UAE Employment Visa:
Work Permits and Residence for Your Staff
An employment visa lets a UAE company hire a worker from overseas or from inside the UAE. The company needs a valid licence, an establishment card and available quota, and the worker needs a work permit, a medical test and an Emirates ID. Maven& manages the labour approval and immigration steps for your hires.
- Labour approval and visa handled together
- Quota checked before you hire
- Transparent, itemised pricing
- Get your free setup quote
- Employment visa partner
Hiring routes
New hire from abroad, hire already in the UAE, and renewal.
Stages to residence
Work permit, entry permit, status change, medical test and Emirates ID.
Team from start to launch
One consultant handles your application, approvals, visas and bank account introductions.
- Hiring routes
Ways to hire with an employment visa
New hire from abroad
Entry permit, work permit and residence visa for a new employee.
Hire already in the UAE
Status change or transfer for a worker already in the country.
Mainland employer
Labour approval through MOHRE and the company quota.
Free zone employer
Visa through the zone, within the free zone quota.
What does a company need to sponsor employees?
The company must be in good order before it can sponsor staff.
- Company requirements: a valid licence, an establishment card and available visa quota.
- Work permit: mainland hires need labour approval, and free zones process permits through the zone.
- Medical test and Emirates ID: every employee completes both.
- Contract: a signed employment contract supports the application.
- Quota: the number of employees follows your premises and labour record.
- Mainland vs free zone
Mainland vs free zone employment visa
The steps are similar, but the authority and quota rules differ.
| Feature | Mainland company | Free zone company |
|---|---|---|
| Labour approval | MOHRE | The free zone authority |
| Visa quota | Tied to office size and labour record | Tied to zone package and premises |
| Establishment card | Required | Required |
| Medical test and Emirates ID | Required | Required |
| Best for | Teams based in the mainland | Teams working from a zone |
- Hiring services
Three employment visa services
Visa
For staff from abroad
- Work permit and entry permit
- Medical test on arrival
- Emirates ID biometrics
- Residence visa issued
Final cost depends on your case, premises and visas, and is confirmed in your itemised quote.
Transfer
For staff already in the UAE
- Status change or transfer
- Existing visa cancelled or moved
- Medical test if required
- Emirates ID updated
Final cost depends on your case, premises and visas, and is confirmed in your itemised quote.
Renewal
For existing staff
- Renewal before expiry
- Medical test and Emirates ID
- Contract and card current
- Fines avoided
Final cost depends on your case, premises and visas, and is confirmed in your itemised quote.
How much does employment visa cost?
There is no single price, because the total depends on your case, the authority fees and the work involved. Maven& gives you an itemised quote that lists every government and service fee before you commit.
- Government and authority fees
- Medical test and Emirates ID, where required
- Typing and application fees
- Extra approvals, if your case needs them
- Attestation or translation, if needed
- Maven& service fee
- How it works
How to get an employment visa in 5 steps
Confirm your quota
We check your business quota and labour approval route.
Prepare the work permit
We prepare the contract and submit the work permit application.
Enter or change status
The employee enters the UAE, or changes status if already here.
Medical test and Emirates ID
The employee completes the medical test and biometrics.
Residence visa issued
The visa is stamped or issued digitally and the Emirates ID arrives.
Documents required for employment visa
Most applications need only a few documents to start. Send us what you have and we will tell you what is missing for your case.
- Passport copy with sufficient validity
- Passport-size photograph on a white background
- Current UAE visa and Emirates ID, if you live in the UAE
- Trade licence and establishment card, for company-sponsored visas
- Medical fitness test result, where required
- Marriage and birth certificates, for family cases, attested where required
- Employment contract or sponsor documents, where required
- Approval documents, where your case is regulated
- Why Maven&
Why choose Maven& for employment visa
One dedicated consultant
One consultant handles your trade licence, visas, Ejari and bank account introductions, so you never repeat yourself to a new team.
Transparent, itemised pricing
Every quote lists government fees, office, visa and service costs line by line, with no hidden extras after you sign.
Right route checked before you pay
Rules and requirements change by visa type and authority. We check your route and eligibility before you pay a fee.
Licence, visas and bank in one process
Company formation, residence visas, corporate tax registration and bank introductions are handled as one coordinated plan.
- FAQs
employment visa: frequently asked questions
The employer needs a valid licence, an establishment card and available quota. You then obtain a work permit, an entry permit or status change, a medical test and an Emirates ID.
The employment visa itself does not set a general minimum salary. Family sponsorship by the employee has its own income rules. See family and dependent visas.
Yes, through a status change or transfer. We handle the cancellation or transfer of the previous visa.
The number depends on your premises, zone package and labour record. We confirm your quota first.
Free zones typically process employment visas through the zone authority, while mainland companies use MOHRE. We apply through the right channel.
Yes. Adult applicants complete a medical fitness test at an approved centre, then Emirates ID biometrics. See medical test and Emirates ID.
The employment visa must be cancelled, and the employee has a grace period that depends on the visa type. See visa renewal and cancellation.
The cost depends on your case, the authority fees and the work involved, so there is no single price. Maven& gives you an itemised quote before you commit. Try the cost calculator.
The timeline depends on your case, the authority, your documents and any approvals. We give you a timeline for your case before you start. See the 5-step process.
Yes. We confirm your route and eligibility, prepare the application, manage approvals and follow the process through to your Emirates ID. Final approvals are always the authority\u2019s decision. Contact us for an itemised quote.
Reviewed by the Maven& corporate setup team. Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules and fees change, so we confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before you commit.
Ready to start with employment visa?
Get a clear, itemised quote and a plan built around your case. Talk to a Maven& consultant today.
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