UAE Employment Visa Process for Employers in 2026: From Work Permit to Emirates ID

Before the first hire: licence, establishment card and MoHRE file

A mainland company needs three registrations before it can sponsor anyone: its trade licence, an immigration establishment card and an establishment file with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). The establishment card is issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), or by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) for Dubai companies. The immigration and labour files are separate registrations. Free zone companies generally follow their free zone authority’s process instead of MoHRE’s.

Under Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, no employer may recruit or employ a worker without a MoHRE work permit, and the company needs available permit quota on its file. According to the UAE Government portal, MoHRE classifies companies into three categories based on their compliance with the labour law, the Wages Protection System (WPS), workers’ rights rules and its cultural and demographic diversity policy. The work permit fee ranges from AED 250 to AED 3,450 depending on the category.

Emiratisation feeds into the same file. Companies with 50 or more employees, and smaller companies in specified sectors, must meet MoHRE’s Emiratisation targets. From 1 July 2026, establishments paying Emiratis less than AED 6,000 a month also risk suspension of new work permits until they comply.

From work permit to Emirates ID, step by step

The process starts with a job offer in Arabic and English and, where needed, a third language the worker understands. The signed offer is attached to the work permit application, which a person legally authorised to represent the company must submit. MoHRE’s permit to recruit a worker from outside the UAE is valid for two years.

Once the permit is approved, the employer applies for an employment entry permit through ICP or GDRFA Dubai. According to ICP, it must be used within 60 days of issue, and the employee then has 60 days from entry to complete the residence. If the employee is already in the UAE on another visa, the employer can usually apply for a change of status inside the country instead. After arrival, the signed offer is registered with MoHRE as the employment contract; the UAE Government portal says this must happen within 14 days.

The employee then takes a medical fitness test, required for applicants aged 18 and over, and gives Emirates ID biometrics, required from age 15. The residence is then issued: the UAE Government portal states that the standard work visa is valid for two years and renewable. It is held electronically and linked to the Emirates ID, which has replaced the passport visa sticker as the usual proof of residence. Cancelling the residence automatically cancels the Emirates ID.

Work Bundle, health insurance and WPS

The Work Bundle launched for Dubai companies in March 2024, and MoHRE extended it to all emirates in June 2024 through the Work in UAE platform. It combines the permit, visa, medical, Emirates ID and residence steps in one application, including renewals and cancellations. MoHRE says it cuts the steps from 15 to 5, documents from 16 to 5, in-person visits from 7 to 2 (the medical and the biometrics) and processing time from 30 working days to 5.

According to the UAE Government portal, from 1 January 2025 employers in every emirate must buy health insurance for private-sector employees before applying for or renewing their residence. Article 6 of the labour law also bars employers from charging workers recruitment and employment fees, directly or indirectly, and Article 13 bars them from withholding a worker’s official documents, such as a passport.

Once the employee is on payroll, salaries must go through WPS. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, as summarised on the UAE Government portal, salaries for the previous month are due on the first day of each month, and at least 85% of wages due must be paid on time. MoHRE monitors payments electronically: from the fifth day after the due date it can suspend new work permits, followed by fines, downgrading to the third category for repeat violations and labour cases if salaries remain unpaid.

Employer checklist for each new hire

• Confirm the licence, establishment card and MoHRE file are active and permit quota is available.
• Get the job offer, in Arabic and English, signed before applying for the work permit.
• Diary the 60-day windows to use the entry permit and to complete the residence after entry.
• Buy health insurance before the residence application.
• Book the medical test and biometrics, the two in-person visits under the Work Bundle.
• Register the signed contract with MoHRE within 14 days of arrival.
• Add the employee to WPS payroll before the first salary falls due.
• Do not recover visa or recruitment costs from the employee, and do not hold their passport.