The short answer
To relocate an employee to the UAE, the employer obtains a MOHRE work permit (or a free zone permit), an entry permit, then completes the medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, residence visa and labour contract — typically 2–4 weeks once documents are attested. The employer pays all visa costs (roughly AED 4,000–9,000 per employee) and must provide health insurance. Family visas need a salary of AED 4,000 (or AED 3,000 plus accommodation). Allow 6–10 weeks from offer to start date when hiring from South Asia, because degree, marriage and birth certificates need a full attestation chain — the UAE does not accept an apostille on its own.
1. The UAE hiring & visa process, step by step
This is the standard sequence for a mainland UAE employer hiring a foreign national. Most steps are filed through Tasheel (MOHRE) and Amer or ICP (immigration) service channels, usually by the company's PRO or an immigration partner.
- Attest documentsEmployee + HR
Degree certificate (for skilled roles), plus marriage and birth certificates if the family will follow. Start this first — it is the step that most often delays start dates. See attestation chains by country.
- Offer letter in MOHRE formatHR
A MOHRE-format offer is generated and signed by both parties. Its terms must match the labour contract signed later.
- MOHRE work permitEmployer / PRO
Filed via Tasheel. Processing is typically up to 5 working days. The fee depends on the company's MOHRE classification and the employee's skill level.
- Entry permitGDRFA / ICP
Usually issued in 2–4 working days and valid for 60 days. If the employee is already in the UAE, a status change avoids an exit and re-entry.
- Medical fitness testEmployee
Blood test and chest X-ray at an approved medical centre. Results in 1–3 days.
- Emirates ID biometricsEmployee
Fingerprints and photo at an ICP or Amer centre. The Emirates ID now serves as the residence record — most residence visas are issued electronically rather than stamped in the passport.
- Residence visa issuedGDRFA / ICP
Typically 3–7 working days after the medical clears. Health insurance must be in place for the visa to be issued.
- Labour contract & inductionMOHRE
The labour contract is registered with MOHRE, and the employee completes any required Tawjeeh induction. Only then is the employee cleared to start work.
The HR planning rule
The UAE process is fast — 2 to 4 weeks for a complete file. Delays almost always come from outside it: attestation in the home country, a missing document for a dependant, or a household shipment that arrives before the lease is signed. Plan the move backwards from the start date and run immigration, attestation and shipping in parallel.
2. Visa categories HR should know
Most relocating employees come in on a standard employment visa. For senior hires, a self-sponsored long-term visa can be a strong retention tool — and it reduces the employer's admin at renewal time.
| Visa | Validity | Sponsor | Key criteria for employees | When HR should consider it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard employment visa | Typically 2 years, renewable | Employer | Job offer, MOHRE (or free zone) work permit, medical, Emirates ID | The default route for most hires |
| Green Visa (skilled employee) | 5 years | Self | Salary of at least AED 15,000/month, bachelor's degree, MOHRE skill level 1–3 | Mid-to-senior professionals; stays valid if they change employer |
| Golden Visa (skilled professional) | 10 years | Self | Basic salary of at least AED 30,000/month, MOHRE skill level 1 or 2, degree recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education | Senior leaders and specialists; a meaningful retention benefit |
| Family (dependant) residence | Linked to the sponsor's visa | Employee | Salary of AED 4,000/month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation; attested certificates | Any employee relocating with spouse or children |
Criteria as published at the time of review. Long-term visa rules are updated often — confirm on the ICP or u.ae portals before advising an employee.
3. Mainland vs free zone: what changes for HR
Where your entity is licensed changes who issues the work permit and which employment rules apply. It is one of the most common points of confusion for companies setting up a UAE hub.
| Mainland company | Free zone company (e.g. JAFZA, DMCC, Dubai Silicon Oasis) | DIFC / ADGM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit issued by | MOHRE | The free zone authority | The DIFC or ADGM authority |
| Residence visa & Emirates ID | Federal and emirate immigration authorities (ICP / GDRFA) in all cases | ||
| Employment law | UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) | UAE Labour Law, plus zone regulations | DIFC or ADGM's own employment law |
| Emiratisation targets | Apply to qualifying companies | Generally not | Generally not |
| Visa quota | Linked to MOHRE classification | Linked to office space / licence | Linked to licence |
4. Employer obligations checklist 2026
- Visa costs are the employer's. Under UAE labour law, recruitment and visa costs cannot be charged to the employee or deducted from salary.
- Health insurance for every employee. Mandatory across all emirates since 1 January 2025 as a condition of issuing or renewing residence visas. The basic federal plan starts from around AED 320 a year; Dubai and Abu Dhabi run their own schemes with higher minimum benefits.
- Wage Protection System (WPS). Mainland salaries must be paid through WPS.
