Relocating to Dubai from Russia: How the Job Offer and Work Permit Actually Work

The route from job offer to registered contract

1. 1

   Confirm the process applies to you

   This applies to workers coming from outside and those residing in the UAE that are seeking a new job, or moving from one company to another. So whether you're flying in from Moscow for a first UAE role or already hold a residence visa and are switching employers, the same job offer and permit chain applies to you.

   Documents:PassportCurrent UAE residence visa (if already in the country)
2. 2

   Read the job offer in a language you actually understand

   The job offer must be provided in Arabic and English, as well as in a third language that the worker understands. For a Russian-speaking hire, that third language is the one to insist on — do not sign an offer whose terms you can only half-follow. Compare all three versions before you agree to anything.

   Documents:Job offer (Arabic)Job offer (English)Job offer (third language)
3. 3

   Receive and approve the offer while still in Russia

   The employer must sign the job offer electronically and send it to the worker in their home country either directly, through a recruitment agency, or via any designated entity, for review and approval by the worker. In practice, the signed offer reaches you by email, through the agency handling your placement, or via another entity the employer designates. Review it at that stage — that is the point where you approve.

   Documents:Electronically signed job offer
4. 4

   Sign it yourself if your professional level requires it

   Workers must provide their signature if they are employed in professional levels 1, 2 or 3. If your role falls into one of those levels, your signature on the offer is part of the procedure, not an optional formality. If you're unsure which level your job classification falls under, have the employer confirm it in writing before the permit application goes in.

   Documents:Worker's signature on the job offer
5. 5

   The employer applies to MoHRE for the initial work permit

   Initial work permit: the signed job offer must be attached to the application for initial work permit approval, which is reviewed by MoHRE to ensure all required documents are complete. This step sits with the employer, but incomplete paperwork is what stalls it — so return your signed offer and any requested documents promptly. The portal does not publish the fee or processing time for this stage here, so check the current amounts on MoHRE's website rather than relying on what a recruiter quotes you.

   Documents:Signed job offerPassport copySupporting documents requested by the employer
6. 6

   Sign again after you arrive in the UAE

   Upon arrival, both the employer and worker must sign the job offer, which is then officially registered with MoHRE as a legally binding employment contract. The signature you gave in Russia does not replace this one. Until this registration happens, you do not yet have the binding contract that protects your position.

   Documents:Job offer for joint signatureEntry permitPassport
7. 7

   Get the contract submitted to MoHRE within the deadline

   The employment contract should be based on the offer letter signed by both parties and must be submitted to MoHRE within 14 days of the employee's arrival in the UAE or from the date of the status change if the worker is already in the country. Two things matter here: the contract must match the offer you signed, and the clock starts either at arrival or at your status change. Ask your employer to confirm in writing when they submitted it.

   Documents:Employment contract matching the offer letter
8. 8

   Check the contract term before you sign

   Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships (UAE Labour Law), an employment contract must be for a fixed term not exceeding three years. If a draft in front of you says otherwise, that is a reason to pause and ask questions. Terms beyond that limit are not something an employer can simply agree with you privately.

   Documents:Employment contractCopy of the signed job offer for comparison

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

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