A two-year employment visa for a Dubai mainland company costs at least AED 1,310, AED 2,260 or AED 4,510 in government fees when the person is hired from abroad. Which of the three applies depends on the category MOHRE has placed the company in. Hiring someone who is already in the UAE adds AED 1,105, and health insurance, which every employee's residence now needs, comes on top.
Every line below comes from the authority that charges it: MOHRE for the work permit, GDRFA for the visa and the residence, ICP for the Emirates ID and Dubai Health for the medical. The employer pays all of it. MOHRE's own guide for new employers puts the cost of recruiting an employee, and the government fees for their employment, on the employer.
Every fee, line by line
| Step | Charged by | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit application | MOHRE | AED 50 |
| Work permit for two years | MOHRE | AED 250 in Category 1, AED 1,200 in Category 2, AED 3,450 in Category 3 |
| Work visa, the entry permit | GDRFA | AED 200 |
| Medical fitness exam, result in 24 working hours | Dubai Health | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID for two years | ICP | AED 100 a year, plus an AED 100 smart service fee |
| Residence permit for two years | GDRFA | AED 200, plus AED 20 in Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams and AED 20 delivery |
A residence longer than two years costs AED 100 more for each extra year, according to GDRFA, and the Emirates ID follows the residence at AED 100 a year.
What it adds up to
| MOHRE category | Hired from abroad | Already in the UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | AED 1,310 | AED 2,415 |
| Category 2 | AED 2,260 | AED 3,365 |
| Category 3 | AED 4,510 | AED 5,615 |
The second column adds what GDRFA charges when the person is inside the country: AED 500 on the work visa plus the two dirhams, and the change of status, which GDRFA lists at AED 500 with AED 20 in dirhams, an AED 15 individual fee and an AED 50 establishment fee.
These totals are floors, not quotes. They leave out health insurance, typing and service-centre charges and any consultant's fee, which is why commercial quotes for the same visa run well above them. Each of those is set out below, so a quote can be checked line by line.
Why the MOHRE category moves the total most
MOHRE puts every private-sector company in one of three categories under Cabinet Resolution No. 18 of 2022. The category sets the work permit fee, and the Category 3 permit costs nearly 14 times the Category 1 one. Everything else on the visa costs the same whichever category the company is in.
The category is recorded on the company's MOHRE file, and MOHRE can move a company from one category to another. Its guide for new employers says a company that reaches three times its Emiratisation target with no violations of the labour law qualifies for Category 1. MOHRE's other fees by category are on our PRO services in Dubai page.
What else to budget for
- Health insurance. Since 1 January 2025 a policy is required to issue or renew a private-sector employee's residence in every emirate, according to MOHRE. Insurers set the price; ours starts from AED 500.
- A faster medical. Dubai Health's premium service returns the result in 6 working hours for AED 700, its VIP service in 2 working hours for AED 1,020, and the Salem Innovative Center in 30 minutes for AED 700.
- An urgent Emirates ID. ICP charges AED 150 for its urgent service, at its service centres only.
- Typing and service centres. MOHRE caps a business service centre's commission at AED 72 per service. GDRFA and ICP applications made through a typing centre carry the centre's own charge.
- Certificates. MOHRE asks for a degree for skill levels 1 and 2, a diploma for levels 3 and 4 and a secondary-school certificate for level 5, and a profession that needs its own licence, a doctor, a nurse or a teacher, needs that licence first.
- The employee's unemployment insurance. MOHRE's guide puts the premium at no more than AED 5 a month on a basic salary up to AED 16,000, and AED 10 a month above it.
Our own fees for the visa start from AED 1,300 a person, health cover included, itemised on our Amer and immigration services page. With them, a Category 2 hire from abroad comes to AED 3,560 all in, before any optional fast-track.
The order it runs in
| Step | Where | What the authority says about timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quota and offer letter | MOHRE | A free quota slot, which depends on a current Ta'qeem evaluation, and MOHRE's job offer form signed by both sides |
| 2. Work permit | MOHRE | Two working days |
| 3. Work visa (entry permit) | GDRFA | The person then has 60 days from entry to complete the residence |
| 4. Medical fitness exam | Dubai Health | 24 working hours on the standard service |
| 5. Emirates ID | ICP | Fingerprints and signature at an ICP centre for anyone aged 15 or over |
| 6. Employment contract | MOHRE | Within 60 days of entry or change of status |
| 7. Residence permit | GDRFA | 48 hours once the application is complete |
The authority steps are quick once each prerequisite is in place. What stretches a hire is the person: the medical and the Emirates ID need them in the country, so plan the start date around their travel rather than the paperwork.
