How to apply for jobs in the UAE

Employers in the Emirates screen applicants from dozens of countries for the same role, so the first lines of your CV must answer three questions at once: what you do, where you are now and how soon you could start. Put your current city and residence status in the header ("Dubai, UAE, residence visa" or "Based in Manila, open to relocation"), follow with a short profile, then your roles in reverse order with results you can explain at interview. Two pages are plenty for most experienced candidates. The UAE CV format guide covers the layout in detail.

The UAE Labour Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin or disability. Your CV therefore has no need to state your religion or marital status, and a photo belongs on it only when the posting asks for one. Keep your passport number off documents you upload to job sites; an employer needs it only once the permit process starts. A short cover letter or email that names the role and links your strongest result to it is enough; the cover letter builder drafts one from your CV.^[5]

The government portal is blunt: do not pay for a job. If a company or agency asks you for money to process a visa or a medical test, the offer is not genuine. The labour rights page adds that charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal and that recruitment and travel costs should be borne by the employer. Confiscating a worker's passport is also prohibited.

Before you share documents, check that an agency is licensed by MoHRE, which grants recruitment licences to UAE citizens only and can also take complaints. Be wary of offers that arrive without any interview, quote salaries far above the role and ask you to move quickly.^[1][5]

A short thank-you message after an interview is polite; if the recruiter gave you a timeline and it passes, one follow-up email is enough. Track every application, agency contact and interview date in the job tracker so you can answer quickly when a recruiter calls back.

When you talk about pay, ask for the offer split into basic salary and allowances. It matters later: end-of-service gratuity is calculated on the basic salary, based on 21 days' pay for each of the first five years of service, and excludes allowances such as housing and transport. Workers need at least one year of continuous service to qualify.

Probation may last up to six months and cannot be extended. During it the employer may end the contract with 14 days' written notice. If you want to move to another UAE employer during probation, you must give at least one month's written notice, and the new employer compensates the current one for recruitment costs unless agreed otherwise. Resigning during probation can also block a new work permit for one year. After probation, notice must be between 30 and 90 days.^[6][7][8]

It is illegal to work in the UAE without a valid work permit. MoHRE issues permits to establishments registered with it, and the application is made by the company, so you cannot apply for one yourself. For a hire from abroad the order is: a formal job offer, the signed contract, the work permit and then the work visa. The employer applies for the standard work visa, valid for two years and renewable, and the contract must be submitted to MoHRE within 14 days of your arrival.

Some people do not need an employer sponsor. Foreigners can get a visit visa to look for work, valid for 60, 90 or 120 days, without a sponsor. The green visa is a self-sponsored residence route for skilled employees and freelancers, and the golden visa is a long-term, renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years for investors, entrepreneurs, exceptional talents and outstanding students.

Degree certificates obtained outside the UAE need to be attested: first by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the issuing country, then by the UAE embassy or consulate there. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research also verifies foreign university degrees; its recognition report serves as an official document for employment, visas and government services. Start both early, because they take longer than the interviews. If your documents are in another language, translate your resume and keep the originals ready.^{[1][9][10][11][12][13][14]}

Private companies with 50 or more workers must raise the share of Emiratis in skilled jobs by 2 per cent a year, and since 2023 a company that misses its target pays AED 6,000 a month for each citizen not employed. Smaller companies with 20 to 49 workers in 14 sectors now have to hire Emiratis too. The Nafis programme runs national initiatives that support Emiratis in the private sector. For candidates from abroad this explains why some postings are marked for UAE nationals only.^[15]