UAE Residence Visa Services

What’s included

• Establishment card and GDRFA/ICP file
• Investor and partner visas for owners
• Employment visas and labour contracts for staff
• Dependant visas for spouses, children and parents where eligible
• Medical screening and Emirates ID coordination, and visa renewals

UAE work and residence visas at a glance

A UAE work visa combines a work permit, from MOHRE on the mainland or from the free zone authority, with a residence permit linked to an Emirates ID, from GDRFA in Dubai or ICP elsewhere. The company’s establishment card comes first.

Item	Detail
Mainland work permit	Issued by MOHRE, which has 13 permit types; a new permit for an overseas hire is issued for 2 years
Free zone work permit and visa	Applied for through the free zone authority
Employee residence permit	2 years, renewable (GDRFA Dubai)
Partner or investor	Green residence permit for up to 5 years; golden residence permit for 10 years for qualifying investors
Proof of residence	Emirates ID; passport residence stickers stopped from 11 April 2022
Deadline after entry	Residence procedures completed within 60 days of entering the UAE
Health insurance	Employer-provided cover required before an employee’s residence permit is issued or renewed
Family sponsorship	Sponsor earns at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided housing

Which UAE residence visa fits: employment, green or golden?

A UAE residence visa comes through an employer, a free zone, a business you own or your own qualifications. Green residence lasts 5 years; investor and skilled-professional golden residence lasts 10.

Route	Who it is for	Validity	Key conditions	Issued through
Employment residence, mainland	Staff of mainland companies	2 years, renewable	MOHRE work permit and employer health insurance first	MOHRE, then GDRFA Dubai or ICP
Employment residence, free zone	Staff of free zone companies	Set by the free zone	Work permit and visa applied for through the zone	The free zone authority
Green residence: skilled employee	Employees in MOHRE skill levels 1 to 3	5 years, renewable	Bachelor’s degree; salary of at least AED 15,000 a month	ICP or GDRFA Dubai
Green residence: freelancer	Self-employed people	5 years, renewable	MOHRE freelance permit; bachelor’s degree or specialised diploma; freelance income of at least AED 360,000 a year over the past 2 years	ICP or GDRFA Dubai
Green residence: investor or partner	Owners of a UAE business	5 years, renewable	Proof of the investment or partnership, with all licences in place	ICP or GDRFA Dubai
Golden residence: investor	Investors and company partners	10 years, renewable	AED 2m in a UAE bank deposit, property or share of company assets; or AED 250,000 of tax paid in the last year	GDRFA Dubai or ICP
Golden residence: skilled professional	Employees in MOHRE skill levels 1 and 2	10 years	Bachelor’s degree; salary of at least AED 30,000 a month	ICP or GDRFA Dubai
Family residence	Spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25	Linked to the sponsor’s permit	Green residence holders can sponsor first-degree relatives	GDRFA Dubai or ICP

How do you get a UAE work visa for an employee?

On the mainland, the employer obtains a MOHRE work permit first; the employee then enters, takes a medical test, gives Emirates ID biometrics and receives a residence permit. MOHRE says the Work Bundle has cut processing from 30 working days to 5.

1. Confirm the company has a valid licence with no registered violations, an establishment card (GDRFA Dubai or ICP) and a MOHRE establishment card.
2. Complete MOHRE’s official job offer form, signed by employer and employee, and apply for the work permit. Skilled roles need the relevant qualification, attested.
3. The employee enters on the entry permit, or changes status if already in the UAE.
4. Buy the employee’s health insurance; it is a precondition for the residence permit.
5. The employee takes the medical fitness test at an approved centre.
6. Apply for the residence permit and Emirates ID together and attend biometrics, all within 60 days of entry.
7. Sign the employment contract through MOHRE and pay salary through the Wage Protection System.

What documents are needed for a UAE work or residence visa?

Each applicant needs a passport valid for at least 6 months, a photo and a medical result. Employees also need the signed MOHRE offer, and family applications need proof of the relationship and the sponsor’s income.

• Passport copy valid for at least 6 months
• Recent colour photo on a white background
• MOHRE job offer form signed by both parties (employees)
• Educational certificates authenticated by the foreign ministry in the country of origin and then the UAE embassy (skilled roles)
• Medical fitness result (applicants aged 18 and over)
• Proof of valid health insurance
• For partners: trade licence and the memorandum of association or partnership agreement
• For family members: proof of relationship and evidence of the sponsor’s salary and accommodation

UAE visa thresholds, deadlines and fines in 2026

Visa and permit fees vary by visa type and are set by GDRFA, ICP and MOHRE. The thresholds, deadlines and fines below are fixed.

