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Changing jobs in the UAE runs through MOHRE. Your old employer cancels your work permit, then the new employer files a transfer permit within 90 days of that cancellation, for a job that fits its licensed activity. The new employer pays AED 50 plus AED 250 to AED 3,450 by category. In probation you owe 1 month's written notice to join another UAE employer. MOHRE gives 2 working days.
Your residence visa is a separate file at GDRFA or ICP. It follows once the work permit side is done.
Your notice, depending on where you are
| Your situation | Notice to your employer | Who pays the old employer |
|---|---|---|
| In probation, joining another UAE employer | At least 1 month, in writing | The new employer, for recruitment costs, unless agreed otherwise |
| In probation, leaving the UAE | 14 days, in writing | If you return within 3 months on a new permit, the new employer, unless agreed otherwise |
| After probation | The notice period in your contract | Not covered on the u.ae page we read |
Source: u.ae employment contracts page, updated , checked . Probation is six months at most and cannot be extended.
Keep a copy of your resignation letter with the date your employer received it. That date is what the notice runs from.
Transfer permit fees
| MOHRE fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application, all categories | AED 50 |
| Two-year transfer permit, Category 1 | AED 250 |
| Two-year transfer permit, Category 2 | AED 1,200 |
| Two-year transfer permit, Category 3 | AED 3,450 |
| Business centre commission cap | AED 72 per service |
Source: MOHRE transfer work permit page, checked .
The category is the new company's, so the same move can cost one employer AED 250 and another AED 3,450. That is the employer's bill: u.ae says recruitment and residency costs fall on the employer. UAE and GCC nationals pay no transfer fee.
Step by step
- Sign the new offer. Check the job title fits what the new company is licensed to do. MOHRE refuses a transfer that does not.
- Resign in writing. Serve the notice from the table above.
- Old permit cancelled. Your current employer files the cancellation on MOHRE. Both of you sign the cancellation form, and your dues are settled first.
- Transfer permit filed. The new employer applies within 90 days of the cancellation. MOHRE gives 2 working days.
- Residence sorted. The new employer moves your visa at GDRFA or ICP. You also get a new MOHRE employment contract.
GDRFA has a service to transfer a private sector residence to a new employer. Its page would not open for us, so we cannot list its fee. Your file may move as a transfer, or as a cancellation and a new permit. Ask the new employer's PRO which one applies to you before you resign.
Documents to keep ready
- Passport, valid for at least six months
- Current residence details and Emirates ID
- Your resignation letter and the date it was received
- The new job offer, signed
- Attested degree, if the new job is at a higher skill level than the old one
- Proof that your final dues were settled
The work ban: what is known
Media report a one-year ban on a new work permit in two cases. One is leaving during probation without the notice above. The other is a work abandonment complaint that is proven against you. The same reports say family-sponsored workers and golden visa holders are exempt.
We could not confirm these rules on an official page. The u.ae page on bans returned an error on , and MOHRE's site refused our connection. Treat the ban as real until MOHRE tells you otherwise, and follow the notice rules. If your employer has filed an absconding report, see absconding case in the UAE before you do anything else.
Timing and the grace period
Two clocks start when your old employer cancels:
- Work permit: 90 days for the new employer to file the transfer.
- Residence: the grace period before overstay fines. GDRFA's private sector page says 60 days. ICP sets it by category: 90 days for skilled workers at levels 1 to 3, 30 days for most others.
After the grace period, ICP charges AED 50 a day. Our grace period after visa cancellation page covers the conflict between the two authorities.
Where job changes go wrong
- The new title does not match the new company's licence.
- The old employer has not cancelled the permit, so the transfer cannot start.
- The worker resigns in probation and leaves with no written notice.
- Unpaid late fines on the old permit block the cancellation.
- The 90 days pass while the new company sorts its quota.
You can check where your old and new permits stand on the work permit status check. For what the permit record itself is, read labour card in the UAE.
Official sources
- MOHRE transfer work permit: 90-day window, fees, activity rule.
- MOHRE cancellation of work permits: cancellation form and conditions.
- u.ae employment contracts: probation and notice.
- u.ae labour rights: who pays.
- ICP residency cancellation: grace periods by category.
- GDRFA private sector residence: 60-day grace period.
