Dubai cuts work visa processing time from 30 days to just 5

The UAE government launched an initiative called ‘Work Bundle’ to simplify employee residency and work permit procedures in private sector companies. The first phase of the initiative will be implemented in Dubai and will gradually expand to other emirates.

According to a statement published by Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Thursday, permits for eligible companies should now only take 5 working days instead of the previous 30. The government also slashed the number of documents required from 16 to 5, while number of steps required to get a permit have been cut from 15 to just 5.

Moreover, only two visits to service centres will be needed, instead of 7.

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Private sector companies will now have a single platform on which they can complete tasks like renewal, cancellation, medical examination, and fingerprinting. According to a post on X by the UAE media office, this platform is already serving more than 275,000 firms.

The development comes as Dubai remains an attractive destination for Pakistanis to live and work. In 2022, the city’s Pakistani population was estimated to be 400,000, or 13% of the total population.

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‘Expedite, simplify and streamline’

The Work Bundle is part of the UAE’s ’‘Zero Bureaucracy’ initiative which His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, said is “aimed at streamlining procedures and enhancing efficiency within the federal government”.

He described ‘Work Bundle’ as “a pioneering project designed to expedite, simplify, and streamline the processes related to residency and employment.”

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It “is set to reclaim 62 million working days previously devoted to the renewal of residencies and employment contracts within government frameworks,” he said, adding: “this project is expected to curtail 25 million procedures on an annual basis, thereby yielding substantial savings for both the governmental and private sector.”

The government also hopes the move will improve UAE’s competitiveness in global indicators related to the ease of establishing and managing businesses for private sector companies.

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Work Bundle will be provided initially on the ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform, an integrated digital business set-up platform. It will later expand to other government digital platforms.

The WAM statement also explained that steps for recruiting a new employee from outside the country include filling out a unified application, and issuing a work permit for the employee. After this, the employee will need to complete certain procedures, including medical examination and issuance of the Emirates ID card. These are mandatory steps that require the employee’s physical presence.