VoxxArrive · UAE onboarding topic
UAE employment visa and work permit: the mainland MOHRE route (2025-2026)
Hiring a foreign worker onto a UAE mainland payroll is an employer-led, three-stage process: MOHRE issues the work permit, an employment entry permit lets the worker enter (or change status inside the country), and GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (other emirates) issues a residence visa after a medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics. The employer applies and pays throughout; the standard employment residence visa is valid for two years and renewable. Since the MOHRE "Work Bundle" launched, the core permit-and-visa issuance is designed to complete in five working days with two in-person visits.
Steps
- 1. Confirm employer eligibility and secure a work-permit quota - The company must hold a valid trade licence, an active establishment card and e-signature card, be registered with MOHRE, and be free of outstanding fines or bans. An authorised representative applies for work-permit quota approval to hire a foreign worker. (MOHRE / u.ae)
- 2. Sign a MOHRE-approved job offer and employment contract - The employer issues a job offer; once the worker accepts, a standard MOHRE employment contract is registered. This contract is the legal basis for the work permit. (u.ae)
- 3. Employer applies for the work permit (MOHRE, via Work Bundle / workinuae.ae) - The employer submits the application through MOHRE's Work Bundle. Work-permit fees run from AED 250 to AED 3,450 depending on the company's MOHRE classification (category A, B or C). A refundable bank guarantee of AED 3,000 per worker applies on the mainland; fees and guarantee must be paid within the permit's 60-day validity or the permit is auto-cancelled. (u.ae)
- 4. Employment entry permit is issued (GDRFA / ICP) - An electronic employment entry permit (entry visa), valid for roughly two months, is issued so the worker can enter the UAE. If the worker is already inside the country on a visit or tourist visa, the sponsor can instead file an in-country status change via GDRFA or ICP rather than requiring the person to leave. (u.ae / GDRFA)
- 5. Entry or status change, then medical fitness test - After entering (or on status change), every applicant aged 18+ must pass a residency medical fitness examination at an approved government health centre. Results typically issue within 24-48 hours. (Emirates Health Services)
- 6. Biometrics and Emirates ID (ICP) - The worker attends an ICP centre for biometrics (fingerprints and photo); ICP processes the Emirates ID. (ICP / Work Bundle)
- 7. Residence visa issuance and labour card - GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (other emirates) issues the residence visa - the standard employment visa is valid two years and renewable - and MOHRE issues the labour card. All residency procedures must be completed within the 60-day entry-permit window. (u.ae)
Timeline
The MOHRE Work Bundle is designed to complete the work permit plus residency issuance in five working days with two in-person visits (down from the pre-Bundle 30 working days and seven visits); MOHRE processes most work-permit applications within about two working days. In practice a full new-hire-from-abroad cycle - permit, entry, medical, biometrics, visa stamping - commonly runs two to six weeks depending on how quickly the worker enters and how medical and Emirates ID appointments are scheduled. The 60-day entry-permit validity is the hard deadline to finish all residency steps.
Cost & fees
Work-permit fees are AED 250 to AED 3,450 depending on the company's MOHRE classification (A/B/C), per u.ae. A refundable bank guarantee of AED 3,000 per worker applies on the mainland (u.ae). On top of these sit entry-permit, medical-fitness, Emirates ID and residence-visa stamping fees, which vary by emirate, visa duration and issuing authority (GDRFA vs ICP) and are not published as a single fixed figure. Treat any all-in quote as jurisdiction- and category-specific.
Your task slice
6 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
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
Collect original passport and entry permit for residence visa processing
Complete residence visa stamping / e-visa linking to the passport
Residence visa
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
- 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
- u.ae - Recruiting on the mainland: work-permit 60-day validity, AED 3,000 bank guarantee per employee, GDRFA entry permit, medical, Emirates ID (ICP), labour card, residence visa sequence
- u.ae - Residence visa for working in the UAE: standard employment visa valid two years and renewable; employer applies
- Emirates Health Services - Examination of medical fitness for residency visa (mandatory for applicants 18+)
Frequently asked
Who applies - the employer or the employee?
The employer. UAE law makes the sponsoring company responsible for applying for and paying for the work permit, entry permit and residence visa. It is illegal to work in the UAE without a valid MOHRE work permit, and an authorised company representative must submit the applications.
What is the difference between a work permit and a residence visa?
They are two separate documents. The MOHRE work permit (labour card) authorises the person to work for a specific employer; the residence visa, issued by GDRFA or ICP, is what legally allows them to live in the UAE. A worker needs both. The residence visa is only issued after the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics are completed.
Does the worker have to be outside the UAE to start?
No. If the candidate is already in the UAE on a valid visit or tourist visa, the employer can process an in-country status change through GDRFA or ICP, avoiding an exit and re-entry. Outstanding overstay or other fines must usually be cleared before a status change is accepted.
How long is the employment residence visa valid?
A standard private-sector employment residence visa is valid for two years and is renewable subject to conditions, per the official UAE government portal. (Golden visa and other categories run longer.)
What happens if residency is not completed in time?
The entry permit is valid for about 60 days, within which all residency steps must be finished. If the work-permit fees and bank guarantee are not paid inside the 60-day permit validity, the permit is automatically cancelled and must be re-applied for. Overstaying attracts a daily fine (the ICP standardised residence overstay fines at AED 50 per day).