Recruiting staff in a Dubai free zone

How to recruit in a free zone

1. 1

   Know which rules govern your zone

   Each free zone sets its own recruitment rules and procedures. For most private sector employees across the UAE these are typically aligned with the federal labour law, so in practice you follow familiar ground. Confirm this applies to your zone before you start.

2. 2

   Watch for the financial free zone exception

   Certain financial free zones, such as DIFC and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), operate under their own independent employment regulatory frameworks. If your company sits in one of these, the federal labour law is not your reference — the zone's own framework is. Check which one applies to you.

3. 3

   Apply through the free zone authority

   You apply for the work permit and residence visa for your employee with the respective free zone authority. That authority regulates activities inside the zone, so it is your single point of contact for onboarding a new hire.

   Documents:Work permit applicationResidence visa application
4. 4

   Check your quota before you scale

   There may be a limit on how many employees you can bring on. Check with the respective free zone authority for the eligibility and scope for increasing the quota, rather than assuming there is room. The current figures live on the authority's website.

5. 5

   Verify everything against official websites

   Rules, eligibility and any amounts differ between zones and change over time. Refer to the websites of the free zones and the authorities across the UAE for the current details before you commit to a hire.

Fees and timelines may change — verify with the official source.

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