UAE Mission Visa (2026): MOHRE Mission Work Permit, Entry Permit, Who Can Apply and the Rules

A UAE mission visa lets a company bring a worker from abroad for a short, defined job: a commissioning, a repair, an installation, a project phase. It is not one document but two, and most of the confusion online comes from mixing them up. This guide is built from MOHRE's Mission Work Permit service page, u.ae's Work permits page, ICP's visa issuance and visa extension service cards and Cabinet Resolution No. 37 of 2022, all read on 11 November 2026.

What a mission visa is

Quick answer: A mission visa is a MOHRE mission work permit (the right to work) plus a business-mission entry permit from ICP or GDRFA Dubai (the right to enter and stay). You need both. MOHRE defines the permit as "a permit granted to an establishment for the purpose of recruiting workers for short term employment based on projects", and u.ae says it "allows establishments to bring in a worker from outside the UAE to complete a specific temporary job or time-bound project".

ICP lists the entry permit under "Government, private, or free zone entities for entry visa issuance for a work mission", and its terms say: "Approval from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) is required if the employer is subject to the Labour Relations Regulation Law". In other words, the MOHRE permit comes first.

Who can apply

Quick answer: Only a UAE company registered with MOHRE, with free work-permit quota. The worker cannot apply, and neither can a foreign company with no UAE licence.

MOHRE's conditions, as listed on its service page:

• "The Work Permit application must be submitted by the authorized signatory of the establishment"
• "The establishment must maintain a valid license without any registered violations, resulting in suspension of its operations"
• "It is essential that the occupation of the proposed employee is compatible with the activities of the establishment"
• "The Employee must be 18 years of age or older"
• "The worker to be recruited does not have an effective work permit"
• "All skill levels and professions are eligible to apply for this type of permit"
• An employee in a specialised or licensed profession "must meet the requirements stipulated in the applicable legislation"
• "An electronic quota is required"

The quota is the part that stops most applications. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022, new establishments get an electronic quota for 3 employees (6 or 20 in listed cases), and "existing establishments are granted electronic work permits, representing 5-10% of the total number of employees registered in the establishment, up to 100 employees". A small company may simply have no spare permit to use.

If your company is abroad and has no UAE entity, read our guide on mission visas for foreign companies.

How long it lasts

Quick answer: The mission work permit lasts three months and can be renewed once for the same period. The entry permit must be used within 60 days of issue.

• MOHRE, permit duration: "Three months, renewable once for a similar period".
• ICP, entry permit: "The holder must enter the UAE within the 60-day validity period of the entry permit from its date of issuance."
• ICP, extension: "A work mission visa issued based on the approval of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation may be extended once only, subject to the Ministry's approval of the extension."

So the realistic maximum is two three-month periods. A job that runs longer needs a standard employment visa instead (see our work permit types guide).

What a mission visa costs

Quick answer: There is no single price. The total depends on the sponsor, the number of specialists and how long they stay, so ask for a written quote. It is made up of five parts.

1. MOHRE's fees for the mission work permit application and issuance.
2. The entry permit fees charged by ICP or, for a permit issued in Dubai, GDRFA Dubai, plus a fee for the one extension if the job runs over. ICP's 2024 services guide also describes a refundable guarantee for this permit, which "is retrieved by submitting a retrieval request after the cancellation or exit of the beneficiary of the visa from the territory of the State if it does not commit residency violations".
3. A bank guarantee or worker insurance. u.ae's worker insurance page says an employer either holds a bank guarantee for each worker or buys worker insurance instead.
4. Health insurance. ICP's terms require a "Valid Health Insurance Policy within the UAE". The premium depends on the insurer.
5. The sponsor's and any agent's charges. The UAE company that puts the worker on its file charges for that.

MOHRE notes that its fees "do not include tax and collection charges". Any figure you see online quoted as one "total mission visa cost" mixes government fees with a sponsor's or agent's own charges. If your company is abroad, our guide on mission visas for foreign companies explains the sponsor route, and we send a written quote within 24 hours.

Documents and the medical

Quick answer: ICP's document list for a work mission entry permit includes a "Medical fitness certificate for work", so plan for a medical before the visa is filed, even though MOHRE's own page does not list one.

ICP's terms and documents for the work mission category:

• "Passport valid for no less than 6 months"
• Personal photo
• "Temporary job contract or letter stating purpose of entry"
• "Employer certificate in the UAE"
• "Medical fitness certificate for work"
• "Valid Health Insurance Policy within the UAE"
• "Return Travel Ticket"
• "A certificate of good conduct, duly attested as required, according to the announced categories"

For skilled roles, add the degree. u.ae: "Certain jobs require expatriates to present attested academic certificates to complete residency and employment procedures. Certificates must be authenticated in the country of origin by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the UAE embassy or consulate." Attestation takes time, so ask the sponsor early whether the job title needs it.

The legal basis for the medical is Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 on entry and residence, Article 19, which lists "Proof of health fitness for work" as a condition for the business mission entry visa. No official page says where the test must be done or what it must include, so ask the sponsor which certificate it accepts before booking anything.

Step by step

Step 1: Find the UAE sponsor

A MOHRE-registered UAE company with spare quota, whose licensed activities match the job, agrees to employ the worker for the mission.

Step 2: Apply for the MOHRE mission work permit

The sponsor's authorised signatory logs in with UAE Pass, enters the details, attaches the documents and pays. MOHRE lists a service time of "2 working days".

