An Indian citizen who wants to work in Dubai needs an employer-sponsored work permit issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the law governing all private-sector employment in the UAE.1The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Employment Laws and Regulations in the Private Sector The Dubai work visa for Indians is tied to that permit: your employer applies for you, you enter on the resulting entry permit, and your residence visa and Emirates ID are issued after you arrive and pass a medical fitness test. Working without proper authorization can lead to fines starting at 50,000 AED, deportation, and even imprisonment.2United Arab Emirates Legislation. Federal Law by Decree Concerning Entry and Residence of Foreigners
Which Visa Applies to You
For most Indian professionals hired by a Dubai company, the answer is the standard two-year employment visa. It is employer-sponsored, and the permit is tied to that company for its duration.3The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Work Permits Recruitment from outside the UAE and transfers between employers already inside the country are the two common tracks.
If you would rather not depend on an employer sponsor, three alternatives exist. The Green Visa lets skilled workers sponsor themselves for five renewable years if they hold at least a bachelor’s degree and earn a monthly salary of 15,000 AED or more.4Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security. Green Residency The Golden Visa grants ten years of residency to people with exceptional talent or rare specializations, including doctors, scientists, inventors, PhD holders, executives, and athletes, with separate requirements for each category.5The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Golden Visa Property investors can apply for a two-year renewable residence through the Dubai Land Department’s Taskeen program, provided the property is worth at least 750,000 AED and, if mortgaged, at least half the value (or 750,000 AED) has been paid to the bank.6Dubai Land Department. Investor Residence Application (Taskeen)
Documents You Need
Your passport must have at least six months of validity beyond your planned entry date, and your photo must meet the UAE’s white-background biometric standards.
Educational certificates issued in India go through a three-step attestation chain before MOHRE will accept them. First, the Ministry of External Affairs in India attests the document. Then the UAE Embassy in New Delhi authenticates it. Finally, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) certifies it inside the UAE.7Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Attestation Information Originals must be in English or Arabic, or come with an official translation, and they cannot be laminated.8Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents Attestation Budget several weeks. Delays at any stage hold up everything after it.
Your employer generates a formal job offer through the MOHRE system, and the employment contract that follows must match that offer. The employer cannot alter or replace provisions of the offer letter without your consent and within the limits of the law. The signed contract must be submitted to MOHRE within 14 days of your arrival or status change.9The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Job Offers and the Employment Process It should state your start date, notice period, a job title matching MOHRE’s occupational classifications, and a salary breakdown separating basic pay from allowances.
A medical fitness screening is required for the residence visa. All foreign nationals must be free of communicable diseases, including tuberculosis and HIV.10The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Health Conditions for UAE Residence Visa The test takes place at a certified center inside the UAE after you arrive, not in India before you travel.
How the Application Moves
Your employer submits the work permit request through the MOHRE portal or one of its service channels.11Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation. Issuance of a New Work Permit – Overseas Once MOHRE approves it, the system issues an entry permit that lets you travel to the UAE for employment. This is not yet the residence visa; it is the authorization to enter and begin the residency process.
If you are already in Dubai on a tourist or visit visa, you skip the entry permit and go through a status amendment instead. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) handles this conversion so you do not have to leave the country.12General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai. Status Amendment You need the new visa in hand and the previous permit cancelled first.
After entry or status change, you go to a certified health center for the medical fitness test and biometric capture. The results and biometrics feed into the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) system, which processes your Emirates ID and residence visa together.13The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Emirates ID The residence visa links digitally to your passport record. Once it is active, you can legally start work.
Government Fees and Who Pays Them
The single biggest variable is your employer’s classification within the MOHRE system. Category 1 companies pay 250 AED for a two-year work permit. Category 2 pays 1,200 AED, and Category 3 pays 3,450 AED.11Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation. Issuance of a New Work Permit – Overseas You have no control over this; it reflects the company’s compliance history and workforce composition.
