Key takeaways
- Cancel employment visa (UAE) files in the right order. There are two. On the mainland, the employer first cancels the MOHRE work permit and employment contract, then cancels the residence at GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (the other emirates). In a free zone, the free zone authority takes MOHRE’s place.
- Your signature is not a formality. MOHRE’s service card asks for the employee’s signature “indicating their agreement to cancellation, and acknowledging receipt of all labor dues”, plus a statement from the company that your dues are fully satisfied. Read what you are confirming before you sign.
- Dependants go first. A sponsor’s family must be cancelled, transferred or put on hold before the sponsor’s own residence. In the other emirates, ICP lets the family’s permits stay while the sponsor moves to an approved new employer only against an AED 5,000 guarantee plus an AED 20 deposit fee.
- Employment visa cancellation fees are modest and paid by the employer. MOHRE has no fee online (up to AED 72 at a business centre). GDRFA’s FAQ gives AED 225 inside the UAE and AED 325 outside for a company sponsor, plus Amer fees; ICP lists AED 50 plus AED 100.
- The whole employment visa cancellation process takes days, not weeks, when the employer is organised: MOHRE’s card states 2 working days (approvals are often automatic), GDRFA states 48 hours and ICP 2 days.
- Your grace period starts on the residence cancellation date. ICP publishes 30, 60, 90 or 180 days by category; in Dubai the standard is 30 days, and some categories get 60, 90 or 180 days; DMCC and JAFZA give 29 and 30 days. Your exact period is shown on your cancellation letter. Overstay fines start the day after your grace period ends, at AED 50 per day.
- Your money has its own clock. Wages and all entitlements, including gratuity, are due within 14 days of the contract ending (Article 53, Decree-Law 33/2021). An ILOE claim must be filed within 30 days, and the reason on your cancellation paper decides whether it succeeds.
- If the employer will not or cannot act, the route starts with a MOHRE complaint; see our guide to visa cancellation without a sponsor.
In short: To cancel an employment visa in the UAE, the employer, as sponsor, first cancels the work permit and contract with MOHRE, with the employee’s signed agreement. That step has no fee on MOHRE’s website and app, or up to AED 72 at a business centre, and MOHRE’s card states 2 working days. The employer then cancels the residence: at GDRFA in Dubai (AED 225 inside the UAE or AED 325 outside for a company sponsor, plus Amer fees) or at ICP in the other emirates (AED 50 plus AED 100). Dependants go first. The grace period starts on the cancellation date: in Dubai the standard is 30 days after cancellation (some categories get 60, 90 or 180 days; your exact period is shown on your cancellation letter), and 30 to 180 days by category at ICP.
To cancel an employment visa in the UAE, the employer, as sponsor, first cancels the worker’s MOHRE work permit and employment contract with the worker’s signed acknowledgement, and then cancels the residence permit at GDRFA in Dubai or ICP in the other emirates. Any family members the worker sponsors must be dealt with first. Once the residence is cancelled, a grace period begins, and the final settlement is due within 14 days of the contract ending. In a free zone, the free zone authority runs the same two steps through its own portal.
This guide explains how to cancel employment visa UAE files when the employer co-operates: after a resignation, a redundancy, the end of a fixed term or a move to a new job. Whether you call it a labour card, a work permit or a work visa, the steps to cancel work visa UAE files are the same. Employees will find what to check before they sign; employers and HR teams will find the steps, conditions and fees from MOHRE’s, GDRFA’s and ICP’s own service cards.
Everything here was checked on 23 September 2026, and the MOHRE, GDRFA, ICP, DMCC and JAFZA fees, completion times, family rule and grace periods were re-checked on the official pages on 10 October 2026. The sources are MOHRE, GDRFA Dubai and ICP service cards, the UAE government portal, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the Labour Law), and the DMCC and JAFZA free zone guidelines. Where official sources differ, we show both.
This guide covers the normal route, where the employer processes the employment visa cancellation. If your employer has stopped answering, has closed the company or refuses to act, go to our guide to visa cancellation without a sponsor. If a company is winding up and has to cancel every visa, see company liquidation and visa cancellation. If you simply want the job done for you in Dubai, that is our visa cancellation service in Dubai.
How do you cancel an employment visa in the UAE? The process at a glance
The employment visa cancellation process follows this order. Each step is explained in full further down.
Every government step can be done online: the MOHRE website or app for the work permit (no fee), then the GDRFA website or app for a Dubai residence, or the ICP website or app for the other emirates, both available 24/7. Amer centres, ICP customer centres and business centres such as Tasheel do the same work at a counter for a service charge.
| Employment visa cancellation step | What happens | Who acts | Published fee | Published time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Employment ends | Resignation or termination, notice served or paid in lieu; end-of-service letter issued | Employer and employee | None | Notice period: 30 to 90 days under Article 43, or the probation rules in Article 9 |
| 2. Dependants | Family visas the employee sponsors are cancelled, transferred to another sponsor, or put on hold | The employee, as their sponsor | Per dependant, as the residence cancellation below | ICP 2 days; GDRFA 48 hours |
| 3. Work permit cancellation (mainland) | MOHRE cancels the work permit and employment contract. The employee signs to agree and to acknowledge receipt of dues | Employer, with the employee’s signature | No fee on MOHRE website and app; business centre commission capped at AED 72 | 2 working days on MOHRE’s card; MOHRE reported automatic approval in about 45 seconds in 2024 |
| 4. Residence cancellation | GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (other emirates) cancels the residence permit. Emirates ID ends with it | Employer, as sponsor | GDRFA: AED 225 inside / AED 325 outside + Amer (company sponsor). ICP: AED 50 + AED 100 smart services | GDRFA 48 hours; ICP 2 days |
| 5. Grace period | The former employee may stay lawfully while changing status or leaving | The employee | AED 50 per day after it ends | ICP 30/60/90/180 days by category; Dubai 30 days standard, exact period on the cancellation letter |
| 6. Final settlement | Wages, leave, gratuity, notice pay and other entitlements paid | Employer | n/a | Within 14 days of the contract ending (Article 53) |
Cancelling the MOHRE work permit does not cancel the residence. They are separate files at separate authorities. A worker whose labour file was closed but whose residence was left open is still a resident on paper, and that residence will eventually expire and start costing money. Always confirm both cancellations, in writing, before anyone books a flight.
Employment visa cancellation: how MIRDXB PRO helps
Most employment visa cancellations are routine, and many employers with an in-house PRO do them without help. People come to us when time is tight, family visas are involved, the employee is abroad, a small business has no one who knows the systems, or an employee wants the paperwork checked before signing. We are a PRO and visa services firm in Al Barsha 1, Dubai, working at MOHRE, at GDRFA in Dubai and through ICP for the other emirates. The service page for this work is our visa cancellation service in Dubai.