- Written labour contract. Registered with MOHRE, matching the signed offer letter.
- Unemployment insurance (ILOE). Mandatory for most employees, but paid by the employee: AED 5 a month (salary up to AED 16,000) or AED 10 a month above that, plus VAT. HR should tell new joiners on day one — non-subscription carries an AED 400 fine.
- Emiratisation. Mainland private companies with 50+ employees must raise Emirati representation in skilled roles by 2% a year, reaching 10% by the end of 2026. Companies with 20–49 employees in specified sectors must employ and retain at least one UAE national. Build this into workforce planning before relocating new expatriate hires.
- End-of-service gratuity. Accrues from day one; budget for it in assignment costs.
5. Moving the family
The family is where relocations most often succeed or fail. The employee sponsors dependants, but most relocation policies fund some or all of the cost.
Who can be sponsored
- Spouse
- Sons up to 25, if unmarried
- Unmarried daughters — no age cap
- Children with special needs, at any age
- Parents, subject to extra conditions and a deposit
What to prepare early
- Attested marriage certificate
- Attested birth certificate for each child
- Passports and photos
- Employment contract showing the qualifying salary
- Tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai)
What to budget
- Around AED 4,500–7,000+ per dependant for a two-year visa, including insurance
- 5–15 working days once in the UAE
- Medical test for dependants aged 18+
Schools: start before the visa
Dubai private schools are regulated by KHDA and Abu Dhabi's by ADEK. Popular schools run waiting lists and assessments, and fees vary widely. School search should start as soon as the offer is accepted — it often decides which neighbourhood the family chooses, and therefore the lease and delivery address for the shipment.
6. The South Asia → GCC corridor
A large share of UAE and GCC relocations start in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. These moves have their own paperwork, and it is where local presence at the origin end saves the most time. ISS has its own offices in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi (Gurugram), Kolkata, Colombo and Male.
Document attestation chains
The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille can cover the home-country step, but it never replaces attestation by the UAE Embassy in that country. The final step for every document is the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
| Origin | Degree attestation chain (home country) | Then in the UAE | Typical home-country time |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | University → State HRD → Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) → UAE Embassy, New Delhi | UAE MOFA | 2–4 weeks |
| Pakistan | Higher Education Commission (HEC) → MOFA Pakistan → UAE Embassy, Islamabad | UAE MOFA | 40–60 days — HEC is usually the slowest step |
| Sri Lanka | Issuing institution / relevant authority → Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka → UAE Embassy, Colombo | UAE MOFA | ISS Colombo to confirm typical time |
| Philippines | CHED → DFA apostille → UAE Embassy, Manila | UAE MOFA | 2–4 weeks |
India: emigration clearance (ECR)
Indian employees whose passports are marked ECR (Emigration Check Required) need emigration clearance through the Government of India's eMigrate system before taking up employment in the GCC. Check the passport category at the offer stage — it is easily missed and can hold up travel.
Shipping household goods from South Asia
Sea freight from Indian, Sri Lankan and Pakistani ports to Jebel Ali is one of the shortest international lanes ISS operates, so a household can often arrive within weeks of the employee. Personal effects need a packing list, passport and visa copies for UAE customs clearance. Moving within the region? See GCC transfers.
7. Moving staff between GCC countries
An intra-GCC transfer is not a simple visa transfer: each state has its own labour ministry, residence card and national-workforce programme. The employee's residence in one country must be cancelled and a new one issued in the next — and the household goods cross a land or sea border.
| Country | Residence ID | Work permit / labour system | Nationalisation programme | ISS office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | Emirates ID | MOHRE (mainland) or free zone authority | Emiratisation | Dubai (HQ), Abu Dhabi |
| Saudi Arabia | Iqama (resident ID) | Ministry of Human Resources — Qiwa platform | Saudisation (Nitaqat) | Jeddah |
| Qatar | Qatar ID (QID) | Ministry of Labour / Ministry of Interior | Qatarisation | Doha |
| Oman | Resident card | Ministry of Labour; Royal Oman Police for residence | Omanisation | Muscat |
| Bahrain | CPR card | Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) | Bahrainisation | Manama |
| Kuwait | Civil ID | Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) | Kuwaitisation | Salmiya |
Overview only — each country's requirements should be confirmed for the specific role. ISS's local teams in each country advise on current procedure.
8. Designing your relocation policy
A written policy makes relocation costs predictable, keeps treatment fair between employees and speeds up every offer. Most UAE and GCC employers use one of three models.
Lump sum
The employee receives a fixed cash allowance and arranges their own move.
- Best for: junior or single hires, high-volume hiring
- Pros: simple, fixed cost
- Risks: employees under-spend on insurance and packing, and HR loses visibility of problems until they affect the start date
Core-Flex
A managed core that everyone receives (visa, flights, shipment, short housing) plus a menu of optional benefits.
