Understanding how many visas you can obtain is critical if you are planning staffing, budgeting office space, or structuring an investment in Dubai. Many investors assume that a particular licence type or activity automatically entitles them to a pre‑set number of visas. Yet, the official framework shows that visa numbers are driven by government‑approved quotas, not informal market rules.
This article explains how employee visa quotas are determined under the UAE’s federal labour system and how they are implemented in Dubai through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai). You will see the initial work‑permit entitlements for new establishments, how existing firms can expand their quotas, the special rules for tourism establishments, how investor residence visas sit alongside company quotas, and how non‑compliance can freeze your ability to obtain new visas.
Staffing capacity and visa quotas often depend on holding a valid general trading licence in Dubai.
The Short Answer: No Fixed Visa Number Per Licence
There is no universal answer to “how many visas for a Dubai business licence?”. Two companies with the same activity on their licences may legally have very different visa capacities, because visas are granted against work‑permit quotas approved by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and corresponding visa quotas approved by GDRFA Dubai.
Visa eligibility and quotas are often linked to Dubai trade licence validity and compliance status.
Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022 shows that work permits for foreign employees are allocated to each establishment as a quota, and that companies must submit an “establishment quota request” to obtain an approved share of work permits. The GDRFA Dubai, for its part, offers a dedicated service to open or increase work visa quotas, with its own documentation and classification requirements. Your actual visa limit is therefore the result of these linked quota decisions, not a fixed rule attached to the licence itself.
Federal Framework: How Employee Visa Quotas Work (MoHRE)
At the federal level, the MoHRE regulates access to foreign labour through electronic work‑permit quotas. These work permits are the foundation for employee residence visas, including in Dubai, and they are governed by Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022.
An establishment must first be registered with the MoHRE and hold an establishment card before any work‑permit quotas can be issued or adjusted. All subsequent hiring of foreign staff is channelled through this establishment file and the quota assigned to it.
What Is an Establishment Quota Request?
Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022 defines an “establishment quota request” as the application that every registered establishment must submit to obtain an approved share of work permits. In practice, this is the mechanism through which a company asks the MoHRE to allocate or modify the number of foreign workers it is allowed to recruit.
The approved quota sets a ceiling on the number of electronic work permits the establishment may obtain at a given time. Without an adequate quota, you cannot secure the underlying work permits required before a residence visa can be issued to an employee, even if your commercial plans or internal budgets would support more staff.
Initial Quotas For New Establishments
The same Resolution sets out explicit initial electronic work permit quotas for new establishments, depending on their economic sector and activity. These are initial entitlements, not lifetime limits, and further increases require formal procedures through MoHRE’s services.
| Type of Establishment / Activity | Basis in Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022 | Initial Electronic Work-Permit Quota |
|---|---|---|
| High-priority economic sectors (Annex 1) | New establishment in a listed high-priority sector | 20 work permits |
| Specific activities (Annex 2) | New establishment in one of the specified activities | 6 work permits |
| Other sectors (not in Annex 1 or 2) | New establishment not classified as above | 3 work permits |
New companies in high‑priority sectors, therefore, begin with a significantly higher capacity to hire foreign staff than those in non‑priority sectors. Establishments engaged in the specific activities listed in Annex 2 fall in between, with an initial quota of six work permits. All other sectors receive three initial electronic work permits when first approved.
Ongoing Quotas For Existing Establishments
For existing establishments, Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022 moves from fixed numbers to percentages based on the size of the registered workforce. The Resolution provides that such establishments are granted electronic work permits equivalent to 5–10% of their total registered employees, subject to a ceiling of 100 employees.
In addition, for establishments operating in high‑priority economic sectors, the Resolution allows electronic work permits for up to 50% of their registered workforce without requiring a separate quota application. This special treatment reflects the policy objective of facilitating labour access for sectors that the UAE has designated as strategic.
MoHRE’s service catalogues, delivered through Tas’heel centres and online channels, confirm that establishments can submit quota requests regardless of their size. Specific services exist for “quota request for establishments with less than 50 labour (50‑)” and for those “with more than 50 employees (50+)”, demonstrating that companies can ask the MoHRE to adjust their approved quota as their staffing needs develop.
