UAE Employment Visa: Application Process, Requirements, and Costs Explained
A UAE Employment Visa is essential when you plan to have a career in the UAE. This economy in the UAE is burgeoning as different professionals, job seekers, and businesses that are all around the world rush to seek it.
All the information regarding the UAE Employment Visa process, along with some requirements and fees, will be discussed with you in detail in this guide. All of these facts will lead you to pave a smooth, hassle-free journey toward working in the UAE.
What is a UAE Employment visa?
A UAE employment visa is a formal paper issued to foreign nationals that allows them to work within the country’s borders. Such a visa is typically sponsored by any employer that requires staff from overseas. With an employment visa, you can legally seek employment as well as residence in the UAE for two or three years.
Application procedure for a UAE employment visa step-by-step
You need to apply for a proper procedure to get an employment visa. Here are the steps on how to do it step by step.
Step 1: Get a Job Offer
Any employment visa request in the UAE requires having a job offer from any company operating in the UAE. It is during the application process that the sponsoring company comes in handy to help.
Step 2: Obtain Entry Permit
Primarily an entry permit is sought by the employer or a representative Authorized Public Relations Officer of the employer. An entry permit allows you to enter and reside in the UAE for up to 60 days during the processing of the employment visa.
Step 3: Medical Test
On arrival in the UAE, you will undergo a mandatory medical test to check whether or not you are medicinally fit to work. Most probably, the test will include a blood test and chest X-ray.
Step 4: Application for Emirates ID
After passing the medical test, one has to apply for an Emirates ID. It is a type of identification card that all residents should possess. You will use it for practically all activities, for instance when opening accounts with banks, getting a house, or receiving any other service in the country.
STEP 5: Residency visa stamping
With that, your passport will be stamped along with a residency visa. This is the final step towards completing the employment visa procedure. Now you have all legal requirements to work in the UAE.
Requirements for an Employment Visa for the UAE
Acquiring a UAE employment visa involves several conditions and prerequisites in applying. So here’s your checklist:
- Valid Passport: A passport with a validity of at least six months before the date of your application.
- Passport Size Photographs: You are required to present fresh photographs that comply with the UAE’s visa photograph criteria.
- Job Offer Letter: A job offer letter or employment contract endorsed by the company sponsoring you in the UAE.
- Entry Permit: Issued by your employer.
- Medical Fitness Certificate: The medical certificate proves that all obligatory medical tests have been cleared.
- Receipt of Application to Emirates ID: As proof that you applied for an Emirates ID
- Work Permit: Issued from the MOHRE.
If you are working for a company that can provide PRO services in Dubai, they can expedite acquiring the documents and help you submit them to the relevant authorities.
Cost for Employment Visa in UAE
This again differs according to the company you are working for and your position. Nonetheless, estimates of around AED 3,000 to AED 7,000 apply. Also, various charges are comprised within the above; including
- entry permit issuance
- medical test
- Emirates ID application
- visa stamping fee
Some companies pay some of these expenses as part of the service package. However, other companies will pay for some before being reimbursed.
Grace Period After Visa Cancellation in UAE
After Visa cancellation, most UAE countries provide a grace period during which you can stay lawfully in the country. Ordinarily, this grace period is 30 days within which you can either leave UAE or move to another kind of visa. Even a tourist visa or a new employment visa.
A grace period after visa cancellation in UAE is very important for workers since it can be used in search of alternative employment or other means of engaging oneself. In case the employee stays in Dubai, a risk of fines or legal issues may accrue if a new job and a new visa are not found.
Business Setup in Dubai and Employment Visas
Work visa requirements apply to any business setup in Dubai. New companies need to sponsor visas for the employees whom they’re employing. This falls under complete legal compliance. If you’re looking to start up a business in Dubai, team up with a company offering services in Dubai to help ease the process. When it comes to visas as well as other legal processes.
Some Tips for Job Seekers in the UAE
If you are already an active job seeker within the UAE, then this process by an employment visa in the UAE can prepare you for better moving across. Some tips here include:
- Check your Eligibility: Verify if you are eligible for the UAE work visa. See if you meet the minimum conditions, which are medical fitness and possession of a valid passport.
- Work With PRO Service: Hire a Dubai PRO to make your immigration process smooth and error-free.
- Understand the Cost: Know about the expense of an employment visa in UAE; you will determine whether the charges will be picked up by your employer.
- Knowing the grace period: after the cancellation of a visa may help you in planning your next move if your job comes to an abrupt halt.
- Carry Copies: You must always carry with you copies of all your important documents like a passport, job offer letter, and medical fitness certificate.
Cost of Employment Visa in UAE
An employment visa cost in UAE might be a huge expense for you as an employee, especially if the company does not cover it. You should prepare yourself for those expenses and what each one of them entails so that you can budget appropriately.
Role of PRO Services in Dubai
PRO services in Dubai assist clients in making sure they abide by those set regulations by visa.PRO Services Dubai offers a vast range of administrative as well as legal procedures, one of which is getting a visa. PRO services in Dubai will be very useful both for the company itself as well as for the respective person. This may thus help in dealing with all the documentation. Hence, UAE regulations would be adhered to also.
Getting an employment visa has never been easier and faster if one turns to using services in Dubai. The whole process will not demand any paperwork, applications, or submissions at all. All professional services in Dubai will take care of everything for you.
Why Companies Should Take Advantage of PRO Services in Dubai
Companies have a headache when dealing with the visas of several employees, and this is where PRO Services Dubai comes in handy. This is because they can assist in document preparation and submission, visa renewal, and ensure the handling of all legal requirements. For employers, it, therefore, means having less work that calls for administration, thus more time for business growth.
FAQs
How long is a UAE employment visa valid?
The employment visa normally takes two to three years to expire. However, its issuance would purely depend on the will of the employer. After that, it should be processed for renewal after this period.
Can I change jobs with a UAE employment visa?
Yes. But you would have to get a new work permit and employment visa from the new employer. The process normally is called cancellation of the existing visa, followed by application for a new one.
What happens if I overstay after this grace period?
Staying too long after the grace period, in case one cancels a visa in the UAE, will incur fines and get entangled with various legal complications. The fine charge for overstaying starts at AED 125 per day, and so on.
How to renew a UAE Employment Visa?
Renewal of employment visa in UAE includes some steps which are almost the same as when the visa is applied for the first time. It requires a medical check-up and application for renewal of Emirates ID.