Work permit & labour card
Quota confirmation, offer letter preparation, Tasheel submission and MOHRE approval tracking for mainland employers.
MOHRE & GDRFA processing
Employment visas in Dubai,processed end to end
Work permits, entry permits, medical fitness, Emirates ID and residence stamping — prepared and submitted through Tasheel and Amer on your written authorisation.
Overview
What a Dubai employment visa actually involves
An employment visa in Dubai is not one application. It is a sequence of approvals across two different authorities, and each one depends on the last being clean. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) governs the work permit for mainland companies. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP) govern entry, residence and Emirates ID.
Most delays we see are not caused by the authorities. They are caused by a document that does not match another document — a name spelled differently on a passport and a degree certificate, a profession on the offer letter that does not match the qualification submitted, or a previous visa that was never properly cancelled. Any one of those can stop a file that would otherwise clear in days.
We prepare and submit the whole sequence as an authorised typing centre partner, track it at each stage, and tell you immediately when something needs correcting rather than letting the file sit rejected.
Scope of work
What is included
Every stage from quota confirmation to the residence visa landing on the employee’s passport file.
Entry permit
Employment entry permit through GDRFA or ICP, whether the employee applies from outside the UAE or is already inside on another status.
Medical fitness test
Booking and typing of the medical fitness application, plus follow-up on results and any re-test requirement.
Emirates ID
ICP application, biometric appointment booking, and collection or delivery tracking of the card.
Residence visa stamping
Final residence issuance onto the employee file, with the full document set returned to you on completion.
Renewals, transfers & cancellation
Expiry monitoring ahead of time, company-to-company transfers, and clean cancellation when an employee exits.
What to prepare
Documents you will need
Exact requirements vary by profession, company classification and the employee’s current status. This is the standard set we ask for at the start.
From the employee
- Passport copy with sufficient remaining validity
- Recent passport photograph on a plain white background
- Attested degree certificate where the profession requires one
- Current UAE visa copy, or the cancellation paper from a previous employer
- Existing Emirates ID, if one has already been issued
From the employer
- Valid trade licence
- Establishment card
- Confirmed MOHRE quota for the role
- Signed offer letter in the employee’s language of understanding
- Ejari tenancy contract for mainland quota applications
- Authorised signatory card and passport copy
- Medical insurance meeting the minimum required cover
How it works
The four stages
Timelines depend on authority workload, the employee’s current status and how quickly documents come back to us.
- 01
Quota & offer
We confirm the company holds approved quota for the role, prepare the offer letter, and have it signed before anything is submitted. Getting this wrong is the most common cause of a rejected file.
- 02
Work permit & entry permit
The work permit goes to MOHRE through Tasheel. Once approved, we raise the employment entry permit so the employee can legally enter or change status inside the UAE.
- 03
Medical & Emirates ID
Medical fitness testing and ICP biometric capture. We book the appointments, type the applications and monitor results, flagging anything that needs a re-test straight away.
- 04
Stamping & handover
Residence is issued onto the file and the Emirates ID is released. We hand back the complete document set with renewal dates recorded so nothing lapses unnoticed.
From our case desk
Why employment visa files get rejected
These are the issues we correct most often. Checking them before submission saves weeks.
Name order does not match
Passports, degree certificates and previous visas often carry names in a different order or spelling. Authorities treat these as different people. It must be reconciled before submission, not after.
Profession does not fit the qualification
The job title on the offer letter has to be consistent with the qualification and the company’s licensed activity. A mismatch triggers a request for further documents.
Attestation missing
Regulated professions require the degree to be attested through the correct chain. Starting attestation after the visa application has begun adds weeks.
Previous visa not cancelled
An open residence file under a former employer blocks the new one. So does an unresolved absconding report, which must be cleared first.
Quota or licence expired
A lapsed trade licence, establishment card or exhausted quota will stop the work permit regardless of how complete the employee paperwork is.
Insufficient passport validity
Files are commonly returned because remaining passport validity falls short of the requirement at the point of stamping rather than at the point of application.
