Dubai Employment Visa Costs 2026: AED 5,200–10,000 — Full Breakdown by Type & Sponsor

Medical Fitness Test Details

Every employment visa applicant (except short-term mission visas under 60 days) must pass a medical fitness test at an authorised health centre. The test screens for communicable diseases and is a mandatory step before visa stamping.

What the test includes:

• Blood test: Screens for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, and tuberculosis markers.
• Chest X-ray: Screens for tuberculosis (TB) and other pulmonary conditions.
• General physical examination: Basic health assessment.

Where to go: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) authorised medical fitness centres. Major centres include Al Muhaisnah, Al Lisan, and Al Barsha health centres, plus private facilities like Aster, Medcare, and NMC that offer DHA-approved testing. Free zone applicants may be directed to specific centres designated by their zone.

Cost: AED 320 for the standard test. VIP / express service costs AED 450–600 and delivers results the same day or next morning. Walk-in appointments are available at most centres, but booking through the DHA app or website reduces wait times significantly.

Results timeline: Standard results take 1–3 business days and are uploaded directly to the GDRFA system — you do not need to collect a paper certificate. If your employer or PRO checks the status online, they will see "fit" or "unfit" once results are processed.

Emirates ID Process

The Emirates ID is the UAE's national identity card. It is separate from your visa stamp and serves as your primary identification document for banking, telecom, utilities, and government services. The process runs in parallel with — but is distinct from — the visa stamping process.

Steps:

1. Application submission: Your employer or PRO submits the Emirates ID application through the ICP portal, typically at the same time as the visa stamping application.
2. Biometrics appointment: You visit an ICP-authorised typing centre (Amer centres in Dubai) for fingerprinting, iris scan, and photograph. This takes 15–30 minutes.
3. Card production and delivery: The physical Emirates ID card is produced centrally and delivered to your address via Emirates Post. This takes 5–10 business days after biometrics.
4. Digital ID: While waiting for the physical card, your digital Emirates ID is available through the ICP UAE app and the UAE Pass app. This digital ID is accepted for most services.

Cost breakdown: AED 100 (ICP fee) + AED 70/year (card fee) + AED 40 (typing/service charge). For a 2-year visa: AED 100 + AED 140 + AED 40 = approximately AED 370. For a 3-year visa: approximately AED 470. For a 5-year Green Visa: approximately AED 670. These fees are included in the cost table above.

What Your Employer Should Pay vs What You Might Pay

UAE Labour Law is clear on this point: Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 states that the employer bears all costs of recruitment, including visa fees, medical tests, Emirates ID, and work permit charges. Deducting these costs from an employee's salary is a violation of labour law and can be reported to MOHRE.

In practice, here is what happens:

• Employer always pays: MOHRE work permit, labour card, entry permit, status change, visa stamping, insurance deposit, and health insurance. These are non-negotiable employer expenses.
• Employer usually pays: Medical fitness test and Emirates ID fees. Most reputable employers cover these without question.
• Employee sometimes pays: Degree attestation costs (this happens in your home country before arrival), document translation, and travel costs to attend medical and biometrics appointments. These are grey areas, and practices vary.
• Employee always pays: Nothing, legally. If your employer asks you to pay for any part of the visa process, you have the right to file a complaint with MOHRE through the Tawafuq platform or by calling 600 590 000.

For a broader understanding of the costs you will face when moving to Dubai beyond just the visa, see our complete cost of living breakdown for 2026.

Renewal Costs and Process

Employment visa renewal follows a similar process to the initial application but is generally faster and cheaper because certain steps are simplified.

Renewal timeline: Your employer should initiate renewal 30 days before the visa expiry date. You can legally stay in the UAE during the renewal process — there is no gap period where you become illegal, provided the renewal application was submitted before expiry.

We walk through the wider renewal cycle — deadlines, grace periods, and what happens if you overstay — in our UAE residence visa renewal guide.

