United Arab Emirates: DIFC Free Trade Zone Now Requires Employment Contracts for New Employment Residence Permits
Employers in Dubai’s International Financial Center (DIFC) free trade zone will soon be required to submit an employment contract when applying for new employment residence permits on behalf of foreign workers. The new requirement, which takes effect on August 26, 2012, will add to the time required to prepare employment residence permit applications for work in the DIFC.
The DIFC Authority has not specified a format or template for the required employment contracts, though they must be drafted in accordance with DIFC employment law. The contract must be signed by both the employer and employee.
Until now, the DIFC was the only free trade zone in Dubai that did not require employment contracts for employment residence permit applications.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen Global, or send an email to middleeast@ae.fragomen.com.
Source: Fragomen