Employment Visa
MOHRE Work Permit in Dubai
The labour half of hiring — quota, category, and what a permit really costs.
Fees at the counter fromAED 476.56at cost, line by line
- 7Government authorities we file with
- 0%Mark-up on government fees
- 24hTarget to submit an urgent, complete file
- 200+Guides, updated as rules change
- 1Named officer on your file, start to finish
The government entities your application is processed through
We prepare and submit applications on your written authorisation. MIRDXB PRO is a private service provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of any authority shown. Names and logos belong to their owners and are shown for identification only.
What you pay
What it costs at the counter, line by line
Counter fees for MOHRE Work Permit start from
AED 476.56
Part-time or student permit: Alongside another job or study
- Counter prices, typing included
- Paid at cost, receipts handed over
- Your total confirmed in writing first
-
Permit for a family visa holder
Spouse or child on a family visa joins your payroll
At the counterAED 727.42
Get this quotedAdjust this caseSee all 4 fee lines
Permit for a family visa holder: counter fees Work permit for a visa holder AED 126.28 Submission AED 76.14 Worker protection insurance AED 198 MOHRE permit fee AED 327 Government and typing fees AED 727.42 -
Permit for a Golden Visa holder
Keeps their own 10-year residence
At the counterAED 727.42
Get this quotedAdjust this caseSee all 4 fee lines
Permit for a Golden Visa holder: counter fees Work permit for a visa holder AED 126.28 Submission AED 76.14 Worker protection insurance AED 198 MOHRE permit fee AED 327 Government and typing fees AED 727.42 -
Part-time or student permit
Alongside another job or study
At the counterAED 476.56
Get this quotedAdjust this caseSee all 4 fee lines
Part-time or student permit: counter fees Part-time work permit AED 126.28 Submission AED 76.14 Worker protection insurance AED 198 MOHRE permit fee AED 76.14 Government and typing fees AED 476.56
Health insurance, certificate attestation and any refundable deposit are not included. Our service fee is shown in each case, VAT included, and fixed in writing on your quote. Counter prices can change without notice; we confirm every figure on your quote.
Your resultEstimate
Work permit for a visa holder: Golden Visa holder
AED 727.42 + our feeestimated total before our fee
The person keeps their own residence visa; our fee is quoted with your file.
- Government and typing fees
- AED 727.42
- MirDxbPRO service fee
- Quoted with your file
No entry permit, medical or residence issuance: the person keeps their own visa.
Get my fixed quote on WhatsAppPrice list reviewed 1 Nov 2026; counter prices at Amer and Tasheel, typing included. Estimate, not legal advice; the authority's payment screen and decision are final.
Full breakdown
| Government and typing fees | |
|---|---|
| Work permit for a visa holder | AED 126.28 |
| Submission | AED 76.14 |
| Worker protection insurance | AED 198 |
| MOHRE permit fee | AED 327 |
| MirDxbPRO service fee | |
| MirDxbPRO service fee | Quoted with your file |
| Total before our fee | AED 727.42 |
What to do next
- No entry permit, medical or residence issuance: the person keeps their own visa.
- Your written quote confirms every figure before anything is paid; counter prices can change without notice.
Sources
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The short version
- The work permit is the MOHRE half of hiring. The residence visa is the immigration half. They are separate approvals and they fail for different reasons.
- Cost swings from AED 300 to AED 3,500 for the identical permit — your company's MOHRE category decides which.
- No permit is issued without available quota and a clean company file.
- Working before the permit is issued exposes the company to penalties, not the employee.
Renewing an existing permit rather than hiring? See employment visa renewal in Dubai for the renewal route, the published fees and the urgent options.
Most hiring delays in Dubai are blamed on immigration. In reality they usually sit at MOHRE, and usually for one of three reasons: the quota was never approved, the company classification quietly slipped, or the offer letter and contract do not match.
What a work permit actually costs
| Component | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit fee | AED 300 – 5,000 | Set by MOHRE company category |
| Offer letter / contract typing | AED 100 – 200 | Via Tasheel |
| Quota application | Varies | By activity and premises |
| Bank guarantee or scheme | Varies | Where the category requires it |
| ILOE subscription | AED 60 – 120/yr | Unpaid ILOE blocks issuance |
Two companies hiring the same accountant on the same salary can pay AED 300 and AED 5,000 for the same permit. The difference is the MOHRE category.
Category 3 usually follows WPS violations, unresolved labour complaints or Emiratisation shortfalls. If your per-hire cost has climbed and nobody can explain it, check the classification before you change provider — restoring it pays for itself on every subsequent hire.
The sequence
1. Quota approval
MOHRE must have granted the company slots for the role. No quota, no permit — and quota is assessed on activity, premises and existing headcount. Covered in detail in our guide on increasing your visa quota.
2. Offer letter
Issued through MOHRE and signed by the candidate before anything else moves. Terms here must match the contract that follows exactly.
3. Work permit application
Submitted with passport, photograph, qualification where the role requires it, and the signed offer. Two to five working days in normal conditions.
