Work visa. How to register an employee?

Step 1. Obtain an entry permit

To obtain entry permission for further work in the UAE, the following conditions must be met:

• A potential employee must be at least 18 years old (in some cases, a person who has reached 15 years of age can work in the UAE).

• The employing company has a valid business license.

• The company must not have any violations.

• The work that the person will perform must be consistent with the activities of the employing company.

• The employer company must have an immigration card (establishment card).

• The company must have free quotas for issuing a work visa (visa allocation).

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Therefore, any foreigner over the age of 18 can work in the UAE, provided that they meet the standards set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). However, it should be noted that some professions in the UAE require additional licenses from government authorities (for example, doctors).

Stage 1

The employer submits an application for an entry permit

The entry permit process takes 3-7 business days. The entry permit is valid for up to 60 days from the date of issue.

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Stage 2

The employee receives a scanned copy of the entry permit by email.

Before arriving in the UAE, you need to print out the document and take it with you.

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Stage 3

The worker arrives in the UAE

At the airport, you must get an entry stamp on your printed entry permit.

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Step 2. Obtaining a resident visa and work permit

A resident visa is issued for two years with the possibility of extension. Its processing takes up to 7 working days.

To obtain a UAE residency visa, employees will need to submit the following documents:

• Statement.

• Passport.

• Photo.

• Entry permit.

• Results of medical examination.

• A copy of the immigration card (establishment card) from the employing company.

• A copy of the business license of the employing company.

• Signed employment contract.

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Step 3. Medical testing, biometrics submission

The worker must undergo medical tests at one of the authorized centers in the UAE.

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Step 4. Obtaining Emirates ID

Once you have received your test results, you will need to prepare an application for an Emirates ID and attach the necessary documents. The application can be submitted online or at a designated centre.

If the set of documents is complete and all requirements are met, the employee will receive an Emirates ID. Once ready, the Emirates ID is delivered by courier.

There is currently no minimum wage in the UAE. 

However, a minimum wage may be established in the future. Article 27 of the new Labor Law states that "the Cabinet of Ministers may, upon the proposal of the Minister and in agreement with the relevant authorities, issue a regulation establishing a minimum wage for workers or any category of workers."

Salaries are usually paid in UAE Dirhams, but can be paid in other currencies if agreed upon by both parties in the employment contract (Article 22 of the Labor Law).

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Salaries in Mainland, JAFZA and DMCC Free Zones

Paid in accordance with the Ministerial Regulation No. 43 of 2022 on the Wage Protection System платы . All establishments registered in these jurisdictions are required to pay the wages of their employees on time through the Wage Protection System (WPS) approved by the Ministry or any other appropriate system. Thus, wages must be paid centrally through the WPS system.

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Special labor guarantees and rights of workers

The Labor Law (Article 13) establishes a number of important responsibilities of the employer:

• Provide the employee with adequate housing or pay him a living allowance in cash or include it in his salary (this condition is usually reflected in the employment contract).
• Bear the costs of repatriating the employee to his home country or to any other place agreed upon by the parties, except in cases where (1) the employee has joined another employer, or (2) if the termination of the employment contract is due to a reason attributable to the employee.

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In addition, the Labor Law regulates the issues of employee working hours (Article 17). The maximum normal working hours for employees are:

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8 hours a day

48 hours a week

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An employee may not work more than 5 hours in a row without a break or breaks of at least one hour in total, provided that these periods are not included in working hours (Article 18).

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“If the terms of employment require that an employee work more than the normal working hours, then the excess period is overtime work, for which the employee receives wages plus a bonus of at least 25% of the wages. If the terms of employment require that an employee work overtime between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., the employee has the right to receive wages plus a bonus of at least 50% of this wage.” Alexey Romanov, юрист