Insights
Short guides on residence, family, work and property rules in Dubai, checked by our team against official sources.
Power of attorney for Dubai property deals signed abroad (including Iran)
If you cannot come to Dubai, someone can sell, buy, gift or mortgage for you with a power of attorney. For a POA made outside the UAE, the official chain is: 1) sign it before a notary in your country; 2) have it…
Checked on 1 November 2026ReadAttesting foreign documents for use in the UAE (including documents from Iran)
UAE MOFA's rule for documents issued outside the UAE: (1) the original is attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country (after any earlier stamps that country requires, e.g. the issuing body or a…
Checked on 1 November 2026ReadGrace period after a residence permit is cancelled or expires, and for visit visas
In Dubai (GDRFA Dubai, the authority for Dubai residence files), the grace period after a residence permit is cancelled or expires is 60 days for every residence: during it you can get a new visa, change status or leave…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadEnd-of-service gratuity and notice period (UAE Labour Law)
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (private sector), a full-time worker with at least one year of continuous service is entitled to end-of-service gratuity: 21 days' basic wage for each of the first five years, and…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadLegal translation into Arabic
Arabic is the official language of UAE courts and notaries. Dubai Courts states that documents not in Arabic need a legal translation certified by the UAE Ministry of Justice, and foreign documents must also carry the…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadTypes of MOHRE work permits
MOHRE issues 13 types of work permits to establishments registered with it (u.ae, updated September 2026): (1) recruitment from outside the UAE – 2 years; (2) transfer of a non-UAE worker between establishments – 2…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadDubai Unified Licence (DUL) and the licence QR code
The Dubai Unified Licence (DUL) is a unique identity number that the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) gives to every business in Dubai, on the mainland and in the free zones. Each business also receives a QR…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadBeneficial owner (real beneficiary) rules for UAE companies
Under Cabinet Resolution No. 109 of 2023, every company licensed in the UAE, including those in commercial free zones, must know and record its beneficial owners. A beneficial owner is the natural person who owns or…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadSponsoring your family in Dubai: who can sponsor whom
A foreign resident of Dubai (man or woman) with a valid residence can sponsor: a spouse (wife or husband); sons under 25; unmarried daughters of any age; and children with special needs of any age. The salary must be at…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadEntry permit time limits and the 6-month absence rule
Entry permit for residence: GDRFA Dubai says a work entry visa lets the holder stay 60 days from entry to complete the residence (medical, Emirates ID, residence), and ICP's residence card says the same 60 days from…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadGrace period after a residence is cancelled or expires
GDRFA Dubai's service pages for private-sector residence and for cancellation state a grace period of 60 days to stay in the UAE after a residence permit expires or is cancelled; GDRFA's green partner residence pages…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadMedical fitness test and Emirates ID as part of residence
Every new or renewed residence for a person aged 18 or over needs a medical fitness result from a Dubai Health medical fitness centre (blood test and chest X-ray; screening includes HIV and tuberculosis). Some jobs…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadWhich MOHRE work permit cancellation applies to my case?
MOHRE cancels work permits through one service, 'Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts', but the documents depend on the worker's situation. The employer applies (through a Tasheel centre, the MOHRE…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadThe worker's bank guarantee and the protection insurance: what to know
Private-sector establishments must secure their workers' rights with MOHRE. Since Ministerial Resolution No. 318 of 2022 (announced 9 August 2022) they choose one of two options. The first is a bank guarantee of at…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadMOHRE establishment categories (1, 2, 3) and permit fees
MOHRE places every private establishment registered with it in one of three categories (u.ae calls them A, B and C). The category reflects how well the company complies with the labour law, the Wages Protection System…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadCan teenagers and students work in the UAE?
