In this post, we have outlined the process of getting employment visas for Middle East countries. We have tried to answer some of the following questions in this job and visa guide for the Gulf jobs.
We have also supplied in this post ample resources for those looking for hospitality jobs in the Gulf region.
We have also listed the documents required for the most popular destinations for employment in the Middle East.
This article answers questions like:
- What are the documents required for a UAE employment visa?
- What are the various options for looking for jobs and visa guidance for Gulf countries?
- What are the requirements for a work visa for Middle East countries?
- What are the documents required for an employment visa in Dubai, Oman, Qatar etc.?
and so on.
This article aims to be a guide to all hotel industry professionals who are unsure of what to expect as far as the visa process and documentation is concerned.
Sure, getting that dream hotelier job in the Middle Eastern states is fabulous, and, of course, well-paying.
But, navigating the murk of employment documents and visas hasn’t always been a walk in the park.
Dubai is one of the key destinations for hospitality professionals, especially hoteliers.
Dubai (UAE), Oman and Qatar are the major destinations for hotel industry professionals from around the globe.
This post will provide you with useful information on how to apply for an employment visa for Dubai and other Gulf states.
Here is a quick guide to employment visas and documentation required by hoteliers seeking Middle East Jobs.
So, if you are looking to take your hotel management career to a higher level in the Gulf States, read on; you will be glad you did.
Needless to say, the post assumes that you already have a job offer or are about to get a job offer.
If you don’t have an offer in hand then here are some of the resources that you must look at to land an opportunity in the Gulf country.
Quick Job guide for the Gulf countries:
- Please look at the best hospitality job portals to be exposed to global hospitality employers and for one-click job applications.
- If you don’t have a profile on LinkedIn then please make sure you have one. Millions of employers hire through LinkedIn and the LinkedIn job search page is quite rich for searching for gulf jobs. Our LinkedIn Hospitality job search guide can help you explore the best options.
- While it has already been mentioned in the 1st point, we would like to reiterate that Indeed, Naukrigulf and various other job portals mentioned in our job portal guide mentioned above would be enough to get you a decent opportunity.
- You can directly apply to the career websites of the topmost hotel chains. Check the career websites of best hotel groups and apply directly online.
If you are looking for other global opportunities, our other posts discuss information on J1 Visa for the USA and about Hospitality jobs in Canada.
This article will now discuss the process of employment visas followed by the documents required for the same in Middle Eastern countries.
The Employment visa document which is normally sent via e-mail as an A4 format has all the details starting with the date and a unique permit number.
Image Courtesy- It’sAbout Dubai
Moving on to the documents for employment Visas in the Middle East now.
Documents Required for Employment Visa of Middle East countries
It is crucial to not get into the trap of fake consultants. Please check the validity of the visa. The easiest way is to get in touch with your employer (official email ID and official landline phone are the best ways to get in touch to confirm visa authenticity).
You can check the validity of work visas by visiting the official websites in the respective country.
Ministry of Interior Qatar can help all the hoteliers to check the status of their visas or confirm their validity.
The same can be done for Bahrain at their Labor Market Regulatory Authority website.
UAE Employment Visa Guidelines
The following documents are required for visa processing for an Employment visa for Dubai:
1. Passport Copy/s:
Ensure that your passport is still valid for at least 6 months prior to your arrival and that you have sufficient blank visa pages. In the event you have entered the U.A.E. on an employment visa on a passport which has since expired, a copy of the said passport must be supplied.
2. Professional and educational certificates
3. Medical Certificate: For persons arriving from India, a copy of a medical certificate from a certified clinic must be provided (GAMCA).
4. Passport photographs: Scanned Coloured passport-sized photographs (white background) of you and your dependants (U.A.E. based only).
5. Cancelled Visa Copy: Should you have been employed in U.A.E. previously; a copy of your previous cancelled visa must be supplied.
6. Permanent Home Address / Postal Address from Home Country and Contact Numbers
The United Arab Emirates is one of the most popular destinations to work. Dubai, with 700 hotels is one of the best destinations for hospitality industry job seekers. The Dubai work permit and visa process is not cumbersome at all. Usually, the whole process is taken care of by the employers including the tickets. The above-given points cover the basics of visa processing.
Oman Employment Visa Guide
The following documents will be required for visa processing:
1. Colour passport copy/s: A colour copy of your passport is required. Ensure that your passport is still valid for at least 3 months prior to your arrival and that you have sufficient blank visa pages.