What we do
- Check the file before any employment visa cancellation is submitted. We confirm which emirate issued the residence, whether the work permit carries fines, whether any dependants sit under the employee, and whether an absence report or other block exists.
- Put the employment visa cancellation process in the right order. Dependants first, then the MOHRE work permit, then the residence at GDRFA or ICP, so nothing is rejected for being out of sequence.
- Prepare and submit the MOHRE cancellation for employers, including the establishment’s statement on dues and the cancellation reason, and send the employee’s acknowledgement for signature.
- Cancel the residence at GDRFA or ICP, inside or outside the country, and give both parties the employment visa cancellation documents.
- Tell the employee their real grace period end date, read from the official record rather than guessed.
How it works
- Message us on WhatsApp with the residence page and passport copy, and a line on what has happened: resignation, termination, end of contract, new job.
- We check the file and reply with the employment visa cancellation steps, the government fees and our fee in writing.
- You approve, and we submit. The employee receives the MOHRE acknowledgement to sign where one is required.
- We track each step to completion and send you the MOHRE and residence cancellation documents.
What it costs
Government fees are passed on at cost, with the receipt. The published employment visa cancellation fees are in the table later in this guide. Our own service fee depends on the number of files (employee plus any dependants) and whether anyone is outside the UAE, and it is quoted in writing before we start. Our general price list is on the fees page.
Why residents and employers use us
- We publish our sources. Every fee and rule in this guide links to the official page it came from.
- We cover both GDRFA in Dubai and ICP in the other emirates, as well as MOHRE, so one person follows the whole file.
- We tell you when you do not need us. If your company’s PRO is handling it properly, we will say so.
- Our office is in Al Barsha 1, open by appointment; whatsApp us any time, 24 hours; office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 (Dubai time).
- For people outside the UAE, we can act under a power of attorney so that no one needs to fly back to sign.
Employment visa cancellation involves two files and two authorities
An employment visa is shorthand for two linked permissions, and the employment visa cancellation process closes them one after the other.
| File | Held by | What it allows | How it is cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit and employment contract (often still called the labour card) | MOHRE for mainland employers; the free zone authority for free zone companies | Working for this particular employer | MOHRE’s “Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts” service, or the free zone’s own cancellation request |
| Residence permit (the visa, linked to the Emirates ID) | GDRFA Dubai for Dubai-issued residences; ICP for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah | Living in the UAE, sponsoring family, holding an Emirates ID | GDRFA’s “Cancellation of all types of residence permits”, or ICP’s “Cancellation of Residency Permits” |
The official service cards set the order. MOHRE’s card makes the work permit cancellation conditional on “an official statement issued by the establishment confirming that the worker’s rights, dues and entitlements have been fully satisfied” and on the employee’s signature agreeing to the cancellation. Only then is the residence cancelled with the immigration authority. GDRFA’s service card confirms the dependency from its side: its condition for cancelling a residence is “a cancellation from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation”, and for private-sector employees it lists the MOHRE work permit cancellation extract among its documents.
Which authority issued your visa?
Look at the residence file number on your visa page or in the ICP or GDRFA app. The first digit shows the issuing emirate: 1 Abu Dhabi, 2 Dubai, 3 Sharjah, 4 Ajman, 5 Umm Al Quwain, 6 Ras Al Khaimah, 7 Fujairah. A file starting with 2 is cancelled at GDRFA Dubai; the others go through ICP. The labour card or work permit itself is explained in our MOHRE labour card guide.
Mainland or free zone employment visa cancellation?
A mainland employer’s work permits sit with MOHRE. A free zone company’s employment side is issued and cancelled by the free zone (DMCC, JAFZA, IFZA and others), usually through its own portal; see the free zone section below and, for the wider differences, free zone vs mainland visas.
Before the employment visa cancellation: a checklist for both sides
An employment visa cancellation starts clocks that cannot be paused: the grace period, the ILOE claim window and, for the employer, the fine exposure on an unused file. A short checklist before submission avoids nearly every problem we see.
| Cancel work visa UAE checklist item | Employee | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| End date and reason | Get a written resignation acceptance or termination letter stating the last working day and the reason | Issue it. Article 13(11) of the Labour Law requires an end-of-service certificate, at no charge, stating the dates, job, last wage and reason |
| Final settlement | Ask for an itemised statement: salary to the last day, unused leave, notice pay if any, gratuity, ticket if contractual. Check it against your own figures | Prepare it and pay within 14 days of the contract ending (Article 53) |
| Dependants | Decide for each family member: cancel, transfer to another sponsor, or hold | Remind the employee early; the residence cancellation will not go through with family on the file, unless ICP’s AED 5,000 guarantee route applies |
| Work permit fines | Not your liability; late-renewal fines belong to the establishment | Pay any fines for late issue or renewal of the work permit; MOHRE lists this as a condition |
| Passport and Emirates ID | Make sure your passport is valid and in your hands; photograph both sides of the Emirates ID | Do not hold the employee’s passport. Article 13(2) forbids withholding a worker’s official documents |
| Next status | Decide: new job, family sponsorship, own residence, or leaving. Book nothing until the cancellation is confirmed | If the employee is moving to a new employer, agree the cancellation date so the new permit can follow |
| ILOE | If you were terminated, not resigned, check the reason on the paper and note the 30-day claim deadline | Record the correct reason. A resignation recorded by mistake blocks a genuine claim |
For the rules on how much notice each side must give, see our notice period guide. For how gratuity is worked out, see end of service gratuity in the UAE, or run the figures in our gratuity calculator.
Employment visa cancellation step 1: dependants first
This is the rule that most often stops an employment visa cancellation at the last minute. ICP’s cancellation card gives the rule and the alternative: “Family members’ permits under the foreign worker’s sponsorship must be cancelled before his residence is cancelled, or placed on hold for a limited period with applicable fees.”
ICP’s card also lists a guarantee of AED 5,000, plus an AED 20 financial guarantee deposit fee, for cancelling a sponsor’s residence without cancelling the family’s permits. It is not open to everyone: the sponsor’s move to another employer must be approved, the sponsor must meet the salary and occupation conditions for every family member, the sponsor’s own permit must be valid or within its grace period, and the family’s permits must have at least three months left. In every other case, deal with the family first.
Free zones apply the same rule. DMCC’s employee cancellation guideline says employees “must proceed to cancel their dependents’ visas before proceeding with their own”, and lists the dependants’ cancellation documents as a requirement. JAFZA says dependants’ visas “should be cancelled before cancelling Applicant’s Residence Visa”, or held directly with immigration.
