Procedure per The Official UAE Government Portal (u.ae). Fees and timelines change — check the authority's website. We don't invent numbers.
Steps to prepare for work in the UAE
- 1
Check your passport before you travel
Before arriving, expatriates must ensure their passport is valid for at least six months. If yours is close to expiry, renew it in your home country first — it is far simpler than dealing with it after you land.
Documents:Passport - 2
Get your entry permit through a sponsor
Before arriving, you must obtain an entry permit in accordance with the procedures of the authority of residency and foreigners affairs in the relevant emirate. Entry permits are issued for sponsored individuals at the request of their sponsor — whether it is an employer, employee, or investor — holding a valid UAE residence visa.
Documents:Entry permit - 3
Know why the residency visa matters
Except for GCC nationals, a residency visa is mandatory for all expatriates who wish to live or work in the UAE. Without it you cannot lawfully take up employment here.
Documents:Residency visa - 4
Do not work on a visit or tourist visa
The UAE law strictly prohibits working while holding a visit or tourist visa, whether for pay or without compensation. Wait until your residency procedures are complete before starting any work.
- 5
Pass the health screening
Foreigners planning to work or live in the UAE will need to undergo medical tests to confirm they are in good health before proceeding with residency procedures. As per Cabinet Resolution No. 5 of 2016, amending provisions of the Cabinet Decree No. 7 of 2008, expatriates entering the UAE for work or residence must undergo the following medical tests, including the HIV/AIDS test, which is mandatory for all residency applicants, new or renewal.
Documents:Medical fitness test - 6
Convert the entry permit into your residency visa
An entry permit remains valid for two months from the date of issue, and within one month of entering the UAE, the sponsored individual must complete the necessary procedures to obtain a residency visa, which is valid for two years. Keep track of these windows so nothing lapses.
Documents:Entry permitResidency visa - 7
Sit any professional exams your field requires
Some sensitive professions such as physicians, lab technicians and others require expatriates to pass local professional exams before being licensed to work. If you work in one of these fields, plan for this step early.
Documents:Professional licence
Fees and timelines may change — verify with the official source.
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Let our relocation team handle the paperwork
Passport checks, entry permits, medical screening, the switch to a residency visa — we help newcomers move through each of these steps in the right order, so you can focus on settling in and starting your job. Tell us where you are in the process and we'll take it from there.
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