VoxxArrive · Onboarding checklist
The complete UAE onboarding checklist: 57 tasks across 5 phases
Every task an employer must complete to onboard a UAE hire, in order, across five phases - pre-boarding, Day 1, Week 1, Month 1 and Month 3+. Each task carries a named owner and a due point, so nothing in the MOHRE/ICP compliance chain slips. Use it as a working checklist or run it live in the demo.
Pre-boarding
From offer acceptance to arrival/Day 1. This is where the MOHRE/ICP compliance chain is initiated: establishment card and labour quota check, work permit, signed MOHRE-standard offer letter, entry permit or status change, mandatory health insurance purchase (a prerequisite for residency since 1 Jan 2025), document attestation, contract preparation, and payroll/IT set-up. Getting the order right here (permit before entry permit, insurance before stamping) prevents downstream delays.
Day 1
First working day. Contract signature and acknowledgements, handover of originals for visa processing, insurance card issue, handbook and conduct briefing (including gross-misconduct grounds under FDL 33/2021), IT and workspace setup, and collection of bank/IBAN details for WPS payroll.
Week 1
The post-entry government sequence runs here: medical fitness test at an approved centre, ICP Emirates ID biometrics, GDRFA/ICP residence visa application and stamping, MOHRE contract registration, WPS activation, and GPSSA registration for UAE/GCC nationals. Probation objectives and leave entitlements are also set.
Month 1
Verification and steady-state compliance: confirm residence visa and Emirates ID issued (post-entry chain must close within 60 days), run the first on-time WPS payroll, confirm GPSSA registration within one month of joining, update Emiratisation/Nitaqat records, start gratuity accrual tracking, and complete the audit-ready employee file. First 30-day probation check-in occurs.
Month 3+
Probation management and lifecycle handover: mid-probation review and the probation decision before the 6-month cap (confirm, extend, or exit with 14 days' notice), confirmation letter, notice-period reset (30-90 days), ongoing WPS/insurance/Emiratisation compliance, and closure of onboarding into BAU HR.
Your task slice
57 of the 57 onboarding tasks apply here.
Verify MOHRE establishment card is active and labour quota is available for the role
Establishment card / labour quota confirmation
Assess Emiratisation/Nitaqat impact of the hire before proceeding (skilled-role headcount)
Issue MOHRE-standard job offer letter and obtain the employee's signed copy
MOHRE job offer letter (signed)
Apply for the MOHRE work permit (labour card) via Tasheel/MOHRE portal
Work permit approval
Apply for entry permit (e-visa) or initiate in-country status change
Entry permit (60-day validity)
Purchase mandatory health insurance policy (prerequisite for residency since 1 Jan 2025)
Health insurance policy certificate
Collect and attest pre-boarding documents (passport, photos, degree/qualification attestation)
Attested document pack
Prepare fixed-term employment contract aligned to the signed offer
Employment contract (draft)
Set probation period in the contract (must not exceed 6 months, FDL 33/2021)
Define working hours, overtime, and weekly rest-day terms in the contract
Register the new joiner in payroll with a WPS-compliant salary structure
Confirm the employee holds a WPS-eligible UAE bank account or salary card
Raise IT provisioning ticket for accounts, email, and hardware
Provision hardware and create system accounts ahead of Day 1
Send welcome pack, Day-1 logistics, and first-day agenda
Welcome pack
Hiring Manager prepares role onboarding plan and 90-day objectives
Onboarding plan
Employee signs the employment contract on Day 1
Signed employment contract
Collect original passport and entry permit for residence visa processing
Employee acknowledges probation terms and success criteria in writing
Issue health insurance card and policy details to the employee
Health insurance card
Issue employee handbook and code of conduct; capture acknowledgement (incl. gross-misconduct grounds)
Handbook acknowledgement
Brief employee on working hours, breaks, overtime, and leave policy
IT handover: account access, MFA, security and acceptable-use policy
