Are you looking for opportunities to ace up your career in Dubai but getting an employment visa in Dubai looks like a hassle? Do you want to get the labor card of the world’s most top-notch city and don’t know how? If you’re nodding your head right now, then let me assure you, you have come to the right place.

In this article, we are going to share all the prerequisites and procedures that will help you in getting a work permit in Dubai seamlessly.

Ready to dive in?

Before you apply for a work permit in Dubai, you need to understand there are two ways to go about it. The first one is to apply for a job in a Dubai based company and begin the process of getting the labor card while you are in your home country. And the second one is to enter the city with a tourist visa and look for a job there. So, the important thing to note here is either you can initiate the process from your home country or start it from scratch in Dubai itself.

First things First!

It is no rocket science, if you want to get the employment visa of Dubai then you must have procured employment with any company in UAE. And how to do that? Simple. The internet is filled with opportunities, create a resume, start looking for companies and you will land on a job fitting your tech-stack. A pro-tip here is to look for opportunities while you are in your home country. But, searching for jobs while you are in the Emirates won’t hurt. It depends on how you want it to be.

Get acquainted with the Work Permit Rules.

The basic rules that are important to fulfil for applying for a job in the UAE are:

1. You must be 18 or above.
2. The company hiring you must have a valid license.
3. The company should not have any violations.
4. The work you do must resonate with the nature of the company hiring you.

Opportunities based on academic skills.

If you are above 18 and fall under any of the three categories mentioned here, you can apply for a work visa in UAE:

1. If you have a high school diploma.
2. If you have a post-secondary diploma.
3. If you have a bachelor’s degree.

Collect your essential documents.

You will need the following documents when applying for a labor card in Dubai:

1. Original Passport.
2. Copy of the Passport.
3. Passport-size picture as per the UAE protocols.
4. Copy of the academic qualifications authorized by the UAE Embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your respective country.
5. Medical certificate granted by a government-approved health center in the UAE.
6. Commercial license or company card of the hiring company.

Note: As per the revised employment visa regulations UAE for 2018, you no longer need to provide a certificate of good conduct until further notice.

How long does it take to get an employment visa in Dubai?

After submission of all your documents, the Ministry issues the work permit in just 5 working days.

How long is my Work Permit Valid?

Initially, the labor card is valid for only 30 days and can be extended to a further 30 days. So, you can remain in the UAE for 60 days. And within this period, your employer has to arrange a Residence Visa, Labor Card, and Emirates ID for you. 

You need a residence visa in addition to the labor card for living and working in the UAE. Your residence card can be valid for one, two, or three years depending upon the permission granted.

How to get a UAE Work Visa?

The process of getting the employment Visa has to be started in the UAE itself. We have broken down this entire process into 13-steps to give you a better insight into the procedure.

STEP ONE – INITIATION OF THE PROCESS

The very essential step of this procedure is to get your work permit approved by the Ministry of Labor. Your employer will apply on your behalf or else the procedure cannot be initiated. Have you heard of the free zones in the UAE? You can get the work permits for the free zones much easily. Before approving your work permit, the authorities check if there’s any unemployed UAE resident equally capable of doing the job you are applying for. If not, then only you will get the permission. 

This entire process takes only three days.

STEP TWO – OFFER LETTER

In the next step, your signed offer letter is to be returned to the employer. This contract has to be in both Arabic and English languages. Further, if your native language is different from these two, you will get one copy in that as well. This contract mentions your job role which will be reviewed by the authorities.

You can expect this process to complete within two days.

STEP THREE- WORK PERMIT

Your work permit has to be approved before issuing the Entry Visa. In this process, the MOL verifies if there’s any unemployed UAE resident who can do this job and verify if the sponsoring company is registered. 

The entire process will take three to five days.

STEP FOUR- EMPLOYMENT ENTRY PERMIT

Once you receive the work permit, the process of issuing the entry permit visa aka pink visa can be started. It is valid for thirty days and can be extended further to 30 days. It is your permission to stay in the country until the formal work permit is given to you.

Your pink visa takes three days to be approved.

STEP FIVE- ISSUING THE NEW ENTRY PERMIT

There are two ways to go about it, either your entry visa is ready before you arrive in the country and you will collect it at the airport. Or you will be living in the UAE with another type of Visa. In the latter case, you will have to apply for a “change of status”. 

It is important to note, once you enter the country you have two months to get the residence visa and work permit. 

STEP SIX- VALIDATION OF PASSPORT

After this, you have to go to the Emirates ID service center to provide your valid entry permit and passport. Therein, the authenticity of your ID will be checked. You will also have to validate your biometric data. 

This process will take a day.

STEP SEVEN- MEDICAL SCREENING

The very basic process before issuing the work permit is to check the health status of the employees. You will be put under an extensive medical screening. In case of any serious problem, the work permit is not issued.

This process will take up one day.

STEP EIGHT- MEDICAL REPORTS

You will get the reports the next day after the test. The reports are to be attached to the application as proof of being medically fit to work in UAE. 

STEP NINE- LABOUR CONTRACT SIGNATURE

You have to attach your signed offer letter with the work permit application. A new deadline of 14 days will be issued after submitting the medical reports. You are supposed to provide the signed labor contract to the MOL within 14 days. The contract can also be uploaded to the MOL website.

This process will take 14 days to get completed.

STEP TEN- RECEIPT OF WORK PERMIT

On receiving the work permit your payroll from the UAE ministry will start officially. It is essential to keep it safe.  

This process takes five days.

STEP ELEVEN- MEDICAL INSURANCE

It is mandatory to have medical insurance in the UAE. So, it is important to get a medical insurance card, or else your work permit will not be issued or renewed.

It will take almost five days to get a medical insurance card.

STEP TWELVE- RESIDENCE VISA STAMPING

By now, you will have your medical screening reports, work permit, and medical insurance. With all these essential documents, you have to go to the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai to get your passport signed. Only then you will get a residence permit. The residency visa is required to register a car, open bank accounts, etc.

This process will take just three days.

STEP THIRTEEN- ACQUIRE EMIRATES ID 

The last step is to collect your Emirates ID. It is important for day to day verifications. So, instead of carrying your passport all the time, all you need is the Emirates ID. 

Your ID will be issued within ten days.

This entire process will be more effortless with AlTaresh on your side. And for more Dubai-related information contact us!

We are here to help.