4. Entry permit or status change
Immigration side. From abroad it is an entry permit; already in the country it is a status change.
5. Medical, Emirates ID, stamping
The residence chain. Then the labour contract is signed and the permit issues in final form.
What you need to have ready
- Passport copy with at least six months validity
- Passport photograph to UAE specification, white background
- Attested degree certificate where the profession requires it — plus MOHRE equivalency for regulated roles
- Trade licence and establishment card, both current
- Signed MOHRE offer letter
- Emirates ID of the authorised signatory
Why permits get refused or stall
- Quota exhausted. Discovered at submission, adds one to three weeks.
- Company category downgraded. Higher fees, and in some cases blocked issuance entirely.
- Profession and qualification mismatch. A regulated job title without an equivalated degree is refused.
- Offer and contract disagree. Salary, job title or hours differing between the two documents triggers a query.
- Outstanding fines or an open complaint against the establishment file.
- Age or category restrictions on specific professions.
Employing someone before the permit issues is the company's exposure, not the worker's. It also complicates the file if anything is later disputed at MOHRE. Wait for the permit.
What we do
We handle the MOHRE side end to end: confirming quota before you make an offer, checking the company classification, typing the offer and contract at Tasheel, submitting the permit, and carrying it through to the residence chain so the two halves do not fall out of sequence. Government fees are passed on at cost with our fee quoted separately, before we start.
Hiring, and want the real cost first?
Send us your trade licence. We will tell you your MOHRE category, whether quota is available, and what each permit will actually cost — before you make the offer.
Work permit questions
Is a work permit the same as a residence visa?
No. The work permit is issued by MOHRE and authorises employment. The residence visa is issued by immigration and authorises residence. Both are required, they are applied for separately, and each can fail independently of the other.
How long does a work permit take?
Two to five working days once submitted with quota in place. The full chain to a stamped residence visa runs ten to twenty working days — see our processing times guide.
Why is our permit fee so much higher than another company's?
Almost always the MOHRE company category. Category 1 pays a few hundred dirhams; category 3 can pay several thousand for the identical permit. Classification usually slips because of WPS breaches, labour complaints or Emiratisation shortfalls.
Can we hire someone already in the UAE on another visa?
Yes. Either the existing visa is cancelled and a fresh permit issued, or a status change is done in country without an exit. Which applies depends on the current visa type and whether a ban is in place.
Does the employee pay for the work permit?
No. Recruitment and permit costs are the employer's responsibility under UAE labour law. Charging them to the worker is not permitted.
What happens when the employee leaves?
The permit and visa are cancelled together — see visa cancellation. Cancelling cleanly matters: an incomplete cancellation can leave the file open and the quota slot occupied.
Please note. Fees and categories were verified in August 2026 and are revised periodically by MOHRE. Confirm the current position for your establishment before budgeting. General information, not legal advice.
Deadlines
The dates that cost money if you miss them
-
60 days
To register the contract with MOHRE
The signed contract must reach MOHRE within 60 days of entry or status change, or the company is fined AED 100 a month, up to AED 2,000. uaelegislation.gov.ae
-
60 days
To renew an expired work permit
A work permit not renewed within 60 days of expiry is fined AED 200 for each month, up to AED 2,000, and the fine must be paid before cancellation. uaelegislation.gov.ae
-
4 months
For the employee to join ILOE
Employees with work permits issued after 1 October 2023 must subscribe within four months; missing it means an AED 400 fine that can block a new permit. mohre.gov.ae
-
90 days
To file a transfer permit
MOHRE's transfer card requires the new employer's application within 90 days of the previous work permit's cancellation. mohre.gov.ae
Why MIRDXB PRO
Checked first. Filed right. Priced in writing.
We check before we quote
ILOE, WPS, company category, card validity, overstay and attestation, all checked on day one.
Government fees at cost
Published fees passed through unchanged. Our fee is separate, fixed and in writing before you commit.
Filed at the right counter
Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE, ICP or the owning authority, in the order the authorities need it.
We tell you when the answer is no
We would rather lose the work than lodge something that fails.
How it works
From first message to final stamp, in four steps
- 01
Tell us what you need
One WhatsApp message or call about your situation.
About 30 seconds - 02
We check and quote
File checks first, then government fees, our fee and the timeline in writing.
Before anything is paid - 03
We file it
Submitted at Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE or the owning authority, in the right order.
24h target to submit urgent files - 04
Done, with updates
Progress on WhatsApp at every stage until the file is closed.
Named officer throughout
Knowledge Hub
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- Labour Contract TypingThe binding document — typed, registered, and matched to the offer letter.
- Employment Visa RenewalUrgent or planned: work permit, medical, Emirates ID and residence renewed in the right order.Fees at the counter from AED 2,929.14
- ILOE Insurance RegistrationSubscribe, renew, or clear an ILOE fine blocking your work permit.Official fees from AED 63
- Visa CancellationCancel a residence visa cleanly — and start the grace period on the right date.Fees at the counter from AED 188.75
- Employment VisaWork permits, entry permits, medical, Emirates ID and stamping.Fees at the counter from AED 2,837.93