Work Permits
UAE Work Permits: Choosing the Right MOHRE Permit for the Hire
Most permit problems start with the wrong permit type, not a missing document. MOHRE now runs 13 of them, and the choice depends on where the person is today and how they will work for you.
- The right permit type picked before anything is filed
- Permit, visa and payroll set up in one sequence
- Skill level checked so the job title does not block approval
- Renewals tracked against the two-year term
Dubai PRO, payroll and tax support for UAE companies, handled by one team.
Last reviewed against current MOHRE, ICP and GDRFA guidance.
Quick Answer
A UAE work permit is issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and lets a mainland company employ a specific person. MOHRE now lists 13 permit types, including recruitment from abroad, transfer from another employer, family-sponsored residents, part-time, temporary, mission, juvenile, student training, freelance and golden visa holders. The recruitment, transfer, family-sponsored, part-time and national permits run for two years. The permit comes first; the residence visa follows it.
Start With Where the Person Is Now
The permit type follows the candidate's current status. Someone abroad needs a recruitment permit. Someone already working for another UAE employer needs a transfer permit. A spouse living here on a family visa needs the family-sponsored permit, and no new residence visa.
Pick wrongly and the file comes back. That costs a week, sometimes a start date.
- Recruitment from outside the UAE
- Transfer from one UAE employer to another
- Residents sponsored by their family
- Part-time alongside another job
- Temporary and single-mission work
- UAE and GCC nationals, and golden visa holders
What Changed in 2026
In June 2026 MOHRE reworked the permit catalogue to 13 types and dropped the supporting-document uploads for its permit services, according to the ministry's announcement as reported by Gulf News. Mandatory data fields on some applications were cut by most of their length.
Less paperwork does not mean less checking. The data you enter still has to match the passport, the job offer and the trade licence activity exactly.
- 13 permit types instead of 12
- Supporting documents removed from permit applications
- Far fewer mandatory data fields
- Applications through MOHRE's unified digital channels
- Data accuracy matters more, not less
The Job Title Decides More Than the Salary
Every permit carries an occupation, and every occupation sits on MOHRE's nine-level scale. That level decides whether the hire counts as skilled. u.ae sets four conditions for skilled status: levels 1 to 5, a certificate above secondary school, that certificate attested, and a monthly salary of at least AED 4,000 excluding commission. The full list is on u.ae.
Choose a title that does not match the role and the classification follows the title. It affects quotas, the visa, and later the employee's own options.
- Occupation chosen to match the actual role
- Skill level confirmed before filing
- Certificate attestation checked for skilled roles
- Salary set at or above the skilled threshold where needed
Permit First, Then the Visa
For a hire from abroad the order is fixed. The work permit approval leads to an entry permit from ICP, or GDRFA in Dubai. After arrival come the medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics and the residence visa.
The labour contract is signed through MOHRE, and the employee goes onto WPS payroll from the first salary month. That last step is where PRO firms usually hand over and the payroll problems begin.
- 1Job offer and work permit application through MOHRE
- 2Entry permit issued by ICP or GDRFA
- 3Medical fitness test after arrival
- 4Emirates ID biometrics and residence visa
- 5MOHRE labour contract signed
- 6Employee added to WPS payroll
How Exiloz Handles Work Permits
We confirm the permit type and the occupation before anything is submitted, because those two choices are the ones that are painful to undo. Then we run the permit and visa steps and set the employee up on payroll and WPS in the same pass.
One file, one team. The person who did the permit also knows the salary that WPS will report.
- Permit type and occupation agreed with you first
- MOHRE and ICP or GDRFA steps handled
- Payroll and WPS set up for the new hire
- Two-year renewal dates tracked
Related Exiloz Services & Guides
How many types of work permit does MOHRE issue?
Thirteen, following the June 2026 update. They cover recruitment from abroad, transfers, family-sponsored residents, part-time, temporary, mission, juvenile, student training, private tutoring, freelance, golden visa holders, UAE and GCC nationals, and national trainees.
How long is a UAE work permit valid?
Recruitment, transfer, family-sponsored, part-time and UAE or GCC national permits are reported at two years. Temporary and mission permits are tied to the job, so their term is shorter.
Can my employee's spouse work for us on a family visa?
Yes, through the work permit for residents sponsored by their family. The spouse keeps their family residence visa; you obtain the permit.
Can someone work part-time for us while employed elsewhere?
Yes. MOHRE has a part-time work permit for that, and the main employer does not have to sponsor the second job.
Do free zone companies use MOHRE work permits?
Generally not. Free zone employees are handled by the free zone authority, which issues its own employment cards. The MOHRE permits on this page are for mainland employers.
Why does the job title matter so much?
The occupation sets the MOHRE skill level, and the skill level decides whether the hire is classed as skilled. A mismatched title can block a skilled classification the employee is actually entitled to.
What does a work permit cost?
MOHRE fees depend on the permit type and on the company's classification, so we quote per hire once we know both. We do not publish a single figure because it would be wrong for most companies.
The rest of what we do
Licence, visas, bank account, books and the first tax return — handled by the same team, so the structure has to survive its first year.
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Company Formation
Mainland, free zone and offshore incorporation, started from your activity code.
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Mainland vs Free Zone
Pick the jurisdiction before the licence. The decision that survives year one.
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PRO & Document Clearing
Establishment card, immigration file, visas, medicals and attestation.
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VAT Registration
Threshold checks, grouping and registration handled against the FTA's current rules.
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VAT Return Filing
VAT201 prepared, reconciled and filed, with the position documented.
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Corporate Tax Registration
Every taxable person must register, including free zone companies applying 0%.
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Corporate Tax Filing
Returns, elections and the qualifying income analysis behind them.
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Accounting & Bookkeeping
Books kept audit-ready from month one, not reconstructed at year end.
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Tell Us Who You Are Hiring
Where the person is now and the job they will do. That decides the permit type, and we will set out the route from there.