Your options for the family
| Family situation | What to do | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| The whole family is leaving the UAE | Cancel each dependant’s residence first, then the employee’s | Each dependant is a separate application and fee; each gets their own grace period from their own cancellation date |
| The employee has a new job lined up in the UAE | Ask whether the family can stay on hold while the new residence is issued, then move them to the new sponsorship | ICP describes the hold as “for a limited period with applicable fees”; confirm the period and fee on the application screen |
| The spouse works and can sponsor the family | Transfer the children (and, where allowed, the spouse) to the working spouse’s sponsorship before the employee is cancelled | The new sponsor must meet the income and housing conditions; see our guide to the family visa salary requirement |
| Children are mid-school-year | Plan the hold or transfer in the first week of the notice period | School records and re-enrolment often depend on a valid residence |
The family has the most moving parts and the least room for last-minute fixes. Each dependant needs their own documents, application and decision. If you know your job is ending, sort the family plan out first.
Employment visa cancellation step 2: the MOHRE work permit (mainland)
For a mainland company, the first government step in the employment visa cancellation process is MOHRE’s service “Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts”. MOHRE describes it as a service “provided by the Ministry to employers wishing to cancel work permits of their employees”. It is the employer’s application, not the employee’s.
What MOHRE’s service card requires
| Element | MOHRE’s published position | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | Employers | The company, through its authorised user, PRO or a business centre such as Tasheel |
| Condition 1: fines | “Payment of any fines incurred by reason of late issuance or non-renewal of work permits (if any)” | Late-renewal fines sit on the establishment’s file and must be cleared by the employer |
| Condition 2: dues statement | “An official statement issued by the establishment confirming that the worker’s rights, dues and entitlements have been fully satisfied” | The company confirms, officially, that it has paid what it owes |
| Condition 3: employee signature | “Employee’s signature indicating their agreement to cancellation, and acknowledging receipt of all labor dues”, with exceptions | The employee confirms both the cancellation and that dues were received |
| Exceptions to the signature | Workers outside the country, deceased workers, workers found medically unfit for a contagious disease, and administrative deportation, among others | For a worker abroad, the residence details are attached instead |
| Documents | The Ministry’s cancellation request form, plus attachments by type of cancellation | Most ordinary cancellations now need no uploaded documents, following MOHRE’s 2024 changes (see below) |
| Fee | “Except for federal charges, the service is free of charge via MOHRE’s website and smart app.” Business centre commission “capped at 72 dirhams” | No fee if the company does it itself online; up to AED 72 at a business centre |
| Completion time and channels | 2 working days; service centre, website, smart app and Tawseel | Often much faster in practice, because most approvals are now automatic |
MOHRE also reorganised this part of employment visa cancellation in 2024. Gulf News reported on 9 July 2024 that under the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme, cancellation time had been cut from 3 minutes to about 45 seconds, required documents from two to none, form fields from seven to two, with automatic approvals and all cancellation types brought into one bundle. That is a report, not a service-card promise, but it matches what employers see on the system: the MOHRE step is rarely what holds a cancellation up.
The employee’s side of the employment visa cancellation process
For most employees, the MOHRE step appears as a request to approve the employment visa cancellation, either on the MOHRE app or on a printed form at a business centre. Gulf News described the employer’s app flow as ending with obtaining “the employee’s electronic signature through the app” before submission.
Read what the acknowledgement says. MOHRE’s own wording joins two things: your agreement to the cancellation, and your acknowledgement that you have received all your labour dues.
Can you cancel your employment visa by yourself? Not on the normal route. Work permit cancellation is an employer service on MOHRE’s card, and the residence is cancelled by the sponsor at GDRFA or ICP, so the employee’s part is to approve the request and check it. If the employer will not file it, the route starts with a MOHRE complaint, summarised below and set out in full in our guide to visa cancellation without a sponsor. The exception is a visa you sponsor yourself, such as a spouse’s or child’s, which you cancel as the sponsor.
Refusing to sign a cancellation you agree with only freezes your own status: you cannot move to a new employer, and your residence keeps running. But the MOHRE acknowledgement also records that your dues were received. If they have not been paid, do not sign a statement saying they have. Ask for the settlement to be paid first, or for the unpaid amounts to be stated in writing, and if the employer insists, raise it with MOHRE through a complaint (see our guide to filing a MOHRE complaint). Keeping your two questions separate protects both.
The employment visa cancellation reason matters
The employer chooses a reason on the MOHRE application: resignation, termination, end of contract, and so on. That reason travels with you. The ILOE scheme does not pay out on a resignation or a disciplinary dismissal, and Gulf News reported in August 2024 a case where an ILOE claim was rejected because the cancellation paper said “resignation by worker” when the worker had been made redundant. MOHRE’s answer was to upload the original termination letter to the claim. It is much simpler to get the reason right before submission. Employees should check it; employers should record the true reason.
How to cancel employment visa permits at MOHRE: the employer’s steps
- Log in to the MOHRE website or app with the establishment’s credentials or UAE Pass, or use a Tasheel or other business centre.
- Choose the work permit cancellation service and select the employee.
- Enter the passport and residence details and choose the correct cancellation reason.
- Clear any work permit fines on the file.
- Confirm the establishment’s statement that the worker’s dues have been settled.
- Send the request to the employee for signature, or attach the residence details where the worker is outside the country.
- Submit. Once approved, download the cancellation and move to the residence step.
Getting the work permit cancellation letter. Once MOHRE approves, the cancellation document is issued on MOHRE’s system and the employer, or the business centre it used, downloads or prints it. GDRFA lists this MOHRE extract among its documents for the residence step. As an employee, ask HR for a copy for your records and your next employer, and check the status yourself on the MOHRE app or website or by calling 600590000.
Employment visa cancellation step 3 in Dubai: GDRFA
For a Dubai-issued residence, the employment visa cancellation is completed with GDRFA’s “Cancellation of all types of residence permits”. It is open to sponsors and sponsored persons with a Dubai residence, with the MOHRE cancellation as its condition for private-sector employees.
| Field | GDRFA’s published position |
|---|---|
| Condition | “A cancellation from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation” |
| Documents (service card) | Sponsor’s passport; sponsored person’s passport; MOHRE work permit cancellation (private sector) |
| Documents (FAQ, inside the UAE) | Application form from an Amer centre or the GDRFA Dubai app; sponsored person’s original passport and Emirates ID; sponsor’s original passport and Emirates ID |
| Documents (FAQ, outside the UAE) | As above, with the sponsored person’s passport needed where the residence is valid and the stay outside is under six months |
| Fees on the service card | AED 100 cancellation + AED 10 Knowledge Dirham + AED 10 Innovation Dirham |
| Fees in the FAQ (totals) | Inside the UAE: AED 190 + Amer fees (individual sponsor) or AED 225 (company). Outside the UAE: AED 290 + Amer fees (individual) or AED 325 (company) |
| Channels | GDRFA website and app; Amer centres |
| Completion | 48 hours |
| Grace period | 30 days standard; 60, 90 or 180 days for certain categories; exact period on your cancellation letter |
For an employee sponsored by a company, the company figures apply: AED 225 inside the country and AED 325 outside, plus the Amer centre’s charge. The card’s AED 120 and the FAQ’s totals do not reconcile line by line, which is common across GDRFA’s pages. The itemised screen at submission is the final word, and we show it to clients before paying.