Item	Amount / deadline
Complete residence after entry	Within 60 days
Overstay	AED 50 a day
Family sponsorship	AED 4,000 salary a month, or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided housing
Children on a family visa	Sons under 25, unmarried daughters and children with special needs
Time outside the UAE	Residence lapses after more than 180 days abroad in a row, with exceptions
Grace period after cancellation	60 days for private-sector employees and 180 days for green residence holders (GDRFA Dubai)
Golden residence (investor)	10 years; for example, an investor or partner whose share of a UAE company’s assets is worth at least AED 2m
Emiratisation	50+ staff: 2% annual growth in Emiratis in skilled roles; 20 to 49 staff in specified sectors: at least 1 Emirati
Probation	Up to 6 months; the employer must give 14 days’ written notice to end employment during it

Residence and establishment card fees are on GDRFA’s (Dubai) or ICP’s service pages; work permit fees are on MOHRE’s.

Which visa can each member of a new team get? A worked example

Here two partners and three staff of one Dubai company qualify for four different residence routes, based on share of company assets, salary and skill level.

1. Partner A owns 60%: 60% × AED 3,500,000 = AED 2,100,000, at least AED 2,000,000, so A can apply for 10-year golden residence as an investor.
2. Partner B owns 40%: 40% × AED 3,500,000 = AED 1,400,000, below AED 2,000,000. B can apply for 5-year green residence as a partner instead.
3. Manager C earns AED 32,000 a month, above AED 30,000, holds a degree and works in skill level 1: C meets the 10-year golden residence test for skilled professionals.
4. Engineer D earns AED 18,000: above the AED 15,000 green floor but below AED 30,000, so D qualifies for 5-year green residence, not golden.
5. Assistant E earns AED 3,500 with company housing and holds a 2-year employment residence. As 3,500 is at least AED 3,000 plus employer-provided housing, E can sponsor family; without housing E would need AED 4,000.
6. Unemployment insurance: C and D pay AED 10 a month each (basic salary above AED 16,000) and E pays AED 5: 10 + 10 + 5 = AED 25 a month.

Assumptions: Dubai mainland LLC with assets of AED 3,500,000 in a certified financial report from an accredited audit firm; all salaries are basic monthly salaries; C and D hold bachelor’s degrees; D works in MOHRE skill level 2. Each permit has further conditions, such as medical fitness and health insurance.

A new employee’s first two years in the UAE: visa and insurance calendar

A new hire’s visa steps fall in the first 60 days after entry; insurance and renewal follow over two years. This calendar assumes a Dubai mainland employer.

When	What	Deadline	Authority
Before arrival	MOHRE work permit issued on the signed job offer	Before the employee starts work	MOHRE
Days 1 to 60	Medical test, Emirates ID biometrics and residence permit	60 days from entry	GDRFA Dubai
From joining	Employee subscribes to the unemployment insurance scheme	Fine of AED 400 for not subscribing or for unpaid premiums	MOHRE
After 12 months	Unemployment insurance can pay out	12 consecutive months of premiums; up to 3 months of compensation	MOHRE
Before month 24	Residence permit and Emirates ID renewal	Before expiry	GDRFA Dubai
If the sponsor’s permit is cancelled	Family members’ permits are cancelled with it	6 months for family members to obtain a new permit	GDRFA Dubai or ICP

Common UAE visa mistakes

Visa problems usually come from sequence and timing. Each mistake below has a direct cost.

• Missing the 60-day window: residence must be completed within 60 days of entry, and overstay is charged at AED 50 a day.
• Starting work before the permit is issued: working without a valid MOHRE work permit is illegal under the Labour Law.
• No health insurance in place: the employer must buy cover before the residence permit can be issued or renewed.
• Staying abroad too long: more than 180 days outside the UAE in a row cancels the residence permit unless an exception applies.
• Paying salaries outside the WPS: MOHRE requires wages to be paid on time through the Wage Protection System and takes action against non-compliant establishments.
• Ignoring Emiratisation as headcount grows: companies with 50 or more staff must grow Emirati employment in skilled roles by 2% a year, or pay financial contributions.

UAE visa and residence terms explained

These terms appear on UAE visa, labour and insurance forms.

Term	Meaning
Green residence visa	A renewable 5-year residence permit for skilled employees, freelancers and investors or partners who meet ICP’s conditions. Holders can sponsor first-degree relatives.
Golden residence visa	A renewable residence permit of 5 or 10 years for investors, skilled professionals, entrepreneurs and others; the investor and skilled-professional permits run for 10 years.
MOHRE skill level	MOHRE’s grading of jobs: level 1 covers managers and executives, level 2 professionals such as engineers, doctors and lawyers. Levels 1 to 3 can qualify for green residence.
Freelance permit	A MOHRE permit to work for yourself rather than one employer; it is a condition of green residence for freelancers.
ILOE	The UAE’s unemployment insurance scheme (Involuntary Loss of Employment). It pays for up to 3 months after a job loss, capped at AED 10,000 or AED 20,000 a month by salary band.
Work Bundle	A joint government service that handles a new employee’s work permit, residence, medical test and Emirates ID in one application. It now covers all emirates.