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UAE · Employment visa

UAE Employment Visa from Pakistan

To work in the UAE you need an employer to sponsor you. A mainland employer gets your work permit through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE); free zone companies use their free zone authority. You enter on an entry permit, then take a medical test and give Emirates ID biometrics so your residence visa can be issued inside the UAE.

Last reviewed 8 October 2026

At a glance

Sponsor
Your UAE employer
Work permit
MOHRE for mainland jobs; the free zone authority for free zone jobs
Entry
On an entry permit; the residence visa is issued in the UAE
After arrival
Medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, residence visa
Before you fly
Registration with the Protector of Emigrants

Who this is for

  • Skilled and semi-skilled workers with a written job offer from a UAE company.
  • Professionals such as engineers, accountants, nurses and IT staff, whose job titles may need an attested degree.
  • Drivers, technicians and tradespeople recruited directly or through a BEOE-licensed Overseas Employment Promoter.

When another route fits better

  • Short trips for meetings: a UAE visit visa fits, but you cannot work on it.
  • Skilled professionals who want to sponsor themselves: look at the UAE green visa or other self-sponsored residence options.
  • Housemaids, private drivers and other domestic workers for families: a separate domestic worker permit applies.

Documents to prepare

For the work permit

  • Passport valid for at least six months
  • Job offer signed by you, in Arabic, English and a language you understand
  • Passport-size photos to the required specification
  • Degree or diploma attested in Pakistan and in the UAE, if your job title needs one
  • Experience certificates

For Protector registration in Pakistan

  • Police character certificate, which the BEOE requires for the UAE
  • Copy of your CNIC
  • State Life insurance certificate
  • Welfare fund and registration fee receipts

After arrival

  • Medical fitness test at an approved centre
  • Emirates ID application and biometrics
  • Health insurance arranged by your employer

Step by step

  1. 1

    Get a written job offer

    The employer issues an offer setting out pay, duties and conditions under UAE labour law. Read it carefully before you sign it.

  2. 2

    Employer applies for your work permit

    A mainland employer applies through MOHRE, attaching your signed offer. A free zone employer applies through its free zone authority.

  3. 3

    Entry permit issued

    Once the permit is approved, your entry permit is issued so you can travel to the UAE to start work.

  4. 4

    Register with the Protector of Emigrants

    Before you fly, register at a Protector of Emigrants office or through the BEOE's online system. Airport immigration in Pakistan checks for the Protector sticker.

  5. 5

    Medical test and Emirates ID

    After you arrive, take the medical fitness test at an approved centre and give your biometrics for the Emirates ID.

  6. 6

    Residence visa and contract

    Your residence visa is issued inside the UAE, and your contract is registered with MOHRE based on the offer you signed.

Costs to plan for

  • Work permit, entry permit and residence visa costs. UAE labour law places recruitment and employment costs on the employer, so ask in writing who pays what.
  • Protector registration, welfare fund and State Life insurance in Pakistan.
  • Degree attestation in Pakistan and in the UAE.
  • Police character certificate, and a passport renewal if yours is close to expiry.
  • Living costs until your first salary, and housing if your employer does not provide it.

Why applications get refused

  • A job title that needs a degree when your certificate is not attested or does not match.
  • Failing the medical fitness test for one of the listed communicable diseases.
  • Security clearance not granted.
  • Name or passport details that differ across your documents.
  • Employer quota or compliance problems that block the work permit.

Tips before you apply

  • Never pay for a so-called 'free visa' or 'azad visa'. Working for anyone other than your sponsor, or on a visit visa, is illegal and can lead to fines and a ban.
  • Check that any Pakistani recruiter is on the BEOE's list of licensed Overseas Employment Promoters, and insist on receipts.
  • Keep copies of your offer letter, contract, visa and passport in a safe place.
  • Confirm your job title on the work permit matches the job you were promised.

Questions people ask

You must not work on a visit visa. If you find a job, the employer has to arrange a work permit and residence visa before you start work.

If your job title needs a degree, the authorities usually ask for an attested certificate. Attestation is done in Pakistan first and then in the UAE.

UAE labour law places recruitment and employment costs on the employer. Get written confirmation of who pays for what before you sign.

Yes. Workers leaving Pakistan for jobs abroad register with the Protector of Emigrants, and for the UAE the BEOE asks for a police character certificate.

Residents can sponsor family members if they meet the salary and housing conditions. Check the current requirements on the UAE government portal.

Official sources

Fees, fund requirements and processing times change. Check the current figures on the official site before you apply.

Last reviewed 8 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. VisaWala is not affiliated with any embassy or government, and only the issuing authority decides a visa application.