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Domestic worker visa costs reduced with Dubai Now app initiative

Dubai residents can now apply, renew, or cancel domestic workers’ residence permits exclusively through the Dubai Now app, authorities confirmed in a Khaleej Times report on Wednesday.

This initiative, developed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), streamlines the process, reducing steps, costs, and required visits to service centers.

Under the new ‘Domestic Worker Package,’ the number of service channels has been reduced from four to one, while the steps to complete transactions have dropped from 12 to four. Visits to service centers are now limited to two, down from eight, and processing times have been slashed from 30 days to just five. Additionally, required documents have been cut from 10 to four, saving residents approximately Dh400 per transaction.

The simplified process includes filling out a unified form, electronically signing the employment contract, submitting medical exam results through the app, and receiving the worker’s ID and residency permits.

This rollout marks the third phase of MoHRE’s Work Bundle project, designed to consolidate services for residence and employment permits. The project was launched in March in Dubai and later expanded across all emirates, benefiting over seven million workers.