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To work in Dubai, a Sri Lankan needs a job offer, a MOHRE work permit and a GDRFA employment visa, all applied for and paid by the UAE employer. Before leaving Sri Lanka, you register with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE): Rs. 22,027 for a new registration or Rs. 4,599 for a renewal. MOHRE states 2 working days for the permit.
The employer takes care of the Dubai side. The SLBFE side is yours, and most of this page is about doing it in the right order. For a visit, read the Dubai visa for Sri Lankans instead.
SLBFE registration: new or renewal
| Registration | Fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| New | Rs. 22,027 | First registration, a change of employer, or a return on a re-entry visa after going abroad as a tourist |
| Renewal | Rs. 4,599 | Same employer on a re-entry visa, or moving to another country with the same employer |
Source: SLBFE FAQ page, checked .
Notice the third case in the first row. People who go to Dubai as tourists, find work and come home on leave are charged the new fee, not the renewal.
What SLBFE asks for
- Passport valid for at least 6 months
- A valid visa
- The service agreement, when you travel on a new visa
- The Family Background Report, for women
SLBFE also asks workers to register before they reach the airport, so do not leave it for the day of the flight.
The Family Background Report for women
SLBFE requires the report from women aged 45 or under who go abroad for work. It sets out who will look after children aged 2 to 18 while you are away. You get it from the Development Officers at your District Secretariat. Women over 45 do not need the report. They give a self-declaration about childcare instead.
If you are a mother and the job is in Dubai, start the report while the employer is still preparing the offer. It is the one paper the UAE employer cannot speed up.
Found the job while visiting Dubai
Say you fly in as a tourist, a company offers you a role, and you want to start. Two things follow.
On the UAE side, the employer can apply for the permit and visa without you leaving, through a status change inside the UAE. GDRFA adds AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10 because you are already in the country.
On the Sri Lankan side, SLBFE says that going on a tourist visa and then getting a work visa needs a new registration. If you skip it, you are working abroad without the SLBFE record that Sri Lanka expects.
What your employer pays in Dubai
| UAE government line | Amount |
|---|---|
| MOHRE application for a new permit | AED 50 |
| MOHRE permit for two years (by company category 1, 2 or 3) | AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450 |
| GDRFA employment entry permit | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| DHA medical test, standard 24-hour result | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart service |
| GDRFA residence, two years | AED 200 plus AED 10, AED 10 and AED 20 delivery |
Source: MOHRE recruiting page (checked ), GDRFA, ICP and DHA fee pages, checked . These are separate official lines with no official total.
The u.ae labour rights page says the employer bears recruitment, travel and residence costs. The SLBFE fee is a Sri Lankan registration, so ask your employer in writing whether they will refund it.
What Dubai agencies charge: for the company, Dubai PRO and business setup firms publish about AED 3,500 to AED 8,000 per employee for a two-year mainland employment visa, insurance and service fees included (4 providers, checked ).
Check the service agreement against the offer
SLBFE wants a service agreement. MOHRE wants its own job offer, signed by both sides, and later a MOHRE contract filed within 60 days of entry. Put the three side by side and check:
- The employer's name is the same on all of them
- The job title fits the company's licensed activity
- The basic salary and allowances match
- Your name is spelt as in the passport
A mismatch here can stall both the SLBFE registration and the MOHRE permit. Skilled jobs also need an attested degree that fits the MOHRE skill level. The work visa requirements page lists the UAE documents in full.
Documents checklist
- Sri Lankan passport valid at least 6 months
- White-background photo
- MOHRE job offer signed by you and the employer
- Service agreement for SLBFE
- Family Background Report, or a self-declaration if you are a woman over 45
- Attested certificates and a professional licence, for skilled or regulated jobs
Processing time
MOHRE states 2 working days for the work permit and GDRFA 48 hours for the entry permit. After you arrive, the medical result takes about 24 hours and the Emirates ID about 5 days. SLBFE does not state a time on the FAQ we read. The work visa processing time page covers the UAE steps one by one.
What holds Sri Lankan work files back
- The Family Background Report is missing or not yet issued.
- The worker paid the renewal fee when the new fee applied.
- The service agreement and the MOHRE offer show different salaries.
- The passport expires within 6 months.
- An old UAE overstay or absconding record on the worker's name.
How it works with us
Send us the offer, the passport page and any SLBFE papers you already have, on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. A visa adviser checks the UAE side, from the work permit to the residence and the labour card, and tells you which of your SLBFE steps should come first. If the employer is a small business without a PRO, our team can file and follow up the MOHRE and GDRFA steps for them. You get one total price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. SLBFE registration stays with you. We are a private visa service, not MOHRE, GDRFA or SLBFE, and those bodies decide.
Government fees are kept by the authorities if a permit or visa is refused. Your adviser tells you in writing, before you pay, what part of the total, if any, is returned.
Official sources
- SLBFE FAQ: fees, when each applies, documents, Family Background Report.
- SLBFE new and renewal registration: register before the airport.
- MOHRE recruiting from overseas: permit documents and fees.
- GDRFA employment entry permit: fee, inside the country lines, 60 days.
- GDRFA residence permit: residence fee lines.
- u.ae labour rights: employer pays, fee ban.
