Last updated
Nigerians can work in Dubai on the standard UAE employment visa. The employer applies for a MOHRE work permit, then a GDRFA entry permit at AED 200 plus 5% VAT, and pays for every step. MOHRE states 2 working days for the permit and GDRFA 48 hours for the entry permit. Skilled jobs need an attested Nigerian degree, which takes longest.
Many of the scary stories online come from the visit visa ban of , lifted in . That history is on the Dubai visa for Nigerians page. This page is about getting hired.
What is confirmed and what is only reported
| Point | Status | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| The employer files and pays the work permit and visa | Confirmed | u.ae labour rights page |
| Charging job seekers recruitment fees is illegal in the UAE | Confirmed | u.ae labour rights page |
| Nigeria is visa required for the UAE | Confirmed | MOFA visa checker |
| Police clearance for Nigerian work visa applicants | Reported | Consultancy sites, no ICP text found |
| A Nigerian exit clearance for workers | Not found | Gap in our research |
| A UAE stop on Nigerian work permits | Not found | No ICP, GDRFA or MOHRE notice |
We read these sources on . The two "not found" rows matter. We will not invent a Nigerian exit rule to fill the space, and you should not trust anyone who quotes one without a source.
Police clearance: watch this one
In Ghana's foreign ministry said, through the Graphic newspaper, that Ghanaians applying for UAE work visas need a police clearance certificate, citing a UAE Cabinet decision. Consultancy sites go further and list phased dates for 45 nationalities, Nigeria among them. We found no ICP or GDRFA page that names Nigeria. So the safe step is to ask the employer, or whoever files your permit, whether a Nigerian police clearance is being requested. If it is, get it before the degree goes to Abuja, since both run on the same calendar.
Getting Nigerian certificates accepted
MOHRE asks for an attested degree or diploma for skilled jobs. It sorts jobs into nine skill levels. Levels 1 and 2 expect a bachelor's degree, 3 and 4 a diploma, and level 5 high school. For levels 6 to 9, MOHRE sets no qualification.
Nigeria is not a member of the Apostille Convention, and the UAE is not either. Here is the chain VFS Global publishes for Nigerian education documents:
- The Federal Ministry of Education, for education certificates.
- The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legal Services, in Abuja.
- The UAE Embassy in Abuja, which handles digital attestation through the MOFA portal and needs the original.
- MOFA in the UAE, AED 150 per personal or educational document.
Confirm the order with the UAE Embassy in Abuja before you send originals. The Nigerian ministry fee is paid through Remita and its amount is not published on the pages we found.
Test the job offer before you trust it
MOHRE has publicly warned against fraudulent job offers. A genuine Dubai offer leaves a paper trail you can check yourself:
- The offer is on the MOHRE form and you sign it, along with the employer.
- The employer can give you a work permit or transaction number.
- You can look up the permit on the work permit status check, and the company name matches.
- Nobody asks you to pay for the visa, the medical or the Emirates ID.
- Nobody asks you to fly in on a tourist visa "to process the work visa later" while asking you for money.
If an offer fails any of these, stop and ask questions before you go further.
Fees, paid by the employer
| Fee line | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MOHRE new permit, application | AED 50 | All company categories |
| MOHRE two-year permit | AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450 | Lower for well-rated companies |
| GDRFA employment entry permit | AED 200 plus 5% VAT | 60 days to finish the residence after entry |
| DHA medical fitness test | AED 270 | Standard 24-hour result |
| ICP Emirates ID | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart service | Courier delivery |
| GDRFA residence permit | AED 200 plus AED 10, AED 10 and AED 20 delivery | Two years, renewable |
Source: MOHRE service page (checked ), GDRFA, ICP and DHA fee pages, checked . The official pages list these separately and give no total. The employment visa cost page explains each line.
What Dubai agencies charge: Dubai business setup and PRO providers publish about AED 3,500 to AED 8,000 per employee for a two-year mainland employment visa, everything included (4 providers, checked ). This is what the company spends, not you.
Looking for work in person first
If you are a graduate and want to search for jobs in Dubai before you have an offer, GDRFA's job seeker visa needs no sponsor. It is only for graduates who meet its skill and university rules, set out on that page. For everyone else, the offer comes first and the employer brings you in on the entry permit.
Documents checklist
- Nigerian passport valid at least 6 months
- Photo on a white background
- MOHRE job offer signed by you and the employer
- Degree or diploma attested through the Nigerian and UAE chain, for skilled jobs
- Police clearance certificate, if your employer says it is required
- Professional licence, where the job needs one
Processing time
Once the file is complete: MOHRE 2 working days, GDRFA 48 hours, the medical result in about 24 hours and the Emirates ID in about 5 days. Attestation in Abuja is not timed on the pages we read, except the UAE Embassy step at about 2 to 3 business days on a VFS listing. Give the Nigerian side several weeks.
Why Nigerian work files get stuck
- The degree carries a notary stamp but no ministry or UAE embassy attestation.
- Police clearance requested late, after the employer has filed.
- Travel history that does not match the passport, a point Nigerian visit visa files are also checked on.
- The job title on the permit does not fit the company's licence.
- A past overstay or absconding record in the UAE.
How it works with us
Send the offer, the passport page and the employer's name on WhatsApp, or use the form on this page. A visa adviser checks whether a MOHRE permit exists for you, what stage it is at, and which Nigerian papers the file still needs. If your employer is a small company without a PRO, our team prepares and submits the MOHRE and GDRFA steps and follows them to a decision. One total price is confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, not MOHRE, GDRFA, ICP or an embassy. The authorities decide every permit and visa.
If a permit or visa is refused, the government fees stay with the authorities. Before you pay, the adviser writes down what part of our total, if any, comes back after a refusal.
Official sources
- u.ae labour rights: employer pays, recruitment fee ban, passports.
- MOHRE recruiting from overseas: documents, skill levels, fees.
- GDRFA employment entry permit: fee and 60 days.
- MOFA visa checker: Nigeria visa required.
- MOFA FAQ: attestation fee per document.
- Graphic report on police clearance: the Ghana rule and the Cabinet decision it cites.
Neighbouring guides: Dubai visa for Ghanaians and the full Dubai visa by nationality board.
