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Formal work in the UAE (Dubai): requirements, costs, MoHRE work permit and visa

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated Last verified

Open Formal work with a MoHRE work permit

Open for work with legal-entity employers, through P3MI agencies holding an SIP2MI or as an independent migrant worker who reports officially. Work for household employers (individual users), including domestic work, is under moratorium.

Status as of 7 October 2026 The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)

Summary

  • Every foreign worker in the UAE needs a MoHRE work permit; the permit to recruit a worker from outside the UAE is valid for two years.
  • The UAE standard work visa is valid for two years, is renewable, and must be applied for by the employer.
  • UAE labour law bans employers from charging workers recruitment and employment costs.
  • Only work for legal-entity employers is allowed, through a P3MI or as an independent migrant worker; domestic work in the UAE is still under moratorium.
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On this page
  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What does it cost and who pays?
  3. How much does it pay?
  4. Which visa is used?
  5. What are the steps?
  6. Which schools or training lead to the United Arab Emirates?
  7. How much does formal work in the UAE pay?
  8. Which documents do you need to work in the UAE?
  9. Where can you report a work problem in the UAE?
  10. What are the warning signs of offers to the United Arab Emirates through this route?
Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis
Route Run by Official link Who pays placement costs Legal basis
Formal work with a MoHRE work permit Work permit to recruit a worker from outside the UAE Through a licensed P3MI agency; Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), United Arab Emirates Official source Through a P3MI, the employer bears placement costs; worker costs must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Independent applications follow this route’s specific cost rules. See the cost rules Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

See this route in the comparison table

What do you need to work in the United Arab Emirates through Formal work with a MoHRE work permit?

Placement channels from Indonesia for working in the United Arab Emirates through Formal work with a MoHRE work permit: Through a licensed P3MI agency; Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer. Age limits: at least 18 years.

Placement channels from Indonesia
Through a licensed P3MI agency; Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer An independent migrant worker goes without an agency, only to a legal-entity employer, and must report to the labour office and the Indonesian mission. This is not the same as an individual employer (a household), or an individual who places migrant workers, which is banned.
Age
at least 18 years
Job types
Hospitality, Healthcare, Construction

What does working in the United Arab Emirates through Formal work with a MoHRE work permit cost, and who pays?

For placement through a P3MI on the Formal work with a MoHRE work permit route to the United Arab Emirates, the employer bears placement costs; any costs charged to the worker must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Independent applications follow the route-specific cost rules below.

  1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

Cost rules for this route

  • Recruitment and employment costs in the UAE: Article 6(4) of UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 bans employers from charging workers recruitment and employment costs, directly or indirectly. UAE Government (u.ae document store)
  • Travel and residence permit: The UAE Government's official portal says recruitment, travel and UAE residence-permit costs are borne by the employer. The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)
  • Charges in Indonesia: Placement-cost components, including training, certification, passport, medical checks and social security, are borne by the employer unless a lawful exception applies. Any cost charged to you must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

What is the minimum pay for working in the United Arab Emirates through Formal work with a MoHRE work permit?

Not enough data: we have not found an official pay floor for this route that we could verify.

Which visa do you need to work in the United Arab Emirates through Formal work with a MoHRE work permit?

Standard work visa: the UAE's standard work visa, valid for two years and renewable; the employer must apply for it. Official source

What are the steps to work in the United Arab Emirates through Formal work with a MoHRE work permit?

  1. Find the vacancy in the SISKOP2MI job list and check that the employer is a legal entity and the P3MI is active.
  2. Create your own SISKOP2MI account, choose a P3MI and a job, and upload your documents. Registration on SISKOP2MI is free of charge.
  3. Take part in the selection, accept a written job offer and keep a copy. Sign the Placement Agreement after a placement officer explains it.
  4. The employer obtains the MoHRE permit to recruit a worker from outside the UAE, then applies for the standard work visa.
  5. Attend the pre-departure orientation (OPP) and make sure you hold an E-KPMI, issued free through SISKOP2MI.