Quota comes first
MOHRE issues a new work permit only against an available electronic quota, and the quota depends on a current Ta'qeem evaluation, which costs AED 406. A spouse or child already on a family visa can be hired on MOHRE's dependent permit without a quota slot, for AED 50 plus AED 250. When the quota is the limit, visa quota in Dubai explains what moves it.
Free zones and other emirates
A free zone company gets its employees' visas through the zone, which sets its own visa fees: Meydan Free Zone publishes AED 3,500 for an employment visa, and RAKEZ AED 4,000 for each additional visa on its all-inclusive package. Free zone visa cost compares the zones. A mainland company outside Dubai deals with ICP rather than GDRFA, and ICP's residence fees are not covered here.
Renewing after two years
A renewal repeats most of it. GDRFA lists AED 200 to renew a private-sector residence, plus the dirhams and AED 20 delivery, and also a fee inside the country of AED 500. ICP charges AED 100 a year for the Emirates ID plus its AED 100 smart service fee, and the medical is done again. MOHRE lets the contract renewal be filed from 60 days before the permit expires; its renewal page does not print the work permit renewal fee, so we do not quote one.
What starts on day one
- A registered labour contract. Not an offer letter. The contract is filed with MOHRE and it governs.
- Health insurance, which the employee's residence has required since 1 January 2025.
- Wage protection. Under MOHRE's Wage Protection System, salaries are paid electronically through a bank, exchange house or other institution licensed by the Central Bank.
- End-of-service gratuity under the labour law, which is worth budgeting for from the first month.
These apply to a two-person company exactly as they apply to a large one. We handle the labour side through Tasheel and MOHRE services, and our PRO service keeps the renewal dates for the whole team.
Employment visa cost questions
In government fees, at least AED 1,310, AED 2,260 or AED 4,510 for a two-year visa when the person is hired from abroad, depending on the company's MOHRE category, and AED 2,415, AED 3,365 or AED 5,615 when they are already in the UAE. Health insurance, typing charges and any service fee come on top.
The totals above are for two years: MOHRE issues the work permit and GDRFA the residence for two years, and the Emirates ID is bought for the same period at AED 300. Each year beyond two adds AED 100 to the residence and AED 100 to the Emirates ID.
The employer. MOHRE's guide for new employers puts the cost of recruiting the employee and the government fees for their employment on the employer, so they cannot be passed to the person being hired.
AED 300 from ICP for a resident: AED 100 for each year of residence plus an AED 100 smart service fee. The urgent service at an ICP centre is AED 150.
AED 270 at Dubai Health for the standard service, with the result in 24 working hours. The premium service is AED 700 for 6 hours, the VIP service AED 1,020 for 2 hours, and the Salem Innovative Center AED 700 for 30 minutes.
Mostly three things: the MOHRE category, which alone moves the work permit from AED 250 to AED 3,450; whether the person is already in the UAE, which adds AED 1,105; and what the quote bundles, from health insurance to typing and service fees. Ask for the government fees separately and quotes become comparable.
Each authority step is quick once the one before it is done: MOHRE lists two working days for the work permit, Dubai Health 24 working hours for a standard medical and GDRFA 48 hours for the residence. The person has 60 days from entry to complete the residence, and the contract is due within 60 days of entry.
Yes, on MOHRE's work permit for a dependent sponsored by a family member: AED 50 to apply and AED 250 to issue, for two years. The person needs a valid residence through their relative, and the company does not need a free quota slot for it.
Last reviewed 26 October 2026. MOHRE: new work permit, dependent permit, work permit quota, employment contracts and its guide for new employers. GDRFA: work visa, status amendment, private-sector residence and residence renewal. ICP: new Emirates ID. Dubai Health: medical fitness prices. MOHRE's figures exclude tax and collection charges; our own fees are confirmed in writing before filing.
