MOHRE Services for Establishments

New Work Permit Issuance for Establishments with MOHRE

We prepare the application for a new work permit in the UAE before the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), help identify the permit type that suits the worker’s status, and follow the transaction up until its result is issued.

What We Handle in Issuing a New Work Permit

At Instant PRO we prepare applications to issue new work permits for establishments before the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). We review the worker’s status and the nature of the work to determine the most suitable permit type to apply for under the Ministry’s conditions, then match the data and documents against the conditions of that type, submit the application according to the authority the establishment grants us, and follow it up until the authority issues the result, including completing whatever the Ministry may request. This service is one of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation services that we handle for employers.

We work with the establishment that needs a single permit for a specific worker, and with the company whose permit applications recur with every hiring batch.

What Is a New Work Permit?

A UAE work permit is an authorisation that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation grants to an establishment to employ a specific worker, and employing a worker in the private sector requires obtaining it under Federal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 Concerning the Regulation of Labour Relations and its amendments. The Ministry issues it in several types according to the worker’s status and the nature of the work, and each type is governed by its published service card.

A work permit differs from an employment contract: the permit is the authorisation that allows the establishment to employ the worker according to the permit type and the Ministry’s conditions, whereas the employment contract sets the terms of the relationship between the employer and the worker, such as pay, occupation and term. Each is a separate transaction at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Details of Employment Contract Issuance and Renewal are available on its dedicated page, while this page is limited to issuing a new work permit and does not cover renewing or cancelling the permit.

New Work Permit Types and Which One Suits the Worker’s Status

Work permit types vary with the worker’s status and the nature of the work, and every MOHRE work permit type is governed by its own service card. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation publishes the approved types for each case, while we review with the establishment the most suitable type before the application is submitted.

Recruiting a Worker from Outside the UAE

A permit for the establishment that wishes to recruit and employ a worker from outside the country, valid for two years. Issuing it requires the establishment to hold an electronic quota and the worker not to hold an active work permit, and the Ministry announces a completion time of two working days. It is the most demanding type in terms of documents, because the educational certificate required varies with the worker’s skill level, from an attested university degree for skill levels 1 and 2 to no certificate for skill levels 6 to 9. For a skilled worker, the card provides that the monthly salary must not be less than AED 4,000, together with the certificate required for the worker’s skill level; this is a control specific to that category of workers, not a general condition for every application. The documents are detailed in their own section below.

Transfer Work Permit

The permit under which a non-citizen worker transfers from and to an establishment registered with the Ministry, valid for two years, with a completion time of two working days announced by the Ministry. Its distinguishing features are that the application is submitted within 90 days of the date the previous work permit was cancelled, the worker must not hold an active work permit, and the worker’s occupation must match the new establishment’s activity; it is open to all skill levels and occupations under the service conditions. The card also contains special provisions on replacing the permit and an official note on the new employer’s obligations under the labour relations law, which we review with the establishment before the application is submitted.

Temporary Work Permit

A permit for employing a worker in work whose nature of execution or completion requires a fixed period, at one of the registered establishments, valid for six months. It is granted once, with a new application possible after it ends. It requires neither an electronic quota nor an insurance or bank guarantee, but the worker’s occupation must match the establishment’s activity and the worker’s current employer must approve through the electronic form. The card provides an exception for a worker whose labour complaint has been referred to the courts, and it should be consulted for the detail. The Ministry announces a completion time of two working days.

Dependents Sponsored by Family Members

A permit that allows establishments to employ residents of the country who are sponsored by their family members, valid for two years according to the official UAE portal (u.ae). Its conditions and fees are reviewed in its service card at the Ministry.

Mission Work Permit

Granted to the establishment to recruit a worker from abroad to complete temporary work or a fixed-term project. It is valid for three months, extendable once for a similar period, and requires an electronic quota and that the worker not hold an active work permit; the Ministry announces a completion time of two working days. It is distinct from the temporary permit, which concerns a worker already in the country.

Golden Residency Holder

A permit for establishments wishing to employ Golden Residency holders inside the country, valid for two years according to the official UAE portal (u.ae). Its conditions and fees are reviewed in its service card at the Ministry.

Other Types

The Ministry also offers the part-time work permit, the juvenile work permit, the student training and employment permit, the permit for employing UAE and GCC nationals, and the UAE national trainee permit. Each has its own service card, which we review with the establishment when needed.

How to Choose the Permit Type

Worker’s status	Permit type	What distinguishes it
From outside the country, to be hired	Recruiting a worker from outside the UAE	Electronic quota; two-year validity
Transferring from another establishment	Transfer work permit	Application within 90 days of cancelling the previous permit; two-year validity
Resident in the country, for fixed-term work, with the current employer’s approval	Temporary work permit	Six months, granted once, no electronic quota
From outside the country, for a fixed-term project	Mission work permit	Three months, extendable once; electronic quota
Resident sponsored by family members	Dependents sponsored by family members	According to the service card
Holds Golden Residency	Golden Residency holder	According to the service card

If the establishment cannot determine the type, we review the worker’s status and data before the application is submitted, not after.

General Conditions for Issuing a Work Permit

The cards for recruiting a worker from outside the UAE, transfer and the temporary permit share the following conditions:

The worker must be at least eighteen years old.
The establishment’s licence must be valid, with no violations that suspend its activity.
The worker must satisfy the requirements for specialised professions or those that require a licence to practise the profession.
The application must be submitted by the person legally authorised to sign on behalf of the establishment.

