United Arab Emirates · Work
United Arab Emirates Standard work visa
Standard Employment Residence Visa
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Standard work visa is a work route for United Arab Emirates. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Valid for two years and renewable under the terms of the issuing authority.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in United Arab Emirates
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- The applicant is a foreign employee of a government, semi-government or private-sector employer.
Documents4
- A passport valid for at least 6 months is required.
- A medical report is required.
- Government and semi-government employees submit the employment contract or the appointment decision.
- A Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation work permit applies where the employer is under the Labor Relations Law.
Steps2
- The employer must apply for the visa.
- Residence issuance procedures must be completed within 60 days of entry to the UAE.
After you arrive1
- The visa is valid for two years and renewable on the issuing authority's terms.
When you become tax resident
How United Arab Emirates decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in 12 consecutive months
- At least 90 days in 12 consecutive monthsApplies to UAE nationals, holders of a valid residence permit, or GCC nationals who also have a permanent place of residence in the UAE or work or carry on business there.
- Foreign-source income
No personal income tax
The UAE levies no income tax on individuals; foreign-source salary, investment and rental income of an individual is outside Corporate Tax.
All tax rules for United Arab Emirates Tax records checked
Full official text
Two-year employer-sponsored residence visa for employees of government and private-sector employers, renewable under issuing-authority terms. 1 2 3
Requirements
- The applicant is a foreign employee of a government, semi-government or private-sector employer. 1 4
- A passport valid for at least 6 months is required. 4
- A medical report is required. 4
- Government and semi-government employees submit the employment contract or the appointment decision. 4
- A Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation work permit applies where the employer is under the Labor Relations Law. 4
- The employer must apply for the visa. 1
- Residence issuance procedures must be completed within 60 days of entry to the UAE. 4
- The visa is valid for two years and renewable on the issuing authority's terms. 1
Stay
- Two years, renewable subject to the issuing authority's terms.
- Visa validity: 24 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Work for the sponsoring employer.
Family
A resident can sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs on a minimum monthly income of AED 4,000, (≈ $1,090) or AED 3,000 (≈ $820) plus employer-provided housing. Adequate housing and proof of kinship are required, and the family permit cannot run longer than the sponsor's. Your spouse or partner needs their own work permit to work in the United Arab Emirates.
Official sources
- Work visa · UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence visa for families of employees (includes UAE citizen's spouse, parent and child) · UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-11
- Work permits · The UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-10
- Issuing Residency Permit (terms, fees and documents for each applicant category) · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) · checked 2026-10-12
Standard work visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard work visa | – | – | – |
| Green · Skilled worker | Needs income of AED 15k+ a month ≈ $4,080 | – | – |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden Visa · Parent rep $25M Indonesia | Needs an investment from $25M | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Standard work visa?
Two years, renewable subject to the issuing authority's terms.
Can I work on the Standard work visa?
Work for the sponsoring employer.
Can I bring my family on the Standard work visa?
A resident can sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs on a minimum monthly income of AED 4,000, (≈ $1,090) or AED 3,000 (≈ $820) plus employer-provided housing.
How are Standard work visa holders taxed in United Arab Emirates?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Standard work visa. The standard rules apply: The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals; VAT is 5%. Individuals running a business in the UAE pay corporate tax only if business turnover exceeds AED 1 million (≈ $272,000) in a calendar year.
More in United Arab Emirates
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Work visa · UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence visa for families of employees (includes UAE citizen's spouse, parent and child) · UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-11
- Work permits · The UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-10
- Issuing Residency Permit (terms, fees and documents for each applicant category) · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.