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If you are an employee asking what a UAE employment visa will cost you, the answer is simpler than most fee tables suggest: for the standard process, nothing. UAE labour law puts the entire cost on the employer. This guide is therefore written for both sides – employees who want to know their rights, and employers (especially founders making their first hires) who need to budget the real, itemised cost.
See also how to get a UAE work visa.
Employment visa cost at a glance
Indicative employer-side figures as of mid-2026:
| Item | Indicative position (mid-2026) |
|---|---|
| Employee’s out-of-pocket cost | AED 0 for the standard process, by law |
| Employer total, mainland (2-year visa) | About AED 1,820-5,020 per hire in government fees, +520 inside the UAE |
| Employer total, free zone | Set by each zone’s package pricing |
| MOHRE work permit fee | AED 250, 1,200 or 3,450 for two years by company category (1, 2 or 3), plus AED 50 application fee |
| Standard permit and visa term | 2 years |
Who pays what, by law
The law is unambiguous: under Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law 33/2021, the employer bears the costs of recruitment and employment – including the work permit, visa, medical examination and Emirates ID – and may not recover them from the worker, directly or through salary deductions. In Dubai, health insurance follows the same logic under the emirate’s insurance law: the employer pays the employee’s premium and cannot deduct it. One cost the law does leave with the employee: sponsoring their own family members, covered in our family visa sponsorship guide.
| Cost item | Who pays | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit, entry permit, visa stamping | Employer | Art. 6, Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 |
| Medical fitness test and Emirates ID | Employer | Art. 6, Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 |
| Employee health insurance (Dubai) | Employer, no salary deduction | Dubai health insurance law (ISAHD scheme) |
| Family members’ visas and insurance | Employee, as sponsor | Family sponsorship rules |
Note
Charging visa costs to workers is a compliance violation with fines commonly reported from around AED 20,000 per case. If an employer asks you to pay for your own permit or deducts it from salary, that practice can be reported to MOHRE. This guide is general information, not legal advice – verify specifics with MOHRE or a licensed consultant.
Fee breakdown: the category-based permit fee plus fixed components
The only genuinely variable fee is the MOHRE work permit, and it depends on the company’s category. For a two-year permit MOHRE lists AED 250 for category 1, AED 1,200 for category 2 and AED 3,450 for category 3, plus AED 50 application fee. Everything else is a fixed stack much like any other visa, covered in component detail in our UAE visa cost guide:
| Component | Fee |
|---|---|
| MOHRE work permit | AED 250 (category 1), AED 1,200 (category 2), AED 3,450 (category 3) for two years, plus AED 50 application fee |
| Entry permit | AED 200 + 5% VAT (AED 210); AED 520 more if the worker is inside the UAE |
| Medical fitness test | AED 270 standard, AED 700 premium, AED 1,020 VIP (Dubai Health) |
| Emirates ID (2-year) | About AED 300 including service fees |
| Visa stamping and issuance | AED 740 (200 + 10 + 10 + 500 + 20 delivery, GDRFA Dubai) |
| Health insurance (Dubai basic plan) | About AED 500-1,100 per year |
Sources: MOHRE, new work permit from overseas, GDRFA Dubai, work entry visa, GDRFA Dubai, residence permit for the private sector, Dubai Health price list and ICP, checked 3 October 2026. The insurance figure is indicative.
What the labour card is
The labour card is simply the work permit in its worker-facing form: MOHRE’s record that this person may work for this employer. The old plastic card is gone – it now exists digitally, linked to the work permit number, and can be retrieved through MOHRE’s app and services. It is issued per employer for the standard 2-year term, which is why changing jobs means a new permit, not a transfer of the card. Free zone employees have an equivalent document from their zone authority instead of MOHRE.
Mainland vs free zone cost differences
Free zone hiring bypasses MOHRE: the zone authority sponsors the visa through ICP and charges package prices, at package prices that each zone sets, with the zone’s own service fees replacing the category-based permit fee. Mainland hiring runs through MOHRE with the category-based permit fee above. Note that visa allocations in free zones are quota-limited by office size – how that works, and whether a free zone company can hire at all for your setup, is covered in can a UAE free zone company hire employees.
In-country vs out-of-country applications
Hiring someone already inside the UAE costs more: GDRFA adds Knowledge Dirham AED 10, Innovation Dirham AED 10 and a fee inside the country of AED 500 to the entry visa, AED 520 in total, while hiring from abroad means they enter on the new entry permit without those add-ons. In-country processing is usually faster overall since no travel is involved; the rest of the stack is identical either way.
