Business Support in the UAE and Abroad
Day 0
Licence and establishment card
The company’s deadlines run from this date. Without a valid card, the company cannot sponsor visas.
Salaries by the 1st
Salaries through WPS are due by the 1st of the following month, with no grace period since 1 June 2026. From day 5, MOHRE stops new work permits, and fines follow.
Business Support in the UAE and Abroad
PRO Services in the UAE — We Deal with the Authorities for You
A PRO handles a company’s business with government authorities: files applications, collects documents and responds to official requests. We take this work off your hands — one-off or by subscription — and the status of every filing is visible in your client portal.
- 2 formats
- One-off tasks or a subscription
- No visits
- Most filings happen without you
- Online
- Status of every filing in your portal
- WhatsApp · Telegram
- Day-to-day contact
In short
A PRO handles your company’s business with the authorities — one-off or by subscription, mostly without you. We watch costly deadlines: an establishment card over 30 days late costs AED 100 a month, hiring without a work permit — a fine from AED 100,000, and after visa cancellation a Dubai employee has 60 days.
Checked 4 November 2026 · Violetta Absalyamova
Cost of a mistake
File blocked
If a Dubai mainland licence is not renewed on time, the company’s immigration file is blocked, and every month overdue costs AED 200.
How to avoid itWhat a PRO does
A PRO takes a company through UAE government authorities: knows where and in what order to file, prepares the documents and follows the application to the result. The order depends on the emirate and zone — the mainland and every free zone have their own portals.
Licence and visas — different authorities
The licence is renewed with the DET or the zone authority, visas with immigration, work permits with MOHRE. Each has its own deadline and its own fine.
One mistake means filing again
A name that differs from the passport, an expired document, the wrong application category — and the application comes back. The government fee is generally not refunded on rejection.
Changes set off a chain
A new shareholder means the licence, the articles, the beneficial owner register, the establishment card and the bank. A missed link will surface at the next filing.
Deadlines in the calendar
Expiry dates of the licence, establishment card, visas and work permits are visible in your client portal. We remind you about renewals in advance.
Expert tip
Before any filing, check how the name and passport number appear in the visa, the Emirates ID and the company documents. A discrepancy is easier to fix before the application than after a rejection.
Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal mattersWho it suits
When you need a PRO
A good fit if
- 01You have a company in the UAE, and government filings eat up your time: the licence, visas, MOHRE.
- 02You live outside the Emirates or travel a lot — and want applications to move without you.
- 03You are hiring: a work permit, a contract and a visa for every employee.
- 04You are changing a shareholder, the manager, the company name or its business activity.
- 05An application was returned or rejected, and you need to know what to fix.
Something else fits better if
- 01There is no company yet — start with the jurisdiction, the business activity and registration.Company registration
- 02You only need a visa — for yourself or your family, with no company tasks.Visas
- 03The question is legal: a contract, a dispute, an appeal against an authority’s decision.Legal services
Benefits
What you get
How to choose
One-off task or annual support
It depends on how often your company deals with the authorities
- 01
One-off task
A single procedure: a licence renewal, an employee visa, a change in the company. We agree the scope and budget for that specific task.
- 02
Annual support
Regular filings are handled by a dedicated manager who keeps track of the deadlines for every document in the package.
Annual Support - 03
When to start with a one-off
The task is clear, but how many there will be in a year is not. Start with one — you can switch to annual support at any time.
- 04
When to go for a year straight away
You hire people, renew visas and change something in the company every year. We will work out the annual scope and compare it with one-off tasks.
Deadlines
The deadlines we keep under control — and what being late costs
The scale shows the year from the licence date; below are employee deadlines and those triggered by an event. Amounts follow the rules of ICP, GDRFA, MOHRE and DET as of October 2026; free zones set their own licence tariffs.
0123456789101112months from the licence date
30 days before expiry
Licence renewal
First the lease and Ejari, then the licence: without Ejari, a mainland licence will not be renewed.
