🇦🇪 Work & Earn Abroad

Dubai / UAE Jobs for Kenyans — the Safe Way (2026)

The pain: Kenyans are trafficked to the Gulf on fake “jobs” — tourist visas sold as work, huge agent fees, passports confiscated.

The outcome: You recognise a legitimate UAE offer, use a NEA-licensed agency, and never pay for a visa.

The EMPLOYER is your sponsor and pays for your work permit and residence visa. A legitimate employer does NOT charge you for your visa.

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The legitimate sequence (employer-driven)

1You receive a genuine offer and sign a contract, which the employer registers with MOHRE (terms must match).
2The employer obtains the work/entry permit from MOHRE.
3You travel on the entry permit.
4In-country: medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, residence-visa stamping.
5Your labour contract is registered and wages are paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS).

⚠️ Recruit only through an agency licensed by Kenya's NEA — verify at diaspora.go.ke/verify — not a WhatsApp contact.

Common mistakes to avoid

A “visa” issued as a tourist/visit visa with “sort work later” — it's illegal to work on it.
Paying AED thousands to an agent — the employer pays for the permit.
Surrendering your passport, or contract terms changing on arrival.
Salary far below what was promised — a trafficking red flag.

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International CV Builder →

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ID Photo Maker →

Passport/visa photos to UAE specs.

Questions people ask

Do I have to pay for my Dubai work visa?

No. In a legitimate UAE job the employer is your sponsor and pays for your work permit and residence visa. Paying an agent AED thousands for the permit is a red flag.

Can I work in Dubai on a tourist visa?

No, it is illegal to work on a tourist or visit visa, and a visa sold with a promise to 'sort work later' is a trafficking red flag. A genuine offer is registered with MOHRE and you travel on a proper entry permit.

How do I find a legitimate Dubai recruitment agency in Kenya?

Recruit only through an agency licensed by Kenya's NEA, and verify it yourself at diaspora.go.ke/verify rather than trusting a WhatsApp contact. Never surrender your passport.

Keep it current: Never surrender your passport, use only NEA-licensed agencies, register your travel with the Kenyan mission, and confirm every rule on u.ae before paying anyone.

Official sources