UAE Residency Visa, Labour Card Validity Cut to Two Years

This article describes a major change that happened in January 2011, where the UAE Cabinet officially reduced the validity of the private sector labour card (and consequently the residency visa) from three years to two years.

This change was a significant move at the time, aimed at unifying the visa validity period across different categories and increasing labour market flexibility.

The information is now largely confirmed and standardized under the current legal framework.

Here is the updated status based on the current UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) and the Unified Visa System (as of 2025):

📅 Private Sector Standard Work Permits Now Uniformly Valid for Two Years

#UAELabourLaw #VisaValidity #TwoYearStandard

The decision made by the UAE Cabinet in 2011 to reduce the validity of private sector labour cards and residency visas from three years to two years is now the standard practice across the majority of the UAE mainland and many Free Zones.

This standardization ensures alignment between the work permit issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and the residency visa issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-D).

Key Provisions Under the Current Law (2025)

Element	Old Rule (Pre-2011)	Current Standard (2025)
Standard Work Permit/Labour Card Validity	3 years (for many professions)	2 years
Standard Employment Residency Visa Validity	3 years	2 years
Standard Employment Contract Type	Unlimited or Fixed-Term (Max 4 years)	Fixed-Term (Maximum 3 years initially)
New Visa Categories	Not applicable	Green Visa (Self-sponsored, 5 years) and Golden Visa (Long-term, 10 years) are now available.

Impact and Rationale (Then and Now)

1. Flexibility (The Cabinet's Aim): As noted by former MoL and ICP officials, the two-year term enhanced flexibility. It allows both employers and employees to re-evaluate the relationship more frequently without incurring heavy costs for contract cancellation, aligning with the current law's focus on labour mobility and simplified termination procedures (with notice).
2. Cost Savings (The Cabinet's Aim): The move was designed to save companies money by preventing them from paying three years of fees when a high percentage of employees cancelled their cards early. While the specific figures from 2009 are outdated, the principle of minimizing financial loss on premature contract termination remains a core benefit of the two-year cycle.
3. Unification: The move successfully unified the duration across most categories, including domestic helpers and general private sector employees, streamlining administrative processes for both MoHRE and ICP.

Notable Exceptions to the Two-Year Standard:

• Golden Visa Holders: Can receive a 10-year residency visa and a corresponding 2-year work permit (renewable).
• Green Visa Holders: Can sponsor themselves for a 5-year residency visa for skilled employees or freelancers.
• Government Sector: Some federal and local government contracts and visas may still be issued for a 3-year term.
• Elderly Employees: Work permits for employees over the age of 60 are typically renewed annually.

The current standard of a two-year validity for the standard work permit and residency visa is fully established in the UAE.

Would you like an overview of the new Green Visa or Golden Visa categories, which offer longer residency periods than the standard two years?