For more on how GDRFA works and its channels, see what GDRFA is and what it does, and for which authority handles which emirate, ICP vs GDRFA.
Employment visa cancellation step 3 in the other emirates: ICP
For residences issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the employment visa cancellation is completed with ICP’s “Cancellation of Residency Permits”.
| Field | ICP’s published position |
|---|---|
| Channels | ICP smart services website and ICP app, 24/7; customer centres in working hours |
| Documents | Passport (investors and partners also need a licence cancellation certificate or a death certificate, as relevant) |
| Fee lines | Application AED 50; smart services AED 100. An exceptional cancellation line of AED 100 applies to disputes or the guarantor’s death, which is not the normal route |
| Family rule | Family cancelled first or put on hold. Where the sponsor’s move to a new employer is approved and the salary, occupation and validity conditions are met, an AED 5,000 guarantee plus an AED 20 deposit fee lets the family’s permits stay while the sponsor is cancelled |
| Completion | 2 days |
| Grace periods | 180 days (Golden, Green and Blue holders and families, widows, divorced women, students after study, foreign relatives of UAE citizens); 90 days (skilled workers at levels 1 to 3, property owners); 60 days (permits with a guarantor or host); 30 days (all other categories) |
| After the grace period | “A fine of AED 50 per day” |
The Knowledge and Innovation Dirham and typing charges are added at the counter or on the screen. As with GDRFA, the itemised total at submission is the figure to rely on. For how ICP’s online services work, see our ICP smart services guide.
What happens to the Emirates ID after employment visa cancellation
The Emirates ID is tied to the residence, so after employment visa cancellation it is no longer valid, whatever date is printed on it. GDRFA’s cancellation FAQ lists the sponsored person’s original Emirates ID among the documents.
- Before cancellation, use the card for anything that needs it: closing or updating bank accounts, final utility bills, telecom changes, and any government service you log in to with it.
- Photograph both sides for your own records. A copy is not a valid ID, but it helps later.
- After cancellation, expect banks and service providers to ask for a new residence before doing anything significant.
How much does employment visa cancellation cost in the UAE?
Here are the published employment visa cancellation fees for each route. They are the employer’s cost: Article 6(4) of the Labour Law prohibits an employer from “charging the Worker the fees and costs of recruitment and employment or collecting them from him, whether directly or indirectly”, and employment visa cancellation is part of the employment cycle.
| Employment visa cancellation item | Published fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MOHRE work permit cancellation, online | No fee (except federal charges) | MOHRE service card |
| MOHRE work permit cancellation, at a business centre | Commission capped at AED 72 | MOHRE service card |
| GDRFA residence cancellation, service card lines | AED 100 + AED 10 + AED 10 | GDRFA service card |
| GDRFA residence cancellation, inside the UAE | AED 225 (company sponsor) or AED 190 (individual sponsor), plus Amer fees | GDRFA FAQ |
| GDRFA residence cancellation, outside the UAE | AED 325 (company sponsor) or AED 290 (individual sponsor), plus Amer fees | GDRFA FAQ |
| ICP residence cancellation | Application AED 50 + smart services AED 100 | ICP service card |
| ICP guarantee to keep the family’s permits while the sponsor moves to an approved new employer | AED 5,000 + AED 20 deposit fee | ICP service card |
| DMCC employment visa cancellation | AED 438 inside / AED 580 outside, plus AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fees | DMCC schedule of charges |
| JAFZA employee residence permit cancellation | AED 320 inside / AED 720 outside (normal); AED 460 inside (urgent) | JAFZA service guide |
| Overstay after the grace period | AED 50 per day | ICP service card |
Free zone figures are all-in charges, so not directly comparable with the government lines. The overall cost of an employment visa from issue to cancellation is set out in our UAE employment visa cost breakdown, and every government fee is listed in our UAE government fees list for 2026.
How long does employment visa cancellation take?
| Employment visa cancellation stage | Published or reported time | What usually decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Dependants’ cancellation | GDRFA 48 hours; ICP 2 days, per application | Having every family member’s passport and details ready |
| MOHRE work permit cancellation | 2 working days on MOHRE’s card; often about 45 seconds with automatic approval, per MOHRE’s 2024 announcement reported by Gulf News | Unpaid work permit fines; waiting for the employee’s signature |
| GDRFA residence cancellation | 48 hours | Whether the MOHRE cancellation is already on the system |
| ICP residence cancellation | 2 days | As above |
In our experience, a straightforward mainland employment visa cancellation with no dependants and no fines is done within a working day or two of the employer starting it. Delays nearly always come from the same places: a family member still on the file, an employee who has not signed, a passport the employer does not have, or fines on the establishment. For typical processing times of other UAE visa services, see UAE visa processing times.
How long can you stay in the UAE after your employment visa is cancelled?
Once the residence is cancelled, the former employee does not have to leave the next day. The grace period after employment visa cancellation begins, and it runs from the date the residence is cancelled on the system, not from the last working day. That gap can be significant: if the employer cancels the residence two weeks after your last day, your grace period starts two weeks later too.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| ICP cancellation card | 180 days, 90 days (skilled workers at levels 1 to 3, property owners), 60 days (permits with a guarantor or host), or 30 days (all other categories) |
| Dubai cancellation letter | 30 days as standard; 60, 90 or 180 days for certain categories; the exact period is printed on the letter |
| DMCC guideline | Cancellation documents “will be issued with a grace period of 29 days to exit” |
| JAFZA guide | “Applicant has 30 days grace period to exit the country” |
| After any grace period | AED 50 per day (ICP service card) |
These figures do not agree, so the safe approach is to plan to the shortest figure that could apply to you and then read your actual end date from the employment visa cancellation document or the official ICP or GDRFA record. The full explanation of the tiers, the conflicts between sources and how to check your date is in our guide to the UAE residence visa grace period. If a grace period has already run out, see what happens when a UAE visa expires and our guide to the overstay fine per day.
An employer cannot tell you to leave the UAE on your last working day. Article 13(2) of the Labour Law says the employer must not “force him to leave the State upon the end of the labor relation”. Your obligations to the employer end with your notice period. The grace period that follows is set by the immigration authority, not by the company.
