VoxxArrive · Jurisdiction
Hiring & onboarding in IFZA (International Free Zone Authority, Dubai): visas, contracts, gratuity
IFZA is a Dubai free-zone operator whose companies are registered under Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) jurisdiction. IFZA issues the trade licence and immigration establishment card, but the entry permit, residence visa and Emirates ID run through GDRFA Dubai and the federal ICP portal - not through MOHRE as on the mainland. Crucially, IFZA has no standalone free-zone labour code: employment is governed by Federal Decree-Law 33/2021, the same law as onshore, so gratuity, probation, leave and working-hours rules mirror the federal position (and there is no DIFC-style DEWS savings scheme).
What's different
- Authority stack differs from mainland: IFZA is the commercial free-zone brand/operator, while companies sit in the Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSOA) registration jurisdiction following the Oct 2020 IFZA-DSOA agreement. IFZA issues the trade licence and the immigration establishment card; the entry permit, residence-visa stamping and Emirates ID are processed through GDRFA Dubai and the federal ICP portal. There is no MOHRE work-permit / labour-card step of the mainland kind.
- Employment law is federal, not zone-specific: unlike DIFC or ADGM, IFZA/DSO has no separate employment code. Dubai Silicon Oasis's own legislations page directs employers to MOHRE and UAE labour law, so Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 and its implementing regulations govern contracts, probation, notice, working hours, leave and gross-misconduct grounds exactly as onshore.
- End-of-service is standard federal gratuity (21 days' basic pay per year for the first five years, 30 days thereafter, pro-rated after one year's service). IFZA operates no mandatory funded workplace-savings scheme - the DEWS-type funded gratuity model is specific to DIFC and does not apply here.
- Visa quota is tied to workspace tier: IFZA packages are sold with a fixed number of visa slots, with a flexi-desk supporting a small allocation and dedicated/private offices scaling the quota upward. The governing rule is 'more space = more visas'; quotas can be extended by adding slots or upgrading the office footprint.
- Emiratisation (Nafis/Nitaqat) targets that bind mainland companies of 50+ skilled workers do not apply to the IFZA free-zone entity, which is a material onboarding difference from a mainland licence.
- Sector mix is broad and services-led: consultancy and professional services, trading and e-commerce, technology/IT, media and light industrial, drawn from 500+ permitted activities, with multiple activities combinable under one licence.
Which onboarding steps this affects
This affects 35 of the 57 onboarding tasks, concentrated in the Pre-boarding, Day 1, Week 1, Month 1, Month 3+ phases. Work through them in the live demo to see the compliance-readiness score respond as each is ticked off.
Your task slice
35 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)
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
Employee signs the employment contract on Day 1
Signed employment contract
Collect original passport and entry permit for residence visa processing
Issue employee handbook and code of conduct; capture acknowledgement (incl. gross-misconduct grounds)
Handbook acknowledgement
Collect employee bank/IBAN details for WPS payroll set-up
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
Register UAE/GCC national with GPSSA (within one month of joining)
GPSSA registration
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
Update Emiratisation/Nitaqat headcount records with MOHRE (if Emirati; counts only if GPSSA + WPS)
Confirm gratuity/end-of-service accrual tracking has started in payroll
Assemble audit-ready employee compliance file (contract, visa, EID, insurance)
Employee compliance file
File original Emirates ID and residence visa copies in the personnel record
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
Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.
Sources
- Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority - Legislations (directs employers to MOHRE / UAE federal labour law; no zone-specific employment code)
- IFZA - UAE Residence Visa Types Guide (entry permit via ICP/GDRFA, medical fitness, Emirates ID, visa validity)
- IFZA - Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority signs agreement with IFZA (Oct 2020 IFZA-DSOA relationship)
Frequently asked
Who issues the establishment card and residence visa for an IFZA company?
IFZA (as the free-zone operator) issues the trade licence and the immigration establishment card that lets the company sponsor staff. The entry permit and residence visa are then processed through GDRFA Dubai and the federal ICP portal, followed by medical fitness testing and Emirates ID. The establishment card is not usable until the GDRFA immigration card number is confirmed.
Does UAE federal labour law apply to IFZA employees, or does the free zone have its own rules?
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 applies. Unlike DIFC and ADGM, IFZA/Dubai Silicon Oasis has no separate employment code, so contracts, probation, notice periods, leave, working hours and end-of-service gratuity follow the federal law and its implementing regulations.
How is end-of-service handled at IFZA - gratuity or a savings scheme?
Standard federal end-of-service gratuity applies (21 days' basic salary per year for the first five years, 30 days per year thereafter, after at least one year of service). There is no DEWS-style funded workplace-savings scheme - that model is specific to DIFC.
How many visas can an IFZA licence sponsor?
The quota is tied to the workspace tier. A flexi-desk carries a small visa allocation, while dedicated or private offices scale the number upward. Packages are sold with a set number of visa slots, and quotas can be extended by adding slots or upgrading the office. Confirm current per-package figures directly with IFZA.
Do Emiratisation targets apply to an IFZA company?
No. The Nafis/Nitaqat Emiratisation quotas that bind mainland companies with 50 or more skilled employees do not apply to the IFZA free-zone entity, which is a key difference from onboarding under a mainland licence.