Step 3: Apply for the entry permit

With MOHRE's approval in place, the sponsor applies to ICP or GDRFA Dubai for the work mission entry permit, with the medical fitness certificate, health insurance and return ticket.

Step 4: Travel within 60 days

The worker enters the UAE within 60 days of the entry permit's issue date.

Step 5: Arrange site access

The visa does not open the gate. If the site is inside a free zone or a restricted facility, the company running the site requests the gate pass (see below).

Step 6: Extend once, or leave and cancel

If the job runs over, the sponsor applies for the one extension MOHRE allows. When the job ends, the worker leaves and the sponsor closes the permit.

Inside or outside the UAE?

Quick answer: Plan for the worker to be outside the UAE while the mission visa is filed and issued, and to fly in on it.

Every official text describes the mission permit as recruitment from abroad: u.ae says it brings "a worker from outside the UAE", and Cabinet Resolution 37/2022 lists the mission permit under "Work Permits from Outside The Country". No official page we found allows an in-country application for this permit. Do not enter on a visit visa and start working while you wait: u.ae is clear that "the UAE law strictly prohibits working while holding a visit or tourist visa (whether for pay or without compensation). Violators, whether employees or employers, will face fines and legal accountability." If the worker is already in the UAE when the visa is issued, ask the sponsor whether a change-of-status step (and its cost) applies before relying on it. More on this in can you work on a visit visa in the UAE.

Free zones and JAFZA site access

We checked the official visa pages of JAFZA, DMCC, Dubai Silicon Oasis, KEZAD and ADGM on 11 November 2026: none of them publishes a product called a "mission visa". The federal rules above still apply, and ICP's work mission category is open to "free zone entities".

Two JAFZA rules matter if your project site is in Jebel Ali Free Zone:

• Staff sponsored by a JAFZA company work inside the zone. JAFZA's employment visa guide: "A sponsored employee is only allowed to work within the free zone. However, there may be occasions when a customer requires a sponsored employee to work temporarily outside the free zone on a temporary basis (e.g., installation, repair, or maintenance of specialist equipment), in which case Jafza's prior approval is required."
• The gate pass is the site company's job. JAFZA's gate pass guide: "Once the company you need to visit accepts your request, a gate pass will be issued and emailed to you." Ask the company running the site to start its request early.

Emirates ID and UAE medical tests

ICP issues the Emirates ID to residents together with the residence permit. A mission visa is an entry permit, not a residence permit, so do not count on an Emirates ID: if a site asks for one at the gate, ask the site operator which ID it accepts for mission-visa holders. u.ae describes the UAE medical test as a step "before proceeding with residency procedures", which also belongs to the residence route.

Mission visa compared with other permits

What other guides get wrong

• "Valid for two years." MOHRE's own mission permit page carried "Two Years" in 2025 before it was corrected; today it reads "Three months, renewable once for a similar period". Guides that still say two years copied the old text.
• "No medical needed." MOHRE's page lists none, but ICP's document list for the entry permit includes a medical fitness certificate for work.
• One "total cost" figure. Totals quoted online mix government fees with sponsor and agent charges. The real price depends on the sponsor, the number of specialists and how long they stay.
• "Come on a visit visa and convert." A visit visa cannot be used for work, and the mission permit is built for workers coming from outside the UAE.
• "Your foreign company can sponsor." Only a UAE-registered establishment can apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a mission visa in the UAE? A: A MOHRE mission work permit plus a business-mission entry permit from ICP or GDRFA Dubai. Together they let a UAE company bring a worker from abroad for a temporary job or time-bound project.

Q: How long is a UAE mission visa valid? A: MOHRE's mission work permit lasts three months and can be renewed once for a similar period. The entry permit must be used within 60 days of issue.

Q: How much does a mission visa cost in the UAE? A: It depends on the sponsor, the number of specialists and how long they stay. The price is made up of MOHRE's permit fees, the ICP or GDRFA entry permit fees, a bank guarantee or worker insurance, health insurance, and any sponsor or agent charges. Ask for a written quote; ours comes within 24 hours.

Q: How long does it take to get a mission visa? A: MOHRE lists 2 working days for the mission work permit. The entry permit follows once MOHRE's approval is in place. The slowest step can be finding a sponsor with free quota.

Q: What medical test is required for a UAE mission visa? A: ICP lists a "Medical fitness certificate for work" for the work mission entry permit. No official page sets where it is done or what it includes, so the sponsor confirms which certificate it accepts before you book.

Q: Can I apply for a mission visa while I am in the UAE? A: The official texts describe it as recruitment from outside the UAE, and none of them allows an in-country application. Plan to be outside the UAE when it is filed and issued.

Q: Can a foreign company apply for a mission visa? A: No. Only a UAE company registered with MOHRE can apply. A foreign company without a UAE entity needs a UAE sponsor; see our guide on mission visas for foreign companies.

Q: Can a mission visa be extended? A: Once. ICP says a work mission visa "may be extended once only, subject to the Ministry's approval of the extension".

Q: Do mission visa holders get an Emirates ID? A: The Emirates ID is issued with a residence permit, and a mission visa is an entry permit, so do not count on one. Ask the site operator which ID it accepts at the gate.

Q: Is there a mission visa in JAFZA or other free zones? A: None of the free zones we checked publishes a product called a mission visa. ICP's work mission entry permit is open to free zone entities, and in JAFZA the company running the site arranges the gate pass.