UAE Part-Time Work Permit: How to Legally Take a Second Job

Taking on a second job in the UAE while already holding a work visa or a family (sponsored) visa is legal, but only with a specific part-time work permit issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE); doing it informally, without the permit, exposes the second employer to a substantial fine under UAE labour law and puts the employee's own status at risk.

The framework goes back to Ministerial Decree No. 31 of 2018 and sits today under the broader Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships. Eligibility is generally limited to skilled workers, meaning university degree holders or those who have completed a two- or three-year technical or scientific diploma, and permit holders can generally take on up to two part-time roles at once provided the combined hours across all jobs do not exceed the standard 48-hour working week.

The application route depends on the applicant's existing visa status. Someone on a work visa needs a no-objection certificate (NOC) from their current full-time employer before MOHRE will process the part-time permit, and it's worth checking that the second employer isn't a direct competitor covered by any non-compete clause in the original contract. Someone on a family or sponsored visa generally faces a more flexible process for the same permit. The fee structure has historically included a modest application fee plus a larger approval fee, both payable to MOHRE, and processing commonly runs a matter of days once the NOC and supporting documents are submitted through the MOHRE portal or a Tasheel centre.

Part-time employees retain statutory rights on a prorated basis relative to a full-time role, meaning annual leave, gratuity, and other entitlements scale down in proportion to actual hours worked rather than disappearing entirely. Because the specific fee schedule and permitted permit combinations are reviewed periodically, anyone planning to take on additional part-time work should confirm the current rules directly through the MOHRE portal before starting.