The processing time for UAE residency visas and work permits is set to be reduced from almost a month to five days, under the government’s new “Work Bundle” platform.
The initiative combines the procedures of five federal and local authorities have been combined in one platform. In doing so, it is expected to reduce the needed documents from 16 to five, and the number of times to go to service centres from seven to only two, officials said.
The first phase of the initiative will be implemented in Dubai through the Invest in Dubai platform, and will be gradually expanded to include other emirates.
The Work Bundle platform will “facilitate, simplify and shorten the procedures for residency and work (permits) in the country,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said in a post on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter).
The new project will provide 62 million working days for all workers in the country who are renewing their residency and contracts, which were otherwise lost visiting government headquarters and following up on transactions, Sheikh Mohammed said.
The initiative is also expected to reduce 25 million government procedures and 12 million visits, saving significant government and private costs.
Dr. Abdulrahman Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation in the Government of the United Arab Emirates, said that the platform will end red tape to attract startups and entrepreneurs.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, has said that the announcement reflects the UAE speedy digital transformation in order to attract companies to come to the UAE.
Work Bundle integrates all procedures for government entities — such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre), Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, Dubai Health, and the Department of Economy and Tourism, and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
The UAE has also been recently expanding its Golden Visa programme as part of an effort to encourage real estate investments
