What does a PRO do in Dubai?
A PRO (public relations officer) handles a company's dealings with government: licences, establishment cards, work permits, visas, Emirates IDs and attested documents. In the UAE the term means government liaison, not media work. A PRO prepares each application, pays the fees, follows up approvals and tracks every expiry date.
Every company that hires staff or sponsors visas needs this work, on the mainland or in a free zone. Dubai mainland companies deal with the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). They also deal with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). Free zone companies file through their zone: ICP, the federal identity authority, says their establishment card requests must go through the free zone authority.
Can you do PRO work yourself?
Yes, for many tasks. GDRFA, ICP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) offer online services through UAE Pass, and MOHRE through its website and app. Some steps still need an intermediary: ICP says its establishment card applications must go through its authorised service providers. The hard part is the order of steps, the documents and the deadlines.
What is a PRO card?
A company employee who handles its immigration transactions in Dubai can hold a GDRFA representative's card, often called a PRO card. GDRFA asks for a letter from the authorised authority and a certificate of good conduct, and the representative must be resident under the company.
Which government bodies does a PRO deal with?
A PRO deals with immigration, labour, licensing, property, foreign affairs and tax authorities. Which ones apply depends on your emirate and your licence type.
| Authority | What it handles | Typical PRO tasks |
|---|---|---|
| ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) | Emirates ID; entry permits, residence and establishment cards outside Dubai | Emirates ID, residence, establishment card |
| GDRFA Dubai | Entry permits, residence and establishment cards in Dubai | Entry permit, residence, change of status, cancellation |
| MOHRE | Work permits, contracts, Wage Protection System (WPS), Emiratisation | Work permit issue, renewal and cancellation |
| DET and the Invest in Dubai portal | Dubai mainland trade licences | Licence issue, renewal, amendment, cancellation |
| Free zone authorities | Licences and establishment cards for their companies | Renewals and visa requests |
| Dubai Land Department (Ejari) | Tenancy contract registration | Ejari for the office lease |
| MOFA | Document attestation | Degrees, contracts, powers of attorney |
| Notary public | Certifying signatures | Manager's authorisation, powers of attorney |
| Federal Tax Authority (FTA) | Corporate tax and VAT | Registration and deregistration |
| Activity regulators | Approvals before licensing | Dubai Municipality for restaurants, clinics, construction and engineering firms; Dubai Health Authority for healthcare |
In Dubai you can also file GDRFA transactions at Amer service centres. GDRFA adds AED 100 to an establishment card application made through an Amer centre.
What tasks does a PRO handle?
Company licence and establishment card
- Trade licence issue and renewal with DET or the free zone.
- Licence amendments. Invest in Dubai lists changes to partners, business location, manager, activities, capital and trade name.
- Establishment card issue, renewal and data changes after any amendment.
- Ejari registration of the office lease. Invest in Dubai says a normal mainland licence needs a site lease contract.
Invest in Dubai says its Instant Licence is issued within five minutes for activities that need no external approval. It includes a GDRFA establishment card and a MOHRE establishment card with the option to employ three people.
Staff visas, work permits and Emirates ID
- MOHRE work permit (often still called a labour card) and job offer, then the work entry permit from GDRFA or ICP.
- Change of status when the employee is already in the UAE.
- Medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics and the residence permit.
- Renewals before expiry, and cancellations when staff leave. GDRFA needs MOHRE's work permit cancellation before it cancels a private sector residence permit.
- Family visas for investors and staff. See our investor visa guide and Golden Visa guide.
MOHRE issues 13 types of work permit, according to the UAE Government portal, including recruitment from abroad, transfer, part-time, temporary and mission permits.
Documents and tax registrations
- MOFA attestation of UAE documents, and attestation of foreign documents through the UAE mission in the country that issued them. See our attestation guide.
- Notarised authorisations and powers of attorney.
- Support with corporate tax registration and VAT registration. The Ministry of Finance says all taxable persons, including free zone persons, must register for corporate tax. The FTA makes VAT registration mandatory when taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000.
How long do PRO tasks take?
