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A Complete Guide to Obtaining a Temporary Work Permit in UAE

Do you want to work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a limited time? If so, you need to obtain a temporary work permit UAE. This authorization will allow you to perform a specific task for a period of no more than six months. The first thing you should know is that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) is in charge of everything related to the temporary work permit UAE. Furthermore, it can only be applied for by a potential employer of the worker. A practical way to find an employer that offers this service is to contact a staffing agency UAE.

In this article, we will explain how to obtain a temporary work permit UAE. In essence, we will teach you what the fees are, the requirements, and the steps you must follow. Additionally, we will give you information that you need to know before hiring a recruitment agency in the UAE. They can help you find the job you are looking for plus manage the entire permit application process.

Understanding Temporary Work Permits

The importance of a temporary work permit UAE

A Part-time work permit UAE allows those who wish to apply for a job to work legally for 6 months. It is important to note that the MoHRE takes care of everything regarding the UAE part time work permit. In this way, with a temporary permit, UAE companies will be able to hire an employee for a specific period. In addition, during this time you will complete a particular job for the company.

Individuals seeking part-time employment in the UAE may obtain temporary work permits through sponsorship from their employer. A person’s sponsorship for UAE residency can even come from a relative living in the country. This permit provides the applicant with exposure to the culture of the country’s companies and to gain experience in the area.

Also, acquiring this temporary work permit can help you empower people. In this way, you will be able to expose your skills and abilities at work to the company. In this way, it can help you to find a long-term job within the UAE later on. For this reason, it is important to know the types of leave employees can avail in 2023, to enjoy its benefits.

Why Do You Need a Temporary Work Permit?

If you are wondering how to apply for a job in Dubai for 6 months legally, a temporary work permit is the solution. This permit will allow job applicants to work legally in the country during the aforementioned period. Otherwise, if you do not have this permit, you will not be able to work in a company for that period.

In addition, you can also apply for a temporary work permit if the person wishes to work for two employees. However, the primary employer must allow you to work part-time for the new employer or secondary employer.

For these reasons, to be able to work temporarily and legally in the UAE you must have this permit. In case you do not have it, you should not worry since the application process is simple. In this way, you will only need an employment contract that verifies your employment situation.

Eligibility Criteria

Most of the people who want to work in the UAE temporarily do not take into account the eligibility criteria. For this reason, many people who do not comply with these are rejected and lose time and money in the process. However, you do not need to waste time or money, by reading the eligibility criteria below, you will know if you meet them.

  • Be of legal age (have reached 18 years of age)
  • You have to be a resident of the UAE.

If you do not meet these short criteria, you will not be eligible to apply for a temporary work permit to work part-time. In addition, along with these criteria, you find those residents who are over 65 years of age and those with tourist visas. Now, knowing the criteria that must be met, all that remains is to know what is the process to apply for this permit.

Application Process

With a temporary work permit, companies in the UAE will be able to hire a worker to complete a job. In addition, you must do this within a specific period. The MoHRE is the one that issues temporary work permits, specific tasks, and contracts for time for companies registered with the ministry. For this reason, we will show you the terms and conditions for you to request your permission.

  • The age of the applicant must be at least 18 years old.
  • The employee has to meet all the requirements specified in the relevant legislation. In this way, the legislation will apply to certain professions and those requiring a professional license.
  • It is imperative that the temporary work permit application be submitted by the authorized signatory of the business.
  • The profession that the employee has must be related to the activity of the business in which he is going to work.
  • The business must have a current license and no legal violations. In this way, you will be able to avoid any suspension of your activities.
  • Permit can only be granted once and a new application can be submitted when it expires.
  • The current employer must approve the electronic form for obtaining a temporary work permit. However, this will not apply in the case of employees with a labor case that is pending.
  • You will not need insurance or a bank guarantee to obtain the permit.
  • For this permit all professions and skill levels are eligible. However, this will depend on the requirements of the service.
  • You do not need any electronic fees to get a temporary permit in the UAE.

