Dubai is one of the most luxurious and prominent cities in the world today. From a small desert town off the coast of the Gulf of Persia, it rose step wisely within the space of 50 decades to become the business, industrial and tourism hub of Western Asia.
Dubai is the new Eldorado, an enchanting city with an amazing skyline. Made up of 85% foreigners, it’s one of the most visited cities in the world. Nigerians love to work in the UAE where Dubai is the headquarters. With a stable economy, vibrant nightlife, world-class infrastructure and everything nice, to get a job in Dubai from Nigeria is the dream of many.
To make things even more enticing, in Dubai, you don’t get to pay taxes on your income unlike what is obtainable in Western climes. The perks of working in Dubai are tempting and almost irresistible, but getting a job in a city that has a reputation for dropping the jaws of everyone outside its haven is where the bridge is and it’s a bridge that can be crossed although difficult. With that in mind, let’s see how you can get a job in Dubai right from your country home in Nigeria.
Getting a Job in Dubai from Nigeria
There are two possible ways of securing a job in Dubai as a Nigerian or from Nigeria.
The first way is to apply for the job right here in Nigeria, get it and move over to Dubai.
The second route is to secure a tourist visa which usually lasts for about a month or two and then seize the period to look for a job.
Either way, what matters, in the end, is that you’re working in Dubai – the city with all shades of gold and awesomeness.
Let’s begin with the first.
Applying for a Job in Dubai from Nigeria – the basics
For the most part, you will rely on UAE job sites to provide you with information on English speaking firms that are hiring both citizens and non-citizens. Dubai is made up of more foreigners than any developed city of its kind across the world. That lends credence to the fact that they hire more expatriates than locals. Some of the sites that will come in handy include but not limited to:
- Dubaijobs.com
- Gulfjobsites.com
- Naukri.com
- Authority jobs
- Nadia
- Gulf News
These sites will keep you updated on job openings in the UAE which you can apply for and get hired. However, it’s not as easy as you just read. It requires time, consistency and a little money to keep up with these sites. You have to keep applying and not just laying all your eggs in one basket. You have to continue applying to as many firms as possible to increase your chances. When your application is successful and you are offered a job, your employer takes care of preparing your work visa so you can immigrate to the UAE and start working.
An employment letter will be issued to you in soft copy as proof that you’ve been hired. In the course of your application, you will be asked to supply certain personal information and verifiable details about you. Ensure you supply the right information to avoid repercussions in the future. Your employer will also take care of the cost of procuring an employment Visa for you once you’ve been accepted. Applying requires you to write an application letter and include in it, copies of your credentials, resume and up to date passports.
You will also need to perform a medical test where your blood will be obtained to clear you of any diseases. Most of the tests are done to check if you are a drug addict, but the general term is a medical test. You need to be clean if you must work in the UAE. It’s a conservative city which is typical of all Emirates (Islamic Cities). When you’ve been cleared medically, you’ll be issued a health card by the department of medical and health services at the Dubai consulate in Nigeria.
With your health card, copy of your employment letter, credentials, passports, visa and every other document that was issued to you after your application was successful, you proceed to the Dubai Ministry of Labour and submit them to get a labour card. The labour card is your work permit in the UAE.
The last step on this is to obtain a residence permit. This is the easiest of all the process since you’ve got your work permit and employment letter with you. To get a residence permit, you will have to go to the Dubai General Directorate for Residency and Foreign Affairs. Here, you’ll be issued a residence visa application form which you will fill out immediately with your accurate information and submit right away. You will submit this application alongside the original copies of your passport, entry permit or visa, employment letter, labour card and health card. You will be informed on when your residence permit will be ready for collection afterwards.
The second route.
Tourist or Visit Visa
Dubai is the most visited city in the Middle East and one of the most visited in all of Asia. Every year, it issues out tourist visa to millions of applicants. Dubai receives on an average, over 5 million tourists yearly. On getting these tourist Visas, these applicants seize the platform to look for jobs in the UAE and when that’s successful, the tourist visa will be changed to residence or work visa.
You can ply this route too which is not so easy equally unless you are lucky to get a 3-month visit visa which affords you ample time for a job search. If you are staying longer than 14 days, you will have to apply for a visit visa which expires between 30 days minimum and maximum of 90 days.
Note that this visit or tourist visa is non-renewable. You have to leave the country at its expiration or risk being deported which is the worst-case scenario asides being imprisoned.
Applying for this Visa – What You Should Know
How to get a job in Dubai from Nigeria using the tourist or visit visa route demands that you have a sponsor in the UAE. It means you should know someone (could be a friend, relative or spouse) living and working there already. This sponsor will have to invite you to come over and pay a security deposit fee on your behalf which will be refunded when you leave the country.
Another thing to note about this form of entry is that visa requirement varies per region. For most Western and Asia nations, a visa is issued on arrival but for Nigerians, you have to work it out yourself before jetting out. You’ll have to contact your travel agent to learn of the necessary requirements you will need to get a visit visa of 90 days. 90 days because this should suffice to find you a job. Since you have a sponsor, it will also be easier on arrival.
Since you are here already, let’s furnish you with the requirements of obtaining the UAE tourist visa.
The requirements are:
- Application form, duly completed
- Photo of your family member (sponsor).
- Passport of the family member or sponsor is needed
- If the sponsor is your spouse, proof of marriage certificate attested by the ministry of foreign affairs or the UAE consulate is needed. If the sponsor is a parent, proof of birth certificate is required.
- In case your sponsor is working in the public or private sector, he/she needs to send proof of employment status to you which you’ll use in the application process.
On Payments
The tourist or visit visa comes with a fee. The price ranges from $82 to $120 depending on the number of days. Your sponsor can foot the bill too if he has a specified monthly salary in line with the immigration laws of the UAE. Either way, you have to be financially capable to obtain a tourist visa to get a job in Dubai.
Other things to note on How to Get a Job in Dubai from Nigeria
- If you are using a visit or tourist visa, it’s best advised to apply 2 months prior to your planned travel time.
- Take the time to acquaint yourself with the laws in the UAE. You are forbidden to hold hands with a female or display affection publicly when the said female is not your wife. You can’t also visit the UAE with a woman who is not your spouse or relative. These and many other laws should be on your fingertips.
- After submitting your application alongside the required documents, you are issued your visa after four or five working days.
- In Dubai, the weekend is Friday and Saturday. You go to work on Sundays and it’s not up for negotiation.
- Finally, it’s a country that will leave you breathless. Brace up for the culture shock.