Final settlement, gratuity and the employment visa cancellation signature
The money and the visa run on separate tracks, but they meet at the MOHRE acknowledgement. Understanding both avoids most disputes.
- The deadline. Article 53 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021: “The Employer shall pay the Worker, within fourteen (14) days as of the date of the end of the contract, his wages and all other entitlements”. That includes salary to the last day, unused annual leave, notice pay where due, and end-of-service gratuity.
- Gratuity in one line. After at least one year of continuous service, 21 days’ basic wage per year for the first five years and 30 days per year after that, capped at two years’ wage. Our end of service gratuity guide covers the detail and common disputes.
- Ticket home. Article 13(12) makes the employer bear the cost of returning the worker to where they were recruited from, unless the worker joins another employer or the end was the worker’s fault under the law.
- The certificate. Article 13(11) requires the employer to give, at no charge, an end-of-service certificate with the start and end dates, job, last wage and reason, which “shall not include anything that might harm the Worker’s reputation”.
- If money is still owed. Claims can be raised with MOHRE; since the 2024 amendment, MOHRE decides claims up to AED 50,000 with an enforceable decision, and the limitation period for Labour Law claims is two years from the end of employment (Article 54). Our MOHRE complaint guide sets out how, and salary not paid in the UAE covers late wages.
An employment visa cancellation process that protects both sides
- The employer prepares an itemised final settlement statement.
- The employee checks it and raises any disagreement in writing.
- The employer pays, or both sides record in writing what is paid and what is disputed.
- The employee signs the MOHRE acknowledgement.
- The employer completes the MOHRE and residence cancellations.
In most exits this all happens in one week. Some employers pay the settlement shortly after the employment visa cancellation, within the 14-day window; that is common and lawful, but an employee who signs before payment is relying on trust. If you do, keep the itemised statement and the employer’s written commitment on the payment date.
ILOE and employment visa cancellation
The Involuntary Loss of Employment (ILOE) scheme pays a portion of salary for up to three months to insured workers who lose their job for reasons other than resignation or disciplinary dismissal. Three things link it to the cancellation:
- The 30-day deadline. A claim must be made within 30 days of the end of the employment relationship (or of the settlement of a labour complaint referred to court). Do not wait until the visa is sorted.
- The reason on the paper. A cancellation recorded as a resignation when you were in fact terminated leads to rejection. Check the reason with HR before the MOHRE application goes in, and keep your termination letter.
- Leaving the UAE. The published conditions exclude claimants who have left the country or joined a new employer, so file before you travel or start work.
The claim itself is covered step by step in our ILOE claim process guide, and who has to subscribe is in ILOE insurance: how to subscribe.
Free zone employment visa cancellation
In a free zone employment visa cancellation, MOHRE is usually not involved. The free zone authority holds the employment record, and the company submits the employment visa cancellation through the free zone’s portal, which passes the residence cancellation to GDRFA (for Dubai free zones) or ICP. The principles are the same, but the paperwork and fees are the zone’s own. We checked the employment visa cancellation process of two of the largest Dubai free zones, DMCC and JAFZA.
| Field | DMCC | JAFZA |
|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Active licence and establishment card; any sanction cleared first | Employee resigned or terminated; passport available to the company |
| Documents | Passport and visa page, resignation or termination letter, dependants’ cancellation documents, e-signed end-of-service entitlement (mandatory inside the UAE) | Residence visa copy, passport page, end-of-service letter; original passport if the employee is abroad |
| Employee’s part | E-signed end-of-service entitlement | “The employee and company’s authorized person must sign the End of Service Entitlement Form” |
| Fee | AED 438 inside, AED 580 outside, plus AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fees | AED 320 inside, AED 720 outside; AED 460 inside (urgent) |
| Time | 2 working days | 3 working days |
| Grace period stated | “29 days to exit” | 30 days to exit |
Other free zones (IFZA, Dubai South, DIFC, RAKEZ, SAIF Zone and more) have their own portals, forms and fees. Ask the company’s free zone account manager, or check the zone’s service guide, before relying on a figure. The free zone’s own grace period statement is the practical one for its cancellation documents, but where the residence was issued by GDRFA or ICP, the immigration record still carries the official end date. Our free zone visa services page covers the work we do in the zones.
Can you cancel an employment visa from outside the UAE?
Typical cases: an employee resigns while on leave at home, or has left before the employment visa cancellation process was finished. The employment visa cancellation can be completed without the employee flying back.
| Employment visa cancellation part | What changes when the employee is abroad | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MOHRE work permit | The employee’s signature is one of the listed exceptions for workers outside the country; the residence visa details are attached instead | MOHRE service card |
| GDRFA residence | Outside-country fee: AED 325 (company sponsor) + Amer. Free zones charge more outside: DMCC AED 580, JAFZA AED 720. The sponsored person’s passport is needed where the residence is valid and the stay outside is under six months | GDRFA FAQ |
| ICP residence | Handled online through the ICP website or app | ICP service card |
| Residence left open | A residence is treated as void after more than 180 consecutive days outside the UAE, with exceptions for some categories, but the MOHRE file may remain open | Cabinet Resolution 65/2022, Art. 59 |
Two practical points. First, where a signature or document is needed from someone abroad, a power of attorney to a representative in the UAE solves most of it. The Ministry of Justice issues digital powers of attorney to customers inside or outside the country. Second, “it will lapse after 180 days” is not a plan. A lapsed residence does not close the MOHRE file, and an open work permit can get in the way of a future job in the UAE. If you are abroad and want to keep your residence instead of cancelling it, see our guide to the re-entry permit.
Employment visa cancellation during probation
Ending employment during probation follows Article 9 of the Labour Law rather than the ordinary notice rules, and it has consequences the ordinary route does not. The rules in short:
- Employer ending it: written notice of at least 14 days.
- Employee moving to another employer in the UAE: written notice of at least one month, and the new employer compensates the original employer for recruitment costs unless agreed otherwise.
- Employee leaving the UAE: written notice of at least 14 days. If they return on a new work permit within three months, the new employer becomes liable to compensate the first.
- Breaking these rules: the party in breach owes compensation equal to the wage for the notice period or the part not served.
- Work permit ban: a one-year ban on a new work permit can apply where the worker ends the contract during probation without the employer being in breach. See our labour ban guide for when it applies and the exemptions.
The employment visa cancellation process itself is unchanged: MOHRE, then GDRFA or ICP. Gratuity is not due below one year of service, and ILOE needs twelve months of subscription. Our probation period guide covers Article 9 in full.
