UAE reduces fees for these govt services by up to 94%

Fees for 145 services and transactions offered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) have been reduced by between 50 and 94 per cent, the ministry announced on Wednesday.

It has released a revised fee structure, listing the old and new fees for the 145 services it offers and 128 transactions that it oversees through various centres, including Tawafuq, Tas'heel, Tadbeer and Tawjeeh.

This means work permit fees across all categories have been halved while fees for two-year work permit renewals have also been reduced.

According to the MoHRE, it will continue to exempt companies from paying the work permit fee to employ an Emirati or GCC national and exempt fishing boat facilities from work permit fees.

The MoHRE said that the reduced fees are part of the government's policy to boost investments and support entrepreneurship.

"The reduction in (service and transaction) fees will enhance the flexibility of the labour market and meet the needs of private sector businesses and at the same time enable enterprises to have additional options to meet their operational needs," MoHRE Minister Nasser bin Thani Al Hameli said.

"The government is keen on enhancing the productivity of the country's labour market by encouraging private business owners and investors to employ a skilled and competent workforce which is in line with the objectives of National Agenda 2021."

According to the MoHRE decree, the work permit fee for those who are sponsored by their families for different categories of businesses has been reduced from Dh200 to Dh100 - a cut of 50 per cent.

The new decision also set the fee for those wanting to sponsor their parents for two-year work permit at Dh300 for different categories of enterprise - whether the worker is skilled or semi-skilled.

Initially, the fees for issuing a two-year work permit for those who are sponsored by their parents for skilled and low-skilled workers of the first category was Dh300 and the second category (a) for skilled workers Dh500.

According to the MoHRE, the fee for issuing a work permit has decreased by 50 per cent from Dh200 to Dh100, while a two-year work permit fee for the skilled worker decreased by 50 per cent for the various categories of establishments.

For the second category (a), the fee is Dh250 and level (b) Dh500, level (c) Dh750 and level (d) Dh1,000. The fee for the establishments of the second category is now Dh2,500.

The ministry also reduced the fee for swapping the permit of a skilled worker from one establishment to another owned by the same owner or partner by 50 per cent.

The fees for the applications of all categories of work permit for teenagers have been reduced by 50 per cent.

The decree also reduced the licence fee of the agency for a period of one year and renewal by 50 per cent. The current licence fee is Dh25,000 and the renewal is Dh12,500, which is the same reduction rate for a temporary employment agency's licence for one year and renewal.

• Government