Contracting in the UAE

Employment

This is a standard form of employment – you officially work for a company who pays you a monthly salary.

Pros:

• Employers in Dubai are required to provide health insurance to their workers, as well as paid vacation and end-of-leave service gratuity
• Job security and stability – you are earning a stable monthly paycheck
• Possibility of advancement – the longer you work for a company, the more chance that they will promote you and you will get higher pay and benefits

Cons:

• Dependence on employer – you are dependent on your employer for your visa and residency status, and if you lose your job you run the risk of deportation
• Formal working hours – you may have to work “9-5”, as determined by your employment contract, rather than being able to determine your own working hours.

Self-Employment

This includes independent contracting, or freelancing – you provide services to a company based on a contract, while not being officially employed by them.

Pros:

• Governmental support – The Dubai government is very encouraging to the freelancing community, and getting a freelance license in the Free Zones is quite easy
• Great flexibility – you have the freedom to choose projects that interest you, and a working schedule that suits your needs.
• Potentially higher pay – you have total control over your income, and you can set your own rates and take on multiple jobs simultaneously

Cons:

• Cost of visa – getting a freelance visa to the UAE can be pricey to obtain and renew.
• No job security – since you are responsible for finding contracts to earn money, it can cause gaps in your income
• you need to get your own health insurance
• There can be a fine line between self-employment and regular employment. If, for example, you end up doing too much work exclusively for a specific company, you could be classified by an audit as falsely self-employed, which can result in very hefty fines and the possibility of some legal action against you/your client.

Standard Work Visa

This is the most basic type of visa for employed workers, which is usually valid for 2 years.

Requirements:

• Employment contract at a company in Dubai, either in the private sector, the government sector, or a free zone
• The application is done by the employer

Green Visa

This type of visa is for freelancers/self-employed people, or skilled employees. This visa can be renewed upon expiry.

Requirements for self-employment:

• Freelance permit from the Ministry of Human Resources
• Bachelor’s degree or a specialized diploma
• Either evidence of annual income as a freelancer over the past 2 years of at least AED 360,000, or proof that you have enough funds for your stay.

Requirements for skilled workers:

• Valid employment contract with a company in Dubai
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Monthly salary of at least AED 15,000
• Have classification in the first, second or third occupational level as per the Ministry of Human Resources

Golden Visa

This is a special extended residence permit for professionals with exceptional qualifications, investors, and entrepreneurs.

Requirements:

• The requirements for such a visa vary greatly depending on the background of the applicant, and what fields he is working in or what he is investing in.

Non-UAE Nationals

Anyone who is not a resident of the UAE must obtain a work and residence permit in order to work in Dubai.

Standard Employment

If you find a job at a company in Dubai, it is your employer’s duty to apply for all visas. When the initial work permit is approved, you can enter the country for two months, during which time the employer will help you acquire a residence permit, labour card and medical insurance.

It is also possible to enter the country with a tourist visa and look for a prospective employer to sponsor you.

Freelance / Self-Employed

In order to work in Dubai as a freelancer, you need to obtain a freelance visa. If you are a non-UAE resident, you first need to get a freelance permit online; with this permit, you can enter the country and complete all the requirements to get the visa. The visa also acts as a residence permit, so you do not need to get a separate permit to live in Dubai while freelancing.

As an Employer of Record, we conclude an agreement with you and your client. We become your legal employer while your client maintains control over your work relationship, ethics, tasks, and daily responsibilities.

Why is this needed?

Not all companies have registered legal entities in the countries where they need employees. Moreover, not all companies want to bother with payroll, work permits, taxes, social security, and in general paperwork when employing workers. That’s why it’s more profitable and convenient for them to turn to an EOR provider (such as Access Financial) who already has local experience and can take on all the worries associated with hiring employees and be responsible for their paperwork and compliance.

Here are just some of the services we offer in Dubai:

• Registering employees with the tax and social security office.
• Providing consultations on UAE labour regulation & benefits.
• Setting up the Payroll system compliantly.
• Submitting wage tax returns and national insurance forms.
• Keeping our clients up-to-date and compliant with changes in UAE regulations.

We provide a full set of services in Dubai, allowing corporate clients, recruitment agencies and professional contractors to operate in an optimal manner, while ensuring that all local compliance obligations are taken care of.

Access Financial offers the following services in Dubai:

• Contract Management
• Outsourced Payroll
• Employer of Record (EOR)
• Work Permits & Immigration Assistance