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How to Get a UAE Work Visa

Created: Aug 5, 2024 | Updated: Sep 19, 2024

The UAE's booming economy attracts thousands of professionals each year, looking to enhance their careers in one of the world's most vibrant environments. If you’re planning to join them, getting a work visa is your first step. In this guide, we'll take you through the different types of UAE work visas, what you’ll need to apply, and the detailed steps of the application process. 

Table of Contents

Types of UAE work visas

Before starting your new job in the UAE, you must obtain the right work visa, depending on your specific circumstances. The main types of UAE work visas are: 

  1. Standard Work Visa: This is the most commonly used visa, especially for employees in private companies, government sectors, or free zones. It typically lasts two to three years and requires your employer to sponsor your application. You’ll need an approved employment contract from the UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) and an entry permit to start your residency formalisation process upon arrival.
     
  2. Green Visa: This visa is designed to attract skilled professionals, freelancers, and business people. It offers more flexibility than the Standard work visa, granting you a five-year residency without needing an employer to sponsor you and the ability to sponsor your immediate family members. To apply, you need a valid employment or self-employment permit from the MoHRE, proof of education, and evidence of sufficient income.
     
  3. Golden Visa: This long-term visa is aimed at highly skilled professionals, investors, and those with exceptional talents. It is valid for ten years and offers several advantages, such as exclusive health insurance packages, travel privileges outside the UAE for extended periods without affecting the visa’s validity and the ability to sponsor unlimited family members and domestic staff.

 

Benefits of working in the UAE

Benefits of working in the UAE

Working in the UAE offers numerous benefits that can significantly enhance your career and personal life, including: 

  1. Tax-Free Income: This is one of the most enticing aspects of working in the UAE. You get to take home your entire earnings, helping you achieve a higher standard of living and save more without worrying about income tax deductions.
     
  2. Diverse Job Opportunities: The UAE job market offers opportunities in thriving industries like healthcare, IT, real estate, engineering, etc., and professionals in these fields often enjoy attractive salaries and great allowances.
     
  3. Opportunities for Professional Growth: The UAE SME and startup ecosystem is a vibrant hub for international business, offering unique opportunities to work on global projects and start your own business.
     
  4. Rich Multicultural Environment: About 88% of the UAE's population are expatriates, offering a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in diverse cultures, cuisines, and traditions.
     
  5. Generous Leave Policies: After completing your probation, you’re entitled to up to 30 days of paid annual leave, maternity and parental leave, and several public holidays. This generous leave policy gives you ample time for relaxation and family activities.
     
  6. High Standard of Living: The UAE is known for its high standard of living, modern infrastructure, and excellent healthcare facilities, ensuring that you and your family access the best medical care without worrying about the financial burden.

 

UAE work visa requirements

To secure your UAE employment visa, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. Confirmed Employment: Before applying for your UAE work visa, you must have a confirmed job offer from a UAE employer. This offer should be officially documented because it is crucial for your visa application process.
     
  2. Educational Qualifications: Depending on the type of job and visa, you may need to provide proof of academic qualifications, typically a bachelor's degree (or higher, for skilled positions).
     
  3. Passport Validity: Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in the UAE to avoid any issues during the visa application or at entry points.
     
  4. Health and Medical Checks: The UAE mandates a medical fitness test for new employees coming from abroad. You’ll need to undergo a health checkup in your home country and again in the UAE, which usually screens for communicable diseases.
     
  5. Age Requirements: Generally, you must be over 18 to work in the UAE. 
     
  6. No Criminal Record: You should have a clean criminal record in your home country and any other countries where you have resided. 
     

Required documents for a UAE work visa

When preparing your visa application, ensure your documents are correctly formatted and in the required languages. Here's what you'll need:

  • Your original passport and a copy.
  • Recent passport-sized photos.
  • An Emirates ID card.
  • An entry permit from the MoHRE.
  • A medical certificate from a UAE-approved health centre.
  • Copies of your academic qualifications, authorised by your home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy.
  • Your employer documents, such as their commercial licence and company card.