Most single transactions take from minutes to five days at the authority's stated time. Ofin's typical estimate for a full hire from abroad is one to two weeks once documents are ready. Missing documents, approvals, medical results and travel cause most delays. Stated times are service targets, not promises.
| Task | Authority's stated time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Instant Licence | Within 5 minutes | Only activities with no external approval |
| Dubai licence renewal online | Completed instantly | Fee depends on the activity |
| Dubai licence amendment at a service centre | Within 10 minutes | Documents depend on the change |
| Establishment card | 48 hours (GDRFA); 2 days (ICP) | Free zone companies apply through the zone |
| Work entry permit (GDRFA) | 48 hours | Allows 60 days from entry to finish residency |
| Residence permit (GDRFA) | 48 hours | Medical test needed for applicants over 18 |
| Emirates ID renewal (ICP) | 5 days | Courier delivery for the standard service |
| Ejari at a trustee centre | 25 minutes | Excluding waiting time |
| MOFA attestation of a UAE document | 2 hours digital; 1 to 3 business days by courier | Up to 7 business days when attested outside the UAE |
The Work Bundle
The Work Bundle joins the work permit, residence, medical test and Emirates ID steps in one application. The UAE Government says it cut processing from 30 working days to 5, steps from 15 to 5 and documents from 16 to 5. Its website lists Dubai as live and the other emirates as coming soon.
How much do PRO services cost in Dubai?
PRO costs have two parts: government fees, which each authority publishes, and the provider's service fee, which no authority sets. Always ask for a quote that shows the two separately.
Government fees for key transactions (checked 22 October 2026)
| Transaction | Authority | Fee (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit application | MOHRE | 50 |
| Work permit for two years, issue or renewal | MOHRE | 250 (category 1), 1,200 (category 2), 3,450 (category 3) |
| Change to an employment contract | MOHRE | 50 |
| Establishment card, issue or renewal, Dubai | GDRFA | 200 plus 5% VAT, 20 knowledge and innovation fees, 50 service fee; GDRFA notes the fee is 100 per year |
| Work entry permit, Dubai | GDRFA | 200 plus 5% VAT; plus 500 and 20 in knowledge and innovation fees if the person is in the UAE |
| Residence permit, private sector, Dubai | GDRFA | 200 plus 20 knowledge and innovation fees and 20 delivery; GDRFA also lists a 500 inside-country fee |
| Change of status inside the UAE | GDRFA | 500 plus 20 knowledge and innovation fees |
| Residence permit cancellation | GDRFA | 100 plus 20 knowledge and innovation fees |
| Emirates ID for residents | ICP | 100 per year of validity plus 100 smart service fee |
| Establishment card, other emirates | ICP | Issue: 100 application, 100 per year, 100 smart services, 2,000 system subscription, plus a 1,000 security amount and a 20 deposit fee. Renewal: 100 per year, 100 smart services, 1,000 subscription renewal |
| Ejari tenancy registration | Dubai Land Department | 177.75 online; 220 at a trustee centre |
MOHRE places each company in a category by its compliance with labour law, WPS and related rules; companies with a history of violations fall into the costliest one. Medical tests, typing, courier, translation and attestation are extra. MOFA's attestation fee depends on the number of documents and whether they are personal or commercial. DET's renewal fee depends on the activity.
Provider fees and annual PRO packages
Providers usually price PRO work per transaction, as a monthly retainer or as an annual package. Check that the quote lists:
- Which transactions are included and how many, such as visas, renewals and cancellations.
- Whether government fees are included or billed at cost.
- Who submits the applications and how quickly.
- What is excluded: medical tests, attestation, translation and any fines.
Outsourced PRO or in-house PRO?
An outsourced PRO usually suits startups and small firms with a few visas a year. An in-house PRO makes sense once transactions are daily.
| Factor | Outsourced PRO | In-house PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Startups and SMEs with a few visas | Larger employers with frequent hiring |
| Cost | Service fee plus government fees | Salary, the employee's own visa costs and government fees |
| Filing in Dubai | The provider prepares and submits | Your employee can hold a GDRFA PRO card |
| Cover during leave | A team covers the file | Plan a trained backup |
Either way, the company stays responsible for deadlines and fines.
