UAE visa cost calculator for employees and their families
Every fee on its own line, for the employee and each family member, with who normally pays it and how long each step takes. Works whether we sponsor through our EOR or your own company does. Official fees where they are published; estimates are marked.
Employer pays
AED 6,374
The employee's permit, visa, medical, ID and insurance
Family visas
AED 14,280
3 people, usually paid by the employee
Everyone, first year
AED 20,654
Plus our service fees: AED 2,800
Employee working in
8 to 23 working days
About 2 to 5 weeks
| MOHRE application | AED 50 |
|---|---|
| Work permit, 2 years (category 2 employer) | AED 1,200 |
| Worker protection insuranceAED 137.50 per skilled worker, 2-year policy (Ministerial Resolution 318 of 2022) | AED 138 |
| Service centre chargesOffer letter, work permit and contract, at up to AED 72 each | AED 216 |
| Entry permitGDRFA work entry visa: AED 200 + 5% VAT, applicant outside the UAE | AED 210 |
| Medical fitness testDHA, result in 24 hours | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID, 2 yearsICP: AED 100 a year for 2 years + AED 100 smart service fee | AED 300 |
| Residence visa, 2 yearsAED 200 + knowledge and innovation fees + delivery | AED 240 |
| Typing centre chargesest. | AED 250 |
| Health insurance, first yearest.Needed before the residence visa is issued | AED 3,500 |
| Employee total | AED 6,374 |
| Entry permitGDRFA family entry visa: AED 200 + 5% VAT, applicant outside the UAE | AED 210 |
|---|---|
| Medical fitness testDHA, adults only | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID, 2 yearsICP: AED 100 a year for 2 years + AED 100 smart service fee | AED 300 |
| Residence visa, 2 yearsTwo-year family residence | AED 460 |
| Typing centre chargesest. | AED 200 |
| Health insurance, first yearest.Needed before the residence visa is issued | AED 3,500 |
| Spouse total | AED 4,940 |
| Entry permitGDRFA family entry visa: AED 200 + 5% VAT, applicant outside the UAE | AED 210 |
|---|---|
| Emirates ID, 2 yearsICP: AED 100 a year for 2 years + AED 100 smart service fee | AED 300 |
| Residence visa, 2 yearsTwo-year family residence | AED 460 |
| Typing centre chargesest. | AED 200 |
| Health insurance, first yearest.Needed before the residence visa is issued | AED 3,500 |
| Child 1, under 18 total | AED 4,670 |
| Entry permitGDRFA family entry visa: AED 200 + 5% VAT, applicant outside the UAE | AED 210 |
|---|---|
| Emirates ID, 2 yearsICP: AED 100 a year for 2 years + AED 100 smart service fee | AED 300 |
| Residence visa, 2 yearsTwo-year family residence | AED 460 |
| Typing centre chargesest. | AED 200 |
| Health insurance, first yearest.Needed before the residence visa is issued | AED 3,500 |
| Child 2, under 18 total | AED 4,670 |
| Employment visa, start to finish | AED 850 |
|---|---|
| Family visas, 3 people | AED 1,650 |
| Health insurance, first year | AED 300 |
| Service fees, before VAT | AED 2,800 |
Government fees and the insurance premium are at cost, with the receipts. Our fees are on top, whoever sponsors.
Timeline, in working days
- Offer letter signed, work permit applied for1–2 d
- Work permit approved by MOHRE1–5 d
- Entry permit issued1–3 d
- Flight and arrival1–5 d
- Medical fitness test and result1–2 d
- Emirates ID biometrics1 d
- Residence visa issued, contract registered2–5 d
- Emirates ID card deliveredAfter they start work5–10 d
- The employer pays every cost of the employee’s own visa. UAE law does not allow passing recruitment or visa costs to the worker.
- Family visas start once the employee’s residence visa is issued. Spouse and children usually take one to three weeks more.
