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The UAE job seeker visa, issued in Dubai by GDRFA, is a visit visa to look for work with no host or sponsor. It costs AED 200 for 60 days, AED 300 for 90 days or AED 400 for 120 days, plus 5% VAT and a AED 1,000 security deposit. You need MOHRE skill level 1, 2 or 3, or a degree from a top 500 university.
Fees and deposit
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 60 days | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| 90 days | AED 300 plus 5% VAT |
| 120 days | AED 400 plus 5% VAT |
| Security deposit | AED 1,000 |
| Warranty fee | AED 20 |
| Collection and return fee | AED 40 |
| If you apply from inside the UAE | AED 10, AED 10 and AED 500 more |
Source: GDRFA service page "Issuing a Visit Visa To Explore Job Opportunities", checked .
With VAT, the 60 day visa comes to AED 210 and the 90 day visa to AED 315. All three lengths work out at the same cost per day, so choose by how long you expect the search to take. Running out of days costs more than the longer visa would have.
Applying from inside the UAE, say on a tourist visa, adds the AED 500 inside the country fee and the two AED 10 charges. If you can apply before you fly, do.
Who can apply
GDRFA lists two ways in, and both need a bachelor's degree as a minimum:
- MOHRE skill level 1, 2 or 3. MOHRE classifies jobs and qualifications in levels. Levels 1 and 2 need a bachelor's or higher, levels 3 and 4 a diploma or higher, level 5 high school, and levels 6 to 9 have no education requirement. Anyone earning under AED 4,000 a month or without a degree is treated as not skilled.
- Graduates of the top 500 universities in the world, using the Ministry of Education's ranking.
Media reports also mention a rule for recent graduates and longer extensions. GDRFA's own page does not state those, so do not plan around them until GDRFA confirms.
Documents
- A personal photo
- A passport valid for at least 6 months
- Your university degree
Keep the degree in good order before you come. When you later move to an employment visa, MOHRE asks for attested certificates for skilled roles. Starting certificate attestation early avoids losing weeks after you get an offer.
Where to apply
GDRFA lists three channels and 48 hours for processing:
- online through GDRFA with UAE Pass,
- a GDRFA customer happiness center, or
- an Amer center. Our list of Amer centers in Dubai shows the nearest.
What the visa does not do
It does not let you work. It gives you time in the country to interview and sign. Work starts only once the employer has a MOHRE work permit for you, so do not agree to a trial week on the visit visa.
When the visa ends, you either leave, move to another visa, or start paying the overstay fine. No official page we checked states a grace period for visit visas, so treat the last day of your stay as the deadline. The overstay fine guide has a calculator if you are already past it.
When you get the job
The employer takes over from here. For a mainland company the usual order is:
- Work permit from MOHRE. The application fee is AED 50, and the two year permit fee depends on the company's MOHRE category: AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450. MOHRE lists 2 working days.
- Status change if you are still in the UAE on the job seeker visa. GDRFA's Status Amendment fee is AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10. See visa change inside the UAE.
- Medical test and Emirates ID, then the residence visa, valid 2 years for a private sector job.
Our employment visa guide covers the employer's side in full, including what employers usually pay per employee.
Job seeker visa or tourist visa
| Job seeker visa | Tourist visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | None | An accredited Dubai tourism company |
| Length | 60, 90 or 120 days | 30 or 60 days |
| Conditions | Skill level 1 to 3 or top 500 graduate, degree | Passport valid 6 months, onward ticket, health insurance |
| Deposit | AED 1,000 | None on the GDRFA tourist visa |
If you do not meet the skill or university rule, a Dubai visit visa is the other way in, but it is shorter and not designed for a job search.
