MoHRE work permits: hiring Filipino workers for UAE employers

The sequence

• Job offer — issued electronically by the employer in Arabic and English (plus a language the worker understands), signed by the worker; skill levels 1–3 sign, 4–5 may fingerprint.
• Work-permit approval — MoHRE (or the free-zone authority) approves against the establishment's quota and the worker's classification.
• Entry permit — issued electronically, valid sixty days for entry.
• Arrival — medical fitness test at an approved centre; Emirates ID biometrics at ICP.
• Contract — the employment contract registered with MoHRE within fourteen days of entry; terms match the signed offer.
• Residence visa — issued; all residency steps completed within sixty days of entry.

Skill levels and attestation

MoHRE classifies every role by skill level, and the level decides the documents: levels 1–2 require an attested bachelor's degree, levels 3–4 a diploma, level 5 a secondary certificate; levels 6–9 have no certificate requirement. Philippine documents are apostilled by the DFA and attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We complete attestation in Manila before the entry permit so the sequence does not stall on arrival.

Where the Philippine steps fit

Recruitment in the Philippines runs through our own DMW-licensed agency, Prime Search Manpower Agency Inc. in Makati (licence DMW-027-LB-11182024). Your company is accredited as a principal at the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai or Abu Dhabi — recruitment agreement, job order, master employment contract, undertaking, contingency plan and trade licence — and the verified file is registered with the Department of Migrant Workers. Every selected worker leaves Manila with a verified contract, medical clearance, pre-departure orientation and an Overseas Employment Certificate.

The Philippines bans direct hiring of its workers by foreign employers, with narrow exemptions. In practice a UAE employer recruits Filipino staff through a DMW-licensed Philippine agency accredited to it by the MWO — which is exactly the structure we run.

The two systems are independent and we run them in parallel: MWO accreditation before the first job order; contract verification, medical, PDOS and OEC per worker while the entry permit is issued. This page is general information for employers, subject to applicable UAE MoHRE or free-zone, licensing, attestation and visa requirements, and is not legal advice; MoHRE and free-zone rules change and we re-verify before each hire.

Frequently asked questions

• Who files the MoHRE applications?

  Your company, through your PRO or an approved typing centre. Our Dubai company advises and coordinates; it does not file on your behalf as an agency.

• How long is the contract?

  Two years is the federal default; some free zones issue three.

• Does Emiratisation affect a Filipino hire?

  On mainland, skilled expatriate hires increase the base for your Emirati percentage; see the Emiratisation page.