- Best for: mid-level professionals, mixed family profiles
- Pros: fair, controlled, personalised
- Risks: needs clear rules on which benefits can be combined
Fully managed
The company pays the provider directly for every service, from survey to settling-in.
- Best for: senior leaders, families, business-critical hires
- Pros: best experience, lowest risk of failed assignments
- Risks: highest cost per move
Typical benefits by employee level
| Benefit | Junior / single | Mid-level | Senior | Executive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immigration & visa (employee) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dependants' visas reimbursed | — | Often | Yes | Yes |
| Flights | Economy | Economy | Economy / premium | Business |
| Household goods | Air freight or lump sum | 20 ft container | 20–40 ft container | 40 ft container |
| Temporary housing | 14–30 days | 30 days | 30–45 days | 45–60 days |
| Home search | Online support | 1 day | 2 days | 2–3 days |
| School search | — | If children | If children | If children |
| Settling-in (bank, utilities, driving licence) | Guide | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Repatriation | Flight only | Flight + shipment | Full | Full |
Clauses every UAE relocation policy should include
- Eligibility — which roles and grades qualify, and whether the policy covers internal transfers within the GCC as well as new hires.
- Family definition — aligned with UAE sponsorship rules (spouse, sons to 25, unmarried daughters).
- Shipment allowance — expressed in volume or container size, not money, so it holds its value as freight rates change.
- Insurance — transit insurance on household goods is always included.
- Temporary housing cap — in days, with a rule for extensions.
- Attestation support — who pays and who manages it; start it at offer acceptance.
- Repayment clause — a sliding scale if the employee leaves within 12–24 months.
- Repatriation — what happens at the end of employment, written in from the start.
- Tax note — the UAE levies no personal income tax, but home-country tax may still apply; direct employees to their own adviser.
9. Employee relocation cost estimator
Build a planning budget for one relocation or a group of hires. Figures are indicative ranges in AED, not a quote — freight rates, housing and government fees move. For a fixed price, ISS surveys the household and prices the policy.
Plan your relocation budget
Choose the employee profile and policy model. The breakdown updates as you change it.
| Cost item | Low (AED) | High (AED) |
|---|
Government items reflect published fee ranges at the time of review. Relocation-service items are ISS planning ranges. Excludes salary, housing allowance after temporary housing, school fees and end-of-service gratuity.
Get a policy quote from ISSHow the estimate is built
| Item | Basis |
|---|---|
| Employee visa & permits | Published ranges for work permit, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and residence visa (about AED 4,000–9,000; free zones vary by zone) |
| Dependants' visas | About AED 3,500–5,500 per dependant for visa, medical and Emirates ID (insurance shown separately) |
| Health insurance | First-year corporate cover per person, scaled by level; the legal minimum starts much lower |
| Attestation | Per document (degree, marriage, each child's birth certificate), including home-country, embassy and UAE MOFA steps |
| Flights | One-way fares per person by origin; business class for executives |
| Household goods | Shipment size by level (air freight, 20 ft or 40 ft) × lane from origin, door-to-door with transit insurance |
| Temporary housing | Serviced apartment in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, sized to the family, for the policy's number of days |
| Destination & immigration services | Home search, school search, settling-in and immigration/PRO coordination, depending on the policy model |
10. Ending an assignment & repatriation
Every relocation eventually becomes a departure. A policy that plans for it avoids fines, visa overstays and a rushed shipment.
Sequence for a UAE exit
- Give notice under the labour contract; agree the last working day.
- Book the pack-out and return shipment 4–6 weeks ahead.
- Give the landlord notice (commonly 60–90 days under the lease) and withdraw children from school.
- Cancel dependants' visas first, then the employee's residence visa and work permit.
- Pay the final settlement and end-of-service gratuity.
- Close utilities, clear final bills and deregister the tenancy.
End-of-service gratuity (UAE Labour Law)
For employees with at least one year's continuous service: 21 days' basic wage for each of the first five years, and 30 days' basic wage for each additional year, with the total capped at two years' wages. DIFC and ADGM run their own end-of-service schemes.
Moving on within the GCC?
An onward transfer from the UAE to Riyadh, Doha or Muscat is a new relocation, not a repatriation. ISS's own offices in each GCC country can run the exit and the arrival as one move.
11. Why HR teams choose ISS for GCC and South Asia relocations
ISS Relocations is a specialist, not a generalist. We focus on the corridor where we run our own offices — the six GCC states and South Asia — and handle every stage of the move with our own people at both ends.