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Dubai Focus: Opening And Increasing Work Visa Quotas With the GDRFA
While the MoHRE controls the issuance of work permits and their quotas, residence visas in Dubai are processed through the GDRFA Dubai. To translate a federal work‑permit quota into actual residence stamps in employees’ passports, your company must also interact with the GDRFA’s systems and services.
Every Dubai establishment that wants to sponsor employee visas must hold not only a MoHRE establishment card but also a corresponding establishment card with the GDRFA Dubai. These two records together form the backbone of your labour and immigration profile in the emirate.
Role of the Establishment Card and Quota Services
The GDRFA Dubai offers a dedicated service titled “Request to open or increase work visa quotas”. Through this service, an establishment can:
- Open a new work visa quota when it first starts sponsoring employees
- Request an increase to an existing work visa quota when it needs more visas than are currently allowed.
The GDRFA reviews these requests in light of the company’s classification, premises, and other regulatory data, as well as the information held by the MoHRE via the establishment card. The GDRFA establishment card is, therefore, a mandatory tool for managing your Dubai visa capacity; without it, your federal work‑permit quota cannot be translated into residence visas issued in Dubai.
Key Documents For Quota Requests In Dubai
When you apply to open or increase your work visa quota in Dubai, the GDRFA requires a specific set of documents to assess your request. According to the GDRFA’s service description, these typically include copies of:
- A formal request specifying the quota you are seeking.
- Your commercial licence.
- A copy of your GDRFA establishment card.
- Ejari lease contract for the business premises.
- The passport of the owner, partner or service agent.
- A classification certificate for the establishment from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.
- For hotel establishments, a certificate confirming the number of hotel units.
The GDRFA uses these documents to confirm that the establishment is appropriately licensed, has appropriate premises, and is correctly classified for quota‑setting purposes. The authority then decides whether to open the requested quota or increase an existing one. Even if you still have an unused quota in your MoHRE work‑permit quota, it is advised that your GDRFA quota is adequate before planning additional hires.
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Special Case: Tourism Establishments And Tourism‑Related Visas
Tourism businesses in Dubai, such as travel agencies and specified hospitality operators, may need visa capacity not only for staff but also for visitors. For these entities, the GDRFA Dubai provides a specific service for “Adding quotas for Tourist Establishments”, enabling them to obtain additional tourism‑related visa quotas under defined conditions.
To access this service, the establishment must already have an active establishment file and at least three employees. This requirement ensures that only operational businesses, not shell entities, can hold and use tourism visa quotas.
Under this tourism‑quota framework, the GDRFA applies a series of fees and financial guarantees:
- AED 500 for a request to increase the number of allowed permits.
- AED 5,000 to open a tourism visa category.
- A tourism licence guarantee of AED 75,000.
- Per visa, financial guarantees of AED 1,000 for each single‑entry travel visa and AED 2,000 for each multiple‑entry travel visa.
These tourism visas are distinct from employee work permits regulated by the MoHRE. They relate to the movement of visitors, not staff, but they form an important part of overall visa planning for travel agencies, tour operators and similar businesses. When considering “how many visas” your tourism business can handle, you therefore need to assess both your employee quota and your tourism visa quota, each with its own requirements and costs.
Investor Residence Visas Linked To Business Activity
Alongside company‑based work visas, the UAE offers long‑term investor residence visas tied to significant investments, some of which are closely linked to business activity in Dubai. These are federal visas regulated by the UAE’s identity and citizenship authorities and are valid across the country.
Cabinet‑level decisions, as published through the federal identity and citizenship portal, provide for a 5‑year residence visa for real‑estate investors and a 10‑year residence visa for significant public investments, subject to detailed conditions.
For real estate investors, a 5‑year visa can be granted when the investor owns property worth at least AED 5 million, provided that the property meets the criteria set by the Cabinet and that other conditions are satisfied.
For larger public investments, a 10‑year residence visa is available where the investor makes public investments of at least AED 10 million, subject to conditions regarding the composition of the investment and limitations on the use of loans. Under this 10‑year visa framework:
- The visa can be extended to the investor’s spouse and children.
- One executive director and one advisor may also receive residence visas linked to the investor’s status.
- Business partners can obtain the same 10‑year visa if each partner contributes at least AED 10 million.
