE will find, and lodge the application with the right professions attached. Where the premises genuinely cap your headcount we will say so plainly rather than submitting an application that will be refused.

Planning to hire? Check quota first.

Send your trade licence and Ejari. We will tell you how many slots you hold, how many you could get, and what is standing in the way — before you make an offer.

Check your quota

Quota questions

What is company visa quota?

The number of employees MOHRE permits your establishment to sponsor, and in which professions. It is granted against your licensed activity, premises and record — not against your hiring plans.

How long does quota approval take?

Three to ten working days once submitted with a clean file. A refusal, or a premises constraint requiring more office space, extends that considerably.

How do I know how many slots I have left?

It can be checked against the establishment file. Companies are frequently surprised — either they hold unused slots they forgot about, or slots they believe are free are still occupied by incomplete cancellations.

Can I increase quota without taking a bigger office?

Sometimes, where the constraint was compliance rather than space, or where the activity supports a higher ratio. Where floor area is genuinely the ceiling, more space is usually the only route. Covered further in increasing your visa quota.

Does a free zone company need MOHRE quota?

No. Free zone establishments are governed by their own authority, which issues visa allocations under its own rules — see free zone visa services.

Does Emiratisation affect quota?

It can. Shortfalls against the requirement for your size band carry monthly penalties and can restrict further approvals — see Emiratisation rules.

Official sources

Please note. Quota criteria are set by MOHRE and applied case by case. Information verified August 2026. Confirm the current position for your establishment. General information, not legal advice.

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