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Entry Permit Dubai

Entry Permit Dubai

Permission to enter and start the residence chain. Two clocks, both matter.

Mir Ali Licensed PRO consultant · Amer & Tasheel partner

Updated 4 Sep 2026 Get a fixed quote

The short version

An entry permit is permission to enter and begin the residence process. It is not the residence visa.
Typical cost AED 500 – 1,200. Approval in 3 to 5 working days, or 24–48 hours urgent.
It has a validity window and an allowed stay. Missing either restarts the process and costs the fee again.
Already inside the UAE? You usually need a status change, not an entry permit.

The entry permit is the step most people do not realise exists. They are told they have "got the visa", travel on that basis, and discover the permit expired before they boarded. It is a short-life document with two separate clocks, and both matter.

The two clocks

Validity is not the same as stay

Validity is how long you have to enter the UAE on the permit — commonly 60 days from issue.

Allowed stay is how long you may remain after arriving — commonly 60 days, during which the residence chain must complete.

Miss the first and the permit is dead before you travel. Miss the second and you are overstaying at AED 50 per day.

What it costs

Component	Typical range	Notes
Entry permit	AED 500 – 1,200	Inside or outside country, category dependent
Urgent processing	AED 500 – 1,000	Compresses approval to 24–48 hours
Typing and submission	AED 100 – 300	Amer centre
Deposit	Varies	Refundable, on some sponsorship categories

Which type applies

Employment entry permit

Issued after the MOHRE work permit is approved. The company sponsors it; quota must exist first.

Family entry permit

For a spouse, child or parent joining a resident sponsor. Salary, accommodation and attested certificates are assessed before it issues — see family and residence visas.

Newborn entry permit

For a child born in the UAE, following birth certificate and passport. Time-sensitive — see newborn visa.

Mission or temporary work permit

Short-term project work with a defined end date, not open-ended employment.

What you need

Passport copy, minimum six months validity
Passport photograph, white background, UAE specification
Sponsor's documents — trade licence and establishment card, or the sponsor's visa and Emirates ID
Approved work permit, for employment categories
Attested marriage or birth certificate, for family categories
Tenancy contract registered in the sponsor's name, where accommodation is assessed

Why entry permits get refused

An existing ban. A live immigration or labour ban stops the permit before anything else is considered — see ban removal.
Unresolved records against the applicant from a previous stay, including an absconding report.
Name mismatch between passport and supporting documents.
Insufficient passport validity at the point of application.
Sponsor file problems — expired licence, exhausted quota, outstanding fines.
Medical or security findings at the screening stage.

Check before you apply, not after

Application fees are not refunded on refusal, and a refusal is recorded. If there is any history — a previous job ended badly, a fine you never resolved, an exit that was not documented — have the file checked first. It is cheaper than a refusal.

What we do

We check the file for bans, absconding records and outstanding fines before applying, confirm sponsor eligibility, submit through Amer, and track both clocks so the permit is used inside its validity and the residence chain completes inside the allowed stay. If a deadline is genuinely at risk we will tell you whether urgent processing helps or would be wasted.

Not sure whether you need an entry permit or a status change?

Send us the current visa page and passport. We will tell you which route applies, what it costs, and whether anything on the file will block it.

Check your route

Entry permit questions

Is an entry permit the same as a visa?

No. The entry permit lets you enter and start the residence process. The residence visa is stamped afterwards, following the medical, Emirates ID biometrics and stamping. People frequently believe they hold a visa when they hold a permit.

How long is it valid?

Commonly 60 days to enter, and commonly 60 days of stay after arrival. Both are printed on the permit, and both should be checked on issue rather than assumed.

What if I do not travel in time?

The permit lapses and a fresh application is required, at full fee. It cannot be extended once the validity window has passed.

I am already in the UAE on a visit visa — do I need one?

Usually not. A status change converts you in country without an exit and re-entry, which is normally cheaper and faster. Whether it is available depends on your current visa type and nationality.

Can it be refused after the work permit was approved?

Yes. They are separate approvals from separate authorities. MOHRE assesses the employment; immigration assesses the person. A ban or an unresolved record can stop the permit even with a valid work permit in hand.

How fast can it be done?

Three to five working days normally, or 24 to 48 hours with urgent processing at roughly AED 500 to 1,000 extra. Urgent handling cannot clear a fine or remove a ban.

Official sources

Please note. Validity periods, fees and eligibility vary by permit category and nationality, and were verified in August 2026. Confirm the current position before travelling or committing funds. General information, not legal advice.

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