Free tool · Hiring
Visa fees by MOHRE category, worker protection, insurance, salary and gratuity accrual over a two-year visa cycle.
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A visa cost calculator tells you the fees. A gratuity calculator tells you what you owe at the end. This calculator puts the whole picture together over one two-year visa cycle: the government lines for your MOHRE category, worker protection, health insurance, salary and the gratuity that builds up every month.
| Line | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Government visa lines, hire from abroad | AED 1,944 / 2,894 / 5,144 (category 1 / 2 / 3) | MOHRE, GDRFA and ICP cards |
| Hire already inside the UAE | + AED 1,090 | GDRFA cards |
| Worker protection | AED 3,000 bank guarantee, or insurance AED 137.50 / 180 / 250 for 30 months | Ministerial Resolution 318 of 2022 |
| Gratuity | 21 days' basic wage a year for the first five years | Labour Law, Article 51 |
| Basic health insurance outside Dubai | AED 320 a year | u.ae |
The employer pays the visa, worker protection and health insurance: Article 6(4) of the Labour Law forbids recovering recruitment costs from the worker. The employee pays one thing, ILOE unemployment insurance (AED 5 or AED 10 a month plus VAT, by basic salary).
On the published lines, a mainland Dubai hire from abroad costs about AED 1,944, AED 2,894 or AED 5,144 in government fees depending on the company's MOHRE category, before centre charges and health insurance. Salary, insurance and gratuity accrual make up most of the real cost.
Article 51 gives 21 days' basic wage for each of the first five years. The calculator uses daily wage = basic salary / 30, the same method as our gratuity calculator.
No. Article 6(4) of the Labour Law forbids the employer to recover recruitment costs from the worker.
No. One real inside-country file carried AED 713.87 in transaction charges and AED 23.22 VAT on top of the government lines.
Numbers are one thing
A calculator works from what you type. We work from what is actually recorded against your file — which is frequently different, and always the number that matters.
Grace period by emirate and category, chargeable days at AED 50 a day per person, and the figure in 30 days.
Open calculator → EmploymentArticle 51 by dates or years, unpaid leave excluded, the two-year cap and the 14-day payment deadline.
Open calculator → CostLine-by-line government fees from the published GDRFA, ICP and MOHRE cards, before anyone quotes you.
Open calculator → FamilySalary, housing and who you can sponsor, checked against the official rules, with the cost per dependant.
Open calculator → Golden VisaProperty, salary and entrepreneur routes against the official thresholds, with the Green Visa fallback.
Open calculator → CancellationEmployer not answering, company closed or sponsor deceased? Find your exact MOHRE, GDRFA or ICP route in six questions.
Open calculator → Re-entryOutside the UAE for months? Check if you can board, whether you need a return permit, the fee and your entry deadline.
Open calculator → DeadlinesOne date in, every deadline out: grace period, overstay, ILOE, gratuity, Emirates ID and newborn deadlines, straight into your calendar.
Open calculator → Business setupPrice a Dubai mainland company line by line from the published DET schedule, and compare four free zones on their own published prices.
Open calculator → ComplianceExpired licence, establishment card or work permits, late WPS or corporate tax? See the fines building today and what each lapse blocks.
Open calculator → AuthorityType your residence file number and see which emirate and authority hold your file, the helpline and where to apply.
Open calculator → Status changeCompare the published status change fee with the real cost of a border run, and check whether your file is ready.
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