 

How to get a UAE work visa 

Follow these steps to secure your UAE work visa:

  1. Apply for Entry Visa Quota Approval: If you will be working in one of the UAE’s 46 free zones, your employer needs to apply for a visa quota approval from the MoHRE.
     
  2. Submit a Work Visa Application: Once your employer receives quota approval, they must submit your signed work contract and work visa application, which the MoHRE typically approves after verifying that the company is a registered UAE corporate entity and no unemployed UAE citizen can fill the role.
     
  3. Get an Employment Entry Visa: After your work visa application is approved, the MoHRE issues an employment entry visa, also known as a pink visa, which lets you legally enter the UAE to formalise your work visa and apply for a residence visa. If you’re already in the UAE on a different visa, you may need to adjust your visa status or briefly exit and re-enter the UAE to activate the new visa.
     
  4. Apply for an Emirates ID: On arrival in the UAE, you must apply for an Emirates ID at an Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) centre. You need to provide biometrics like fingerprints and a photograph. The Emirates ID is essential for residency and is your main ID in the UAE.
     
  5. Get a Medical Checkup: You must undergo a medical screening at a government-approved clinic in the UAE, including tests for communicable diseases.
     
  6. Submit a Labour Contract: Your employer needs to upload the approved labour contract to the MoHRE’s website within 14 days of receiving your medical results. This is part of formalising your work visa.
     
  7. Get Health Insurance: This is a mandatory requirement for all expatriates in the UAE. Some emirates (like Abu Dhabi and Dubai) require your employer to provide this for you, and in others (like Sharjah or other northern emirates), you may need to get yours.
     
  8. Receive Your Work Visa: It typically takes about five days for the MoHRE to issue your official work visa once all conditions are met. Once issued, you can legally start working in the UAE, and your employer will set up your payroll.
     
  9. Receive a Residence Visa: Finally, with all the prerequisites met, you can apply for your residence visa. This visa is usually valid for two years and is renewable. It allows you to live in the UAE, open bank accounts, register vehicles, and more.

When preparing to apply for a UAE work visa, one of the critical steps involves ensuring that all documents not originally in Arabic or English must have legal translations. Translayte can be your valuable partner in this process, offering authorised and reliable legal translation services that comply with the requirements of the UAE government agencies.

 

UAE work visa processing time

The processing time for a UAE work visa varies depending on factors like visa type, application accuracy, and the current workload of UAE immigration authorities. Still, here’s an overview of what to expect at each stage:

  • Entry Permit Processing: This typically takes a few days to two weeks, but may be faster within the UAE free zones.
  • Employment Visa and Residence Visa Processing: This generally takes two to four weeks.
  • Medical Tests and Emirates ID: Results for medical tests are usually ready within a few days. Emirates ID processing, including biometrics, can take up to two weeks.
  • Work Visa Processing: This last step typically takes one to two weeks, depending on the local immigration office's efficiency.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch employers while on a UAE work visa?
Yes, you can switch employers while on a UAE work visa. First, ensure your current employer formally releases you and the MoHRE approves the transfer. You must obtain a new employment offer and your new employer must complete the visa transfer process.
If your UAE work visa application is denied, find out why from the MoHRE or through your employer. You can then address these issues when you re-apply or appeal the decision.
Yes, you need to pass health tests for diseases like tuberculosis, HIV, and hepatitis B. The exact tests may depend on your job and where you will live in the UAE.
The Green Visa is designed for skilled professionals, freelancers, and self-employed individuals, offering up to five years of residency without needing employer sponsorship. In contrast, the Golden Visa targets highly skilled professionals and investors, providing a ten-year residency with numerous benefits, including the ability to leave and re-enter the UAE without affecting the visa’s validity.
For the Green Visa, you must either be a freelancer with a permit from the UAE free zone or a skilled professional with a valid job offer and proof of income. The Golden Visa, however, requires you to either have significant investment in the UAE, possess exceptional talents, or be a recognised professional in fields such as science, art, or sports.

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