Resignation, termination or end of contract: what changes for employment visa cancellation
| How employment ended | Notice | Gratuity | ILOE | Employment visa cancellation route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee resigned after probation | As agreed, 30 to 90 days (Art. 43) | Due after one year of service | Not covered | Normal: MOHRE, then GDRFA or ICP |
| Employer terminated (redundancy, restructuring) | As agreed, 30 to 90 days; one unpaid day a week to job-hunt | Due after one year | Covered if conditions met; reason must say termination | Normal |
| Employee left without notice for employer breach (Art. 45) | MOHRE notified 14 working days ahead | Due | Depends on the facts | Often through a complaint; see our without-sponsor guide |
| During probation | Article 9 rules | Not due below one year | Usually not eligible (12-month subscription) | Normal; ban risk as above |
Notice rules in detail are in our notice period guide, and contract types (fixed-term, part-time and others) in UAE employment contract types.
Employment visa cancellation when you are moving to a new job
Most people who cancel an employment visa in the UAE are not leaving the country. They are moving to a new employer. In that case the old employer’s employment visa cancellation is the first half of a transfer, and timing is everything.
- Agree dates on both sides. Tell the new employer when the old residence will be cancelled, and ask how long their permit and residence usually take.
- Check that the new employer can issue permits. A company blocked for WPS or other violations cannot. Ask directly before you resign.
- Old employer completes the employment visa cancellation: the MOHRE permit, then the residence.
- New employer applies for the new work permit and, once approved, the new residence, often with a status change inside the country so you do not have to exit.
- Family moves across to the new sponsorship, if it was on hold.
Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 27, lets a worker move employer where the contract expired, ended under Articles 42 or 45, or was ended by the employer for a reason not attributable to the worker. For the in-country switch and its fees, see visa change status fees; for the new employer’s side, see our employment visa service in Dubai.
Common problems in employment visa cancellation, and how to fix them
These are the issues that stop or delay an otherwise routine cancellation. Most are known in advance if someone checks the file first.
| Employment visa cancellation problem | What it does | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit fines on the establishment | MOHRE will not cancel until fines for late issue or renewal are paid | The employer pays; the fines are the establishment’s, not the worker’s |
| A family member still on the file | The residence cancellation is refused unless each dependant is cancelled, moved or held, or ICP’s AED 5,000 guarantee route applies | Cancel, transfer or hold each dependant first |
| Absence (absconding) report filed | The file cannot be closed in the normal way; transfers and ILOE claims are blocked while it stands | A report can be cancelled by MOHRE on the grounds in MR 47/2022, Art. 7, including that the parties agreed to end the relationship. See how to check an absconding case and, for employers, the employer’s guide to absconding |
| Employee’s passport expired or lost | Most steps need a valid passport | Renew or replace it through the embassy first; the residence can be moved to the new passport if needed. See transferring a UAE visa to a new passport |
| Employer holds the passport | Delays, and it is unlawful: Article 13(2) forbids withholding official documents | Ask in writing for its return; raise with MOHRE if refused |
| Bank loan or credit card outstanding | Not a condition on the MOHRE, GDRFA or ICP cards, so it does not block the employment visa cancellation itself. But a bank can take legal action if the debt goes unpaid, and a court case can lead to a travel ban | Tell the bank, settle or agree a plan before you leave, and check for bans. See how to check a travel ban in Dubai |
| Wrong cancellation reason | Rejects an ILOE claim; may affect how a future employer reads the file | Check before submission; keep the termination letter |
| Employee not signing | MOHRE cannot complete an ordinary cancellation without it (except where an exception applies) | Find out why. Usually it is unpaid dues; pay or put the dispute in writing. If it cannot be agreed, MOHRE’s complaint process decides |
When the employer will not or cannot handle the employment visa cancellation
Everything above assumes the employer acts. When it does not, the route changes, and it starts at MOHRE rather than at the immigration authority. In short:
- Put your request for cancellation and your final settlement in writing, with a date.
- If the employer does not act, file a MOHRE complaint asking for work permit cancellation without the employer’s consent. Under Article 5 of Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022, if MOHRE cannot reach the employer within 5 working days (extendable by 5 more), the permit can be cancelled at the worker’s request.
- Do not stop attending work if you are still employed. An unexplained absence of more than 7 consecutive days is the basis of an absence report (Art. 6).
- Once MOHRE has cancelled the permit, the residence follows at GDRFA or through ICP’s exceptional cancellation.
The full step-by-step route, including the court route, closed companies, a sponsor’s death and cancellation from abroad under a power of attorney, is in our guide to visa cancellation without a sponsor. For a company that is closing and must cancel every visa, see company liquidation and visa cancellation.
For employers: how to cancel employment visa files properly
For an employer, a clean employment visa cancellation is a short piece of administration. A messy one becomes a MOHRE complaint, management time, and the same money still owed. This is the checklist we use for employer clients.
| Do | Instead of | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Start the cancellation promptly after the last working day | Leaving it for weeks | The former employee cannot move on, and the company’s quota and file stay occupied |
| Pay the settlement within 14 days | Holding it until the employee has signed or left | Article 53 sets the deadline; neither is a condition of the other |
| Issue the end-of-service certificate and termination letter | Refusing or delaying them | Article 13(11) requires the certificate; the employee needs the letter for ILOE |
| Record the true cancellation reason | Choosing “resignation” by default | A wrong reason can defeat a lawful ILOE claim and leads to disputes |
| Remind employees who sponsor family to deal with dependants early | Finding out at GDRFA or ICP | The residence cancellation will not go through otherwise |
| Complete both the MOHRE and the residence cancellation | Stopping after MOHRE | A live residence under the company is still the company’s responsibility |
| Give the employee copies of both cancellation documents | Telling them “it is done” | They need proof for the new employer and for their own records |
Two further points for employers. First, the employer cannot charge the employee for the employment visa cancellation or deduct visa costs from the final settlement: Article 6(4) prohibits collecting recruitment and employment costs from the worker, directly or indirectly. Second, companies with frequent staff movements benefit from one person owning the employment visa cancellation checklist; that is often our role under our corporate PRO services.