If missed: on the Dubai mainland — AED 250 for failing to renew and AED 200 for every month overdue; the immigration file is blocked
Year end
Establishment card
Usually renewed together with the licence — and only while the licence is valid and fines are paid.
If missed: AED 100 for every month once more than 30 days overdue — up to AED 1,000
Every month
By the 1st of the following month
Salaries through WPS
For companies in the MOHRE system, since 1 June 2026 — with no grace period. Met if at least 85% of the payroll is paid.
If missed: from day 5 MOHRE stops new work permits, then fines follow
For each employee
Usually every 2 years
Work permit
Renewal with MOHRE: AED 250, 1,200 or 3,450 depending on the company’s category, plus AED 50 per application.
If missed: AED 200 a month once more than 60 days overdue — up to AED 2,000
From 6 months before expiry
Visa and Emirates ID
The Emirates ID expires with the visa and can be renewed 6 months ahead. For a visa renewal, the employee’s passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
If missed: Emirates ID — AED 20 a day after a month overdue, up to AED 1,000
On an event
15 days after a change of owners
Beneficial owner register
Details of the new owners go to the licensing authority. The licence, the articles and the immigration file are updated alongside.
If missed: a warning and 15 days to fix it, then AED 15,000, then AED 30,000 for a repeat
After the visa is cancelled
Employee grace period
An employee in Dubai — 60 days, skilled workers of levels 1–3 — 90, Golden and Green — 180, others — from 30. Within it — a new visa or departure.
If missed: AED 50 for every day beyond the grace period
Let’s discuss the details
How many government tasks do you have a year?
Tell us how many employees you have, which renewals are coming up and what you plan to change. We will price one-off tasks and a subscription — and compare them.
Who does what
What we need from you for two common tasks
A new employee on the mainland and a change of shareholder. You take a few actions; we and the authorities handle the rest.
From you — the terms of employment and the employee’s documents; from the employee — the medical test and biometrics. The rest is on us and the authorities.
From you — the share transfer resolution and signatures. The licence, the articles, the beneficial owner register and the immigration file are updated in turn.
Process
How the work goes
Timing is set by the authority and the procedure — we give it once we have checked your documents.
Steps on your side: 1 of 6
We handle it · 4Needed from you · 1Authority · 1
What needs doing, in which emirate and zone, which documents you already have. We tell you straight away where you will be needed in person.
Step 1 of 6
We look at the task
What needs doing, in which emirate and zone, which documents you already have. We tell you straight away where you will be needed in person.
We handle it
Documents
What you’ll need
The list depends on the procedure and on where the company is registered. We will send you the exact list before we start.
Core documents
- Applicant’s passport
- Residence visa and Emirates ID — if any
- Company licence and registration documents — for corporate procedures
- Photo and the company’s establishment card — if the procedure requires them
For changes in the company
- Resolution of the shareholders or another company body
- Amendments to the articles — if needed
- Documents of the new shareholder or manager
- Share transfer documents — if a share is sold or gifted
- If the shareholder is a company: its corporate documents, legalised, and the representative’s authority
For employees
- Passport and photo
- Residence visa and Emirates ID — if any
- Position, salary and terms of employment
- Diploma or qualification document — if the procedure requires it
We will tell you whether translation, legalisation or a notary is needed before you start collecting documents.
Timing and budget
What makes up the budget
The budget is our fee, government fees and third-party costs: service centres, the medical test, translation. Government fees are set by the state, and at MOHRE they also depend on the company’s category. In the estimate, each is a separate line.
