Visa Cost

A facilities company hires a worker from outside the UAE, and its budget may include recruitment, work authorisation, entry or status steps, medical checks, identification and residence processing, with the actual route and fees depending on the employee's circumstances and current authority schedule. The UAE government lists multiple MoHRE work permit types, including recruitment from abroad, transfer, family-sponsored residents and temporary assignments, so not every hire follows the same visa package and the permit that applies should be checked before estimating.

Check also whether a person already holds a relevant residence status and what permit the job requires, because family sponsorship, transfer and new overseas recruitment can have different procedures and not every employee needs a new employer-sponsored residence visa. Article 6(4) of Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021, as published by MoHRE with amendments, prohibits charging a worker the fees and costs of recruitment and employment or collecting them directly or indirectly.

That rule should not be blurred by a commercial budget, because the business may allocate its own hiring cost to a project price but that is different from charging a worker. Verify any disputed deduction or special case against current law and advice, and check with HR and payroll before any deduction, since UAE labour law restricts what may be collected from workers and a manager's belief that a person 'owes the visa' is not enough.

Separate government fees from service-provider charges, because an agent or typing centre may charge for processing while official fees follow published schedules, so ask for an itemised quote to keep the estimate auditable. Some fees can vary by employer classification, emirate, free zone, service speed or application type, so check current official portals or the relevant authority before quoting a specific amount, as old blog price lists can become inaccurate.

Recruitment cost may also extend beyond application fees, since advertising, agency charges, relocation and onboarding can be material, and those categories should stay distinct so a manager can see the full cost of hiring without calling every cost a visa fee. Renewals are part of the full cost, so set a reminder well before permit or residence expiry and include medical, ID or other applicable steps in the budget, avoiding the assumption of a universal two-year period for every route and jurisdiction.

An illustrative annualised budget divides total eligible permit and renewal costs over the period covered, so AED 6,000 over two years is AED 3,000 per year, and this is a planning allocation, not a claim about current government prices or accounting treatment. Make the period clear, because a two-year permit and a separate employment term might not start or finish on the same day, and forecast replacement hires and renewals on their actual dates for cash planning.

Build the cost into bids and staffing plans, since a contract priced only on monthly wages may understate upfront cash needs, and annualising can help compare roles but a cash forecast should show when the actual bill falls due. When a worker leaves, update permit and residency status through the appropriate process, remembering that cancellation, transfer and final settlement are separate matters.

Maintain documents and receipts by recording the authority, applicant, permit type, payment date and expiry, which protects payroll and operations from relying on an outdated spreadsheet or a missing receipt. Also distinguish lawful work authorisation from travel permission, because an entry permit, residence status and work permit serve different purposes and all necessary steps should be complete before the employee starts the relevant work.

For owners, visa cost is a hiring and cash planning item with a legal boundary on who bears recruitment and employment costs. Estimate by the correct route, check current authority fees and keep those expenses off the employee's bill.