UAE Work Visa and Residence Permit (Employer Sponsored)

In the UAE, most people who work for an employer do so on a residence visa that the employer sponsors. The official government portal says the standard work visa covers employees of the government and private sectors and that the employer must apply for it. You cannot apply for a standard work visa on your own.

The portal gives the standard validity as two years, renewable subject to the conditions set by the visa-issuing authorities. Two other routes exist for specific groups: the green visa, which lets skilled employees self-sponsor, and a separate visa for domestic workers. Those are covered in separate guides, so this one focuses on the usual employer-sponsored route.

The process starts with a formal job offer. According to the government portal, the offer contains a detailed description of the rights and obligations of both parties. It must be provided in Arabic and English, plus a third language the worker understands, and it must come with an annex on the UAE Labour Law, which is available on the website of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, usually called MoHRE.

The employer signs it electronically and sends it to you for review. Workers in professional levels 1 to 3 sign it, while fingerprints are accepted for levels 4 and 5. After you sign, the employer is not allowed to alter or replace any provision of the offer letter without your consent. Providing false information to the ministry can lead to fines of up to AED 20,000.

Read the offer carefully before you sign. It becomes the base of your contract.

The portal sets out the contract steps in this order:

• You receive the formal job offer.
• You sign the employment contract, which must specify the start date, type of work, workplace, terms and conditions, duration and salary.
• The contract is submitted to MoHRE within 14 days of your arrival in the UAE, or from the date your status changes if you are already in the country.
• You receive the work permit, then the work visa.

Under the UAE Labour Law, a contract must be for a fixed term not exceeding three years. A clause can be changed only if your rights are not undermined, both parties agree and MoHRE approves.

The signed job offer must be attached to the application for initial work permit approval. MoHRE reviews the application for completeness, and approval allows you to enter the UAE.

The work permit allows you to enter the UAE and stay for two months until your employer finalises your residence permit. On arrival, both parties sign the job offer, which is officially registered with MoHRE as a legally binding employment contract.

Do not travel until you have the permit. Entering without the right permission can create problems that are expensive to fix.

Applicants aged 18 and above must take a medical test to prove they are medically fit. You must also pass a security check and apply for an Emirates ID card from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, usually called ICP.

When your visa expires, the Emirates ID card issued by ICP expires too. Your residence permit then lasts either two years or one year, depending on the contract. Your sponsor must renew the residence visa before it expires.

The expiry date of a dependant's residence visa will not exceed that of the sponsor. If you want to bring family to the UAE, check the family sponsorship rules before you accept a job, and ask whether the employer will support the process.

If a resident lives outside the UAE for more than 180 days continuously, the residence visa is nullified automatically. Some categories are exempt, including foreign wives of Emirati citizens and certain students and investors.

A resident whose visa lapsed this way must apply for a new permit from outside the country, with a valid reason. A fine of AED 100 for every 30 days or less spent outside the country applies, and once the permit is approved you must enter the country within 30 days. The portal says this service is not available to Dubai residents, and holders of golden and green residency do not need it.

If you plan to spend long periods abroad, discuss this with your employer before you accept the job.

The pages checked for this guide do not state fees. Ask your employer which costs they cover and get this in writing. Do not pay anyone to arrange a job or a permit before you have a signed offer. Check any recruiter against the official channels.

Do not sign a job offer you have not read. Do not rely on a verbal promise about salary or housing, because only the written terms are registered. Keep copies of every document, and remember that your Emirates ID and your visa end together.