Starting a new job in UAE means a few official steps in a set order: work permit and entry permit, then medical test, Emirates ID, labour contract, health insurance and a salary account. Your employer handles and pays for most of it. Your job is to check each step – and to subscribe to job-loss insurance (ILOE) yourself.
This is for private-sector (mainland) workers coming from abroad. Times differ by emirate and company.
What is the order of steps for a new job in UAE?
| When | Step | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Before you travel | Sign the MOHRE offer letter | Salary, job title, workplace, start date. |
| Before you travel | Employer gets MOHRE work permit approval and your entry permit | You must enter within the validity (in Dubai: 60 days). |
| Soon after arrival | Medical fitness test | Blood test and chest X-ray at an approved centre. |
| Soon after arrival | Emirates ID biometrics (fingerprints and photo) | Your name and passport number are spelled correctly. |
| Within 14 days of arrival | MOHRE labour contract signed and submitted | Same terms as your signed offer letter. |
| After medical result | Residence visa issued (shown on your Emirates ID) | Sponsor name is your actual employer. |
| Before visa is issued | Health insurance | You get an insurance card. The employer pays. |
| First month | Salary account (WPS) and ILOE job-loss insurance | Account in your own name; ILOE certificate saved. |
Step 1: Offer letter, work permit and entry permit
Your employer sends you a MOHRE job offer to sign. The employer then applies to MOHRE for the work permit. Once approved, you get an entry permit.
Check before you sign:
- The offer is in Arabic and English. You can ask for a third language: Bengali, Chinese, Dari, Hindi, Malayalam, Nepalese, Sinhalese, Tamil or Urdu.
- It includes the MOHRE annex about Labour Law rights.
- Keep a copy – you will compare it with your contract. Our guide on how to read a UAE job offer letter explains each line.
In Dubai, you must enter the country within 60 days of the entry permit being issued. If you are asked to pay for a work permit or visa, stop and read our guide to fake job offers.
Who pays for the visa, medical and permits?
The employer. Article 6(4) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) says the employer may not charge the worker recruitment and employment fees and costs, or collect them from the worker directly or indirectly. The official portal u.ae says recruitment, travel and residency permit costs are paid by your employer. Since 1 January 2025, private-sector health insurance is also the employer’s cost in all emirates.
Watch for “indirect” charges, like visa costs cut from your first salaries. If this happens, call MOHRE’s toll-free line 80084.
Step 2: Medical test and Emirates ID
After you arrive, your company books your medical fitness test. In Dubai this is usually a blood test and chest X-ray at an authorised centre.
Next is your Emirates ID. You go to an approved centre to give fingerprints and a photo. Since 2022 the UAE no longer puts a residence sticker in your passport – your Emirates ID is your proof of residence. Until the card arrives, you can usually see a digital copy in the official ICP app.
Check: spelling of your name, date of birth and passport number.
Step 3: Labour contract and residence visa
When you arrive, you and your employer sign the MOHRE labour contract. It must be submitted to MOHRE within 14 days of your arrival (or of your status change if you were already in the UAE).
Compare it line by line with your offer letter:
- Same job title, salary, workplace and start date.
- If something changed and you did not agree, do not sign. A change needs your consent and MOHRE approval.
- Keep your own copy – the law says one copy is for you.
After the medical result comes out, the residence visa is issued. In Dubai, GDRFA says this usually takes about 48 hours.
Never let the company “keep” your passport – this is not allowed in the UAE.
Step 4: Salary account and job-loss insurance (ILOE)
Salary account: your salary must be paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS) – into a bank, exchange house or other approved financial institution. Make sure the account or salary card is in your name and you keep the card and PIN. As of October 2026, salary is due on the 1st of the next month. If it is late, see what to do when your salary is late.
ILOE (Involuntary Loss of Employment) insurance: this one is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
- Cost: AED 5 a month if your basic salary is AED 16,000 or less; AED 10 a month if it is higher.
- Where: iloe.ae, the ILOE app, bank apps or exchange houses.
- Fine: MOHRE fines AED 400 for not subscribing on time.
- Benefit: if you lose your job (not for resignation or discipline) after at least 12 months of subscription, you can claim 60% of your average basic salary for up to three months.
Ask HR or check the ILOE app for your deadline, and subscribe in your first weeks.
Quick answers
Can I start work before my visa is ready?
You need a valid MOHRE work permit to work. Ask HR to confirm your permit is approved before your first day.
Do I pay for my medical test?
No. Residency costs are the employer’s. If you are asked to pay, ask for this in writing and call 80084.
My contract salary is lower than my offer letter. What now?
Do not sign. Ask HR to correct it. If they refuse, contact MOHRE on 80084.
Is ILOE paid by my company?
No. Subscribing is the employee’s responsibility, and so is the fine.
Still looking? See the latest UAE jobs and walk-in interviews.
This is general information, not legal advice. Steps and fees can change – check MOHRE (80084), your emirate’s residency authority or the official site for your case.
Official sources: