Work and employment visas in Dubai

Hiring in the UAE means a work permit, a registered contract, mandatory health insurance and an end-of-service obligation you accrue from day one. We set up the file correctly so your first hire does not become your first compliance problem.

Work permit first

Then entry permit and visa

Contract registered

MOHRE or free zone authority

Insurance mandatory

Before the visa is issued

Employer obligations

What hiring in the UAE actually commits you to

Registered employment contract

Filed with MOHRE for mainland companies or the zone authority for free zone entities. The registered version is the one that counts.

Wage Protection System

Mainland salaries must be paid through approved WPS channels. Falling out of compliance blocks new work permits.

Health insurance

Every sponsored employee must hold a policy meeting Dubai Health Authority minimum standards before the visa is issued.

End-of-service gratuity

Accrues from the first day of service and is payable on termination. It is a real liability — provision for it monthly, not at exit.

Process

From offer letter to Emirates ID

Quota and offer letter

We confirm the company has an available visa slot, then issue the offer letter in the required format for the employee to sign.

Work permit application

Filed with MOHRE or the free zone authority, supported by the employee’s qualifications and passport documents.

Entry permit and arrival

The employee enters on the permit, or changes status inside the country if already in the UAE on a valid visa.

Medical, Emirates ID and contract registration

Medical fitness test, biometrics, contract registration and health insurance activation, followed by visa stamping.

Certain roles require attested degree certificates — engineers, medical professionals, teachers and some managerial categories among them. Attestation can add three to six weeks, so start it as soon as the offer is accepted.

Questions

Employment visa questions

Who pays for an employee visa?

The employer. UAE labour law places the cost of the work permit, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, visa stamping and mandatory health insurance on the company. Recovering these costs from the employee’s salary is not permitted, and doing so creates exposure at the end of service.

What is the difference between a mainland and free zone employment visa?

Mainland employment visas are processed through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation with a registered labour contract and, in most cases, the Wage Protection System. Free zone visas are processed through the zone authority under its own employment rules. The employee experience is similar; the compliance obligations on the company differ.

Do I need a labour contract in Arabic?

Mainland contracts are registered with MOHRE in a standard bilingual format. Free zones use their own contract templates. In both cases the registered contract governs, so anything agreed in a separate offer letter must be reflected in it.

What is the Wage Protection System?

WPS is the electronic salary transfer system that mainland employers must use to pay registered staff through approved channels. Non-compliance can suspend your ability to issue new work permits, so it needs to be set up before your first hire, not after.

Free consultation

Hiring your first employee in the UAE?

We will confirm your quota, prepare the offer and contract, run the work permit and visa, and set up WPS and insurance so the file stands up to inspection.

+971 52 222 2594

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B1 Mall, Shop 3, Opposite Mall of the Emirates