Yes, with the right MOHRE permit, applied for by the employing establishment. The standard work permits need a worker aged 18 or over. For younger people MOHRE has two permits. The juvenile work permit is for young…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadFrom job offer to residence: the order of MOHRE and immigration steps
For a mainland company, hiring a foreign worker usually goes in this order. 1) The employer and the worker sign MOHRE's official job offer. 2) The employer's authorised signatory applies for the work permit (in a…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadAbsconding (absence from work) reports: the rules
What MOHRE calls an absence-from-work complaint is what most people call an absconding report. An employer may file it only when a worker has been absent without a lawful reason for more than 7 consecutive days, the…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadWork permit quota and Taqyeem evaluation
Before a mainland company can bring workers from abroad, it needs an electronic work-permit quota from MOHRE. MOHRE gives a proactive quota without an application or documents. For more workers, the company asks for an…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadWage Protection System (WPS): what employers must know
The Wage Protection System is MOHRE's electronic system for paying private-sector wages through approved banks, exchange houses and financial institutions, so the Ministry can see that salaries are paid in full and on…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadYour company's MOHRE file: owners, signatories, PRO and signatures
A mainland company needs an establishment file (establishment card) at MOHRE before it can hire. The order is: trade licence from the economic department, establishment card at immigration (ICP/GDRFA), then the MOHRE…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadMOHRE establishment categories (1, 2, 3) and what they change
Since 1 June 2022 every mainland private-sector establishment registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) is placed in one of three categories under Cabinet Resolution No. 18 of 2022. The…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadMOHRE fines on employers, blocks and how to object
MOHRE's administrative fines are set by Cabinet Resolution No. 21 of 2020. They are imposed on the establishment, not the worker. Common examples: a work permit not renewed within 60 days of expiry costs AED 200 per…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadFamily members of Golden Visa holders
According to ICP, a Golden residence holder may sponsor: the spouse; children regardless of their age; parents; and domestic workers within the applicable rules. If the golden holder dies, the sponsored family may stay…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadGolden Visa: all categories and official thresholds
The UAE Golden residence is a long-term, self-sponsored, renewable residence. ICP's guide lists these categories (10 years unless stated): 1) Investors - public investment: a deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 in an…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadMedical fitness in Dubai: who is tested, what is tested, and what a positive result means
Who: expatriates applying for or renewing a residence in Dubai must get a Medical Fitness Certificate showing they are free of the specified communicable diseases (Cabinet Resolution No. 7 of 2008 as amended by No. 5 of…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadEmirates ID: biometrics, delivery and fines
Every UAE resident must hold an Emirates ID; its validity follows the residence visa and it is cancelled when the residence is cancelled. Biometrics: anyone who has completed 15 years of age must give fingerprints and a…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadWho can own property in Dubai, and where (freehold areas)
Under Regulation No. 3 of 2006, non-UAE nationals – both residents and people who do not live in the UAE – may own property outright (freehold) in areas designated by the Ruler of Dubai. In those areas they can also…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadResidence visas through property: 2-year investor, 10-year golden, 5-year retiree
Three property-linked residence routes are handled through DLD's visa centres (Al Manara Cube; Golden Cube at Dubai World Trade Centre for golden visas) and the agents DLD lists (EGSH Real Estate Registration Agent,…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadWhy Ejari matters: DEWA connection and residence/family visas
Ejari is the official registration of your tenancy contract with the Dubai Land Department. DLD states that all customers need Ejari for the DEWA move-in service: after the Ejari is registered, DEWA sends the tenant an…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadBuying property in Dubai as a non-resident
You do not need a UAE residence visa to buy in a freehold area. DLD accepts a valid passport for non-resident buyers and sellers, and the sale service is open to all residency statuses. Typical costs: DLD fee 4% of the…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadMainland or free zone licence?
A mainland licence is issued in Dubai by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and lets the business trade directly anywhere in the Dubai market and with government entities; it usually needs a physical office…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadOverstay fines (visit and residence visas) and past amnesties
Overstay means staying in the UAE after a visit or tourist visa has expired, or after the grace period of a cancelled or expired residence permit has ended. The official UAE government portal (u.ae, updated 28 September…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadStaying outside the UAE for more than 6 months on a residence visa
General rule (u.ae): if a foreign resident stays outside the UAE for more than 180 continuous days, the residence visa is cancelled automatically, and a new entry permit is normally needed to come back.
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadA baby born in the UAE: birth certificate and residence deadline
Deadline: parents (foreign residents) have 120 days (four months) from the birth to complete the baby's documents: birth certificate, passport, residence visa and Emirates ID. This is set in the executive regulation of…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadPassport validity, and what to do when you renew your passport
Validity needed: ICP's visa and residence-permit pages (checked 8 October 2026) require a passport valid for at least 6 months; GDRFA Dubai's service for amending residence data also asks for a passport valid for more…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadIranian nationals: what is officially known in 2025-2026
This note is factual and changes quickly; our staff check the current position before any application.
