You often need to take into account what kind of visa you will require when going to a new country, and the UAE is no different.
You must apply for a visa in order to live and work in Dubai if you are not a citizen of the UAE or a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and you intend to do so. There are several different visa kinds that will let you enter Dubai, but only a few of them will allow you to legally work there.
Types of visas and entry permits
There are different types of visa1 that will allow you to enter the UAE, including:
- Visa on arrival – this entry permit is granted to those visiting the UAE for a short period of time, up to either 30 or 90 days. Whether you get a visa on arrival or not, and how long that visa is permitted for, depends on your nationality.
- Tourist visa – this entry permit is for those who are not eligible for the visa on arrival.
- Transit visa – this entry permit is for those who do not qualify for the visa on arrival and who are travelling through the UAE.
- Patient visa – this entry visa allows people, and their companions, to enter the country for medical treatment.
- Retirement visa – this residence visa permits UAE residents to continue to live in Dubai once they have retired. If you buy a property or invest in a business in the UAE, you can reside in the nation.
Working visa
You need a work permit (proof of employment) and a residency visa in order to be able to work in the emirate. Finding a job is the first step to getting a Dubai work permit before you go to the UAE.
Then, as your sponsor, it will be your employer’s responsibility to submit applications for your work permit and resident visa.
Once permission is obtained, the procedure has started. The foreigner can then enter the nation and reside there for two months after that. After that, it will be the employer’s duty to perform medical examinations, obtain a UAE Resident Identity and Labour Card for the employee’s passport, and get the work residency permit stamped on it.
You can travel to Dubai on a visiting visa, such as a visa on arrival or a tourist visa, and then work there while being sponsored by your future employer. You won’t be able to ensure that you’ll find work, though, and you won’t be able to start working until your visa has been granted.
Employers are required to offer health insurance to their staff in Dubai. It is their duty as the sponsor to offer some sort of fundamental protection. However, you might need to think about a local, compatible international health insurance plan if you want or need extra coverage, or if you are not yet employed in the emirate.
Husband or wife visa
If your spouse is already employed in Dubai, they can sponsor both of you and any children you might have together.
This will provide you with a Dubai work permit and allows you to live in the city with your kids. When submitting an application to sponsor your family, men and women must fulfil separate requirements:
- A man must earn a minimum monthly salary2 of AED 4,000 (US$1,089) or AED 3,000 (US$817) plus accommodation.
- A woman must earn a minimum monthly salary of AED 10,000 (US$2,723) and have permission from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.
It is also worth noting that it is illegal to be gay in Dubai3 and same-sex marriage is not recognised by the authorities. As such, the visa will only work if you are part of a heterosexual couple.
Student visa
However, this may not seem like the obvious choice for a Dubai employment visa and won’t be relevant for everyone. Since 2017, international students have been permitted to work part-time jobs in the UAE on their student visas. If you’re relocating to Dubai to pursue a full-time job, you won’t have this option.
How to get a Dubai visa?
Online visa applications are available. A scanned copy of your passport and a clear photo of you will be needed from you. The dimension of the UAE visa photo is 4.3 cm by 5.5 cm.
Additionally needed are residency documentation, a completed application form 7, and the application cost. A copy of your diplomas or a birth certificate may also be requested from you. You must submit a copy of your residency visa and UAE Resident Identity Card with the application if you are sponsoring a family member.
How long will my visa take to process?
Work visa
Although the UAE government does not provide a recommended period for processing a Dubai work visa, it implies that the entry permission typically takes between two and seven working days.
You’ll be able to do this to enter the nation and spend two months living there. The remaining components of your application must then be finished by your employer, who has 60 days to do so. Security checks will also be conducted, which could take some time.
Family visa
A family visa’s entry permit component can be obtained in as little as two days. Up to two weeks are needed to complete the remaining steps in the visa process.
How much will my Dubai visa cost?
Cost is another factor to take into account while applying for a Dubai visa. The cost of obtaining a work visa sponsored by your employer depends on the size of the workforce and the annual revenue of the business.
The good news is that your employer will cover the cost of your work visa. Depending on whether you are sponsoring your spouse or your spouse and children, visa costs for Dubai family visas can differ.
What are the Dubai work visa medical requirements?
You must submit to a blood test and an X-ray as part of the medical examination required for the Dubai working visa. In addition to detecting whether you are pregnant, the tests will check for HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, tuberculosis, leprosy, and syphilis.
Although the tests for HIV, leprosy, and tuberculosis are required, the others could only be appropriate for particular jobs. Hepatitis tests will be administered to people who work as babysitters, childcare providers, domestic helpers, hairdressers, or in health clubs and restaurants.
Babysitters, operators of nurseries and kindergartens, domestic helpers, and those working in health clubs and food establishments like cafes and restaurants will all be subjected to syphilis testing.
Tests for pregnancy will be performed on women who work as babysitters, household helpers, or drivers.