Renewal costs
Renewals cost less than first issuance because the entry permit and status change fall away: the employer re-pays the work permit for the new term, plus the medical test, Emirates ID and stamping, and the insurance year. Late renewal triggers fines that accrue quickly, so calendar the expiry dates – permit and visa terms run in parallel and both need renewing.
Employer responsibilities checklist
Before your first hire, make sure you can tick every box:
- Budget the full stack per hire – permit, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, stamping, insurance – not just the permit fee. Model it in the visa cost calculator.
- Never charge any of it to the employee, directly or via deductions.
- Register the company’s establishment card and e-channel access before recruiting.
- Issue a MOHRE-compliant offer letter and contract before the permit application.
- Arrange health insurance from day one of residence (employer-paid in Dubai).
- Track permit and visa expiry dates for renewals.
This checklist covers the money; the process itself – offer letters, contracts, onboarding sequence – is walked through in how to hire your first employee in Dubai. If you want the filings handled end to end, you can get employment visa support from a verified provider.
Where that medical is taken is a separate question from what it costs. Our guide to Dubai centres covers the medical fitness step and where it is done.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for an employment visa in the UAE?
The employer, by law. Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 requires employers to bear recruitment and employment costs – work permit, visa, medical test and Emirates ID – and prohibits recovering them from the worker directly or through salary deductions. In Dubai the employer also pays the employee’s health insurance premium without deduction.
How much does a 2-year employment visa cost in Dubai?
About AED 1,820 to AED 5,020 in Dubai government fees for the employer (category 1 to 3 company), plus AED 520 if the worker is already in the UAE, combining the MOHRE work permit (AED 250, 1,200 or 3,450 by company category, plus AED 50 application fee), entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID, stamping and basic health insurance. The employee pays nothing for the standard process. Exact fees depend on channel and company category.
What is a labour card in the UAE?
The labour card is the worker-facing form of the MOHRE work permit – the official record that a person may work for a specific employer. It is now digital, linked to the work permit number and accessible through MOHRE’s services, and is issued per employer for the standard 2-year term. Free zone employees receive an equivalent from their zone authority.
Can my employer deduct visa costs from my salary?
No. Recovering recruitment or visa costs from a worker, whether as an upfront charge or salary deductions, is prohibited under Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law 33/2021. Fines for violations are commonly reported from around AED 20,000. Such practices can be reported to MOHRE through its complaint channels.
Can I stay in the UAE after losing my job?
Yes, for a limited time. After an employment visa is cancelled, a grace period applies before overstay fines begin: under the ICP rules it is 30, 60, 90 or 180 days depending on category, and GDRFA Dubai’s private-sector residence card states 60 days. Within that window you can secure a new work permit, switch to another residence route such as a jobseeker or family visa, or exit. Confirm your specific grace period with the authority.
Can I work for another company on my employment visa?
Not by default: the work permit ties you to one employer. Working for anyone else requires an additional arrangement, such as a part-time work permit obtained through MOHRE by the second employer. Unauthorised work exposes both the worker and the companies involved to fines, so regularise the permit first.
Can my employer keep my passport?
No – passport confiscation is not permitted in the UAE. Your passport is your property; an employer may borrow it briefly for visa processing but must return it. If an employer retains your passport against your will, you can raise a complaint through MOHRE or the relevant authority.
Does an employment visa include my family?
No. The employer’s legal obligation covers only the employee. Sponsoring a spouse or children is done by you as the resident, at your own cost, subject to minimum income and accommodation requirements – each dependent carries their own fee stack and insurance. On Dubai government fees, each dependent costs about AED 1,520 applying from outside the UAE and AED 2,040 from inside (entry visa, residence permit, two-year Emirates ID and the standard medical, which applies from age 18), before insurance.
Is there an age limit for a UAE employment visa?
There is no fixed upper age bar, but hiring workers above retirement age costs more: an additional government fee for employees aged 65 and over is commonly reported at around AED 5,000, and approvals can involve extra scrutiny. The standard minimum working age rules also apply. Verify the current fee schedule with MOHRE before hiring.
What happens to my visa when my contract ends?
The employer cancels the work permit and the residence visa. From cancellation you get a grace period to find a new employer (who applies for a fresh permit), switch to another visa type, or leave: 30, 60, 90 or 180 days by category under the ICP rules, and 60 days on GDRFA Dubai’s private-sector card. Your dependents’ visas have their own grace period, and official sources differ on its length: the UAE Government portal states 6 months, while the ICP and GDRFA Dubai cards give 60 days for permits issued under a guarantor.
Next Steps
Employers: confirm your MOHRE category, then price each planned hire component by component. Employees: if you are being asked to pay for a standard employment visa, know that the law says otherwise.
Estimate the full employment visa cost for your emirate, company type and hire before making the offer.
Official references used for context in this article.
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