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Work permits
and labour files

We open your MOHRE establishment file, draw your quota, and run the job offer, contract and work permit steps on Tasheel. WPP, ILOE and WHI are priced in from the start.

2 daysStandard MOHRE turnaround

60 daysTo file a new contract

90 daysWindow to transfer a permit

3 schemesWPP, ILOE and WHI

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Order of work

From company file to signed contract

Hiring your first worker is a sequence. Each step depends on the one before it, and most rejections are document or condition failures rather than portal errors.

✓ Establishment card first — Your company is registered with MOHRE along with its owners, authorised signatories, signature specimens, activity and location. You need a valid trade licence and no violations causing suspension. Duration is 2 working days.

✓ Authorised signatory check — The application must be submitted by the establishment's authorised signatory, who must also be an authorised signatory at ICP. The licensee or service agent must be 21 or over. GCC citizens are treated as UAE nationals.

✓ Quota — Work permit quota is a proactive service, granted electronically without an application. It needs a valid trade licence, private status with no restrictions, a valid Ta'qeem report, and a profession compatible with your activity.

✓ PRO card if you want one — Optional. A PRO card lets the holder submit MOHRE transactions for you. A UAE national PRO may hold cards for three owners; an expatriate PRO may hold one card, and that owner must employ fewer than 100 workers.

✓ Job offer, then contract — The official MOHRE job offer form must be signed by both parties before the permit is issued. On Tasheel this runs as Job Offer plus Contract plus Pre-Approval of Work Permit, the first of three visits.

✓ Contract filing deadline — A new employment contract must be filed within 60 days of the worker's entry or status change. Renewals may be submitted 60 days before expiry. Contracts for skill levels 6 to 9 are delivered at workers' awareness centres.

Permit types

Which permit fits your hire

Standard processing is 2 working days for all of these. The amounts below are MOHRE federal government fees, not My Eloah charges, and they exclude tax and collection charges.

Permit	Duration	Quota needed	Federal government fees (AED)
Overseas recruitment	2 years	Yes	Application 50; issuance Cat 1 = 250, Cat 2 = 1,200, Cat 3 = 3,450
Transfer from another employer	2 years	Not stated	Transfer permit Cat 1, 2 and 3 = 50
Dependents sponsored by family	2 years	No	Application 50 plus issuance 250
Part time	1 year	No	50
Temporary	6 months	No	50
Mission	3 months, renewable once	Yes	50
Golden visa holders	2 years	No	50
UAE nationals and GCC citizens	2 years	No	None
UAE national trainees	12 months, renewable	No	50
Juvenile	1 year	No	50
Students, training and work	3 months	No	50

Skill levels

Certificates decide the skill level

MOHRE classifies every worker by skill level, and the level sets the academic certificate you must attach. Get this wrong and the permit stalls at document verification.

✓ Skill levels 1 and 2 — A bachelor's degree or higher is required. The certificate is a mandatory attachment, one to four pages, on the new work permit screen.

✓ Skill levels 3 and 4 — A diploma or higher is required. Licensed professions such as doctor, nurse, teacher, fitness trainer and advocate also need the regulator's professional licence.

✓ Skill level 5 — A high school certificate is required. The worker must be 18 or over and must not already hold an active work permit, except for part-time and temporary permits.

✓ Skill levels 6 to 9 — No academic certificate is required. Contracts at these levels are delivered at workers' awareness centres rather than issued straight to the employer.

✓ The AED 4,000 line — Workers earning under AED 4,000 per month, or without a degree, are not classified as skilled. This changes the WPP premium you pay, so confirm the salary before quoting.

✓ Documents and formats — Tasheel accepts JPEG only, maximum 250 KB per file, and some older screens state 200 KB. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months. Nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran also need both sides of the home-country national ID card.

Mandatory schemes

WPP, ILOE and WHI premiums

Three separate schemes on three separate portals with three different payers. All figures below are scheme and government premiums, not My Eloah fees, and exclude VAT and fees where noted.

Scheme	Who pays	Basis	Premium (AED)
WPP, insurance option, 30 months	Employer	Skilled worker	137.50
WPP, insurance option, 30 months	Employer	Low-skilled worker	180
WPP, insurance option, 30 months	Employer	High-risk establishment not registered with WPS	250
WPP, bank guarantee option	Employer	Per worker, one year, auto-renewable	3,000 minimum
ILOE, Category A	Employee	Basic salary up to AED 16,000	5 plus VAT per month, about 126 over two years
ILOE, Category B	Employee	Basic salary above AED 16,000	10 plus VAT per month, about 252 over two years
WHI Basic Plan	Employer	Employees and dependents aged 0 to 64, Northern Emirates only	320 per person per year, plus VAT and fees
WHI Enhanced Plan	Employer	Employees and dependents aged 0 to 64, Northern Emirates only	440 per person per year, plus VAT and fees
WHI Basic Plan	Employer	Partners and investors aged 0 to 64	483 per person per year, plus VAT and fees
WHI Enhanced Plan	Employer	Partners and investors aged 0 to 64	700 per person per year, plus VAT and fees

FAQ

Common Questions.

MOHRE states 2 working days for establishment and work permit transactions. Domestic worker transactions are mostly 1 working day. Labour complaints and absconding cancellations take 14 working days, and grievances 15.

Under Ministerial Resolution No. 318 of 2022 you choose one of two options per worker. The 30-month insurance policy is AED 137.50 for a skilled worker, AED 180 for a low-skilled worker, and AED 250 at a high-risk establishment not registered with WPS. The bank guarantee option is a minimum of AED 3,000 per worker through a UAE-based bank, valid one year and automatically renewable.

The employee subscribes, though employers often facilitate or absorb it. The premium is AED 5 plus VAT per month for basic salary up to AED 16,000, and AED 10 plus VAT per month above that. Full VAT is added to the first instalment, and non-subscription carries a fine of AED 400.

No. WHI covers the Northern Emirates only, meaning Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Dubai employees fall under the DHA mandatory scheme and Abu Dhabi employees under the DOH scheme.

A UAE national PRO may hold cards for three owners, where the first owner has 100 workers or more and the second and third have fewer than 100 each. An expatriate PRO may hold one card only, and that owner must employ fewer than 100 workers. The PRO needs an official MOHRE file with a valid work permit, a police clearance certificate and a personal photo.

A new contract must be filed within 60 days of the worker's entry or status change. A transfer permit must be applied for within 90 days of the previous permit's cancellation. Renewals open 60 days before expiry, and a grievance must be raised within 30 working days of notification.

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Work permits and labour files