by serviced
The mission visa UAE companies use to bring in a worker from abroad for a short project is two approvals: a Mission Work Permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), then a work-mission entry permit from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). The permit lasts three months and can be renewed once for a similar period, MOHRE's federal fee is AED 50, and the company applies, not the worker.
This guide is for HR teams and project managers. It is general information from MOHRE, ICP and the UAE Government portal (u.ae), checked on 5 November 2026, not legal advice: your company's file decides the outcome, so confirm your case with MOHRE (call centre 600590000) before anyone books a flight.
A mission visa is the everyday name for MOHRE's Mission Work Permit and the entry permit that follows it. The UAE Government portal says the permit lets a company bring in a worker from outside the UAE to complete a specific temporary job or time-bound project. MOHRE describes it as short-term employment based on projects.
It is one of MOHRE's 13 work permit types. Two other routes are often confused with it:
The applicant is the company, not the worker. MOHRE requires a valid licence with no violations that suspend it, an application from the authorised signatory, an electronic quota, and an occupation that fits the company's licensed activity. The worker must be 18 or older and must not already hold a valid UAE work permit.
All skill levels and professions can apply, MOHRE says, though the documents change with the skill level. Regulated jobs such as doctors, nurses, teachers and advocates need their professional licence first. The quota is the number of permits MOHRE lets a company hold; u.ae says MOHRE sets it from the company's legal status, facilities and projects, and may amend it at the company's request.
Use the mission route when someone who lives abroad will do paid work on a UAE project for three to six months. Use a standard work permit and residence visa when the role is long-term. A visit or tourist visa covers no work at all, and a jobseeker visa is for looking for a job, not doing one.
u.ae notes that Article 6 of the UAE Labour Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, makes working without a MOHRE work permit illegal, even for a few weeks.
| Route | Sponsor | Paid work? | Length | Extension | Published fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission work permit and entry permit | The UAE company | Yes, on the project | 3 months | Once, with MOHRE's approval | MOHRE AED 50; ICP three lines of AED 100 |
| Standard work permit with residence visa | The UAE company | Yes | 2 years | Renewable | Permit AED 250 to AED 3,450 by company class, before visa and medical fees |
| Tourist visa | A licensed tourism company or airline | No | 30, 60 or 90 days | Up to 120 days in total | AED 100 application, AED 100 a month, AED 100 smart service, refundable AED 1,000 guarantee |
| Jobseeker visit visa | No host needed | No, job hunting only | 60, 90 or 120 days, one trip | Up to 180 days in total | Not on u.ae's page |
Sources: MOHRE, ICP issuance and extension pages, u.ae work permits and jobseeker visa, checked 5 November 2026. Tourist visa fees are ICP's tourism list, single entry. For each visit route, see how long tourists can stay in the UAE.
The company applies twice. First, its authorised signatory applies to MOHRE for the Mission Work Permit on MOHRE's website or app, through Tawseel or at a service centre, logging in with UAE Pass. Once the permit is issued, the company applies to ICP for the work-mission entry permit, which needs MOHRE's approval, and the worker enters within 60 days.
u.ae lists a local residency directorate alongside MOHRE and ICP; in Dubai that is the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA Dubai), so Dubai companies should confirm the entry step there.
For MOHRE: a colour photo on a white background, a passport valid for at least six months, MOHRE's job offer form signed by both sides, an academic certificate for skill levels 1 to 5, and a professional licence for regulated jobs. For ICP: health insurance valid in the UAE, a return ticket and the documents on its work-mission list.
ICP keeps one document list for work-mission and employment entry visas, so not every item applies to a mission. It includes a medical report, a temporary job contract or a letter stating the purpose of entry, an employer certificate, the travel ticket and, for announced categories, an attested good conduct certificate. Ask ICP which ones your worker needs.
The published government fees are small: AED 50 for MOHRE's Mission Work Permit, plus a business-centre commission capped at AED 72 if you don't use MOHRE's website or app, and three AED 100 lines on ICP's fee list for the entry permit. Insurance, any financial guarantee and medical costs aren't published as one figure.
| Item | Fee (checked 5 November 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Work Permit, federal fee | AED 50 | MOHRE |
| Business-centre commission | Capped at AED 72; none on MOHRE's website and app | MOHRE |
| Entry permit: application, issuance and smart service fees | AED 100 each | ICP |
| Extending the 60-day entry window, before arrival | AED 50 | ICP |
| Extending the visa (once) | AED 100 application + AED 500 | ICP |
| Overstay fine | AED 50 a day | ICP |
| Health insurance valid in the UAE | Set by the insurer; not published | ICP condition |
| Financial guarantee | Mentioned in ICP's terms (government bodies exempt); no amount on the tab | ICP |
MOHRE's fees exclude tax and collection charges, and its card shows no separate renewal fee, so ask when you renew.
MOHRE issues the Mission Work Permit for three months, renewable once for a similar period, so one project can run for about six months on it. ICP extends a work-mission visa issued on MOHRE's approval once only, and only if MOHRE approves the extension. For anything longer, ask MOHRE about a standard work permit.
ICP's page gives no length in days for the entry permit itself, so plan on the permit's three months and the dates on the issued visa. If the job becomes permanent, neither MOHRE nor ICP describes switching from a mission permit to a standard one, so ask MOHRE well before the mission permit ends.
MOHRE's Mission Work Permit card lists no medical test. ICP's document list for its work-mission category, which it shares with employment entry for residence, does include a medical report and a medical fitness certificate for work. Ask MOHRE or the centre filing the visa which applies before the worker travels.
The full medical fitness test and the Emirates ID belong to the residence route: u.ae's recruiting guide places both in the two months after the work entry permit is issued.
A furnished apartment booked by the month fits the permit: most stays on servicedapartments.ae have a 30-night minimum, so a three-month permit is one three-month booking or three monthly ones. The company can make the booking, but each worker checks in with their own passport and mission visa: in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, hotel apartments must register every guest.
On 5 November 2026, all 52 Abu Dhabi listing pages we checked on servicedapartments.ae showed a 30-night minimum stay and free car parking, useful if the project provides a car. Before you book:
Housing more than one specialist? Our corporate housing programme can put together one quote for the whole team.
An entry visa for someone from abroad to do a specific temporary job or project for a UAE company, issued after MOHRE grants a Mission Work Permit. The company applies.
MOHRE issues the Mission Work Permit for three months, renewable once for a similar period. The worker must enter within 60 days of the entry permit's issue (ICP).
MOHRE's federal fee is AED 50, plus a business-centre commission capped at AED 72. ICP's fee list for the entry permit shows AED 100 each for application, issuance and smart service (checked 5 November 2026).
Yes, once. MOHRE renews the permit once, and ICP extends a work-mission visa once only with MOHRE's approval, for AED 100 plus AED 500.
Yes. MOHRE says an electronic quota is required. The Temporary Work Permit, for staff already working for another UAE employer, needs none.
No. u.ae notes that under Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, working in the UAE without a MOHRE work permit is illegal.
MOHRE lists 2 working days for the permit, and ICP lists 2 days for the visa. Requests for extra documents add time.
Bringing a specialist in for a project? Send the start date, the permit's length and the site's location through our corporate housing page, and ask how an extension works before you confirm. Rules and fees checked on 5 November 2026.
RAK NYE registration opens on 15 November 2026 at raknye.com/register. Which of the three routes you need, how children and cars are... Read More
How warm Abu Dhabi is from November to March on the National Center of Meteorology's averages, where nights get cool, the dated... Read More
The UAE National Day holiday 2026 is confirmed: Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December for the private sector, Wednesday 2 to Friday... Read More
