Key Points
- Foreign nationals looking to move to the UAE will be allowed to live and work in the country for a maximum period of one year under the Remote Work visa
- The Remote Work visa will not require local sponsorship
- Applicants will be eligible even if their employer is not based in the UAE
- No date has been announced yet for when the Remote Work visa will be implemented or when applications will open
Overview
Over the past weekend, the UAE Federal Cabinet introduced a new Remote Work visa that will allow any employed foreign national to live and work in the UAE for a maximum period of one year, even if their employer is not based in the UAE. The government has not yet announced when this visa will be implemented or when foreign nationals may apply.
What are the Changes?
In October 2020, the city of Dubai implemented a similar visa for remote work, but this visa will allow eligible applicants to work anywhere in the country instead. The Remote Work visa is unique because foreign nationals will not be required to have local sponsorship to be eligible; meaning employers with UAE-based employees will not have to open offices in the country to hire people within.
Looking Ahead
The Remote Work visa is significant opportunity for employers looking to hire UAE-based foreign nationals but do not meet the local sponsorship requirement. Employers should anticipate seeing similar remote-based visas in other countries as governments around the world continue to strategize how to recuperate their economies from the fallout of COVID-19.
Originally published 23 March 2021
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