UAE Work Visa Requirements: Documents, Costs and Who Pays (2026)
What you need for a UAE employment visa: passport, MOHRE offer, medical test, Emirates ID, attested degree, who pays each cost and why applications fail.
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Step 2 of 3: Requirements
As of 2026, your UAE employment entry permit is valid for two months, and the UAE government says your employer pays the recruitment and residency costs. Below are the documents, tests and rules you need to meet, and the next page walks you through the application step by step.
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📋 The basic requirements
Every employer has its own hiring rules, but the visa side is set by the government. As of 2026, you generally need:
- A job offer from a UAE employer, issued through MOHRE and signed by you
- A valid passport, with at least six months left before it expires
- Age 18 or over for a standard work permit (special juvenile and student permits exist)
- A medical fitness test in the UAE if you're 18 or over
- A security check and an Emirates ID application
- Attested certificates if the job is skilled or needs a qualification
- A professional licence for regulated jobs, such as doctors and lab technicians
🎓 Skill levels and degree attestation
MOHRE places every job in one of nine professional levels. Levels 1 to 3 cover managers, professionals and technicians. Levels 4 to 9 cover clerical, service, sales, trade, machine and simple jobs.
A job is classed as skilled only if it's in levels 1 to 5, you hold a certificate above secondary school that is attested, and the salary is at least AED 4,000 a month without commission.
Attestation means your certificate is checked in two places: first by your home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then by the UAE embassy or consulate there. Some professions also need attestation by the UAE Ministry of Education.
Start this early. Attestation can take time, and an unattested degree can hold up your work permit.
🩺 The medical fitness test
After you arrive on your entry permit, you take a medical fitness test. The UAE government says applicants must be free of communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis (TB).
Some jobs need extra tests for syphilis and hepatitis B, including food handlers, restaurant and café staff, salon and beauty workers, health club staff, nursery workers and domestic workers.
If you have a health condition, ask the employer before you travel, so there are no surprises.
💸 Costs: what you pay and what the employer pays
| Cost | Who pays (as of 2026) |
|---|---|
| Recruitment costs | The employer. Charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal. |
| MOHRE work permit (AED 250 to 3,450, by company category) | The employer |
| Travel to the UAE and residency permit expenses | The employer |
| Passport, attestation of your own certificates | Usually you, in your home country |
| Job seeker visit visa (optional, Dubai): AED 200, 300 or 400 plus a refundable AED 1,000 guarantee, plus VAT | You, if you choose this visa |
If anyone asks you to pay for "visa processing", "the medical test" or a "job deposit", the UAE government says that is not a genuine company.
🛂 Visit visas and the job seeker visa
A visit or tourist visa does not let you work. MOHRE has warned that working on one can lead to fines and legal liability, and it says you should only start work after your employment entry permit is issued.
The job seeker visit visa is for people in MOHRE levels 1 to 3, or graduates of the world's top 500 universities within the last two years. You need at least a bachelor's degree, and you can choose 60, 90 or 120 days. GDRFA Dubai lists the documents as a photo, a passport valid for six months and your university degree.
Most entry-level workers don't qualify for it, and it isn't needed. A real employer can bring you in on an employment entry permit.
⚠️ Common reasons applications fail
- Applying without an attested degree when the job is skilled
- A passport that expires too soon
- Failing the medical fitness test
- Giving false information on a CV or certificate
- Starting work on a visit visa, which can get you in legal trouble
- Paying a fake agent who has no real employer behind the offer
- Missing the two-month entry permit window or the deadline to complete residency
The next page shows exactly how to check that your offer and entry permit are real before you travel.
❓ Quick FAQ
Do I have to pay for my UAE work visa?
Can I go on a visit visa and change it later?
How long is the UAE work visa valid?
Do I need a degree?
Can I get the Golden Visa straight away?
On the next page: 6 steps from finding a real sponsor to getting your Emirates ID, how to check your offer number with MOHRE and how to spot fake recruiters.
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Thinking about other countries too? These guides compare the main sponsorship routes.
Disclaimer: This is an independent information website. We are not an employer, recruitment agency, immigration adviser or government body, and we do not hire anyone, sponsor or arrange visas, or collect job applications. Visa rules, salary thresholds and fees change often, so always check the official UAE government sites (u.ae, MOHRE, ICP and GDRFA Dubai) before you act. Never pay anyone for a job offer, a work permit or a "guaranteed visa".