What a Dubai employment visa costs in 2026
Most quotes you will see online are wrong for your situation, because the single biggest variable is one most people have never heard of: your company's MOHRE classification. The same work permit costs a Category 1 employer a few hundred dirhams and a Category 3 employer several thousand.
| Component | Typical range | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| MOHRE work permit | AED 300 – 5,000 | Company MOHRE category (1, 2 or 3) |
| Entry permit | AED 500 – 1,200 | Inside or outside country application |
| Status change (if inside UAE) | AED 650 – 1,100 | Avoids an exit and re-entry |
| Medical fitness test | AED 300 – 700 | Standard, urgent or VIP tier |
| Emirates ID | AED 170 – 370 | Visa duration (2 or 3 years) |
| Residence visa stamping | AED 500 – 1,000 | Duration and authority |
| Medical insurance | AED 650 – 2,500+ | Age, nationality, cover level — mandatory |
| ILOE subscription | AED 60 – 120/yr | Employee obligation, but blocks the permit if unpaid |
| Realistic all-in, 2-year visa | AED 3,000 – 8,000 | Free zone typically AED 2,500–4,500; mainland AED 5,000–7,000 |
How we quote
We pass government fees through at cost and charge a separate, fixed service fee that you see before any work starts. If a quote you have received bundles everything into one number with no breakdown, you cannot tell what is fee and what is margin.
Why MOHRE category matters so much
MOHRE classifies establishments into three categories based on compliance history, Emiratisation performance and workforce diversity. The classification sets your work permit fee tier.
- Category 1 — lowest fees, fastest handling. Reserved for strong compliance records.
- Category 2 — standard fees. Where most established companies sit.
- Category 3 — highest fees, additional scrutiny. Typically follows WPS violations, unresolved labour complaints or wage delays.
A company that slipped to Category 3 after a payroll delay can pay several times more per visa, on every hire, until the classification is restored. If your per-visa costs have jumped without explanation, check your category before you check your provider.
How long it actually takes
| Stage | Working days | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Quota confirmation | 1 – 3 | Only if quota is not already available |
| Work permit approval | 2 – 5 | Longer for Category 3 or restricted professions |
| Entry permit issuance | 2 – 4 | |
| Status change or entry | 1 – 3 | Status change avoids a border run |
| Medical fitness | 1 – 3 | Urgent tiers available |
| Emirates ID biometrics | 1 – 2 | Appointment dependent |
| Residence visa stamping | 2 – 5 | |
| Standard end to end | 2 – 4 weeks | Fast-track 5–7 working days for AED 500–1,000 extra |
What actually causes delay
In our experience it is almost never the authority. It is an unattested degree, an unresolved ILOE fine against the employee, a WPS flag on the establishment file, or a medical result needing follow-up. Every one of those is checkable before you start.
Mainland versus free zone
| Mainland (MOHRE) | Free zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | AED 5,000 – 7,000 | AED 2,500 – 4,500 |
| Where the employee can work | Anywhere in the UAE | Restricted to the zone |
| Governing authority | MOHRE + GDRFA | Free zone authority + GDRFA |
| Labour contract | MOHRE registered | Zone-registered |
| WPS | MOHRE WPS | Zone equivalent |
The cost difference is real, but so is the restriction. A free zone visa that limits an employee to one zone is a false economy if the role requires client sites across the emirate.
What we check before we take the file
Our pre-flight check — free, before you commit
- Establishment file status and MOHRE category
- Any WPS flag blocking the whole establishment
- Available quota against the licence
- Establishment card validity
- Employee's current visa status and any overstay exposure
- Outstanding ILOE liability against the employee's Emirates ID
- Degree attestation and MOHRE equivalency, where the profession requires it
- Profession code consistency with qualification and salary
Roughly a third of the files that come to us have at least one of these outstanding. Finding it on day one costs nothing. Finding it on day fourteen costs a cycle.
Common scenarios
Hiring someone already in the UAE on another visa
A status change avoids an exit and re-entry, costing roughly AED 650–1,100 and saving several days plus a flight. It requires the current visa to be cancelled cleanly first — and cancellation triggers a grace period clock, so sequencing matters.
Hiring someone on a visit visa
Possible via status change, but check the visit visa's remaining validity carefully. If it expires mid-process the applicant starts accruing overstay at AED 50 per day.
Hiring someone with a previous employer still open
The prior visa must be cancelled before a new work permit issues. If the former employer is unresponsive, or has filed an absconding report, resolve that first — the permit will not move otherwise.
Renewing an existing employee
Simpler, but check the establishment card and any WPS flags first. Renewals stall on establishment-level issues far more often than on employee-level ones.
Want the exact government fees?