The order and timings are editor estimates, not promises.

Which schools or training lead to the United Arab Emirates?

The education and training routes linked to working in the United Arab Emirates through Formal work with a MoHRE work permit: Vocational high school (SMK) in Indonesia, D3 vocational diploma in Indonesia, BNSP competency certification in Indonesia.

How much does formal work in the UAE pay?

KarirAman shows no pay figure for the UAE because it has not found a general minimum wage for foreign workers that can be verified from an official source. Your pay must be written in the job offer, the SISKOP2MI job order and the employment contract. The UAE's official portal asks workers to contact MoHRE if their salary is not paid in full and on time.

Which documents do you need to work in the UAE?

Documents in Indonesia follow Law 18/2017 Article 13 and Regulation P2MI 2/2026: national ID card, marital-status letter, permission from your spouse, parents or guardian acknowledged by the village head or lurah, competency certificate, JKN card, health certificate, social security, passport, work visa, Placement Agreement and employment contract. Also keep a copy of the job offer you signed, because the UAE contract must match it. Panduan Warga passport guide

Where can you report a work problem in the UAE?

For unpaid wages or contract problems, the UAE's official portal tells workers to contact MoHRE's Labour Claims and Advisory Call Centre, which is toll-free inside the UAE. For help as an Indonesian citizen, including when your documents are held, contact the foreign ministry through Peduli WNI or the Indonesian missions in the UAE.

What are the warning signs of offers to the United Arab Emirates through this route?

How to check a P3MI agency in 5 steps Learn the signs of trafficking through job offers

KarirAman is 100% free. We never ask for money. Our no-fee policy

Not legal advice. Always check SISKOP2MI before you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for the visa and work permit in the UAE?

According to the UAE Government's official portal, recruitment and travel costs and the cost of the residence permit are borne by the employer. Article 6(4) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 bans employers from charging workers recruitment and employment costs, directly or indirectly.

My UAE contract differs from the one I signed in Indonesia. What should I do?

The UAE's official portal says the employment contract in the UAE must match the job offer you signed in your home country. Keep a copy of that offer and contact MoHRE if the job or pay does not match. On the Indonesian side, Law 18/2017 Article 71 bans placing migrant workers in work that differs from the employment contract.

Can I travel on a visit visa and look for work in the UAE?

Working in the UAE without a valid MoHRE work permit breaks UAE law, and employers may not recruit without one. On the Indonesian side, migrant workers must also hold a work visa under Law 18/2017 Article 13. Travelling first on a visit visa is not a legal route.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Work permits (UAE private sector) The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · accessed
  2. Work visa (standard work visa) The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · accessed
  3. Protection of workers' rights The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · accessed
  4. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationship (English text) UAE Government (u.ae document store) · UAE Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 · accessed
  5. UEA jadi pasar strategis baru bagi pekerja migran Indonesia Kontan · official statement via media · accessed
  6. Keputusan Menteri Ketenagakerjaan Nomor 260 Tahun 2015 tentang Penghentian dan Pelarangan Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia pada Pengguna Perseorangan di Negara-negara Kawasan Timur Tengah JDIH Kementerian Ketenagakerjaan · Kepmenaker 260/2015 · accessed
  7. SISKOP2MI: Daftar Lowongan KP2MI (SISKOP2MI) · accessed
  8. SISKOP2MI: daftar P3MI, detail status dan daftar P3MI dengan sanksi administratif KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI) · accessed
  9. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  10. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
  11. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 2 Tahun 2026 tentang Tata Cara Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia oleh Pelaksana Penempatan Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 2/2026 · accessed
  12. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 34 Tahun 2025 tentang Kartu Pekerja Migran Indonesia Elektronik Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 34/2025 · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Formal work in the UAE (Dubai): requirements, costs, MoHRE work permit and visa. Updated 8 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/uae/formal-sector/

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Change log
  • : Clarified the terms: independent migrant workers (a legal route without an agency) are set apart from household employers under moratorium.