Work Permits for Abu Dhabi

Visa requirements for expats interested in living and working in Abu Dhabi are considerably less intensive than neighbouring Middle Eastern nations. Currently the UAE does not even require entry visas from citizens of 39 countries and attempts to make the process as straightforward as possible for all other nations. 

However, most expats will be moving to Abu Dhabi under the auspices of a residency visa, either through employment sponsorship or family member sponsorship.

Employer sponsorship

Once you have a confirmed position your employer should assume responsibility for arranging the paperwork necessary to obtain your visa. Once organized you have the right to enter the country on an employment visa and can then take the steps necessary to finalize your residency visa. 

Upon arrival you must go to any local hospital and get a health card, then you must proceed to any Disease Prevention Screening Centre for a basic medical test (AED 250), and finally you qualify to officially receive your residency visa.

Individuals who test positive for HIV/AIDS will not be granted a residency visa. 

At this point the appropriate documentation is then sent off to the Ministry of Labour and after what can be a lengthy period of time you will receive your labour card. Many of the documents required must be notarized in your country of origin, so ensure that you find out from your employer which forms need to be certified before you leave. Otherwise, you can enlist the help of global courier services to facilitate the process.

Your labour card, like your residency visa, is valid for three years.

Your employer is responsible for all costs incurred by the process, so don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of for carrying this cost. 

Family sponsorship

Unquestionably, residency permits attained through family sponsorship yield the longest and most frustrating waiting periods – so it’s best to expect the worst and fend off disappointment. 

In order to arrange for residency for your family you must have a residency visa yourself and you must earn a minimum all-inclusive salary of at least AED 4,000 (as certified by your official labour contract). 

Parents are unable to sponsor male children of 18 years or older unless they are enrolled in full time education in the UAE. Additionally, a woman sponsoring her family may run into great difficulty unless employed as a doctor, a lawyer or a teacher. 

If sponsoring parents, stipulations become increasingly strict and require a greater average monthly income as well as proof that no other person can assume responsibility in the home country of the parents. 

Application forms are available from the Immigration Department and must be typed in Arabic, submitted with the designated documents, medical certificates, and AED 100 as paid through vending machines inside the Immigration Department. 

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Medical tests for residency visas can be completed at any designated Disease Prevention Screening Centre. Be sure to bring the original and a photo copy of both your passport and your entry visa. 

Contact information for Disease Prevention Screening Centres

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, 02 633 1300

 Musaffah, 02 552 8371

 Al Ain, opposite Al Ain Hospital, 03 762 7777