What are the fines and compliance risks?
The main risks are expired visas, Emirates IDs and establishment cards, and late tax registration. Each has a published fine.
| Risk | Published fine or consequence | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Staying after a residence permit expires or is cancelled | AED 50 a day after the grace period; GDRFA gives Dubai private sector residents 60 days, and ICP lists 30 to 180 days by residence type | ICP, GDRFA |
| Late Emirates ID renewal | AED 20 a day, up to AED 1,000 | ICP |
| Not reporting changed personal data within 30 days | AED 20 a day, up to AED 1,000 | ICP |
| Establishment card renewed more than 30 days late | AED 100 a month, up to AED 1,000 | ICP |
| Changing establishment data without telling ICP | AED 1,000 | ICP |
| Late corporate tax registration | AED 10,000 | Ministry of Finance |
| Late or missing work permits | Fines must be settled before a permit can be cancelled | MOHRE |
| Breaching WPS | MOHRE may refuse, stop renewing or cancel work permits | MOHRE |
Emiratisation rules apply as you grow. Companies with 50 or more employees must raise the share of Emiratis in skilled jobs by 2% a year. Companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 listed sectors had to hire one UAE national by the end of 2024 and a second by the end of 2025. Missing the 2025 target meant a contribution of AED 108,000 in January 2026, according to the UAE Government portal.
A simple annual PRO calendar
- One to two months before the licence expires: check the Ejari, renew the licence, then renew the establishment card.
- Six months before an Emirates ID expires: ICP opens renewal for residents at this point.
- Before each residence permit expires: book the medical test and renew the work permit and residence together.
- When an employee leaves: cancel the work permit first, then the residence. In Dubai, GDRFA's 60-day grace period starts at cancellation.
- After a change of partners, manager or activities: amend the licence, then update the establishment card.
- Tax: register for corporate tax within the FTA's deadline and watch the AED 375,000 VAT threshold.
Using PRO services from India
Indian founders can run most PRO work from India. Indian documents need attestation, and two steps need a visit.
- Attestation: Indian documents must first be attested by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The UAE Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulate General in Mumbai then attests them; one digital application covers both the mission and MOFA.
- Powers of attorney: sign before a notary in India, then get MEA attestation. A power of attorney with commercial content counts as a commercial document. Memorandum and articles must be attested separately.
- Degrees: MOHRE counts a worker as skilled only at job levels 1 to 5, with a certificate above secondary level attested by the competent authorities and a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month, says the UAE Government portal. Gulf News reported in April 2025 that MOHRE asks for MOFA attestation of the certificate.
- Hiring from India: workers with ECR (Emigration Check Required) passports need emigration clearance through eMigrate to work in the UAE, one of 19 ECR countries. They must also buy Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana insurance: INR 10 lakh of cover for INR 275 (two years) or INR 375 (three years).
- In person: the medical test happens in the UAE, and ICP asks applicants aged 15 and over to give fingerprints at its centres where required.
- Funding: investing from India falls under FEMA overseas investment rules. See our guide to business setup in Dubai from India.
How Ofin helps with PRO services
Ofin's UAE desk handles PRO work for mainland and free zone companies, alongside company formation, accounting and tax registration. Ofin Legal has a 4.9-star Google rating and has served 5,000+ clients since 2019. Ofin is a private service provider, not a government body: the authorities decide every application.
What the desk covers:
- PRO and visas: licence renewals and amendments, establishment cards, work and entry permits, medical and Emirates ID appointments, residence, family visas and cancellations.
- Corporate secretarial: memorandum amendments, changes of directors or shareholders, board and shareholder resolutions, statutory registers and UBO disclosures.
- HR support: employment contracts, payroll through WPS and visa renewal tracking.
- Documents: MOFA attestation, notarised powers of attorney, document pick-up and drop-off, and tax residency certificate applications.
- Tax and banking: corporate tax and VAT registration, accounting and corporate bank account support.
See the step-by-step process below for typical timings. Times are estimates, not government promises. Call or WhatsApp Ofin's UAE desk on +971 50 523 5779.