Investors eligible for these long‑term visas are first granted a renewable multiple‑entry permit valid for six months. This allows them to enter the UAE repeatedly to complete the procedures required for issuing their residence permits. In addition, under the same investor‑visa framework, an investor may sponsor visas for up to three domestic workers, subject to domestic‑worker regulations and family circumstances.
These investor and family visas operate outside the MoHRE work‑permit quota system, but in practice, they are often considered in tandem with employee quotas when structuring a business in Dubai. For example, the executive director and advisor attached to a 10‑year investor visa do not need to occupy slots within the company’s MoHRE work‑permit quota.
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Compliance And WPS: When Your Visa Capacity Is Restricted
Even if you have a generous work‑permit quota from MoHRE and an approved visa quota from GDRFA‑Dubai, your ability to obtain new visas is not unconditional. Compliance with labour regulations, particularly the Wages Protection System (WPS), is integral to keeping your quota usable.
The MoHRE has publicly stated that it may suspend the issuance of new work permits for establishments that fail to comply with the WPS obligations, such as paying salaries in full and on time through the authorised channels. When such a suspension is applied, the establishment cannot secure new work permits for additional employees, regardless of any remaining quota on its file.
In practical terms, this means that visa planning cannot be separated from compliance management. A company that neglects WPS or other key obligations risks finding that its theoretical visa capacity is frozen at the moment it most needs to expand its workforce. Maintaining a clean compliance record with the MoHRE and GDRFA is therefore essential to preserving flexibility in your visa capacity.
Practical Scenarios: Estimating Your Visa Capacity
The official rules are abstract, so it is useful to see how they might work in practice. The following scenarios are purely illustrative and based on the framework set out in Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022 and GDRFA/MoHRE services; they do not replace an individual assessment of your establishment file.
Scenario 1: New Consultancy In A Non‑Priority Sector
A foreign investor sets up a new consultancy in Dubai in a sector that is not classified as high priority and does not fall under the specific activities of Annex 2 to Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022. As a new establishment in an “other” sector, it is granted an initial quota of three electronic work permits by the MoHRE.
With a MoHRE establishment card and a corresponding GDRFA Dubai establishment card in place, the company can then apply for up to three employee visas, assuming the GDRFA opens or aligns its work visa quota accordingly. If the consultancy later needs more staff, it will have to submit an establishment quota request through the MoHRE (as available in the Tas’heel services) and a corresponding request to open or increase the work visa quota with the GDRFA Dubai.
Scenario 2: New Company In A High‑Priority Sector
Another investor launches a business in Dubai in a sector listed as high priority under Annex 1 of Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022. As a new establishment in a high‑priority sector, it receives an initial quota of 20 electronic work permits from the MoHRE, providing substantial capacity to hire foreign workers from the outset.
As the business grows and its registered workforce increases, the special provision for high‑priority sectors allows it to obtain electronic work permits for up to 50% of its registered workforce without needing to submit a separate quota application. In parallel, the company must ensure that its GDRFA Dubai work‑visa quota is opened and increased as required, submitting the necessary documents, including its commercial licence, Ejari lease, establishment card and classification certificate.
Scenario 3: Existing Establishment Expanding Its Workforce
A more mature company in Dubai has been operating for several years and now has 80 registered employees in the MoHRE’s system. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022, existing establishments are eligible to receive electronic work permits in the range of 5–10% of their total registered employees, up to a maximum of 100 employees.
On this basis, the company can expect its work‑permit quota to be set in line with this 5–10% range, but it may still need to request quota adjustments as its workforce grows, using the MoHRE services for establishments with fewer than or more than 50 workers. At the same time, it must coordinate with the GDRFA Dubai’s “Request to open or increase work visa quotas” service to ensure that its Dubai visa quota reflects the expanded staffing plan.
Across all these scenarios, the common steps are: obtain the commercial licence; secure the MoHRE and GDRFA establishment cards; understand your initial quota (3, 6 or 20 work permits for new establishments, depending on sector and activity); then monitor and adjust your quotas through formal requests as your business develops. For tourism operators and major investors, additional layers of tourism visa quotas and long‑term investor visas must also be factored into the planning.
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FAQ
How Many Employee Visas Can My Dubai Company Apply For?
