Work Permit for Dubai

A work permit is not the same as a residency visa. The residency visa allows you to live in Dubai and the UAE for a period of time (usually 3 years). To work in Dubai, you also need to apply for a work permit or labor card. Usually the company you work for will arrange both work permits and residency visas for you and your family, and will explain to you what documents you need. If you're setting up your own business, you'll have to arrange the applications yourself. If you're in Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Knowledge Village, or one of the other Free Zones, then you should be able to get everything arranged easily and quickly.

Some companies are efficient at arranging work permits and residency visas, others are more tardy and can take months or longer. It can also depend on the relationship the company has with the respective government departments.

Employment Visa for Dubai

An employment visa is issued to visitors who have arranged employment before coming to Dubai. It allows you to enter the country once and is valid for 30 days, during which time your company should complete processing of your work permit and residency visa. If you are from a country which can obtain a visit visa on arrival in Dubai, your company may ask you to enter this way instead but note that a visit visa does not allow you to work - the company should still obtain an employment visa or have your work permit ready.

Labour Entry Visa for Dubai

Labour Entry Permits entitle holders thereof for one time entry within two months as of the date of issuance, and for a thirty-day stay effective from the date of entry

To obtain a labour entry, the following procedures and documents are necessary depending on the category of the applicant and the employing entity:

First:

If the employer is a private sector establishment or company whose employees are governed by labor law, and if the applicant is to conduct a professional activity, then he/she has to obtain the approval of the Ministry of Labor and to attach the necessary documents accordingly along with a valid certified commercial license, or a proof that the original license is in process by the competent entity.

Second:

In the case that employing entity is a public establishment or company, then the application is to be submitted directly NRD as follows:

To work for:

Federal ministries – local Departments – Rulers’ Courts and their representatives – the Private Departments of their Highnesses, Crown Princes, Rulers’ Deputies - and the entities not governed by Labor Law. The NRD shall issue the necessary Labor entry to these entities upon the decision to recruit the applicant by the concerned entity.

Public Establishments and Companies:NRD issues a Labour Entry to work for these entities according to the following conditions: Attaching a certified copy of the Article of Association for first time. Attaching a copy of the sponsored ‘s appointment letter along with the Entry permit application.

Establishments and Companies operating in the Free Zone: NRD issues a Labour Entry Permit to work for establishments and companies operating in the Free Zone according to the following conditions: The establishment or the company is located in the free zone districts defined as per the Federal and local laws and regulations. The permits are granted to the recruits of such companies by the decision of a special committee set up by a ministerial decision and according to the guidelines set by the Ministry in this regard.

Sports Clubs, Associations and Federations: NRD issues Labour Permits for the recruits of these entities provided that the application is approved by the Ministry of Education and Youth.

Religious and Charity Societies: NRD issues Labour permits to work for these organizations as per the following conditions: A certified copy of the Federal or Local decree establishing such and entity and labeling it a non-profitable organization. Authenticating the application form from the competent government department.

Police and Security Force Personnel: To issue a Labour Permit for the Police and Security Force Personnel, the application has to be certified by the Personnel Administration in the competent department.

Defense and Armed Forces Personnel: To issue a Labour Permit for Defense and Armed Forces Personnel: To sign the application form from the Concerned Recruitment Entity. To certify the application from the Military Intelligence.

Third:

In case the recruiter is a foreign or international entity, they should be applied for as per the following conditions:

The recruiter is a foreign embassy or consulate or an international organization, Arab or foreign social clubs or churches or schools supervised by embassies. The sponsored is a non diplomatic employee The application is duly certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.

Fourth:

Rules/Conditions for recruiting housemaid or houseboy:

The sponsor’s monthly Salary is no less than AED 6,000/- The sponsor pays the government treasury a sum equal to the sponsored’s one-month salary not less than AED 400 The sponsor has not released a housemaid/boy during the past year as of the date of new application The sponsored recruit should not be a family member. The sponsor is living with his/her family in UAE. For female expatriate - working in UAE at rare and important professions such as medicine, engineering or teaching and other categories requiring a university accreditation or specialty, or a courses lasting no less than one year - is allowed to replace the father and sponsor a house maid/boy once sponsorship per-requisites are met. NRD does not issue a replacement for an absconding sponsored person’s Labour Entry Permit belonging to the categories which are not governed by the Labour Relation Regulation Law before three months have elapsed as of the date of reporting absconding. No person is allowed to sponsor housemaid/boy if it was proven that such individual failed to pay the dues of the sponsored housemaid or boy, or to manage his/her travel costs, or left such a sponsored housemaid/boy redundant and was arrest for work for third parties. The following two categories of expats are not allowed to sponsor or recruit foreign labor even if they meet the monthly salary condition: Housemaids or boys or equivalents Laborers and their equivalents