Required Documents

To apply for a temporary work permit, you must present a series of documents. For this reason, so that you do not waste time, we present the necessary documents to request the permit:

  • A photograph of the employee is required that is clear and has a white background.
  • In order to proceed, they require a copy of your passport as your identity document. In addition, it must be valid for no less than 6 months.
  • You will need to have the standard employment contract form. Where, both the employee and their employer have signed.
  • An academic certificate is necessary only for levels 1 and 2. In addition, for it to be valid, the endorsement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is necessary.  It is important to note that the state issues to those who are exempt from the certificates.
  • You need a professional license that has been issued by a competent authority. Among these are doctors, teachers, and lawyers. An example of these licenses is those issued by the Ministry of Health for nurses and doctors. In addition, you find those issued by the Ministry of Education,
  • Your current employer must approve the electronic form in order for you to obtain your temporary work permit.
  • If the employee has a pending employment case, they must complete a form that is issued by the existing employment case court. In this way, you will be able to get permission.
  • Have an NOC letter for a work permit UAE.

This permit can be requested by going to the MoHRE website, the smart app, shopping centers, and TAW-SEEL.

Processing Time and Fees

The requirements for the temporary work permit UAE include its cost. The first thing you should know is that the cost of issuing or renewing the permit varies depending on the classification of the business. That is, A, B, or C.

This classification reflects the degree of compliance of the company concerning labor law. In addition, the Salary Protection System, the relevant resolutions and directives of the MoHRE, the laws about the rights of workers, and other regulations. With this in mind, the cost of the UAE temporary work permit can be obtained. This can be between AED 250 and AED 3450.

On the other hand, the processing time for the temporary work permit MoHRE application depends on several factors. Below, you will see in detail what these factors are.

The type of temporary work permit UAE: There are different types of temporary work permits. For instance, the work permit for a family-sponsored resident. Another of the most relevant is the work permit to recruit a foreign employee to complete a specific project.

Place of work: If the employer has his company in one of the free zones, the permit must be processed before the employee is in the country.

Compliance with legal requirements: Before approving a temporary work permit in UAE, the government verifies if all the requirements are met. That is, with those of health, experience, and education.

Generally, the process to obtain a temporary work permit usually takes about two days. However, this will vary depending on the case of each employee. Once the government has approved the application, you will be notified of the verdict by the channel of your choice. For instance, mediate email.

Renewal and Extension

temporary work permit uae

Before discussing the renewal and extension process, it is important to be clear about the difference between the two. There are certain relevant discrepancies between the two that it is good to know, so you will see them in detail below.

Renewing a temporary work permit means applying for a new one for the same employer. Of course, this will be once the previous permit expires. Any temporary work permit lasts for six months. In addition, you can only renew it once and they will grant you the same period.

On the other hand, extending this work permit means applying for an additional work permit from another employer. But, without canceling the previous permission. Any temporary work permit UAE can be extended for an additional period of a maximum of six months. To do this, the employee must have the consent of the main employer.

To renew a temporary work permit UAE, you just have to follow the following steps:

First step: The employee has to bring the renewal application form for the temporary work permit.

Second step: Attach the necessary documents. For instance, the job offers, the photocopy of the passport and visa, the medical certificate, and others. Generally, the documents are the same as for the permit application.

Third step: Pay the corresponding fees, which will vary according to the classification of the company.

Fourth step: Submit the renewal application to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE). The other option is to go to a competent authority in the free zone where you work.

Extending Your Work Permit

The first thing you need to know about the temporary work permit UAE extension is the eligibility criteria. For both employees and employers. Initially, you will see these criteria for employees.

  • The profession of the individual must be related to the commercial activity of the company.
  • The beneficiary must comply with the requirements of the relevant legislation for some professions or those that require a professional license.
  • Finally, the primary employer must provide consent for the employee to work for another employer.

On the other hand, employers also have to meet some eligibility criteria, which are.

