Your employer initiates the permit, and its fee depends on your skill-level classification. The key point for jobseekers is that a visa is not enough: without a valid work permit you cannot legally be on payroll, and employers who ignore this face heavy fines. If you already hold a residence visa, ask a prospective employer to confirm they will arrange the work permit. Residency, work permits, and your CV: UAE CV format guide.
Work Permit (Labour Card)
A work permit is the government authorization that lets a specific employer put you on payroll, issued in the UAE by MOHRE as a labour card. Under the 2021 labour law, the right to reside and the right to work are separate, so most residence visas, including Golden, Green, and dependent visas, still need a work permit before you can legally start.
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Adil Dahmani
Adil Dahmani is the founder of Yalliq, the AI career copilot for Arabic-speaking professionals across MENA.