About these figures: Costs and timelines on this page are indicative planning figures compiled from public free zone fee information. They have not been individually verified for this page, may be out of date, and must be confirmed with the free zone before you pay. How we source prices · How we compile data.
UAE PRO Services Guide — What a PRO Does and Costs Guide 2026
A PRO (Public Relations Officer) in UAE is a business service that handles government-related tasks on behalf of companies — visa applications, trade licence renewals, Emirates ID, labour cards, and other government paperwork. This guide covers UAE PRO services and costs for 2026.
In this guide:
What Does a UAE PRO Do?
- Visa processing: new employee work permit and residence visa application; visa renewal; visa cancellation; Emirates ID application and renewal; medical fitness test coordination
- Labour and HR: MOL (Ministry of Labour) / MOHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) dealings; work permit quota management; employee file management; WPS setup and maintenance
- Trade licence renewal: annual trade licence renewal with DED (Dubai) or relevant authority; activity amendments; partner changes; licence upgrade
- Government approvals: sector-specific government approvals (DHA for healthcare; KHDA for education; MoEI for utilities); professional licence renewals
- Document attestation: attestation of foreign documents for use in UAE; MOFA attestation; notarisation; translation coordination
UAE PRO Service Types
In-House PRO
- UAE national employee: mainland companies traditionally employed a UAE national as PRO; UAE national’s UAE passport and cultural familiarity facilitated government dealings
- Cost: PRO salary AED 4,000-8,000/month; Emiratisation quota if applicable; benefits
- Best for: large companies with high volume of visa processing (100+ employees) where in-house PRO cost is justified
Outsourced PRO Service
- What it is: a UAE PRO services company handles all government paperwork on your behalf; pay per transaction or a monthly/annual retainer
- Cost: AED 300-1,000 per visa application (over government fees); AED 500-1,500 for trade licence renewal service; AED 1,000-3,000/month retainer for regular PRO support
- Best for: SMEs with 1-20 employees; free zone companies needing mainland government services; international companies with UAE operations but no in-house HR
UAE Government Fees (Separate from PRO Service Fees)
- New work permit: AED 550 (MOHRE) + AED 1,200-3,000 (GDRFA/DNRD residence visa fees) + AED 320 (medical) + AED 370 (Emirates ID)
- Visa renewal: similar to new visa costs; approximately AED 2,500-4,500 total government fees
- Trade licence renewal: 80-100% of original licence fee annually
- Attestation: MOFA attestation AED 150 per document; Ministry of Justice attestation AED 150-250
UAE PRO vs Company Setup Agent
- Company setup agent: helps you register your UAE company (choose free zone, fill forms, submit documents, pay fees); one-time service; fee AED 1,500-5,000 over and above free zone licence fees
- PRO service: ongoing; handles recurring government tasks after company is established; annual retainer or per-transaction fees
- Overlap: many company setup agents also offer PRO services as an add-on; one-stop-shop for both
Disclosure: UAE Free Zone Compare is an independent research platform. We may receive partner commissions if you request a quote through our forms — this is disclosed on every page where it applies. Our research and recommendations are independent.