Dubai’s luxury hospitality sector draws ambitious professionals seeking opportunities in it’s vibrant environment. In this article, I will present Dubai’s three main visa options that are standard work visas, green visas, and golden visas.
Standard work visas
The standard work visa is the most common of the work visas in Dubai as it’s name may indicate. It is the employer that makes the demand on the behalf of the employee for this visa only. Once granted it is valid for an initial duration of two years but it can be renewed for the same duration.
To deposit your demand for this visa you will need to provide the following documents :
- A copy of your passport valid for at least the next 6 months
- A recent passport-size photo on a white background
- A medical examination
You can apply for this visa directly on the website of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). A minimum fee of AED200 will be required for this visa to be delivered.
This type of work visa has seen an record increase in terms of delivery rate in the past year with 63% more standard work visa being issued in the first half of 2023 than in the same period of last year displaying the real growth in opportunities that the city can offer.
Green visas
The green visa is made to facilitate the access to the country to freelancers and skilled workers as it does not require for the applicant to have a sponsor to have it be delivered as well as being valid for a duration of 5 years renewable for the same duration.
The requirements to have this visa issued vary depending if you are a freelance or a skilled workers. Here’s what you will be asked for if you are a freelancer :
- A copy of your passport with a validity of at least 6 months
- A self-employed permit from the Ministry of Human Ressources and Emiratisation (MoHRE)
- A bachelor’s degree or specialized diploma
- A proof that your freelance activity earned you at least AED 360,000 over the last two years
- Legislators, managers, and business executives
- Professionals in scientific, technical and human fields
- Technicians in scientific, technical and humanitarian fields
Additionally you will be asked to provide a valid work contract earning no less than AED 15,000 per month and at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
Golden visas
Golden visas are issued with very restrictive conditions for obtention but offer numerous advantages such as : being able to leave the country for a duration of more than 90 days without losing the visa, being able to sponsor your family, not needing a sponsor and the opportunity to sponsor an unlimited number of domestic workers.
Golden visas are a made to attract top talents and investor to the country and they are subject to a lot of change, just a few months ago it has been changed to remove the before needed down payment of AED 1,000,000 in order to qualify to the gold visa through real estate investment.
The requirements to qualify for this visa vary a lot depending on the field of expertise, you’ll find more information regarding the specification for each field directly in the specified page on the UAE’s government dedicated webpage.
Interested in working in Dubai? Find all of our latest job offers in Dubai
Want to know more about work visas in Middle East countries? Here’s our latest article regarding work visas in Saudi Arabia