Employment visa cancellation myths: what circulates online that is not true
| Claim | The official position |
|---|---|
| “Cancelling the labour card cancels the visa.” | No. The MOHRE work permit and the GDRFA or ICP residence are separate; both must be cancelled. |
| “Everyone gets 30 days after cancellation.” | 30 days is the standard in Dubai, but some categories get 60, 90 or 180 days (ICP publishes the same tiers); DMCC 29; JAFZA 30. Check your own date on your cancellation letter. |
| “You can cancel your own employment visa.” | Normally only the sponsor can. Without the sponsor, the route is a MOHRE complaint first. |
| “The employee pays for the employment visa cancellation.” | Article 6(4) bars employers from collecting recruitment and employment costs from the worker. |
| “Signing the employment visa cancellation is just a formality.” | MOHRE’s wording includes acknowledging receipt of all labour dues. Read it. |
| “If you resign you lose your gratuity.” | Under the current law, gratuity is due after one year of continuous service whether you resign or are terminated. See our gratuity guide. |
| “Resigning means a six-month ban.” | The old automatic ban is gone. A one-year ban applies only in defined cases, such as leaving in probation without employer breach or a proven absence report. |
How to verify every employment visa cancellation figure
| Figure | Where to check | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| MOHRE conditions and fee | MOHRE service card “Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts” | Terms and conditions; “Payment” section; exceptions to the employee signature |
| Your work permit status | MOHRE app or website enquiry; call centre 600590000 | Whether the permit shows as cancelled |
| Dubai residence fees and time | GDRFA service card and FAQ “What are the residence cancellation procedures?” | Company vs individual totals; inside vs outside |
| Other emirates’ fees, family rule, grace periods | ICP “Cancellation of Residency Permits” service card | Fee lines, AED 5,000 guarantee, grace period tiers |
| Your residence status and end date | ICP app or website (File Validity); GDRFA app; your cancellation paper | Status “cancelled” and the date |
| Free zone fees and steps | The free zone’s own service guide or schedule of charges (e.g. DMCC, JAFZA) | Inside/outside fees, documents, grace period statement |
Employment visa cancellation: illustrative cases
These cases are illustrative. They are built from situations we see often, are not records of named clients, and use the published figures.
Case 1: a straightforward resignation in Dubai
Situation. A sales executive at a mainland Dubai company resigns after three years, serves 30 days’ notice and has a new job starting in five weeks. No dependants.
What happened. HR shared the itemised settlement in the final week; the employee checked leave and gratuity (21 days’ basic per year for three years) and agreed it. It was paid on the last day, the employee approved the MOHRE employment visa cancellation on the app that afternoon, and the company’s PRO cancelled the residence at GDRFA next morning at the company rate of AED 225 plus Amer charges.
Result. Residence cancelled within 48 hours. The GDRFA document showed the grace period end date; the new employer’s status change went through well inside it.
The lesson. The order (settlement, signature, MOHRE, GDRFA) made it easy.
Case 2: redundancy with a family on the employee’s visa
Situation. An engineer in Sharjah is made redundant with 60 days’ notice. His wife and two children are on his sponsorship, and the children are mid-term.
What happened. In the first week of notice, the family chose to keep the children in school while he looked for work. The option ICP publishes, putting family permits on hold “for a limited period with applicable fees”, was confirmed on the application screen, with its period and fee. The cancellation reason was recorded as termination, and he filed his ILOE claim within the 30-day window.
Result. His own employment visa cancellation went through ICP with the family on hold. When he found a new job, the family moved to his new sponsorship.
The lesson. The family question belongs at the start of the notice period, and the reason on the employment visa cancellation paper decides the ILOE claim.
Case 3: the employee already abroad
Situation. A Dubai mainland employee on annual leave in her home country resigns by email and does not return. Her residence is valid; she has been away for six weeks.
What happened. The employer cancelled the MOHRE permit using the exception for workers outside the country, attaching the residence details instead of her signature. GDRFA’s outside-country route applied: AED 325 for a company sponsor plus Amer. She had her passport with her and sent a clear copy.
Result. Both files closed without her flying back. Her settlement was paid to her UAE account, which she had kept open.
The lesson. Employment visa cancellation from abroad is routine when both sides co-operate; the cost difference is the outside fee, not a flight.
Case 4: a DMCC company employee
Situation. An analyst at a DMCC company resigns. His contract is with the free zone company, not a mainland one.
What happened. The company raised the employment visa cancellation on the DMCC portal with his resignation letter and the e-signed end-of-service entitlement. There was no MOHRE step. DMCC’s charge of AED 438 plus the AED 20 fees applied, and the documents came back in 2 working days.
Result. The cancellation papers stated a 29-day period to exit. He planned his move to a new job to that date rather than to the longer figures he had read online.
The lesson. In a free zone employment visa cancellation, the zone’s own rules and grace period statement are the ones to follow.
Case 5: the half-finished employment visa cancellation
Situation. A worker leaves the UAE after HR tells him the employment visa cancellation “is done”. Months later, a new employer’s application for him is refused.
What happened. The MOHRE permit had been cancelled, but not the residence. The former employer had to complete it from outside the country, delaying the new job.
The lesson. Ask for both documents, the MOHRE cancellation and the GDRFA or ICP cancellation, and check both records yourself before you fly.
What we will and will not do
We will check the file before any employment visa cancellation is submitted, put the steps in the right order, handle the MOHRE, GDRFA and ICP parts for employers and employees, act for people abroad under a power of attorney where needed, pass on government fees at cost with receipts, and tell you plainly if your company’s PRO can do it without us.
We will not ask an employee to sign a statement that dues were received when they have not been, advise anyone to leave the UAE with a file half-closed, promise an outcome that MOHRE, GDRFA, ICP or a court decides, or quote our fee before seeing the file.
Related guides
- Visa cancellation without a sponsor: when the employer will not or cannot act
- UAE residence visa grace period: every tier and how to check your date
- End of service gratuity in the UAE
- ILOE claim process
- Probation period under UAE labour law
- Notice period under UAE labour law
- How to file a MOHRE complaint
- UAE labour ban explained
- What is MOHRE
- Visa change status fees
Cancel employment visa UAE: frequently asked questions
How do I cancel my employment visa in the UAE?
To cancel employment visa UAE files, you do not apply yourself; your employer, as sponsor, does. On the mainland, the employer cancels your MOHRE work permit and contract, with your signed agreement and acknowledgement of dues, and then cancels your residence at GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (other emirates). Any family you sponsor must be cancelled, transferred or put on hold first. In a free zone, the free zone authority replaces MOHRE.
How long does employment visa cancellation take?
When the employer is organised, a few working days. MOHRE’s card states 2 working days, though approval is often automatic; Gulf News reported MOHRE cutting it to about 45 seconds in 2024. GDRFA states 48 hours for the residence cancellation and ICP 2 days. DMCC gives 2 working days and JAFZA 3. Delays usually come from dependants still on the file, work permit fines, or a missing signature.
How much does employment visa cancellation cost?
MOHRE’s step has no fee online, or up to AED 72 at a business centre. In Dubai, GDRFA’s FAQ gives AED 225 for a company sponsor inside the UAE and AED 325 outside, plus Amer fees. ICP lists AED 50 plus AED 100 smart services. Free zones set their own: DMCC AED 438 inside, JAFZA AED 320 inside. The employer pays; the law bars passing employment costs to the worker.
