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Ghanaians get a Dubai work visa through a UAE employer, who files the MOHRE work permit and the GDRFA entry permit and pays for them. Ghana's foreign ministry says employment visa applicants have also needed a police clearance certificate since , authenticated in Accra. On the UAE side, the entry permit costs AED 200 plus 5% VAT and GDRFA lists 48 hours.
The police clearance rule, as Ghana announced it
Graphic Online reported on a notice from Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It said:
- The UAE requires a police clearance certificate for Ghanaians applying for work visas, citing a UAE Cabinet decision.
- The rule applied to employment visa applicants from .
- It was extended to all worker categories from .
- The certificate must be authenticated by Ghana's foreign ministry and by the UAE Embassy in Accra.
- Ghanaians in the UAE on a visit visa who switch to a work visa get a set period to provide it.
We have not found this rule on an ICP, GDRFA or MOHRE page, and consultancy sites give other dates for other nationalities. So this is Ghana's account of the rule, reported in national media. Ask your employer what they need before you pay for authentication, and keep the original certificate safe.
Fee lines in Dubai, and what the company category means
Every UAE mainland company sits in one of three MOHRE categories. The category sets your two-year permit fee.
| Company category | What it means | Two-year permit fee |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Follows labour law and meets an extra target, such as Emiratisation | AED 250 |
| Category 2 | Follows the law but meets no extra target | AED 1,200 |
| Category 3 | Has broken labour law or the diversity policy | AED 3,450 |
Other lines on a Dubai employment visa:
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| MOHRE permit application | AED 50 |
| GDRFA employment entry permit | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| Change of status, if you are already in the UAE | AED 500, plus AED 10 and AED 10 |
| Medical test, 24 hours | AED 270 |
| Residence permit | AED 200, AED 10, AED 10, AED 20 delivery |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart service fee |
Source: MOHRE classification notice and service pages, GDRFA, ICP and DHA, checked . Your own Ghanaian costs, such as the police certificate and its authentication, are set in Ghana and not listed here.
Who pays: the UAE labour rights page says the employer bears recruitment, travel and residence permit costs, and charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai PRO and visa firms publish about AED 3,500 to AED 8,000 per employee for a mainland work visa, all in (published prices of 4 Dubai providers, checked ). The company pays this.
Documents for a Ghanaian worker
- Ghana passport valid for 6 months or more
- White background passport photo
- MOHRE job offer signed by you and the employer
- Police clearance certificate, authenticated by Ghana's foreign ministry and the UAE Embassy in Accra
- Attested degree, diploma or school certificate for skilled jobs (MOHRE levels 1 to 5)
- Professional licence for regulated work, for example nursing or engineering
Processing time
The UAE steps are short: 2 working days for the MOHRE permit, 48 hours for the GDRFA entry permit, 24 hours for a standard medical result and 5 days for the Emirates ID. In practice the police clearance and its two authentications in Accra take longest, so start them as soon as you have a signed offer.
Domestic work: Ghana's ban
Ghana stopped the recruitment of domestic workers to Gulf states in . Ghanaian media reported in that the employment minister would not lift it, and we found no later report that it was lifted. A household job in Dubai offered through Ghana therefore sits outside Ghana's rules, whatever the UAE side says.
Mistakes that cost Ghanaian workers
- Flying on a visit visa because an agent promised a work visa "on arrival". There is no such thing.
- Paying an agent in Accra for the visa. The employer pays by law.
- Authenticating the police clearance before the employer confirms they need it in that form.
- Overstaying while you wait for a permit: AED 50 a day, see UAE overstay fine.
- Signing a MOHRE offer with a job title that does not match your certificate.
If you are already in Dubai on a visit visa, the switch is explained on changing visa status in the UAE. If you only want to visit, see Dubai visa for Ghanaians.
How it works with us
Send the job offer and your passport page by WhatsApp or the form on this page. A visa adviser checks the offer against the permit the job needs and lists the documents, police clearance included, in the order the employer will ask for them. If the employer wants the filing done, our team prepares the MOHRE and GDRFA steps and follows them to the stamped residence. Whoever pays, by law the employer, gets one total price before payment. We are a private visa service, and MOHRE and GDRFA decide.
Government fees are not refunded by the authorities after a refusal. Your adviser sets out in writing, before you pay, what part of the total comes back if the permit is refused, if any.
Official sources
- MOHRE company classification: the three categories
- MOHRE recruiting from overseas: permit fees and documents
- GDRFA employment entry permit: entry permit and inside-country fees
- u.ae labour rights: employer pays, recruitment fee ban
- MOFA visa information: Ghana listed as visa required
Also on this site: work visa requirements and the UAE work permit guide.