  • In principle, you must have a valid license and be registered with the MoHRE or with the competent entity of the free zone where you operate.
  • The employer must provide a job offer for the employee. This offer must be related to the commercial activity of the company. Employees can also avail job consultancy in uae
  • You have to sign the standard employment contract with the employee. Subsequently, you must send it to the MoHRE or the competent authority of the free zone.
  • Finally, the employer must pay the corresponding fees for the temporary work permit UAE.

With this clear, you can start with the following steps to request the extension of your part-time work permit UAE.

First step: The employer must give his consent to the employee through a letter containing his seal and signature.

Second step: The new employer must apply for an additional work permit for the employee.

Third step: MoHRE will verify the employee’s eligibility for the new employer and the employee. If the requirements are met, it will issue the extension. It is important to note that this can only be done once and has the same duration, that is, 6 months.

Key Differences

Before knowing the differences between a UAE temporary work permit and any other document, you should know the characteristics of this permit. Simply put, a temporary work permit is an authorization that allows companies in the UAE to hire an employee for a specified period. Among the most important and interesting features that this permission has are:

Duration: The duration of the temporary work permit must not exceed 6 months. Or, failing that, it cannot be greater than the expiration date of the current employment contract.

Renewal: The UAE temporary work permit can only be renewed once and will have the same duration (6 months).

Approval: For the permit to be valid, it requires the approval of the director of the current company and the applicant.

Authorized companies: A temporary work permit can be requested if the employee is from the government. The other option is to have the registry of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE).

Temporary Work Permit vs. Residence Visa

There are some important differences between the temporary work permit and the residence visa. The most important of all is that the government entity that is in charge of managing them is different.

Another highly relevant difference is the purpose of each of the documents. A temporary work permit is to give work to people who want to work for a short specific time. On the contrary, the residence visa is so that the individual can remain in the country.

There are many other differences between these two documents, which are:

Duration: A temporary work permit has a maximum duration of six months and can be renewed once for the same period. While a residence visa has a duration of three years that can be renewed indefinitely.

Transfer to other people: The work permit can be obtained to transfer a foreign worker from one business to another, for different reasons. For instance, hire an employee to complete a job in a specified period. A residence visa does not have this possibility.

Place of work: Residence visas can be obtained to work in the government sector, private sector, or free zone. In addition, it requires the employer to apply for the visa. While the temporary work permit can only be obtained to work for the Government or companies that have MoHRE registration.

Requirements: To have a work permit, the worker needs to have an employment contract with the company. But, for the residence visa, this is not necessary. That is, the individual is allowed to search for employment opportunities in the country.

Cost: The price of a temporary work permit is around 300 AED. On the other hand, the residence visa is a bit more expensive and is 370AED.

Overcoming Challenges

Generally, when an employee wants to apply for a UAE temporary work permit there are some challenges. The most common difficulties during the process are the following.

Approval of the employer: In order to request or extend the temporary work permit, it is a mandatory requirement to have the approval of the employer. Just like when you want to extend it or change companies. In that case, the approval of the current and the new employer is needed.

Eligibility Requirements: The employee must meet the eligibility requirements. For instance, the current employment contract with the employer or being a government employee. Otherwise, you will not be able to access this permission.

Costs: The employee has to pay some additional fees for the issuance, renewal, or extension of the permit. If you do not have this, you will not be able to access the temporary work permit.

Despite all these challenges, you should not worry, because they all have a solution. Below are possible solutions to these difficulties.

Application Approval: To get approval from employers, you must submit an online application through the MoHRE website. In addition, you must attach the necessary documents. That is, employment contracts, passports, visas, and others.

Eligibility requirements: This solution is very simple, you just have to investigate the types of work permits available and choose the one that best suits your needs. There are 12 different types of temporary work permits.

Pay fees: To pay the fees you can resort to savings or loans from people close to you or banks. Once you have the money, you must use an online debit or credit card. The other option is to visit a MoHRE office or any other authorized service center.

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    Connect Staff

    Connect Staffing is established by Connect Group to connect you with life-giving opportunities and discover solutions to your tough hiring challenges, whether you’re establishing a career or a business.

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