Quick Answer
The Labour Card (also called a work permit card) is the employee-side document issued by MOHRE that legally entitles a person to work for a specific UAE employer in a specific role.
Every employee in the UAE private sector has both a residency visa (issued by GDRFA / ICP) and a labour card (issued by MOHRE). The labour card ties the worker to a specific employer and a specific job role under a registered employment contract.
Labour cards are usually issued together with the employment visa. Common processing time is 5–10 working days from work-permit approval. Total government fees range from AED 250–500 per card. The card must be renewed when the employment contract is renewed.
Switching jobs in the UAE always involves cancelling the old labour card and issuing a new one with the new employer — that's the moment many people refer to as 'transferring' their visa. The transfer is a labour-card action, not a residency-visa action.
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