The Emirates ID costs 100 AED for each year of residency plus a 100 AED smart service fee, so a two-year permit adds 300 AED for the ID alone.14Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security. New Identity Card Issuance Converting from a visit visa inside the country adds a status amendment fee of 500 AED plus small government surcharges.12General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai. Status Amendment Medical fitness fees vary by provider and processing speed. Total government fees for a standard two-year employment visa typically land between 3,000 AED and 7,000 AED, depending mostly on the employer’s MOHRE category.
Here is the part that matters most for Indian workers. UAE law requires the employer to pay for recruitment, the entry visa, and post-arrival processing costs such as medical tests and the residence permit. You should not be paying these out of pocket. If a company asks you to cover visa costs, raise it with MOHRE before you sign anything.
Your Rights Once You Are Working
The same labor law protects every private-sector employee regardless of nationality. A few provisions matter enough to know before you arrive.
Working Hours and Overtime
The standard limit is eight hours per day or 48 hours per week. During Ramadan, working hours drop by two hours daily for all employees regardless of religion or role. Overtime is paid at 25% above your basic hourly wage. Work between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. is paid at 50% above basic, and the same 50% applies to work on your designated rest day.1The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Employment Laws and Regulations in the Private Sector
End-of-Service Gratuity
After one continuous year of service, you are entitled to a lump-sum gratuity when your employment ends, whether you resign or are terminated. The calculation is based on basic salary only:15The Official Platform of the UAE Government. End of Service Benefits for Workers in the Private Sector
- Less than one year of service: no gratuity.
- One to five years: 21 days’ basic salary for each year worked.
- More than five years: 21 days’ pay per year for the first five years, then 30 days’ pay for each additional year.
The total payout is capped at two years’ worth of wages. Unpaid leave does not count toward your service period. Many Indian workers only learn about gratuity after leaving; keep track from day one.
Wage Protection
All private-sector employers must pay salaries through the Wage Protection System, a Central Bank platform that tracks whether companies pay in full and on time.16The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Payment of Salaries/Wages If your employer pays late or short, MOHRE can see it and act. Keep your own records of what you are owed and what you receive.
Bringing Family to Dubai
Once your residence visa is active, you can sponsor your spouse and children. The minimum salary threshold is 4,000 AED per month, or 3,000 AED if your employer provides housing.17The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Residence Visa for Family Members Each dependent goes through a similar entry permit, medical, and Emirates ID sequence. Budget roughly 1,800 to 2,500 AED per family member for government fees, medical test, and ID registration combined.
Family visas are tied to your employment status. If your own visa is cancelled, theirs is affected too, and the grace period rules below cover the whole family.
If You Lose Your Job
You do not have to leave immediately when a work visa is cancelled. The UAE provides a grace period of up to six months depending on your resident category, giving you time to find a new employer, transfer your visa, or wind up your affairs.18The Official Platform of the UAE Government. General Provisions for the Residence Visa Your specific deadline appears on the cancellation form issued by immigration, and you can also check it through ICP smart services under “File Validity.”
You remain legally present during the grace period, but you cannot start work for a new employer until a new permit is issued. Overstaying beyond the grace period triggers daily fines and risks a re-entry ban. Start job-hunting the day you receive notice of termination, not near the end of the window.
Penalties for Working Without Authorization
Consequences are severe on both sides of the employment relationship. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, anyone who employs a foreign national in violation of the law faces a fine of 50,000 AED per worker, with repeat offenders facing imprisonment on top of the fine.2United Arab Emirates Legislation. Federal Law by Decree Concerning Entry and Residence of Foreigners
For the worker, the court orders deportation in all cases. Other violations of the entry and residence law carry a minimum penalty of one month imprisonment or a fine of at least 10,000 AED.2United Arab Emirates Legislation. Federal Law by Decree Concerning Entry and Residence of Foreigners No verbal promise from an employer is worth the risk. If a company offers to let you begin before the permit clears, decline and wait for the paperwork.