VoxxArrive · UAE onboarding topic
Residence visa issuance & the onboarding sequence: entry permit → medical → Emirates ID → residence visa
A new expatriate hire's UAE residency is issued in a fixed order: an approved work permit/entry permit lets them enter the country, then inside the UAE they complete a medical fitness test, give biometrics for the Emirates ID, and the residence permit is issued electronically by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). All in-country residency steps must be completed within 60 days of entry, and the labour contract must be registered with MOHRE within 14 days of arrival. Since 2022 there is no passport visa sticker - the Emirates ID itself carries the residency data.
Steps
- 1. Pre-arrival - job offer and initial work permit approval - The employer issues a signed job offer (Arabic, English and a third language the worker understands, with the Labour Law annex) and submits it to MOHRE for initial work permit approval. Per u.ae, this approval is what allows the worker to enter the UAE. Free zone hires go through the free zone authority instead of MOHRE. Onboarding phase: pre-boarding / documentation.
- 2. Entry permit issued and employee enters the UAE - An employment entry permit is issued (via ICP, or GDRFA for Dubai). Widely cited as valid 60 days from issue and non-extendable - the employee must enter within that window. For candidates already in the UAE, an in-country status adjustment replaces travel (ICP status-adjustment fee AED 500). Onboarding phase: arrival / day-one logistics.
- 3. Medical fitness test - Inside the UAE the hire takes a government medical fitness test screening for communicable diseases (HIV and active pulmonary tuberculosis are the core screens; hepatitis applies to certain categories such as food handlers and healthcare/domestic workers). Run by DHA in Dubai, SEHA in Abu Dhabi, and EHS/MOHAP in the northern emirates. A 'fit' result is a precondition for the residence permit. Onboarding phase: week-one compliance.
- 4. Emirates ID biometric registration (ICP) - The hire registers for the Emirates ID with ICP, giving fingerprints, facial photo and signature (biometrics required for ages 15+). The card is issued by ICP and its validity is tied to the residence visa - when the visa is cancelled the Emirates ID is cancelled automatically. Onboarding phase: week-one compliance (runs alongside the medical).
- 5. Labour contract registration with MOHRE - The job offer is converted into a registered MOHRE employment contract (start date, role, workplace, terms, duration, salary). u.ae states this must be submitted within 14 days of the employee's arrival in the UAE, under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. All new contracts are limited-term. Onboarding phase: HR/legal set-up.
- 6. Residence permit issued by ICP (electronic) - With a passing medical and Emirates ID application in hand, ICP issues the residence permit; ICP states a service completion time of 2 days. Since 2022 there is no passport sticker - residency is digital and carried on the Emirates ID, which is couriered to the holder. The MOHRE labour card is activated so the employee can legally work. Onboarding phase: activation / fully onboarded.
- 7. Post-issuance onboarding - The activated Emirates ID and residence permit unlock the rest of onboarding: opening a salary bank account (WPS enrolment), health insurance activation (mandatory and a precondition of the permit), driving licence transfer, dependant visas, and GPSSA registration for GCC-national staff. Onboarding phase: fully onboarded / benefits enrolment.
Timeline
Once the employee is in the UAE, the medical → Emirates ID → residence permit chain typically completes within roughly 2–4 weeks; ICP quotes a 2-day service completion for the residency permit itself once documents and fees are in. Hard deadlines: the whole residency issuance must be finished within 60 days of entry (overstay fines of AED 50/day apply after that), and the MOHRE labour contract must be registered within 14 days of arrival. The entry permit that precedes all of this is commonly cited as valid 60 days from issue.
Cost & fees
Total employer cost varies by emirate, free zone, job category and whether the hire is from overseas or an in-country status change. ICP official residency fees include an application fee of AED 100, annual issuance of AED 100/year, a smart-service fee of AED 100, and status adjustment of AED 500 where applicable; overstaying the 60-day window costs AED 50/day. Medical fitness fees are set by the emirate's health authority and rise with speed tier (secondary sources cite roughly AED 300–700 by turnaround, not officially confirmed here). Separate MOHRE work-permit and labour-card fees, plus mandatory health insurance, apply on top. Treat any single all-in figure (commonly quoted as AED 3,000–7,000) as indicative only.
Your task slice
9 of the 57 onboarding tasks apply here.
Apply for entry permit (e-visa) or initiate in-country status change
Entry permit (60-day validity)
Collect original passport and entry permit for residence visa processing
Book and complete medical fitness test at an approved centre (communicable-disease screening)
Medical fitness certificate
Submit residence visa application to GDRFA/ICP after medical and EID biometrics
Complete residence visa stamping / e-visa linking to the passport
Residence visa
Confirm health insurance activation is linked to the residency file
Verify residence visa and Emirates ID are fully issued (post-entry chain within 60 days)
File original Emirates ID and residence visa copies in the personnel record
Confirm health insurance validity aligns with residency expiry
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
- ICP - Issuing Residency Permit (official service page: 2-day completion, 60-day rule, AED 50/day overstay, AED 100/500 fees, 6-month passport validity, health insurance)
- u.ae - Emirates ID (official: issued by ICP, biometrics for 15+, validity tied to residence visa, auto-cancellation with visa)
- u.ae - Expatriates' employment in the private sector (official: job offer → MOHRE work permit approval → entry → contract registered within 14 days; Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021)
- UAE Visa Medical Test guide (secondary - diseases screened, DHA/SEHA/EHS by emirate, indicative fees by speed tier)
Frequently asked
What is the correct order - medical or Emirates ID first?
Both happen after the employee has entered the UAE on the entry permit and are effectively parallel week-one steps: the medical fitness test and the Emirates ID biometric capture. A passing medical and the Emirates ID application both feed into ICP's issuance of the residence permit, which comes last.
Is the residence visa still stamped in the passport?
No. Since 2022 the physical passport sticker has been phased out. Residency is issued electronically and the residency data is carried on the Emirates ID, which ICP couriers to the holder.
How long do we have to complete everything once the employee lands?
All residency issuance procedures must be completed within 60 days of entry into the UAE per ICP; after that, overstay fines of AED 50 per day apply. Separately, the MOHRE labour contract must be registered within 14 days of arrival.
Who issues what - MOHRE or ICP?
MOHRE (or the free zone authority) handles the work permit and the labour contract for the employment relationship. ICP issues the entry permit, the residence permit and the Emirates ID - in Dubai the residency/entry permit side is handled by GDRFA via Amer centres.
Does the Emirates ID expire separately from the visa?
No - the Emirates ID's validity is tied to the residence visa, and cancelling the residence visa cancels the Emirates ID automatically. They are managed as a single residency record by ICP.