Employee residence visa in Dubai
A standard work visa in the UAE is the employer’s application, not the employee’s. The u.ae work-visa page says it is valid for two years and renewable on the terms the issuing authority sets, and that the employer must apply. It is not the Green Visa, which is self-sponsored, and it is not a Golden Visa. THAJ prepares the company file and coordinates MOHRE and the residency steps for businesses we already support in Dubai. The government fee is billed at cost when the authority charges it. It is not printed here, because we are not copying a figure from a different visa.
Three residence products people mix up
| Standard work visa | Green Visa | Golden Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who applies | The employer, on u.ae’s description | The person, self-sponsored | The person, against a published category |
| Term on the page we cite | Two years, then renewable | Five years, renewable | Ten years on ICP’s guide; u.ae still shows 5 or 10 by category |
| Tied to the job | Yes. It is an employment residence. | The skilled route needs a UAE contract, and the permit is still self-sponsored. | Not an employment visa. Renewal can still re-check the category. |
| Where to read it | This page | Green Visa | Golden Visa |
What THAJ coordinates
The company should already hold the papers a Dubai PRO file always starts from. We do not invent a ministry checklist beyond what we already publish and what the authority asks for on the day.
- Trade licence and establishment card for the Dubai company, mainland or free zone.
- The employee’s passport, photograph and signed contract.
- MOHRE work-permit steps for a mainland employer, or the free zone’s own employment process where the zone runs it.
- Entry or status change, medical fitness, biometrics and Emirates ID, in the order the residency authority sets.
- A degree or professional certificate only where that role’s authority asks for it, attested if it was issued abroad. See document attestation.
Family members of an employee are a separate sponsorship. The salary or housing test for that sponsorship is whatever the authority currently publishes. This page does not print a figure, because the u.ae work-visa page we cite does not. Golden Visa family rules are wider and are not borrowed. They live on the family guide.
How the quote is built
Government charges, medical and Emirates ID are passed on at cost. THAJ’s service fee is quoted in writing, per visa or inside a retainer, as described on PRO pricing. There is no published package price. If the company also needs VAT or corporate tax registration, that is VAT & Corporate Tax Support: Get connected with our licensed accounting and tax partners for VAT registration, Corporate Tax registration, return filing and bookkeeping.
Frequently asked questions
Who applies for an employee visa in Dubai?
The employer. u.ae says the employer must apply for the standard work visa.
How long is it valid?
u.ae says two years, renewable subject to the issuing authority’s terms.
Is a Green Visa just a senior employee visa?
No. The Green Visa is self-sponsored and has its own salary, level and degree tests. An employment visa stays tied to the employer.
What does THAJ charge?
A written quote after the company and the role are known. Government fees are at cost and are not bundled into a fake all-in price.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Rules and fees can change; the authority’s current page always prevails.
- Work visa — green visa and the standard employment visa — The UAE Government portal (u.ae)
- Green Residence Guide (page updated 12 September 2026) — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — services — MOHRE
- GDRFA Dubai — residency services — General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai
- ICP smart services — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
Send the licence and the passport copy
We will say whether this is an employment visa, a Green Visa question, or neither yet.