Renewal costs (2-year visa):

• MOHRE work permit renewal: AED 300
• Labour card renewal: AED 650
• Medical fitness test: AED 320 (required again)
• Emirates ID renewal: AED 370 (2 years)
• Visa stamping renewal: AED 515
• Typing centre charges: AED 150–300
• Health insurance renewal: AED 600–1,200/year
• Total renewal estimate: AED 3,500–5,500 (no insurance deposit on renewal — it carries over)

The renewal process typically takes 1–2 weeks since the entry permit and status change steps are not required. Your existing Emirates ID number stays the same — only the expiry date is updated on the new card.

For a more detailed comparison of all residency visa types and their renewal processes, refer to our complete residency visa cost breakdown.

Visa Cancellation Process and Costs

When you leave a job in Dubai — whether you resign, are terminated, or your contract ends — your employer must cancel your employment visa. Understanding this process protects you from overstay fines and ensures you receive your insurance deposit refund.

Cancellation timeline: Your employer has 30 days from your last working day to cancel the visa. Once cancelled, you receive a 30-day grace period to either leave the UAE, find a new employer and transfer your visa, or apply for a different visa type.

Cancellation costs (paid by employer):

• MOHRE work permit cancellation: AED 100
• GDRFA visa cancellation: AED 100
• Typing centre charges: AED 80–150
• Total cancellation cost: AED 280–350

Insurance deposit refund: The AED 3,000 insurance deposit is refunded to the employer once cancellation is complete. If you paid this deposit yourself (which is technically illegal but happens in practice), you should receive it back. The refund takes 2–4 weeks and is processed through the GDRFA system.

Important notes on cancellation:

• Your employer cannot hold your passport or refuse to cancel your visa — both are criminal offences under UAE law.
• If your employer delays cancellation, you can initiate the process yourself through MOHRE.
• During the 30-day grace period after cancellation, you can still use your Emirates ID for banking and utilities, but you cannot start working for a new employer until a new visa is issued.
• Overstaying after the grace period results in fines of AED 125 per day for the first 6 months, increasing to AED 200 per day thereafter.

Common Issues and How to Avoid Them

Based on the most frequent problems reported by applicants and PROs in Dubai, here are the issues that cause the most delays and headaches:

Medical Test Failure

If you fail the medical fitness test (most commonly due to a positive TB result on the chest X-ray), you will be referred for further testing. A positive chest X-ray does not automatically mean rejection — sputum culture tests are conducted over 6–8 weeks to determine if you have active TB. If the culture is negative (latent TB), your medical clearance is issued. If positive (active TB), you must undergo treatment, and the visa process is paused until you are cleared. HIV-positive results lead to visa denial and deportation in most cases, though the UAE has been quietly reviewing this policy.

Degree Attestation Delays

The degree attestation process — home country foreign ministry, UAE embassy, then MOFA UAE — can take 4–12 weeks depending on your country. Common delays occur when: the university is not recognised by the UAE's Ministry of Education, the degree is from an online institution, or the attestation stamp from the home country's foreign ministry is missing. Start this process at least 8 weeks before your planned move date.

Job Title Mismatch

MOHRE classifies job titles according to a standardised list. If the job title on your offer letter does not match an approved MOHRE classification, the work permit application will be rejected. This is particularly common for modern titles like "Growth Hacker," "Scrum Master," or "DevOps Engineer" — your employer's PRO needs to map these to MOHRE-approved equivalents.

Quota and Emiratisation Issues

Since 2024, mainland companies must meet Emiratisation quotas — hiring a minimum percentage of UAE nationals relative to total headcount. Companies that fail to meet these targets may be blocked from issuing new work permits or face significantly higher fees (up to AED 6,000/month per unfilled Emiratisation position). This does not directly affect you as an employee, but it can delay your visa if your employer's quota is not in compliance.

Status Change Complications

If you are already in the UAE on a tourist or visit visa and want to change status to an employment visa without leaving the country, the status change process adds AED 640 and 2–3 days to the timeline. However, some visa types and nationality combinations require an exit-and-reentry — your employer's PRO will advise. The simpler alternative is a quick "visa run" to Oman (1–2 hours from Dubai) to re-enter on the entry permit.

Frequently Asked Questions