2. Passport photographs: Scanned coloured passport-sized photographs (white background) of you and your dependents (For Oman-based dependents only).
3. Contact Details: Permanent street/postal address from home country & contact numbers.
4. Professional and educational certificates
5. Medical Certificate: For persons arriving from India, a copy of a medical certificate from a certified clinic must be provided (GAMCA).
6. No Objection Certificate: If you are transferring from another employer in Oman you will be required to provide a No Objection Certificate to authorise the transfer
(Any certificate/diploma be in any language other than English or Arabic, please ensure to have the institution or university translate it into English before getting it attested by the Oman Embassy of your respective country)
Qatar Employment Visa Checklist
The following documents will be required for visa processing:
1. Colour passport copy/s: A colour copy of your passport is required. Ensure that your passport is still valid for at least 6 months prior to your arrival and that you have sufficient blank visa pages.
2. Passport photographs: Scanned-coloured passport-sized photographs (blue background) of you.
3. Professional and educational certificates
4. Contact Details: Permanent street/postal address from home country & contact numbers.
5. No Objection Certificate: If you are transferring from another employer in Qatar you will be required to provide a No Objection Certificate to authorise the transfer
(If any certificate/diploma is in any language other than English or Arabic, please ensure to have the institution or university translate it into English before getting it attested by the Qatar Embassy of your respective country)
The Visa documents required for other Gulf Countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait etc. are similar.
It is extremely important to have all documents in place for hassle-free employment visa processing.
The process of Employment Visas for the Middle East
Here are the key steps that all hotel industry professionals can expect to follow in the process of landing a job in one of the Gulf countries right to the stage of joining the employer Hotel or restaurant.
1: Get a Job Contract
To garner Dubai, Qatar or UAE employment visas, you need to start off with a job contract.
In this case, your target hotel or hospitality establishment will draft an employment contract.
Complete the contract carefully make sure all your entries are clear and true to your knowledge; have it signed then post or scan it to your employer.
At this juncture, you can also acquire a hotel job offer letter to present to the immigration agents.
Here’s the deal: when your prospective hotel issues you with a written “confirmation” of a job offer, it’s then that they can commence the visa application procedure on your behalf.
2: Your visa application gets in the employee pool
As the employer submits the application to sponsor you for a UAE employment visa, you have no choice but to wait for the information submitted to be verified by the UAE immigration department.
Hotels in the Middle East are heavily dependent on the global workforce and they apply for visas in bulk.
Delays are thus normal and you should be patient while staying connected with the Human resource department of your hotel.
Once confirmed, you will be contacted.
Note that it’s the employer who pays the applicable visa processing fee.
3: Medical Examination
Middle Eastern countries require that all foreign workers submit to a blood test and medical examination to rule out illnesses like TB, HIV, and Hepatitis C.
Lots of employers would ask you to take a medical examination in your home country even before they proceed with the employment visas.
The process is then repeated once you arrive at the job location after achieving an employment visa for the Gulf country successfully.
When you are done, you would need to submit your medical records along with photocopies of your passport, 2 passport-size photos, a written job offer, and an employment visa application.
All these documents will be presented to the Department of Health and Medical Services.
If successful, you will be awarded a health card.
Remember this step is obligatory across the Gulf States.
4: Employers apply for the Labor Card (Work Permit) and Residence visa
This is again done by the Public relations office of your hotel. You don’t need to worry much about it.
For example, if you have an employment visa for Dubai:
At this point, you need to submit essential documents to the Ministry of Labor office in Dubai. Passport-size photos, copies of the entry visa, 3 copies of the job contract, medical records, and the labour license of the employer are needed.
Residence visa is yet another type of employment visa in the UAE and in other Gulf countries.
This is normally applicable to people who are either selected in senior management or those who have been working in the Middle East for a while.
You will need to fill out the visa application and provide original copies of your passport, medical records, entry permit, two passport-size photos, and photocopies of your labour card including its processing receipt.
This part of the application for Dubai employment visas takes place at the Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.
Conclusion
Here you go. Hope you found the Visa guide for UAE and other Gulf countries useful.
Work visas for Gulf countries can be of various types. From work visas to e-visas and tourist visas. It is important to know the difference. You can look at the official government websites to know more about the visa documentation guidelines.
The government website of UAE does a great job of explaining the various visa types and you can Google for other Gulf countries the requirements in details. However, we have included the most important things already in this post.
So, a little bit of preparation and following the guidelines in this article can help you set yourself up for your next career move in the ever-growing hospitality industry of the Middle East.
