Key takeaways
- Simple rule: Tasheel handles your job. Amer handles your right to live here.
- Tasheel is the channel for MOHRE labour transactions. Amer is the channel for GDRFA residency transactions.
- Neither is a government authority — both are authorised service centres that type and submit on your behalf.
- Going to the wrong one is a wasted trip, and a full employment visa needs both, in order.
Two names, two queues, and no signage anywhere explaining which one you need. Here is the directory nobody hands you.
The one-line rule
| Tasheel | Amer | |
|---|---|---|
| Serves | MOHRE | GDRFA Dubai |
| Governs | Your employment | Your residency |
| Think of it as | The labour counter | The immigration counter |
| Available in | Across the UAE | Dubai |
What each one actually does
| Transaction | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Work permit application and renewal | Tasheel |
| Labour contract typing and amendment | Tasheel |
| Company labour file and quota | Tasheel |
| Labour contract cancellation | Tasheel |
| MOHRE complaints and labour disputes | Tasheel |
| WPS and establishment matters | Tasheel |
| Entry permit | Amer |
| Residence visa stamping and renewal | Amer |
| Status change | Amer |
| Residence visa cancellation | Amer |
| Family and dependant sponsorship | Amer |
| Emirates ID applications and renewals | Amer |
| Immigration fine checks and settlement | Amer |
Emirates ID is an ICP record, not GDRFA — but Amer centres process the applications. So the counter is Amer while the authority behind it is ICP. That distinction only matters when you are checking status online and looking in the wrong system.
Why an employment visa needs both
This is where the two names actually collide in practice. A single hire touches both channels, in a fixed order:
Tasheel — quota and work permit
MOHRE approves the establishment’s quota and issues the work permit. Nothing on the residency side can start until this exists.
Amer — entry permit
GDRFA issues the entry permit, or the status change if the person is already in the country.
Medical fitness
DHA screening, arranged separately.
Amer — Emirates ID and residence stamping
Biometrics and the residence visa itself.
Tasheel — labour contract registration
The employment contract is registered against the now-active residency.
Five stages, two channels, three authorities. Get the order wrong and you queue twice. Full detail on the sequence and cost is on our employment visa in Dubai page.
What a typing centre actually does
The word “typing” undersells it and confuses newcomers. These centres:
- Prepare the application in the correct format and language
- Validate documents before submission, catching errors that would otherwise cause rejection
- Submit directly into the authority’s system
- Collect fees and issue the official receipt
- Track the application and handle follow-up
A centre submits your file. It does not decide it. If something on your record blocks the transaction — an ILOE fine, a WPS flag on your employer, an expired establishment card — the submission stalls, and you will usually not be told why in any detail.
That is the actual value of using a PRO: checking those things before the file goes in.
Amer and Tasheel questions
What is the difference between Amer and Tasheel?
Tasheel is the authorised service channel for MOHRE labour transactions — work permits, labour contracts, quota. Amer is the channel for GDRFA residency transactions — entry permits, visa stamping, Emirates ID, cancellations. Tasheel handles your job; Amer handles your right to live here.
Are Amer and Tasheel government departments?
No. They are authorised service centres that prepare and submit applications on your behalf. The authorities behind them are MOHRE, GDRFA and ICP.
Where do I go for an Emirates ID?
Amer centres process Emirates ID applications, though the authority behind the card is ICP rather than GDRFA. That distinction matters when checking status online, because looking in the wrong system returns a blank result.
Do I need to visit both for an employment visa?
Yes. Tasheel handles the quota and work permit, Amer handles the entry permit, Emirates ID and residence stamping, then Tasheel registers the labour contract. Five stages across both channels, in a fixed order.
Is Tasheel available outside Dubai?
Tasheel serves MOHRE and operates across the UAE. Amer is the Dubai residency channel; other emirates use ICP centres for the equivalent transactions.
Can a typing centre tell me why my application was rejected?
Often only in limited terms. The centre submits rather than decides, and blockers such as unpaid fines or an employer’s WPS flag are frequently not explained in detail — which is why checking the file before submission is worth more than chasing it afterwards.
Amer is the public channel for GDRFA, which handles Dubai residency. For the full picture of what that authority covers, see GDRFA Dubai services explained.
For the transactions themselves, see our Tasheel services in Dubai and Amer centre services.
Based in or around Al Barsha? See our PRO services in Al Barsha for which centres serve the area and what we handle locally.
If you would rather not work out which counter a transaction belongs to, that is what our PRO services in Dubai exist for — we lodge at the right authority the first time.
Tasheel is the channel; MoHRE is the authority behind it. See what MoHRE is and everything it governs.
Please note. Service allocations between channels change. Verified August 2026. As an authorised typing centre partner we submit directly — send us the document and we will tell you which route your transaction takes.
