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PRO services in Dubai cover the government paperwork a company must keep up: the GDRFA establishment card, staff visas, MOHRE work permits, licence renewals and attestation. Published price lists of Dubai PRO firms show monthly retainers of about AED 1,000 to AED 3,000 for a small company, and AED 150 to AED 500 per simple transaction, with government fees always extra.
"PRO" stands for public relations officer, but no UAE authority publishes an official definition. In practice it means the person or firm who deals with the authorities for your company.
What a PRO handles, and with whom
| Task | Authority | Where it is usually done |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment card (company immigration file) | GDRFA | GDRFA app or website, Amer center |
| Residence visas, renewals, cancellations | GDRFA | GDRFA channels, Amer centers |
| Work permits, labour contracts, MOHRE company file | MOHRE | MOHRE app or website, Tasheel business service centers |
| Trade licence renewal and amendments | DET (mainland) or the free zone | DET online services, or the free zone's own system |
| Ejari for the office lease | Dubai Land Department | Dubai REST, trustee centers |
| Document attestation | MOFA, and embassies abroad | MOFA channels |
A good PRO also keeps a calendar of every expiry: licence, establishment card, each visa, each work permit and the lease. Each missed date can mean a fine or a blocked application, so the calendar matters as much as the filing.
The first job a PRO usually does
For a new company, the first filing is normally the GDRFA establishment card, because no one can be sponsored without it. GDRFA lists AED 200 plus 5% VAT and 48 hours. The same GDRFA page also mentions AED 100 per year and does not say how the two fit, so a careful PRO reads the payment screen instead of quoting from memory. Documents, extras and the MOHRE card are on establishment card in Dubai.
What a PRO costs, briefly
Published price lists of Dubai PRO firms, checked , show about AED 1,000 to AED 3,000 a month for a small company on a retainer, AED 150 to AED 500 per simple transaction and AED 500 to AED 1,500 per visa, always with government fees on top. Whether a monthly package beats paying per job depends on how many transactions you have in a year; PRO services packages walks through that comparison and what to ask about scope.
What you can do yourself
Plenty. MOHRE services are free on its website and app apart from federal fees, and when you use a MOHRE business service center instead, the center's commission is capped at AED 72 per service (MOHRE, checked ). Many GDRFA services, including residence renewals and cancellations, are listed for Amer centers and the GDRFA app. A typing center charges about AED 40 to AED 200 per form, according to published price lists of Dubai typing centers.
So a founder with one visa and time to spare can often manage alone. The value of a PRO is time, and knowing which document each authority will reject before you queue for it. For the difference in detail, see typing center services.
How to check a PRO firm before you sign
- Ask for an itemised quote. Government fees, the PRO's own fee and VAT should be separate lines. A single number with nothing behind it is hard to compare.
- Ask for the government receipts. GDRFA, MOHRE and DET payments produce their own receipts. You should get copies.
- Check status yourself. You can follow any GDRFA application, and the establishment card, on the GDRFA status inquiry with the application or file number.
- Limit the authority you give. If the PRO needs to act as your manager or signatory, the authorisation is notarised. Give it for the tasks you agreed, not open-ended.
- Keep your originals. Hand over copies unless an original is needed for a specific step, and get it back the same week.
- Ask what the retainer excludes. Check whether visas, attestation and urgent fees are inside the monthly fee or billed on top.
How the PRO work is split with you
Tell us what the company needs: a new establishment card, visas for new staff, upcoming renewals or a cancellation. Send the licence, establishment card and staff passports once. The partner team types and submits each file with GDRFA or MOHRE, books medicals and Emirates ID biometrics for every employee, and renews the licence and Ejari when due. Companies most often get caught by an expiry nobody tracked, so the team keeps the dates. Your office stops sending someone to Amer and Tasheel. One transaction or a year of work, each job is one total, government fees itemised apart from the service charge. For a new company, start with business setup in Dubai.