Collect employee bank/IBAN details for WPS payroll set-up
Hiring Manager welcome, team introductions, and workspace setup
Employee completes personal-data and emergency-contact form
Employee data form
Book and complete medical fitness test at an approved centre (communicable-disease screening)
Medical fitness certificate
Complete ICP Emirates ID biometrics (fingerprints, iris scan, photo)
Emirates ID application receipt
Submit residence visa application to GDRFA/ICP after medical and EID biometrics
Complete residence visa stamping / e-visa linking to the passport
Residence visa
Register the signed employment contract with MOHRE within the statutory deadline
MOHRE-registered labour contract
Activate WPS salary registration with MOHRE and the bank/agent
Confirm health insurance activation is linked to the residency file
Collect the issued Emirates ID card once produced by ICP
Emirates ID card
Enrol employee in role-specific and mandatory compliance training
Agree probation objectives and measurable success criteria with the employee
Probation objectives
Register UAE/GCC national with GPSSA (within one month of joining)
GPSSA registration
Explain leave entitlements (annual, sick, parental) and how to request leave
Verify residence visa and Emirates ID are fully issued (post-entry chain within 60 days)
Run the first WPS payroll and confirm on-time salary transfer
WPS SIF file
Confirm GPSSA registration completed within one month of joining (nationals)
Update Emiratisation/Nitaqat headcount records with MOHRE (if Emirati; counts only if GPSSA + WPS)
Conduct 30-day probation check-in and document feedback
30-day review note
Review health insurance coverage adequacy and dependant options
Confirm gratuity/end-of-service accrual tracking has started in payroll
Assemble audit-ready employee compliance file (contract, visa, EID, insurance)
Employee compliance file
Employee completes mandatory compliance and data-protection training
Confirm timekeeping/overtime configuration matches contract terms
File original Emirates ID and residence visa copies in the personnel record
Conduct mid-probation performance review against agreed objectives
Mid-probation review
Decide probation outcome before the 6-month cap (confirm / extend / exit with 14-day notice)
Probation decision letter
Issue confirmation-of-employment letter on passing probation
Confirmation letter
Reset and communicate post-probation notice-period terms (30-90 days)
Verify ongoing WPS compliance across the first pay cycles
Confirm health insurance validity aligns with residency expiry
Reassess Emiratisation target contribution and Nafis eligibility
Finalise onboarding closure and hand over to BAU HR lifecycle
Onboarding completion sign-off
Sources
- The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) - Employment laws and regulations in the private sector
- The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) - Working hours and overtime
- Clyde & Co - Significant amendments to the UAE Labour Law: Articles 54 and 60 (Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024)
- Lexology - Conversion of Fixed Term Contract deadline extended for UAE Employers
- Mondaq - UAE Labour Law Amendments: Enhanced Penalties and Strengthened Employee Protections in 2024
- Chambers and Partners - The Notice Period under UAE Federal Decree by Law No. 33 of 2021
- MOHRE - UAE government launches Work Bundle to facilitate work permits and residency procedures (5-day / 2-visit / 5-document figures; integrating entities MOHRE, ICP, GDRFA Dubai, Customs, Dubai Health)
- u.ae - Work permits (private sector): employer applies, 13 permit types, fees AED 250-3,450 by company classification, MOHRE issues/renews/cancels
Frequently asked
How many steps are in the UAE onboarding checklist?
57 tasks in total, grouped into five phases: pre-boarding, Day 1, Week 1, Month 1 and Month 3+.
What order should the onboarding tasks be done in?
Follow the phases in sequence. The government chain in particular is order-dependent: work permit, then entry permit, then insurance, then medical, Emirates ID and residence-visa stamping.
Who owns the onboarding tasks?
Each task names its owner - Employer/PRO, HR, Finance, IT, hiring manager or the employee - so responsibility is unambiguous across the 57 steps.