- Our own offices, not agents. Offices across the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
- UAE immigration know-how. MOHRE, ICP and GDRFA processes, Emirates ID, family visas and attestation, coordinated alongside the physical move. ISS to confirm immigration/PRO scope offered in-house vs via partner
- One partner for the whole move. Immigration support, household shipment, temporary housing, home and school search, settling-in and repatriation.
- Independently audited. FIDI Accredited International Mover, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified, and a Worldwide ERC member. What our accreditations mean →
- Proven with employees and families. 1,543 Google reviews, every one five-star — including 1,043 in the UAE, 330 in Qatar, 59 in Oman, 56 in Bahrain and 49 in Saudi Arabia.
- Since 1996. More than 30 years moving people in and out of the Gulf.
12. Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to relocate an employee to the UAE?
The visa process itself — MOHRE work permit, entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID biometrics and residence visa — typically takes 2 to 4 weeks for a complete file. Document attestation from the home country can add 2 to 8 weeks before that, so most HR teams plan 6 to 10 weeks from offer to start date, with the household shipment running in parallel.
Who pays for a UAE employment visa?
The employer. Under UAE labour law the employer bears the cost of recruiting and sponsoring the employee, including the work permit and residence visa, and cannot recover it from the employee's salary. Dependants' visas are sponsored by the employee, although many relocation policies reimburse them.
How much does it cost to relocate an employee to the UAE?
Government visa and permit costs for one employee typically total around AED 4,000 to 9,000, depending on company category, skill level and mainland or free zone set-up, plus roughly AED 4,500 to 7,000 per sponsored dependant. A full relocation package including flights, household goods shipment, temporary housing and destination services commonly ranges from roughly AED 15,000–30,000 for a single junior hire from South Asia to AED 150,000 or more for an executive family move from Europe. Use the estimator on this page for a planning range and request a survey for a firm quote.
What is the minimum salary to sponsor family in the UAE?
Generally AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 per month plus employer-provided accommodation. Authorities assess the salary on the employment contract. Foreign marriage and birth certificates must be attested before the application.
Do employees need their degree attested to work in the UAE?
For most skilled roles, yes. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so certificates need a full attestation chain: home-country authentication, then the UAE Embassy in that country, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For India the chain is university, State HRD, Ministry of External Affairs, UAE Embassy, then UAE MOFA.
Is health insurance mandatory for employees in the UAE?
Yes. Since 1 January 2025 employers across all emirates must provide at least basic health insurance for private-sector employees as a condition of issuing or renewing residence visas. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have their own mandatory schemes with specific minimum benefits.
What is the difference between the UAE Golden Visa, Green Visa and a standard employment visa?
A standard employment visa is employer-sponsored and typically valid for two years. The Green Visa is a five-year self-sponsored residence for skilled employees earning at least AED 15,000 a month with a bachelor's degree. The Golden Visa is a ten-year residence available to skilled professionals with a basic salary of at least AED 30,000 a month, among other routes. Self-sponsored visas stay valid if the employee changes jobs.
What is different about hiring into a UAE free zone such as DIFC or JAFZA?
In a free zone, work permits and employment cards are issued through the free zone authority rather than MOHRE, while residence visas and Emirates ID still go through the federal and emirate immigration authorities. DIFC and ADGM also have their own employment laws. Processes and fees differ by zone, so the zone's own portal should be checked.
Can ISS handle employee relocations between GCC countries?
Yes. ISS operates its own offices in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, so intra-GCC and South Asia to GCC transfers are handled by ISS's own teams at both ends rather than passed to third-party agents.
What should HR plan for when an assignment ends in the UAE?
Plan the visa cancellation sequence — dependants' visas are cancelled before the sponsoring employee's — the end-of-service gratuity and final settlement, lease termination notice, school withdrawal, utilities closure and the return shipment. Repatriation should be written into the relocation policy at the start, not negotiated at the end.
Relocating a team to the UAE or across the GCC?
Tell us how many people, from where and on what policy. ISS will map the timeline, price the policy and run the move with our own teams at both ends.
- UAE Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation (MOHRE) — Emiratisation targets: mohre.gov.ae
- UAE Government portal — visas, residence and labour: u.ae · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security: icp.gov.ae
- Employment visa steps and timelines: Sarmat — UAE Employment Visa 2026
- Employment visa cost ranges: Velmont Crest — UAE Work Visa 2026
- Family visa salary, documents and costs: Sarmat — Family Visa Sponsorship 2026
- Degree attestation chains and apostille position: Sarmat — Degree Attestation UAE 2026
- Mandatory health insurance from 1 January 2025: The Law Reporters
- ILOE unemployment insurance: UAE Expert Hub — ILOE guide 2026
- Emiratisation 10% target by end-2026: HLB HAMT
- Golden Visa salary threshold: Fragomen · Green Visa criteria: JobXDubai