UAE Work Permit for Nepali Citizens 2026: Updated Salary Thresholds, Fee Breakdown & Step‑by‑Step Checklist

Nepali workers planning to move to the United Arab Emirates in 2026 will encounter a few revised rules that influence everything from the salary level needed for a work permit to the cost of the medical exam. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) released an updated circular in August 2026 that adjusts salary bands, simplifies the entry‑permit workflow and adds a mandatory digital attestation step for foreign‑issued documents. The guide below turns those changes into a practical checklist for Nepali applicants.

2026 Salary Thresholds for Permit Eligibility

MoHRE’s August 2026 circular sets a baseline monthly salary of about AED 4,000 for most skill‑level categories (skilled, semi‑skilled and low‑skill). Certain professional groups — engineers, healthcare practitioners and IT specialists — have a higher floor of around AED 7,000. These numbers are not a national minimum wage; they are the minimum salaries that must be declared in the work‑permit application for the applicant to be eligible. Employers should confirm the exact band for the specific occupation when preparing the contract.

Fee Breakdown (All Amounts Approximate)

• Work‑permit application (MoHRE portal): AED 300
• Work‑permit issuance: AED 500
• Medical fitness test (approved clinic): AED 300‑350
• Emirates ID registration (first‑time): AED 100
• Labour card (plastic card, valid 2 years): AED 200

Fees can be paid online via the MoHRE e‑services portal or at an authorised typing centre. Employers usually cover the application and issuance fees; the medical test, Emirates ID and labour card are often shared between employer and employee — check your offer letter. Note that these figures are approximate and may vary; applicants should verify the latest amounts on the MoHRE and GDRFA/ICP portals before proceeding.

Processing Timelines

Typical turnaround times reported by MoHRE in 2026:

• Labour approval (after job offer submission): 3‑5 working days
• Entry permit issuance (via GDRFA/ICP): 2‑3 working days once labour approval is granted
• Medical test & Emirates ID enrolment: same‑day appointment possible in major centres; card delivery within 5‑7 working days
• Final labour card printing: 2‑3 working days after Emirates ID activation

Delays often result from incomplete attestation or mismatched passport details, so double‑check every document before submission. Timelines are indicative and can change depending on centre workload or public‑holiday schedules.

Key 2026 Policy Changes

Compared with 2025, three changes stand out for Nepali workers:

• Digital attestation mandate: Academic certificates, experience letters and marriage certificates must first be attested by Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the UAE Embassy in Kathmandu. After that, each document is uploaded to the UAE‑MOFAIC portal for e‑attestation before the labour‑approval stage. The old paper‑only attestation at the Nepali embassy is no longer sufficient for the UAE step.
• Unified skill‑level matrix: MoHRE replaced the former “category 1‑4” system with a single skill‑level matrix aligned to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO‑08). This simplifies salary‑band verification but requires employers to map job titles accurately.
• Health‑insurance integration: The medical fitness test now includes a prompt to enrol in the mandatory basic health‑insurance scheme applicable in the emirate of employment (e.g., Dubai’s ISAHD, Abu Dhabi’s Thiqa, Sharjah’s Saada). The insurance premium — roughly AED 600‑800 per year — is billed to the employer, though some clinics collect the premium on behalf of the insurer at the time of the medical test.

Step‑by‑Step Checklist for Nepali Applicants

1. Secure a genuine job offer from a UAE‑registered company. Verify the employer’s licence number on the MoHRE website.
2. Engage a licensed Nepali recruitment agency (check the Department of Foreign Employment’s 2026 register). The agency will help prepare and attest your documents, while the UAE employer (or their PRO/typing centre) submits the labour‑approval request via the MoHRE portal.
3. Gather and attest documents: passport copy, passport‑size photos, academic certificates, experience letters, marriage/birth certificates (if applicable). Obtain Nepal MOFA attestation, then UAE Embassy attestation in Kathmandu, and finally upload each to the MOFAIC e‑attestation portal; keep the reference numbers.
4. Submit labour‑approval application via the MoHRE portal (employer or their PRO). Pay the AED 300 application fee.
5. Receive labour approval (3‑5 days). Download the approval PDF — it is required for the entry permit.
6. Apply for entry permit through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP). Fee is usually covered by the employer.
7. Travel to the UAE on the entry permit. Within 14 days, complete the medical fitness test at an approved centre and register for Emirates ID.
8. Activate Emirates ID (biometrics, photo). The ID number is needed for the next step.
9. Pay work‑permit issuance fee (AED 500) and any remaining medical/ID fees.
10. Collect labour card (plastic) from the typing centre or have it couriered. Alternatively, activate the e‑labour card via the MoHRE app, which is the default; a physical card is issued only on request and may involve a small fee.

Nepali‑Worker‑Specific Tips

• Agency verification: Only use agencies listed on the Department of Foreign Employment’s 2026 register. Ask for the agency’s MoHRE‑approved recruitment licence number.
• Document language: All certificates must be in English or Arabic. If your documents are in Nepali, obtain a certified translation before the Nepal MOFA attestation step.
• Language support: MoHRE’s call centre (800‑600) offers Nepali‑language assistance during business hours; the ICP app also includes a Nepali interface.
• Common pitfalls: mismatched passport numbers across documents, missing e‑attestation reference numbers, and forgetting to confirm enrolment in the mandatory health‑insurance plan before the medical test.

Staying on top of the 2026 updates — especially the digital attestation requirement and the revised skill‑level matrix — can save weeks and prevent costly re‑applications. Keep a folder (digital or physical) with every reference number, receipt and approval PDF; it will make renewals and any future visa changes far smoother.