Specific Conditions by Permit Type

Permit type	What is specific to it
Recruiting a worker from outside the UAE	Electronic quota for the establishment; the worker must not hold an active work permit
Transfer	The worker must not hold an active work permit; the application is submitted within 90 days of cancelling the previous permit; the occupation must match the establishment’s activity; provisions on replacing the permit; all skill levels and occupations under the service conditions
Temporary	Approval of the current employer through the electronic form; the occupation must match the establishment’s activity; granted once; no electronic quota; no insurance or bank guarantee; all skill levels and occupations under the service conditions
Mission	Electronic quota; the worker must not hold an active work permit; temporary work or a fixed-term project; all skill levels and occupations under the service conditions

Required Documents

The cards for recruiting a worker from outside the UAE, transfer and the temporary permit agree on the following documents, and the Ministry shows what is required when the application is completed:

A personal photograph of the worker (in colour with a white background for recruitment from outside the country).
The worker’s passport: valid for at least six months for recruitment and transfer, and including a valid residence for the temporary permit.
The job offer approved by the Ministry, signed by the employer and the worker.

The remaining documents vary with the permit type and the worker’s status, so they are not all required in every transaction:

Educational certificate, where required according to skill level. The recruitment-from-outside card details it: an attested university degree for skill levels 1 and 2, an attested diploma or higher for levels 3 and 4, an attested general secondary certificate for level 5, and no certificate for levels 6 to 9.
Professional practice licence, where required, for the professions that need one.
The worker’s home-country ID card for certain nationalities specified by the recruitment-from-outside and transfer cards.
For the temporary permit: the current employer’s approval, and the court form where a labour case exists.

Steps to Issue a Work Permit

The transaction usually passes through the following stages, and throughout them we prepare the application and follow it up according to the authority the establishment grants us:

Step 1 - Identify the Permit Type and Collect the Data

The establishment provides us with the worker’s details, status and the nature of the work, and we review them to determine the most suitable permit type and match them against its conditions.

Step 2 - Log In and Complete the Application

The application is submitted through the Ministry’s approved channels after logging in, with the application data completed and the required documents attached.

Step 3 - Pay the Fees

The government fees prescribed for the type are paid.

Step 4 - Permit Issued

The permit is issued once the requirements are met, and we follow the transaction until its result is issued.

The Ministry announces a completion time of two working days for these permit types. The authority may request additional data or documents depending on the circumstances of the application, so the timing of the result remains tied to its review of the transaction. We receive requests Monday to Friday, from 9 AM to 6 PM, with a contact channel for urgent cases around the clock.

Permit Validity and Fees by Type

Permit type	Permit validity	Completion time	Federal fees
Recruiting a worker from outside the UAE	Two years	Two working days	Permit application fee: AED 50. Fee for issuing the permit for two years, by category: AED 250 for Category 1, AED 1,200 for Category 2 and AED 3,450 for Category 3
Transfer	Two years	Two working days	Permit application fee: AED 50. Fee for issuing the permit for two years, by category: AED 250 for Category 1, AED 1,200 for Category 2 and AED 3,450 for Category 3
Temporary	Six months	Two working days	Federal fee: AED 50
Mission	Three months, extendable once	Two working days	Federal fee: AED 50

The card of each of the other types states its validity and fees, and we explain them to the client before we begin. The Ministry’s cards indicate that the service is provided through its website or app with government fees collected only, and the Ministry remains the reference for the fees in force when the application is submitted.

Notice: The fees shown above are federal government fees only, according to the service cards. They do not include the tax and collection fees mentioned in the cards, and they do not include our office’s fees. We explain the government fees and Instant PRO’s fees to the client separately before we begin.

What We Handle in Your Transaction

In every transaction we review the application data before it is submitted and match it against the requirements published on the service card, and whatever the Ministry flags as missing we follow up on completing with the establishment. We coordinate with the authorised signatory, then follow the transaction’s status with the authority and alert the establishment to any action required of it until the result of the transaction is issued.

Instant PRO is independent of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and does not represent it, and it cannot guarantee the authority’s decision or its timing.

Frequently Asked Questions About New Work Permit Issuance

What type of work permit suits a new worker?

It depends on the worker’s status: a worker recruited from outside the country needs the recruitment permit, a worker transferring from another establishment needs the transfer permit, a worker employed for fixed-term work with the current employer’s approval needs the temporary permit, and a worker recruited from abroad for a fixed-term project needs the mission permit. We review the case before the application is submitted.

What is the difference between the temporary work permit and the mission work permit?

The temporary permit is for a worker already in the country performing fixed-term work; it requires the current employer’s approval, is valid for six months and does not require an electronic quota. The mission permit is for recruiting a worker from abroad to complete temporary work or a fixed-term project; it is valid for three months, extendable once, and requires an electronic quota.

How long does the transaction take?

In the cards for recruitment from outside the country, transfer, the temporary permit and the mission permit, the Ministry announces a completion time of two working days, and issuing the result remains with the authority.

Do the fees differ by permit type?

Yes. The federal fee for the temporary permit and the mission permit is AED 50, whereas for recruitment from outside the country and transfer, a two-year issuance fee by category — AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450 — is added to the application fee. These are government fees and do not include our office’s fees.

WhatsApp: +971 56 232 7778
Office 805, Opal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai – Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 6 PM