Dubai Work Visa for Indians: How to Apply, Cost and Processing Time

In Dubai, around 38% of the working population has Indian origin. This can be attributed to the fast-paced growth of this gulf that attracts numerous international workers.

If you are a working professional in India and searching for an opportunity in Dubai, then you must acquire a work visa. Read on to obtain more information about the Dubai work visa for Indian citizens and other related things.

A work visa is an official paper that allows foreign nationals to get a job in a different country and continue the work while being physically present there.

Similarly, a Dubai work visa gives permission to foreign nationals such as Indians to take a job there and continue for a certain period of time.

In addition, individuals who are willing to do business in the United Arab Emirates or Dubai can apply for this 60-day visa and start working immediately. However, they have to apply for and acquire employment and residence visas (validity for 2 years) during this period through their UAE employer.

There are certain eligibility conditions that both employees and employers have to fulfil before getting a work permit for Dubai from India.

• Applicants must be at least 18 years old. They must comply with the standards set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).
• The applicant’s employer’s business licence must be current.
• The employer must not have violated any law.
• The work that the applicants will undertake must align with the nature of your employer’s business.

On the basis of academic qualification, foreign workers are segmented into one of three groups. These are as follows.

Category 1: Applicants having a Bachelor’s degree.

Category 2: Applicants having a post-secondary diploma in any field.

Category 3: Applicants having a high school diploma.

Now that individuals know the eligibility criteria, let’s learn about the application process for a Dubai work visa.

In Dubai, employers are responsible for obtaining visas and permits for foreign workers. Here is a step-by-step process of getting a work visa in Dubai.

Step 1 – Employers need to apply for approval from the Ministry of Labour to hire a foreign employee.

Step 2 – Next, the Ministry issues an entry permit visa. This permit allows employees to enter the UAE and stay for 30 days initially.

Step 3 – Now, the employee can travel to Dubai. After arriving, they have to obtain a residence visa within 60 days.

Step 4 – When employees arrive in Dubai, the employer starts the process of applying for a work permit, also called a labour card.

Step 5 – At this point in time, employees have to visit an Emirates ID service centre with a valid passport and entry visa to obtain an Identity card.

Step 6 – Next, employees have to visit a government hospital for a medical examination.

Step 7 - Now, employees have to apply for a residence visa via immigration authorities.

Step 8 – Employees have to bring all of the appropriate documents to the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai (DNRD). Here, the residence visa will be stamped onto their passport.

Step 9 – After obtaining residence and work permits, the employee can begin working in Dubai.

To obtain a job visa for Dubai from India, individuals have to obtain a residence visa and a labour card. A Labour card is an identity card that working professionals must carry all the time and show labour officers whenever asked to.

Below is a list of essential documents for acquiring a Dubai work visa:

• Indian passport with a minimum validity of 6 months from the time you are in Dubai.
• Entry permit (given by employers to enter Dubai).
• A medical test certificate from an approved medical centre in India.
• Police clearance certificate from a local police station in India attested by the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
• Copies of academic qualifications. The applicant’s qualifications must be authorised by the UAE Embassy or consulate in the home country as well as by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the home country.
• Passport size photographs with a white background.
• Document of the company (e.g. company card or the commercial licence of the company).

As stated earlier, individuals need to obtain a residence visa before getting a residence card. Here is the list of essential documents for a Dubai work residency visa.

• Copy of the Indian passport with a minimum validity of 6 months.
• Birth certificate.
• Medical test certificate from India.
• Marriage certificate (if applicable).
• Driver’s licence.
• Police clearance certificate attested by MoEA of India.

The processing of the entry permit usually takes 2 to 7 working days to complete. This allows individuals to enter the country and live in the gulf city for two months. Next, the employer of the applicant has to complete the different sections of the application process (of applicant) within 60 days.

The entry permit comes with a validity of 2 months from the date of issue and allows Indian nationals to stay in the UAE for 30 days. After entering the UAE, employees have to start the application process of acquiring a labour card.

The following reasons can result in denial or rejection of a Dubai work visa.

• Incomplete application (applications with misleading information) or passport with less validity time.
• Overstay on the previous trip to Dubai.
• Handwritten passport.
• Applicants who have previously applied for an employment visa but did not enter the country.
• Individuals applying with a blurred passport sized scanned photos.
• Applicants with a past criminal or fraud record in UAE.

With such a detailed discussion on Dubai work visas for Indian citizens, we have reached this piece. Keep in mind the reasons for work visa denial so that you can easily get Dubai to work visa.