Last updated
Work permit renewal in Dubai can be filed up to 60 days before the permit expires, according to MOHRE. The fee follows the company's category: MOHRE's classification sets two-year fees of AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450. When an employee moves to another company instead, the new employer has 90 days from the old permit's cancellation to file a transfer.
The three things that can happen at expiry
Every two years, each employee's MOHRE permit reaches a fork:
| Situation | MOHRE service | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Employee stays | Renewal of work permit and contract | File up to 60 days before expiry |
| Employee moves to a new employer | Transfer work permit | New employer files within 90 days of cancellation |
| Employee leaves the UAE or the company closes | Cancellation of work permit and contract | Free online apart from federal charges, 2 working days |
Renewal: timing and steps
MOHRE's "Issuance/Renewal of Employment Contracts" page gives the 60-day window. Use it. Renewing late in the window leaves very little time for the steps that follow, which run through GDRFA and ICP and can't start until MOHRE has finished:
- MOHRE renews the work permit and contract.
- The employee takes the medical test, if due. In Dubai the normal service is AED 270 under Dubai Administrative Resolution No. 66 of .
- GDRFA renews the residence: AED 200 renewal, AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham, AED 500 fee inside the country and AED 20 delivery, so AED 740 in total for an employee renewing inside the UAE, 48 hours.
- The Emirates ID is renewed with ICP.
The GDRFA side is covered on visa renewal in Dubai.
Workers at MOHRE skill levels 5 to 9 attend a guidance workshop as part of the contract process, and contracts for levels 6 to 9 are delivered at workers' awareness centers. Find one on Tawjeeh centers.
Renewal fee: what MOHRE does and doesn't show
MOHRE's live renewal page lists a fee line called "work permit renewal for two years" and shows no amount. What is confirmed:
| Company category | Two-year fee in MOHRE's classification | Confirmed for renewal? |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | AED 250 | Stated as the cap for permits and transfers |
| Category 2 | AED 1,200 | Stated as the two-year fee |
| Category 3 | AED 3,450 | Yes, "issuance or renewal" |
Source: MOHRE news release on company classification, , checked .
An older snapshot of the renewal page showed the same three amounts. Budget on them, and confirm on the payment screen. UAE and GCC nationals pay no work permit fee.
Late renewal
Media reports describe a monthly fine on the company once a permit is left unrenewed past a deadline, with a cap. No current MOHRE page shows the amounts, so none are quoted here. Two problems are certain: the residence can't be renewed on an expired permit, and once the residence runs out the employee's own grace period starts. How long that grace lasts depends on the source and the category, explained on overstay fines in Dubai.
Transfer to a new employer
When an employee changes jobs, the new company uses MOHRE's "Transfer Work Permit" service:
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Federal fee | AED 50, all categories |
| Two-year transfer permit | AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450 by the new company's category |
| Business center commission | Up to AED 72 |
| Deadline | Within 90 days of the previous permit's cancellation |
| Condition | The job must fit the new company's licensed activity |
| Time | 2 working days |
Source: MOHRE transfer work permit service page, checked .
The order is MOHRE first, GDRFA second. After the transfer permit, the residence moves to the new sponsor. If the employee is changing from a visit or other visa instead, that is a status change, see visa change in Dubai.
Cancellation
MOHRE lists cancellation as free online apart from federal charges, with a business center commission of up to AED 72 and 2 working days. You need:
- MOHRE's cancellation form, signed by both parties if the permit was used.
- Proof that the worker's dues are paid.
- The employee's signature.
- Any late fines paid.
Then GDRFA cancels the residence, at AED 100 plus AED 10 and AED 10, using the MOHRE cancellation extract. Details on visa cancellation.
Keeping track across a team
With five or more staff, permits fall due at different months. Pull the list from MOHRE's inquiry service under Electronic Work Permit Information and keep one sheet with each permit, residence and Emirates ID expiry. Start each renewal at the 60-day mark. Published price lists of Dubai PRO firms show AED 300 to 800 for a labour contract update and AED 150 to AED 500 per simple transaction, government fees extra, checked .
Renewing your staff permits on time
Send the names, passport copies and expiry dates of the employees due. The partner team renews each MOHRE permit and contract inside the 60-day window, books the medical and Emirates ID biometrics, and files the GDRFA residence renewals straight after. Renewals slip when a passport is short, a contract salary differs from payroll or one permit is missed in a batch, so all three are checked first. For leavers they prepare the cancellation form and file in the right order. Your team stays out of Tasheel. You get one total price per batch, MOHRE fees and the service charge on separate lines. New hires are on labour card in Dubai.
