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A PRO services package in Dubai is a monthly retainer for a firm that handles your company's government transactions. Published price lists show about AED 1,000 to AED 6,000 a month for small and mid-size companies, with government fees billed on top. Between packages, the real difference is the scope: how many visas, renewals and other jobs the fee covers before extras start.
This page is about choosing a package. For what a PRO does and the GDRFA establishment card fees, see PRO services in Dubai.
Package tiers firms publish
The ranges below come from published price lists of Dubai PRO firms, checked . They are service fees only.
| How the firm labels it | Monthly range |
|---|---|
| Basic package (one firm's tiers) | AED 1,000 to AED 2,000 |
| Mid-level package (same firm) | AED 2,500 to AED 5,000 |
| Corporate package (same firm) | AED 8,000 to AED 35,000 |
| Small company retainer (other firms) | AED 1,000 to AED 3,000 |
| Mid-size company retainer (other firms) | up to AED 5,000 to AED 6,000 |
| Larger or regulated companies | Custom pricing |
Advertised retainers across the market run from about AED 800 to AED 30,000 a month depending on scope. No authority publishes a rate card for PRO work, so any figure is a firm's own price.
Some firms also sell an annual package. One published example started from AED 4,595 a year for visas, renewals and liaison, without itemising what that covers.
What a package usually covers, and what it leaves out
Firms that describe their retainers list standard visa processing, renewals, routine coordination with the authorities and expiry tracking. Beyond that, every firm draws the line in a different place. Use this checklist when you read a proposal.
| Task | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Employee residence visa renewals (visa renewal) | Included? Urgent options extra? |
| New employee visas (employment visa) | How many a month before extra fees? |
| MOHRE work permits and contract updates (labour card) | Are transfers and amendments counted separately? |
| Visa and work permit cancellations | Included, and what about dispute cases? |
| Establishment card and licence renewal | Included, or only the renewal and not amendments? |
| Ejari renewal | Included for the current premises? |
| Document attestation (company documents) | Priced per document? MOFA fee on top? |
| New company or branch set-up | Separate quote? |
Government fees sit outside all of these. A visa renewal inside your package still carries the GDRFA, medical and Emirates ID fees. A new hire carries the MOHRE work permit fee as well, which depends on the company's MOHRE category, so two companies on the same package can pay very different totals for the same visa.
Retainer or pay per task: the arithmetic
A retainer only saves money if you use it. A quick way to test a quote:
- List the transactions you had in the last 12 months.
- Price them at per-task rates. Published per-task fees run from about AED 150 to AED 500 for simple jobs and about AED 500 to AED 1,500 per visa in service fees. One firm quotes pay-as-you-go visa handling at AED 2,500 to AED 7,000 per employee without splitting out the government part, so ask what a per-visa quote includes.
- Compare that total with 12 months of the retainer.
A company with two visas and a licence might spend less per task. A company hiring every quarter usually comes out ahead on a retainer, and gets one person tracking every date.
Questions to ask each firm
- What counts as one transaction? A visa renewal can be one line or five (medical, Emirates ID, stamping, contract, insurance).
- How many of each task does the fee include? "Unlimited renewals" and "two new visas a month" are very different.
- Who pays the government fees, and when? Some firms pay first and invoice, others ask for a float.
- Do I get the government receipts? You should. GDRFA, MOHRE and DET each issue their own.
- What is the response time? For a staff member waiting on an entry permit, days matter.
- What does the invoice look like? Ask for a sample with the service fee, any VAT and the government fees on separate lines, so you can see what you pay for the work itself.
- How do I leave? Notice period, return of originals and handover of the expiry calendar.
Red flags
- A single monthly figure with no list of what it covers.
- No trade licence shown for the firm itself.
- Requests for open-ended power of attorney when the work is routine.
- Holding your passports or originals for longer than a specific step needs.
- Claims of guaranteed approvals. Only the authority approves.
What you can still do in-house
Some MOHRE services are free on its website and app apart from federal fees, and many GDRFA renewals run through the GDRFA app or an Amer center. A company with one admin person and few staff can cover a lot alone, and buy help only for the heavy jobs: new visas, cancellations, attestation. For one-off errands without a contract, document clearing offices work per task. The company services hub lists each of those tasks with its own guide.
Building a PRO package around your dates
Tell us your headcount, which visas, permits and licences renew in the next 12 months, and any hires or exits you expect. Send the licence, establishment card and a staff list with expiry dates. The partner team builds the scope from those dates, types and files each transaction with GDRFA, MOHRE or DET, books staff medicals and Emirates ID biometrics, and keeps the expiry calendar. Packages usually disappoint when the scope leaves out government fees or caps the number of transactions, so both are written down. Monthly or per job, you get one total price before work starts, with government fees and the service charge listed separately.
