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A UAE work permit is the MOHRE approval that lets a company employ you. For a worker hired from abroad, MOHRE charges an AED 50 application fee plus a two-year permit fee of AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450, depending on the company's category. It takes about 2 working days. The permit comes before any visa, and UAE law puts the cost on the employer.
Work permit and work visa are two different things
People mix them up because the employer handles both. The permit is federal and comes from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The visa is immigration: GDRFA in Dubai, ICP in the other emirates. GDRFA will not issue an employment entry permit until MOHRE has endorsed the work permit. The full chain is on the Dubai work visa page.
MOHRE fees by company category
| Line | Category 1 (A) | Category 2 (B) | Category 3 (C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | AED 50 | AED 50 | AED 50 |
| Two-year work permit | AED 250 | AED 1,200 | AED 3,450 |
| Two-year transfer permit | AED 250 | AED 1,200 | AED 3,450 |
Source: MOHRE "Recruiting a worker from overseas" and "Transfer work permit" service pages, checked . Tax and collection charges are not included. The u.ae work permits page, checked , gives the same AED 250 to AED 3,450 range for issuing or renewing.
What decides the category
MOHRE's classification has applied since , under Cabinet Resolution 18 and Ministerial Resolution 209.
- Category 1 follows the labour law and meets at least one extra test, for example Emiratisation at three times the target or training 500 or more citizens a year through Nafis. MOHRE says fees can be cut by up to 80% for big hiring and training goals.
- Category 2 follows the law and the diversity policy but meets no Category 1 test. MOHRE places these companies here automatically.
- Category 3 has broken labour laws or the diversity policy, for example hiring without a permit or fake Emiratisation. No discounts apply.
UAE and GCC nationals are exempt from work permit and transfer fees. There is also a one-off company cost, the Ta'qeem fee of AED 406 for the MOHRE establishment card, which is paid per company, not per worker.
The 13 permit types in short
The u.ae work permits page lists 13 types. Each has its own conditions, covered on work permit types in the UAE.
| Permit | Who it is for | Validity on u.ae |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiting from abroad | A new hire outside the UAE | 2 years |
| Transfer | A non-UAE worker moving between companies | 2 years |
| Resident on family sponsorship | Someone here on a spouse or parent visa | 2 years |
| Temporary | A worker already here, lent to another company for a task | Not stated |
| Mission | A worker brought from abroad for a time-bound project | Not stated |
| Part-time | Fewer hours than full time, more than one employer with approval | Not stated |
| Juvenile | Ages 15 to 18, with safety conditions | 1 year |
| Student training and employment | Students aged 15 already in the UAE | 3 months |
| UAE and GCC national | Citizens of the UAE and GCC | 2 years |
| Golden visa holder | Golden residence holders | 2 years |
| National trainee | Training UAE citizens | 12 months, renewable |
| Freelance | Self-employed people with no employer sponsor | Not stated |
| Private teacher | Teachers, students and others giving private lessons | Free for 2 years |
We do not publish fees for the temporary, mission and part-time permits. Media reports give amounts that do not agree with each other, and the MOHRE pages could not be read when we checked. See temporary work permit for what is known.
Documents for a new permit
- Photo on a white background
- Passport valid for at least six months
- MOHRE job offer signed by both sides
- Attested degree or diploma, by skill level (levels 1 and 2 a bachelor's, 3 and 4 a diploma, 5 high school)
- Professional licence where the job needs one
- National ID card for Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran nationals
Below AED 4,000 a month, or without a qualification, MOHRE does not count the worker as skilled. More on work visa requirements.
Conditions MOHRE checks
- The company has an available electronic quota. No MOHRE page explains how quota is granted or priced.
- The worker is at least 18, except for juvenile and student permits.
- The job matches the company's business activity.
- The licence is valid with no violation that would suspend it.
- The worker has no active work permit elsewhere.
- The authorised signatory submits the request.
Processing time and channels
MOHRE lists 2 working days for a new permit, a transfer and a cancellation. You apply on the MOHRE app or website with UAE Pass, or through a business service centre. Centres may charge up to AED 72 per service on top of the federal fees.
Renewal, transfer and cancellation
- Renewal: the employer can renew up to 60 days before the permit expires. u.ae gives the AED 250 to AED 3,450 range for renewals too.
- Transfer: the new employer applies within 90 days of the old permit's cancellation. See changing jobs in the UAE.
- Cancellation: free online apart from federal fees, 2 working days. The steps for the visa side are on employment visa cancellation.
Check where a file stands on the work permit status check page.
Why MOHRE rejects a permit
- No quota left on the company file.
- A job title the licence does not cover.
- A skilled title with no attested degree behind it.
- A photo or passport copy that fails the format rules.
- An open permit still on the worker's record.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai PRO firms publish fees of about AED 500 to AED 6,000 for handling an employment visa, on top of government fees (2 firms, checked ). The gap is wide because some quote only the permit and others the whole visa.
How it works with us
You send the worker's passport copy and the company's trade licence on WhatsApp, or through the form here. A visa adviser checks the company's MOHRE category, the quota and whether the job title fits the licence. You get one total price for the permit, and for the visa if you want it, before you pay anything. The team files on the MOHRE system, tracks the approval and moves straight to the GDRFA stage. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, not MOHRE. The ministry approves or rejects the permit.
If MOHRE or GDRFA refuses, the government fees are not returned by the authorities. Before payment the adviser states in writing which part of our total, if any, would be refunded.
Official sources
- u.ae work permits: 13 types, validity, fee range, conditions.
- MOHRE recruiting a worker from overseas: fees, documents, skill levels, 2 working days, AED 72 cap.
- MOHRE transfer work permit: transfer fees, 90 days.
- MOHRE company classification news: categories and exemptions.
- MOHRE establishment card: Ta'qeem fee.
Checked . MOHRE pages were last read on ; confirm the fee on the MOHRE app before you pay.