We publish the complete line-by-line breakdown — Category 1, 2 and 3 establishments, inside and outside the country, split by Tasheel and Amer — in our UAE employment visa cost breakdown. Every figure is either from an actual fee sheet or a published authority schedule.
Employment visa cost questions
How much does a 2-year employment visa cost in Dubai?
Typically AED 3,000–8,000 all-in, covering work permit, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, stamping and mandatory insurance. Free zone visas usually land at AED 2,500–4,500 and mainland at AED 5,000–7,000. The largest single variable is the employer's MOHRE category.
Why is my work permit fee so much higher than another company's?
Almost certainly MOHRE classification. Category 1 employers can pay as little as AED 300 for a work permit while Category 3 employers pay up to AED 5,000 for the same component. Category 3 usually follows WPS violations or unresolved labour complaints.
Can an employment visa be processed faster?
Yes. Fast-track handling typically reduces 2–4 weeks to 5–7 working days for an additional AED 500–1,000. It does not help if the delay is caused by attestation, an ILOE fine or a WPS block — those must be cleared first.
Who pays for the employment visa, employer or employee?
Employment visa costs are the employer's responsibility under UAE labour law. The ILOE subscription is the employee's own obligation, though an unpaid ILOE liability will block the employer's work permit application.
Do I need to leave the country to get an employment visa?
Not if you are already in the UAE and eligible for an in-country status change, which costs roughly AED 650–1,100 and avoids an exit and re-entry. Eligibility depends on your current visa type and its remaining validity.
Read before you apply
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Labour Contract Typing
The binding document — typed, registered, and matched to the offer letter.
View service →MOHRE Labour Complaint
Unpaid salary and contract disputes — free to file, decided on evidence.
View service →MOHRE Work Permit
The labour half of hiring — quota, category, and what a permit really costs.
View service →ILOE Insurance Registration
Subscribe, renew, or clear an ILOE fine blocking your work permit.
View service →Visa Cancellation
Cancel a residence visa cleanly — and start the grace period on the right date.
View service →Other services we handle
PRO Services in Dubai
Every government transaction, one licensed desk.
View service →Corporate PRO Services
Licence, labour file, quota and WPS compliance on retainer.
View service →Family & Residence Visa
Sponsor a spouse, children or parents — assessed before you apply.
View service →Golden & Investor Visa
Long-term residence, assessed against the right category.
View service →Emirates ID & Typing
Applications, renewals, corrections and Amer typing.
View service →Fines & Absconding
Overstay fines, absconding cases, bans — checked and cleared.
View service →Document Attestation
Degree, marriage and birth certificates, sequenced correctly.
View service →Questions
Employment visa questions
How long does a Dubai employment visa take?
Processing time depends on the employee current status, the profession, the employer MOHRE classification and current authority workload. A clean file with correct documents moves considerably faster than one needing corrections mid-process. We give a realistic timeline for your specific case at consultation.
Can the visa be processed if the employee is already in the UAE?
In many cases yes, through a change of status rather than exiting and re-entering. Whether that route is available depends on the visa the employee currently holds and its remaining validity. We confirm this before starting so there are no surprises.
Who is legally responsible for paying the costs?
Under UAE labour law the employer carries the cost of the work permit and residence process for mainland employment. We set out exactly which government charges apply to your case during the consultation.
What if the degree certificate is not attested?
Attestation runs on its own timeline through the issuing country and the UAE authorities. If the profession requires it, we recommend starting attestation in parallel with, or ahead of, the visa file rather than after it.
Can an employee transfer from another company?
Transfers are possible in most cases. The route depends on how the previous employment ended, whether the prior visa was cancelled correctly, and whether any labour case or absconding report is open against the file.
What happens if there is an old absconding case?
An absconding report has to be resolved before a new residence file can be opened. We check for this at the outset, because discovering it midway through an application is the single most disruptive thing that can happen to a case.
Do you handle cancellation when an employee leaves?
Yes. Clean cancellation matters as much as issuance. An incorrectly closed file creates problems for both the employee next visa and the employer quota.
Start your employment visa file
Send us the trade licence and the employee passport copy. We will tell you what is missing, which government fees apply and how long your specific case should take.
MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO services and document-typing company acting solely on the written authorisation of its clients. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of MOHRE, ICP, GDRFA Dubai, Amer, Tasheel, Dubai DET, Dubai Police, RTA or the Dubai Land Department. Government fees, eligibility rules and processing times are set by the relevant authority and can change without notice. Confirm current requirements for your case during your consultation.