Working in the UAE

What the employer must have

• A UAE-registered employer must apply to MoHRE for your work permit and sponsor your residence visa — you cannot apply on your own.
• The standard employment visa the employer obtains is valid for two years, tied to that employer, and renewable.
• The employer handles the in-country steps after arrival (medical test, Emirates ID, residence stamping).

What you must do before you leave

1. Check your passport status: ECR (Emigration Check Required) or ECNR. The UAE is one of the 17 ECR countries.
2. If your passport is ECR, you must obtain emigration clearance through the eMigrate portal (emigrate.gov.in) before departing for employment — this is required by the Emigration Act, 1983.
3. Recruit only through a recruiting agent holding a registration certificate from the Protector General of Emigrants, or a foreign employer registered on eMigrate; sub-agents are illegal under the Emigration Act, 1983.

Things to watch

• Emigration clearance applies only to ECR-stamped passports; ECNR holders do not need it for any country — but everyone still needs the employer-sponsored work permit. Working on a visit visa is illegal in the UAE.
• The work visa is tied to the sponsoring employer for its two-year term.
• India's MEA caps what recruiting agents may charge (45 days' wages, maximum Rs 20,000 as published on mea.gov.in) — anyone demanding more is acting illegally.

Official sources

• UAE Government portal — Residence visa for working in the UAE (u.ae)
• India MEA — Emigration Abroad for Employment (ECR rules)
• eMigrate portal (Government of India)

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