There is no fixed number of employee visas attached to a Dubai business licence. The maximum number of employee visas you can obtain depends on your approved MoHRE work‑permit quota and your GDRFA Dubai work‑visa quota. For new establishments, Cabinet Resolution No. 203 of 2022 sets initial quotas of 20, 6 or 3 electronic work permits, depending on your sector and activity. Existing establishments are allocated work permits equivalent to 5–10% of their registered employees (up to 100 employees), and high‑priority sectors may obtain up to 50% of their workforce without a separate quota request.
Does A Dubai Free Zone Licence Have A Fixed Number Of Visas?
Official federal regulations do not state a universal, fixed number of visas for all companies with a particular type of licence, whether on the mainland or in free zones. Instead, employee visas rely on MoHRE work‑permit quotas and GDRFA (or relevant emirate‑level authority) visa quotas. You should always check your establishment file and current quota approvals with the competent authorities for an accurate picture of your visa capacity.
How Can I Increase The Work Visa Quota For My Dubai Company?
To increase your employee visa capacity in Dubai, you need to act on two fronts. First, you submit an establishment quota request to the MoHRE through the appropriate service (for establishments with fewer than or more than 50 workers), asking for an increased share of electronic work permits. Second, you apply to the GDRFA Dubai using the “Request to open or increase work visa quotas” service so that your Dubai visa quota matches your staffing plans. Both authorities will review your classification, current workforce and compliance before deciding.
What Documents Are Needed To Open A Work Visa Quota In Dubai?
The GDRFA Dubai requires several documents when you open or increase a work visa quota, including a formal quota request, a copy of the commercial licence, a copy of the GDRFA establishment card, the Ejari lease contract for your premises, and a copy of the passport of the owner, partner or service agent. You must also provide a classification certificate from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, and hotel establishments must submit a certificate of hotel units. These documents allow the GDRFA to verify your eligibility and correctly classify your establishment.
How Many Family Visas Can I Get With A UAE Investor Visa?
Under the federal long‑term investor visa framework, holders of a 10‑year public‑investment visa can extend residence to their spouse and children. They may also sponsor residence visas for one executive director and one advisor linked to their investment. Additionally, the same rules allow an investor to obtain visas for up to three domestic workers, subject to domestic‑worker regulations and family circumstances. These family and domestic‑worker visas are separate from any MoHRE‑based employee quota attached to a company.
What Is The Dubai Trade Licence Visa Limit For Tourism Establishments?
Tourism licence holders in Dubai, such as travel agencies and specific hospitality businesses, can request additional tourism‑related visa quotas through the GDRFA Dubai’s “Adding quotas for Tourist Establishments” service. There is no single fixed limit stated for all such licences; instead, access depends on meeting conditions such as having at least three employees, providing a tourism licence guarantee of AED 75,000, paying AED 5,000 to open the tourism‑visa category, AED 500 per request to increase the number of permits, and furnishing per‑visa financial guarantees of AED 1,000 (single‑entry) or AED 2,000 (multiple‑entry).
Can MoHRE Block New Work Permits If My Company Is Not In WPS Compliance?
Yes. The MoHRE has stated that it may suspend the issuance of new work permits for establishments that fail to meet their obligations under the Wages Protection System (WPS). If such a suspension is applied to your establishment, you will not be able to obtain new work permits for foreign employees, even if your current quota would otherwise allow for more staff. Ensuring continuous WPS compliance is therefore crucial to maintaining and using your visa capacity.
How Is The MoHRE Work Permit Quota Related To The GDRFA Dubai Visa Quota?
The MoHRE quota determines how many electronic work permits your establishment may obtain for foreign employees. The GDRFA‑Dubai visa quota governs how many of those workers can actually be issued residence visas sponsored by your Dubai establishment. Both quotas must align: holding unused work‑permit capacity at MoHRE does not automatically guarantee corresponding visa capacity at the GDRFA, and vice versa. Effective workforce planning in Dubai requires coordinated management of both systems.
Explained by
Amna Issa Abbas
Visa & AMER Services Consultant at EGSH
Amna Issa Abbas is a dedicated AMER centre service provider with two years of proven experience in delivering immigration and customer services, supporting clients, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