Do I have to sign the cancellation form?
For an ordinary mainland employment visa cancellation, yes: MOHRE requires the employee’s signature agreeing to the cancellation and acknowledging receipt of all labour dues. Exceptions include workers outside the country. Signing is normally in your interest, because an open file stops you moving on. But do not confirm you received dues that have not been paid; get them paid or put the dispute in writing first.
When does my grace period start after cancellation?
From the date your residence is cancelled on the GDRFA or ICP system, not your last working day. ICP publishes 30, 60, 90 or 180 days depending on your category; in Dubai the standard is 30 days, with 60, 90 or 180 days for certain categories; DMCC and JAFZA state 29 and 30 days. Read the end date on your cancellation document or the official record, and plan to the shortest figure that could apply.
What happens to my family’s visas in an employment visa cancellation?
They depend on yours, so they must be dealt with first. ICP’s service card says family members’ permits must be cancelled before the sponsor’s residence, or put on hold for a limited period with fees. Where the sponsor’s move to a new employer is approved, ICP also lets the family’s permits stay against an AED 5,000 guarantee plus an AED 20 deposit fee. Alternatively, move them to another sponsor, such as a working spouse.
Can I cancel my employment visa from outside the UAE?
Yes. In the employment visa cancellation process, the employer can cancel the MOHRE permit without your signature because you are abroad, attaching your residence details. GDRFA’s outside-country fee for a company sponsor is AED 325 plus Amer, and it asks for your passport where the residence is valid and you have been out for under six months. Free zones charge more for outside cancellations: DMCC AED 580, JAFZA AED 720.
When will I receive my final settlement and gratuity?
Article 53 of the Labour Law requires the employer to pay wages and all other entitlements within 14 days of the end of the contract. Gratuity is due after one year of continuous service: 21 days’ basic wage per year for the first five years and 30 days per year after that, capped at two years’ wage. If it is not paid, you can claim through MOHRE within two years.
Does employment visa cancellation affect my ILOE claim?
It can. The claim must be made within 30 days of the employment ending, and the scheme does not pay on resignation or disciplinary dismissal. If your cancellation wrongly records a resignation, the claim may be rejected; keep your termination letter to correct it. The published conditions also exclude people who have left the UAE or taken a new job, so file first.
Can I cancel my employment visa during probation?
Yes. The employment visa cancellation process is the same, but Article 9 changes the notice: 14 days if the employer ends it, one month if you move to another UAE employer, and 14 days if you leave the UAE. A one-year work permit ban can apply if you leave during probation without the employer being in breach. Gratuity is not due below one year.
Can I cancel my employment visa myself?
Not on the normal route. Work permit cancellation is an employer service at MOHRE, and the residence is cancelled by the sponsor at GDRFA or ICP, so your part is to approve the request and check it. If the employer will not act, put your request in writing, then file a MOHRE complaint. Under Ministerial Resolution 47/2022, Article 5, if MOHRE cannot reach the employer within 5 working days (plus 5 more), the permit can be cancelled at your request. Our guide to visa cancellation without a sponsor covers that route.
How do I get my work permit cancellation letter and check that my visa is cancelled?
Once MOHRE approves, the cancellation document is issued on its system and your employer, or its business centre, downloads or prints it; ask HR for a copy. Then check both files yourself: the work permit on the MOHRE app or website or on 600590000, and the residence on the ICP app or website (File Validity) or the GDRFA app. If only one shows as cancelled, the job is not finished, so ask the employer to complete it before you travel.
Managing employment visa cancellation, renewals and MOHRE files alongside the rest of a company’s government paperwork is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles.
We corrected the Dubai grace period. In Dubai, the standard grace period after a residence visa is cancelled is 30 days. Certain visa categories receive 60, 90 or 180 days. The period depends on your visa type, and the exact grace that applies to you is confirmed only once the cancellation is processed, on your cancellation letter. Overstay fines start the day after your grace period ends.
We re-checked the MOHRE, GDRFA, ICP, DMCC and JAFZA service pages. Corrected: MOHRE’s card now states a completion time of 2 working days (we had said it gave none), and ICP’s AED 5,000 guarantee (plus an AED 20 deposit fee) is a conditional route that keeps the family’s permits while the sponsor moves to an approved new employer, not a general charge. The UAE portal page on cancelling a residence visa that we quoted is no longer online, so those points now cite the MOHRE, GDRFA and ICP cards directly, and the moved MOHRE link was updated. All fees and ICP’s grace period tiers were unchanged.
This guide was rewritten and re-verified. Earlier versions quoted GDRFA’s individual sponsor fees (AED 190 inside, AED 290 outside) for employment visas; for an employee sponsored by a company, GDRFA’s FAQ gives AED 225 and AED 325. Earlier advice to “sign the cancellation and dispute the money separately” has been corrected: MOHRE’s service card says the employee’s signature also acknowledges receipt of all labour dues, so employees should not confirm receipt of unpaid amounts. We added the DMCC and JAFZA grace period statements alongside ICP’s tiers, MOHRE’s fee and signature exceptions, free zone procedures, and removed an advisory telephone number we could not verify on an official source.
- MOHRE: Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts (service card)
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government: End of service benefits for employees in the private sector
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government: Labour disputes
- GDRFA Dubai: Cancellation of all types of residence permits
- GDRFA Dubai FAQ: What are the residence cancellation procedures?
- ICP: Cancellation of Residency Permits
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (Articles 6, 9, 13, 43, 53, 54)
- Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (Executive Regulation of the Labour Law), Article 27
- Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 (Entry and Residence of Foreigners), Article 59
- Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022 on labour dispute and complaint procedures
- DMCC: Employee residence visa cancellation guidelines
- DMCC: Schedule of charges
- JAFZA: Cancel employee’s residence permit
- Ministry of Justice: Digital power of attorney service
- Gulf News (secondary): Workers’ permits in UAE can now be cancelled in 45 seconds, 9 July 2024
- Gulf News (secondary): ILOE claim rejected because the cancellation paper said resigned, August 2024
Please note. This guide sets out the procedures, fees and time limits published by MOHRE, GDRFA Dubai, ICP, DMCC, JAFZA and in UAE legislation, verified 23 September 2026, with fees, completion times, the family guarantee rule and grace periods re-checked on 10 October 2026. They can change, and the authority’s own screen and decision are final. Some official pages give different figures (for example GDRFA’s service card and FAQ, and the grace periods stated by ICP, GDRFA and the free zones); where they differ, both are shown. The cases are built from common situations and are illustrative, not records of named clients. This guide is general information, not legal advice; for a disputed settlement or dismissal, speak to MOHRE or a lawyer.
