How to get a job in Dubai from India
Last updated · By the Scowter team
Short answer
To get a job in Dubai from India, apply online to real employers, get a written job offer, and let the employer arrange your work permit and entry permit. UAE government guidance says the employer pays recruitment expenses. Do not pay anyone for a job or a visa. In India, use only recruiting agents registered on eMigrate.
What are the steps to get a job in Dubai from India?
The official UAE portal lists the order for private sector jobs: a formal job offer, then the employment contract, then the work permit, then the work visa. The page was updated on 14 October 2026.
- Prepare a clear CV for the Gulf market, with your role, years of experience and notice period at the top.
- Apply on job sites and on company career pages. The UAE portal also lists job portals, online job fairs and recruitment agencies as ways to search.
- Attend interviews online.
- Get a written offer. The UAE portal says the offer must be in Arabic and English, and in a third language the worker understands.
- The employer applies for your work permit and sends you an electronic entry permit for employment.
- Travel on that entry permit, not on a tourist visa. The contract goes to the UAE labour ministry within 14 days of your arrival.
Naukrigulf vs Bayt vs GulfTalent: which should you use?
All three are well-known job sites for Gulf roles, and you can use them together. We could not open their own pages to confirm user numbers on 12 November 2026, so the table has no figures. It shows how to use each one. Check each site for its current features and any paid services.
| Site | How to use it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Naukrigulf | Create a profile and apply to Gulf roles. Familiar if you already use Naukri in India | Update your profile often so it stays fresh in recruiter searches |
| Bayt | Create a profile and apply to roles across the Middle East | Fill every profile section. Recruiters search by keywords |
| GulfTalent | Create a profile and apply, mostly to professional roles | Set job alerts for your role and city |
| Company career pages | Apply directly to the employer | Use these to confirm that a job you saw elsewhere is real |
What are the UAE work visa basics?
These points come from the UAE government portal, on pages updated in October and November 2026.
- It is illegal to work in the UAE without a valid work permit.
- A person authorised to represent the company applies for the permit. You do not apply for it yourself.
- The worker must be at least 18 years old, with limited exceptions.
- A visit or tourist visa does not give you the right to work.
- A job offer should be an offer letter issued through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). You can check it with its reference number on the MoHRE enquiry service.
- The employer is responsible for recruitment expenses under the UAE labour law.
- The UAE also has a job seeker visit visa for 60, 90 or 120 days, with no sponsor, for one trip. It is for searching, not for working.
Should you pay an agent for a Dubai job?
No one should sell you a job. The UAE portal says that if a hiring company or agency asks you for money to process the visa or the medical test, it is not a genuine company.
India's Ministry of External Affairs issued an advisory on 14 December 2023. It warned of job seekers cheated by unregistered agents and overcharged by Rs 2 to 5 lakh. It also said many illegal agents work only through WhatsApp, Facebook and text messages.
- Use only registered recruiting agents. Check the agent on emigrate.gov.in under the link List of active RA.
- Under the Emigration Act 1983, a recruiting agent may not collect more than Rs 30,000 plus GST at 18% as service charges, and must give you a receipt.
- A valid offer comes with an employment contract signed by the foreign employer, the recruiting agent and you, with the salary and terms written in it.
- A valid offer lets you travel on an employment or work visa, not a tourist visa.
- The advisory says reputed foreign employers normally provide airfare, boarding and lodging, and insurance.
- For complaints, the advisory lists the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra toll-free number 1800 11 3090 in India and the email [email protected].
How do you check that an offer is real?
Run these checks before you resign from your job or pay for travel.
- The email comes from the company's own domain, not a free email account.
- The company exists. Find its website and call its listed number.
- The offer letter has a MoHRE reference number that you can verify.
- The entry permit is valid. The UAE portal says Dubai permits can be checked on the GDRFA website and others on the ICP platform.
- Nobody asks you for money for the visa, the medical test or the job.
- In doubt, the UAE portal gives the email [email protected] for MoHRE.
What about emigration clearance in India?
Some Indian passports carry an Emigration Check Required (ECR) endorsement. The Ministry of External Affairs says workers with ECR passports get emigration clearance from the Protector of Emigrants, and that a worker hired directly by a foreign employer must first register on the eMigrate system. The advisory also describes the Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana insurance, with a sum assured of Rs 10 lakh for a one-time premium of Rs 275 for two years or Rs 375 for three years. Rules change, so confirm your own case on emigrate.gov.in.
How Scowter helps
Scowter has a free AI job search and a free CV optimizer, which you can use to find roles and to adapt your CV to a job post. With Hire Us, our team does the job hunt for you. Scowter is not a recruiting agent and does not sell jobs or visas. Your employer arranges your work permit and visa.