- We charge government fees at cost and show you every receipt. Handling the whole family's visas is a one-off AED 1,250 on top.
Fees checked 4 Nov 2026. Items marked est. vary by typing centre or were not on an official fee page; your receipt may differ by a few hundred dirhams.
How this is worked out
The same rules and fee tables run our real quotes. When a fee changes we update one file and every tool follows.
We build the cost bottom-up from the published fees of MOHRE, GDRFA Dubai, ICP and the health authorities, then add the typing and service centre charges you actually meet in practice. Where an authority does not publish a single figure, the line is marked as an estimate.
The employee
- MOHRE: AED 50 application, then the work permit fee set by the employer’s category: AED 250, 1,200 or 3,450 for two years. New companies start in category 2.
- Worker protection insurance, AED 137.50 per skilled worker for two years.
- Business service centre charges, capped by MOHRE at AED 72 per transaction.
- Entry permit from abroad, or a AED 500 change of status from inside the UAE.
- Medical fitness test: AED 270 standard at DHA in Dubai, AED 700 for the VIP service. EHS charges AED 250 in the Northern Emirates.
- Residence visa and Emirates ID for two years.
The family
Each family member needs an entry permit or change of status, a residence visa, an Emirates ID and health insurance. Adults also need the medical test. Family visas start after the employee’s own visa is issued and usually take one to three weeks.
The timeline
Steps are counted in working days and depend on the authority, not on us. The Emirates ID card is printed after the visa; the employee can start work before it arrives.
Sources
- MOHRE work permit fees by establishment category, and service centre commission cap Official · checked 4 Nov 2026
- Insurance system for private sector employees: AED 137.50 per skilled worker, instead of a AED 3,000 bank guarantee (Ministerial Resolution 318 of 2022) Official · checked 4 Nov 2026
- GDRFA Dubai residence and entry permit fees Official · checked 4 Nov 2026
- ICP residence, entry permit and Emirates ID fees (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates) Official · checked 4 Nov 2026
- Medical fitness fees in Dubai: DHA, Administrative Resolution 66 of 2021 Official · checked 4 Nov 2026
- Medical fitness fees outside Dubai: EHS (Cabinet Resolution 4 of 2025) Official · checked 4 Nov 2026
- Health insurance: Abu Dhabi Law No. 23 of 2005 (DoH), Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013 (DHA), and MOHRE’s basic scheme in the other five emirates from 1 January 2025 (AED 320 a year, sold as a two-year policy). Plans above the minimum are market quotes Official, varies by case · checked 4 Nov 2026
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on Labour Relations, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024 Official · checked 4 Nov 2026
Questions we get asked
Something else? Ask us directly. A person answers, usually the same working day.
How much is a UAE employment visa in 2026?
For a category 2 employer, which is where new companies start, the government and service fees for a two-year employment visa come to about AED 2,900 to 3,300 before health insurance, depending on the emirate (our estimate; typing charges vary). A category 1 employer pays AED 950 less for the work permit and a category 3 employer AED 2,250 more.
Who pays for the employee’s visa?
The employer. UAE law does not allow passing recruitment or visa costs to the worker, including the work permit, medical test and Emirates ID.
What salary do I need to sponsor my family?
AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 if your employer provides housing. Parents are approved case by case; we confirm the current rule before filing.
Do children need a medical test?
No. The medical fitness test is required from age 18, so children under 18 skip it.
Why is the employee already in the UAE more expensive?
Moving from a visit or another residence visa to a new one inside the country adds a change of status fee of about AED 500. It saves a flight and a few days, which most people find worth it.
Does the UAE accept apostilled documents?
No. MOFA requires the full chain: degrees and marriage or birth certificates are authenticated in the home country, legalised by the UAE embassy there, then attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. Start early: it is the step that delays most visas.
Tell us who you’re hiring.
Role, salary, nationality and whether the family is coming. We reply with an itemised cost and a realistic start date, usually within one working day.