UAE Work Permit Compliance: Navigating MOHRE Regulations and 12 Permit Types

If you bring workers into the UAE, the work permit is the base of everything else. This guide explains the basic rule, the permit types in plain words, the five mistakes that carry the largest fines, and a checklist your team can use for every batch of overseas hires.

The basic rule: no permit, no work

The UAE Labour Law is Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Under its Article 6, a person may not work in the UAE without a valid work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). Employers may not recruit or employ anyone until that permit is issued.¹

In October 2026, MOHRE reminded private companies that five violations carry fines from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million.² The five are:

• employing a worker without a work permit from the ministry;
• recruiting or employing a worker and then giving them no work;
• using a work permit for a purpose other than the one it was issued for;
• closing or suspending a business without settling the status of its workers;
• employing a minor in breach of the law, even when a parent or guardian agrees.²

These fines are not new in October 2026. They were raised by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024, in force from 31 August 2024. Before that, the same offences carried fines of Dh50,000 to Dh200,000.³ The 2024 change also added a fine of the same size for hiring workers in a fictitious way, multiplied by the number of workers involved.³

The 12 permit types in plain words

In the same October 2026 guidance, MOHRE listed 12 permit types. It urged businesses to choose the permit that matches the job and the worker's situation.²

1. Recruitment from outside the UAE: to bring a new worker from abroad.
2. Transfer: to move a non-Emirati worker from one registered company to another.
3. Family-sponsored resident: to hire someone living in the UAE on a family member's sponsorship.
4. Temporary: for a task that must be finished within a set period.
5. Mission: to bring workers from abroad for a temporary assignment or a project with a fixed end.
6. Part-time: for a part-time contract, with workers from inside or outside the UAE.
7. Juvenile: for young people aged 15 to 18, under strict conditions.
8. Student training or employment: for students aged 15 and over.
9. UAE and GCC nationals: to employ Emiratis or citizens of other Gulf states.
10. Golden Visa holder: to employ a Golden Visa holder already in the UAE.
11. Emirati trainee: to train UAE citizens in line with their qualifications.
12. Private tutoring: for people who give private lessons.²

The official government portal, u.ae, gives a count of 13, as of its 19 October 2026 update. Its list adds a freelance permit for individuals who work for themselves without an employer as sponsor.¹ A freelance permit is for the individual. It is not a way to staff your company.

The permits that matter most for overseas hiring

For volume hiring from abroad, two permits do most of the work. The permit to recruit from outside the UAE is valid for two years. The mission permit lets a company bring a worker from abroad for a specific temporary job or a time-bound project.¹

Do not confuse the mission permit with the temporary permit. On u.ae, the temporary permit is for a worker already in the UAE who works for a limited period at a different company and then returns to their original employer.¹

Conditions to check before you apply

u.ae lists the conditions for issuing a work permit. Check these four for every role before you apply:¹

• The job must fit the business activity on your trade licence.
• Your trade licence must be valid and free of violations.
• For a profession that needs a licence to practise, the worker must meet that rule.
• The worker must be at least 18, except under the juvenile and student permits.

MOHRE may refuse, stop renewing or cancel permits if a company gives incorrect documents, is fictitious, or does not follow the Wage Protection System.¹ The fee to issue or renew a permit ranges from AED 250 to AED 3,450, depending on whether your company is in class A, B or C. Companies with a history of violations are placed in class C.¹

The job offer comes first

The order is: a formal job offer, then the contract, then the work permit, then the work visa. The job offer must be in Arabic and English, plus a third language the worker understands. It is sent to the worker in their home country to review and approve.⁴

The signed offer is attached to the work permit application. Giving false information to the ministry can lead to fines of up to AED 20,000. Once the contract is signed, the employer cannot change the terms of the offer unless the worker agrees.⁴

For a large batch, this means you need a translated offer for every language group, and a signed copy for every worker, before you file.

Keep people working and paid

Recruiting a worker and leaving them without work is one of the five large violations. The ministry says recruitment should be linked to real business needs.² In practice, do not fly in a batch before the site, the project or the shift is ready for them.

Pay matters just as much. All companies registered with MOHRE must pay wages through the Wage Protection System (WPS). Under a 2026 ministerial resolution, the previous month's salary is due on the first day of each month, and at least 85 per cent of the total wages due must be paid on time.⁵

Two more rules apply from day one. Charging workers recruitment fees is illegal in the UAE, and taking workers' passports is prohibited.⁶

When a contract ends

Employers must pay all outstanding wages, other entitlements and the end-of-service gratuity within 14 days of the contract ending. A worker earns a gratuity after at least one year of continuous service, and it is based on basic salary.⁷

To cancel a work permit, the company must confirm that the worker has received everything they are owed.¹ Since August 2024, either side can bring a labour claim for up to two years after the job ends.³

A checklist for every batch

1. Match each role to a permit type before you send the job order to your agency.
2. Check that each job title fits the activity on your trade licence.
3. Prepare job offers in Arabic, English and each worker's language. Keep the signed copies.
4. Set the arrival date by when work is ready, not by when visas are ready.
5. Put every new worker on WPS payroll from the first month.
6. Confirm in writing that your agency charges workers no recruitment fees.
7. Make sure workers keep their own passports.
8. Plan exits. Budget for final pay and gratuity within 14 days.
9. Watch your company class. Violations can move you to class C and raise your costs.

Questions to ask your agency or government relations officer

• Which permit type will you use for each role, and why?
• Does every job title match our trade licence?
• Who translates the job offers, and who checks that workers understood them?
• What is our current company class, and do we have any open violations?
• How will you prove that no worker paid a recruitment fee?

Rules and fees change. Check the details with MOHRE or on u.ae before each large intake.

Frequently asked questions

Are there 12 or 13 UAE work permit types?

Both numbers appear. MOHRE's October 2026 guidance listed 12 permits for companies. The u.ae portal lists 13 because it also counts the freelance permit for individuals.

Which permit do we need to bring workers from abroad for one project?

For a project with a fixed end, ask about the mission permit. For regular long-term hiring from abroad, the usual choice is the permit to recruit from outside the UAE. Confirm the right type with MOHRE or your government relations officer before you apply.

What is the biggest fine for getting work permits wrong?

Fines for the five main violations range from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million. They include hiring without a permit, using a permit for the wrong purpose and recruiting people without giving them work.

How fast must we pay a worker when the contract ends?

Final wages, other entitlements and the gratuity must be paid within 14 days of the contract ending. You also need to confirm the worker was paid in full before the permit can be cancelled.