Work Permit

A work permit is an official permission to perform work under the relevant labour rules, and in the UAE an employer must use the correct process for its jurisdiction and the worker's circumstances. A mainland private-sector company registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) generally follows MOHRE's permit services.

The UAE government work-permit page says MOHRE offers 13 permit types for establishments registered with it, including routes for recruiting a worker from abroad, transferring a worker, employing a resident on family sponsorship and part-time work. The right category depends on the actual arrangement, so do not pick a permit by its label alone.

A permit is not the same document as a residence visa, since a worker may already reside in the UAE but still need the appropriate permission for a job, and permit and residency steps can be coordinated through government processes. Employers should check both immigration and labour requirements before setting a start date, and keep the person informed about the planned start and effective dates.

Free zones have separate employment and immigration processes through their relevant authorities, and the UAE government has specific guidance on recruiting in free zones. A company should identify its licensing authority and follow its current service instructions, and should not assume a MOHRE mainland application covers an employee working for a free-zone entity.

A job offer and employment contract should match the proposed work, with job title, compensation, location and duration verified against the permit route and current rules, since changes after issuance may require formal updates and a verbal agreement with a manager cannot replace official permission. Employing someone without a valid permit can bring legal risk.

The UAE government page refers to Article 6 of the employment law and says work without a valid MOHRE permit is unlawful within its scope, so the employer should verify the rule's application to its own entity and role. A worker should not be asked to start while the paperwork is only pending.

Part-time work has its own route under MOHRE for eligible arrangements, and the government page explains that a worker may work for more than one employer after the necessary approval. That is not a general right to take any extra job without checking conditions, since side work, tutoring and freelance activity may require different permits.

Some permits are temporary or mission-based, so a company hiring for a short project should not automatically use the same process as a two-year employee, and should confirm permitted activities, validity and any limitation on employer or location. The documents required can vary by category, so use the current official service card for the specific route rather than relying on an old checklist from another employer, and check that names and identification numbers match across records.

If a worker moves between mainland establishments, a transfer permit may be relevant, and MOHRE publishes a separate transfer-permit service with its own requirements, so an employer should check cancellation, notice and transfer status rather than assume the previous permit automatically follows the worker. An HR file should contain the permit outcome, expiry date and contract version, with renewal dates built into the HR calendar and personal data shared only with staff who need it, and permission should be rechecked after a major change in job, employer or location.