ItemDepends onWhen
- Our feeDepends onPer task or per subscription: depends on the procedure, the number of employees and the changes. We name it before the work starts.WhenBefore the work starts
- Government feesDepends onSet by the state. Example — MOHRE since June 2022: a two-year work permit costs AED 250, 1,200 or 3,450 depending on the company’s category, plus AED 50 per application.WhenWith every filing
- Service centre feesDepends onAmer and Tasheel charge their own fee on top of the government fee. We file through a centre or directly on the authority’s portal — depending on the task.WhenWhen filing through a centre
- Medical test and Emirates IDDepends onFor every employee — when the visa is issued and when it is renewed.WhenWith each employee visa
- Lease and EjariDepends onRenewed separately from the licence. On the mainland, the licence will not be renewed without a registered lease.WhenBefore the licence renewal
- Translation and legalisationDepends onFor foreign documents: a corporate shareholder’s resolutions, diplomas. MOFA attestation — AED 150 per personal document, AED 2,000 per commercial one; indicative as of October 2026.WhenWith changes and hiring
- Late penaltiesDepends onEstablishment card — AED 100 a month after 30 days, up to AED 1,000. Work permit — AED 200 a month after 60 days, up to AED 2,000. Emirates ID — AED 20 a day after one month, up to AED 1,000.WhenOnly if you are late
Result
What you will have in hand — and how long it lasts
Each task produces its own set of documents. Terms follow the authorities’ rules; free zones may have their own.
Work permit
MOHRE or the zone authority
The employee’s right to work for your company specifically. Hiring without it means a fine from AED 100,000.
Usually 2 years
Employment contract
MOHRE or the zone authority
Matches the offer. On the mainland — on the MOHRE form, in Arabic and a language the employee understands.
Fixed-term, length by agreement
Residence visa
GDRFA in Dubai or ICP
Electronic, with no sticker in the passport. For renewal, the passport must be valid for another 6 months.
Usually 2 years
Emirates ID
ICP
The resident’s identity card. Can be renewed 6 months before expiry.
For the term of the visa
Renewed licence
DET or the zone authority
Renewed after the lease and Ejari. A lapse blocks the immigration file.
Usually 1 year
Ejari
Lease registration in Dubai
On the mainland, without a registered lease the licence is neither issued nor renewed.
Establishment card
GDRFA or ICP
The company’s immigration file: without a valid card, no visas can be issued.
Its own term; usually renewed with the licence
Amended licence
DET or the zone authority
A new shareholder, manager, name or business activity — recorded in the licence itself.
Beneficial owner register
Kept by the company, details go to the licensing authority
Who ultimately owns and controls the company.
Update within 15 days
Updated immigration and labour files
GDRFA or ICP and MOHRE
The company’s new details in the establishment card and the MOHRE file, so the next visas do not get stuck.
Attested documents
MOFA and consulates
Foreign resolutions and a corporate shareholder’s documents. Legalisation does not expire, but authorities and banks often ask for recently issued documents.
Getting it right
Mistakes that cost a fine or time
Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 7 open
01 What people often do
Change of shareholder
Add the new shareholder to the licence and consider the job done.
02 What people often do
Establishment card
Renew the licence and forget about the establishment card.
03 What people often do
Working without a permit
Let an employee start work while the permit is still being processed.
04 What people often do
Permit renewal
Put off renewing a work permit because the employee is working anyway.
05 What people often do
Lease and Ejari
Renew a mainland licence and deal with the lease later.
06 What people often do
An employee leaving
Cancel a departing employee’s visa without telling them about the grace period.
07 What people often do
Details in the application
File an application where the name is spelt differently from the passport.
FAQ
Expert answers
Violetta Absalyamova — Business support and legal matters
A PRO handles administrative procedures: files applications, obtains documents and responds to official requests. A lawyer drafts contracts, advises on the law and handles disputes. Company changes need both: the lawyer prepares the share transfer documents, and the PRO takes the change through the licensing authority and immigration.
Violetta Absalyamova · Business support and legal mattersSources
- ICP — Renewal of Establishment Card
- ICP — renewal of residency permits and grace periods
- ICP — FAQ (Emirates ID)
- GDRFA Dubai — fine for not renewing an establishment card
- u.ae — Emirates ID: renewal and fines
- Gulf News — MOHRE work permit fees from June 2022
- Al Etihad — MOHRE permit fees and fines
- Gulf News — AED 50 a day overstay fine
Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.
Next step
Tell us what needs doing with the authorities
Describe the task — a visa, a licence amendment, a renewal, a new employee. We will tell you which documents are needed, how long it will take and what the budget is made of.
Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters