Working in the Gulf

Working in the United Arab Emirates — sponsorship and work-permit basics

Most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the United Arab Emirates, use an employer-sponsorship system (often called "kafala"): a licensed employer, not the worker, applies for and holds the work permit, and that permit is what lets you live and work in the country. What actually differs from one GCC country to the next — and what has genuinely changed in recent years — is below, sourced from each government's own portal.

What actually applies

• A standard work permit is employer-sponsored: the employer applies for it, not the worker, and it is normally valid for two years, renewable under whatever terms the visa-issuing authority sets at the time.
• A separate "Green Visa" exists for certain skilled professionals on self-sponsorship rather than through an employer — a different route from the standard employer-sponsored permit.
• Domestic workers are sponsored under their own, separate visa category, distinct from the standard private-sector work permit.
• The residence visa that lets you actually live in the UAE while working is a separate, linked step from the work permit itself — both go through the same employer-led process.

U.AE — the official Government portal: Check the current, official version →

This page describes how the system is structured, not a specific fee schedule or step-by-step timeline — those change on each government's own portal, which is why every fact above links straight to it.

Ask the concierge how this applies to your own situation →