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A Bangladeshi worker gets a Dubai work visa through the UAE employer, who applies for the MOHRE work permit and the GDRFA employment visa and pays the fees. Before you leave Bangladesh, you need emigration clearance from BMET, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, applied for online through RAIMS. MOHRE states 2 working days for the permit and GDRFA 48 hours for the entry permit.
Visitors have a separate set of rules. For a tourist or family visit, see the Dubai visa for Bangladeshis page.
The order things happen in
| Step | Where | Who acts | Stated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job offer on the MOHRE form | UAE | Employer prepares, both sign | Before the permit |
| Work permit | MOHRE | Employer | 2 working days |
| Employment entry permit | GDRFA, Dubai | Employer | 48 hours |
| Emigration clearance | BMET, through RAIMS | You or your licensed agency | Not stated on pages we read |
| Flight to Dubai | Bangladesh | You | After clearance |
| Medical test, Emirates ID, residence | Dubai | Employer, with you attending | 60 days from entry to finish |
| MOHRE employment contract | UAE | Employer | Within 60 days of entry |
Read the table from top to bottom. The BMET row sits in the middle because you need the UAE papers to apply for clearance, and you need the clearance to board.
BMET clearance and the smart card
BMET runs emigration clearance online through RAIMS at raims.oep.gov.bd. It applies to Bangladeshis leaving the country to take up a job abroad. The smart card that goes with it is mandatory for workers. Dhaka Tribune reported in that the Tk500 fee for the card was dropped. We could not load the BMET site on to confirm the current list of documents, so check with BMET or your district employment office.
Going to Dubai on a visit visa and finding work there skips this step. The UAE can still issue you a work visa from inside the country. The gap stays on the Bangladesh side, and it tends to show up the next time you fly home or return.
Is the UAE hiring Bangladeshis?
On the UNB news agency reported that MOHRE had reopened its system for skilled worker visas for Bangladeshis, alongside a restart of visit visas from the UAE Embassy in Dhaka. In some outlets wrote about a ban on new visas for several nationalities. The Bangladesh embassy in the UAE denied it. We found no ICP, GDRFA or MOHRE notice of a stop on Bangladeshi work permits. Whoever files your permit will see quickly whether files are moving, so ask them.
Fees in the UAE, all on the employer
| Fee | Charged by | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New permit application | MOHRE | AED 50 |
| Two-year work permit | MOHRE | AED 250 (Category 1), AED 1,200 (Category 2), AED 3,450 (Category 3) |
| Entry permit linked to a job contract | GDRFA | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| Medical fitness, 24-hour service | DHA | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID | ICP | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart service |
| Residence permit | GDRFA | AED 200 plus AED 10, AED 10 and AED 20 delivery |
Source: MOHRE service page (checked ), GDRFA, ICP and DHA fee pages, checked . Add AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10 if you are already inside the UAE. No official page gives a single total, so we list the lines. More detail sits on the employment visa cost page.
What Dubai agencies charge: for the employer, 4 Dubai PRO and business setup providers publish about AED 3,500 to AED 8,000 per employee for a two-year mainland visa, insurance and service charges included (checked ).
Questions to ask before you pay any agent
The UAE position is simple. u.ae says charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal, and the employer bears recruitment, travel and residence costs. So before you hand money to anyone in Dhaka or Dubai, ask:
- Which company is the employer, and is that the name on the MOHRE offer?
- What is the work permit or transaction number, so I can check it on MOHRE myself?
- Is the money you are asking for a Bangladesh-side cost, such as BMET? Can I see the official receipt?
- Is my salary on the offer the same as the one you told me?
- Who keeps my passport? (The answer should be you. UAE law prohibits confiscation.)
If the answers are vague, stop. The work visa guide explains the UAE steps in full.
Documents checklist
- Bangladeshi passport valid at least 6 months
- Photo on a white background
- MOHRE job offer signed by you and the employer
- Attested certificate, for skilled jobs
- BMET clearance and smart card, before departure
- Copy of the GDRFA entry permit for the flight
After you land
The employer books the medical test and the Emirates ID application, then the residence. You have 60 days from entry for all of it. GDRFA states 48 hours for the residence permit and ICP about 5 days for the Emirates ID. If the job later ends, GDRFA's Dubai pages give 60 days of grace after a residence is cancelled. The grace period page explains how other emirates differ.
Why Bangladeshi work files get stuck
- The company's quota is used up, so MOHRE cannot issue a new permit.
- No BMET clearance, which invites problems at departure from Bangladesh.
- The passport name has a spelling that differs from the offer.
- An earlier UAE overstay or absconding report on the worker's file.
- The salary on the offer is under AED 4,000 but the job was filed as skilled.
How it works with us
Send the offer letter and the passport page on WhatsApp, or use the form on this page. A visa adviser checks the UAE side: whether the permit exists, the stage it has reached, and whether the employer still has to file the entry permit or a status change. For small UAE companies with no PRO, our team prepares and submits the MOHRE and GDRFA steps and follows them to a decision. One total price comes first, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. BMET clearance stays with you or your licensed agency. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, not MOHRE, GDRFA or ICP. They decide every application.
If a permit or visa is refused, the authorities keep the government fees. Before you pay, the adviser states in writing what part of our total, if any, would come back.
Official sources
- BMET: emigration clearance for workers, RAIMS link.
- MOHRE recruiting a worker from overseas: permit fees by category and documents.
- GDRFA employment entry permit: fee, 48 hours, 60 days.
- ICP Emirates ID for residents: card fee and timing.
- u.ae labour rights: employer pays, no recruitment fees, passports.
- UNB report: skilled visa system reopened.