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadLost passport or Emirates ID: police certificate and replacement
Step 1 – Dubai Police lost item certificate: apply on the Dubai Police app, website (dubaipolice.gov.ae), a Smart Police Station or a police station. Dubai Police lists a fee of AED 50 plus AED 20 knowledge and…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadAttesting Iranian certificates (marriage, birth, degrees) for use in the UAE
Why: UAE authorities accept a document issued abroad (for example a marriage certificate for a family visa, a birth certificate, or a degree for some work permits or the Golden Visa) only after a chain of attestation…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadLabour basics: probation, notice, end-of-service gratuity, absence reports
Source: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (private sector) as amended, and its executive regulation (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022).
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadLegal translation into Arabic: when it is needed and who may do it
Arabic is the official language of UAE courts and many authorities. A document in another language (Persian, for example) usually needs a legal translation into Arabic when it is submitted to courts, the Ministry of…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadGovernment fees, service fees and VAT: how a bill is made up
A typical bill for a government transaction has three parts:
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadEmirates ID: what it is for, validity, biometrics and updates
What it is for: the Emirates ID card is issued by ICP and is used for government services, banks, phone lines, health services and the airport e-gates. Since 11 April 2022 residence stickers are no longer placed in…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadGovernment working days and hours in Dubai, and public holidays
Working week: since 1 January 2022 the federal government and the Government of Dubai work four and a half days. Official hours are Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 3:30 pm and Friday 7:30 am to 12:00 pm; Saturday and…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadScams: fake visa and job offers and phishing about government services
Dubai Police (August 2026) and MOHRE (August 2026) have warned about ads and messages offering jobs, residence or visit visas for money, mostly on social media and messaging apps, often using unlicensed company names or…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadA company's immigration file in Dubai: establishment card and PRO card
Before a Dubai company can sponsor residence visas, it needs an establishment card from GDRFA Dubai. This is the company's immigration file. It is separate from the company's file at MOHRE (for work permits): a mainland…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadResidence fines in Dubai: paying, asking the Fines Committee, and amnesties
Fines under the residence law (for example staying after a visa or residence expired) are recorded on the person's and the sponsor's files at GDRFA Dubai. ICP lists the overstay fine as AED 50 per day. The fines must be…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadNotary public in Dubai: contracts, declarations and fees
In Dubai, the notary public of Dubai Courts certifies the signatures of the parties on documents such as contracts, meeting minutes, declarations (affidavits) and powers of attorney, after checking their identity,…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadProtecting your brand: trademarks in the UAE
Your trade name on a DET licence is only the legal name of the business; it does not protect your brand. A logo, a name or both are protected across the UAE only after they are registered as a trademark with the federal…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadUsufruct and musataha: owning the right, not the land
Not every Dubai property document is a freehold title deed. In some areas, and for some older or developer projects, buyers receive a usufruct deed instead. A usufruct right (in DLD's words, a long-term lease) lets the…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadDLD trustee offices and how property fees are built
Most Dubai Land Department (DLD) property transactions are not done at DLD itself but at licensed private offices. Real Estate Registration Trustee offices handle registrations: sale, gift, mortgage, lease to own,…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadThe Dubai Municipality housing fee in your DEWA bill
Every month the DEWA (electricity and water) bill of a residential unit occupied by non-UAE nationals includes a Dubai Municipality housing fee. For tenants it is 5% of the annual rent in the Ejari tenancy contract,…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadMortgage, lease to own and finance lease at DLD
DLD records a bank's financing on a property in three main ways. A mortgage: you are the owner and the bank holds a registered mortgage; DLD charges 0.25% of the mortgage amount. Lease to own (Ijarah ending with…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadHow Dubai Land Department fees are built
Almost every Dubai Land Department (DLD) service fee has the same parts. First the DLD fee for the service itself, for example AED 50 for a To Whom It May Concern letter, AED 250 for issuing a title deed or AED 4,000…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadProperty maps in Dubai: land map, unified map and unit map
The Dubai Land Department issues official electronic maps for registered properties. A land map (often called a site plan or affection plan) shows a plot's number, area and boundaries. For land outside Dubai…
Checked on 8 October 2026ReadWhen a company needs an RTA no-objection certificate
In Dubai, a trade licence that includes a commercial transport activity needs the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) involved at every stage. RTA lists more than 80 such activities, for example car rental, hourly car…
Checked on 8 October 2026Read