Your Office Size Decides How Many Visas You Get

Your new hire has signed the offer, and the work permit request stops because the quota is used up. A bigger office looks like the fix. Before you sign a larger lease, check what sets the number in your jurisdiction.

On the Dubai mainland, the answer is MOHRE's quota, and office area is one factor among four. The UAE Government Portal (u.ae) states: "The ministry will determine the quota according to the legal form of the company, the area of the premises, the projects involved and the demand of the work operation as evidenced by the employer." It gives no ratio of visas to square metres. In a free zone, the zone's own rules apply. For how business centres and flexible offices fit into this, see how business centres in Dubai work.

So the title is only partly right. On the mainland, u.ae names premises area as one of four factors, but MOHRE's FAQ sets default quotas by whether the establishment is new or existing and by its registered workforce, without mentioning premises. In a free zone, it depends on the zone: some publish visas per desk or per square metre, while JAFZA's page sets a showroom limit of 5 visas "regardless of the size of the facility". Below, each official page is quoted, disagreements are flagged, and a framework helps you test premises against your hiring plan.

What the official pages say decides a quota

The u.ae page "Recruiting on the mainland", updated on 11 June 2025, opens the topic plainly: "The number of employees a company can hire depends on the quota approved by the ministry." The ministry is the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).

The same page adds: "This quota can be changed on request from the employer and the approval of the Ministry."

We did not find a Dubai mainland ratio of visas per square metre, square foot or desk on the pages reviewed on 20 September 2026. These included the u.ae and MOHRE pages cited here, the labour law's Executive Regulation, GDRFA Dubai and ICP card pages, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) FAQ, dubai.ae's set-up options page and Invest in Dubai's coworking page. If someone quotes you a mainland ratio, ask for its official source.

Mainland: how MOHRE's electronic quota works

MOHRE's FAQ ties its electronic quotas to "Cabinet Resolution No. (203/2022) regarding regulation of electronic quotas." We did not find that resolution's text on the UAE Legislation portal on 20 September 2026, so the rules below come from MOHRE's pages.

The default allocation

MOHRE's FAQ, read on 20 September 2026, sets out two starting points. For existing establishments, it states: "Yes, existing establishments will be granted electronic quotas (automatically)" at a rate of 5 to 10 per cent of the total labour registered in the establishment. It adds that "the number shall not exceed 100 employees as one quota every year."

For new establishments, the FAQ states: "New establishments will be granted 3 quotas, however, with respect to new establishments that are included in Annexure no. (2) of Cabinet Resolution No. (203/2022), it will be granted quotas for 6 workers."

The answer does not mention premises. We did not read Annexure no. (2), so ask MOHRE whether it covers you.

Asking for more

The same FAQ states: "Yes, establishments can apply to acquire share for additional employees if the previous quotas are used. The establishment shall send an application stating the need for additional share, and the application will be submitted to a special committee to examine it."

u.ae, quoted above, does not mention the two points MOHRE's FAQ adds: previous quotas must be used, and a committee examines the request. Confirm the current route with MOHRE before planning a hiring round around extra quota.

Quota can also be lost. MOHRE's FAQ states: "Yes, the share of electronic permits can be revoked if the establishment found to be in violation to the rules and regulations of Federal Decree-Law no. (33) of 2021 concerning regulation of the labor relations and any regulations issued in implementation thereto."

The current quota service page, and the older one that no longer loads

MOHRE's services directory page "Work Permit Quotas For Establishments", read in a browser on 20 September 2026, describes the service as "A Subsidiary Procedures associated to the services of opening and updating of the establishment file, which allows the customer to obtain electronic quotas. And it is a proactive service." Its conditions:

1. "A valid trade license"
2. "Establishments must maintain a private status, without any restrictions"
3. "Submission of a valid Taq'eem report"
4. "The profession must be compatible with the establishment's business activities"

Under documents, it states: "A proactive service quota is awarded without submitting an application or any documentation to the Ministry." It also states: "It is required to provide evidence of work volume, trade license, a list of vehicles according to the establishment's activities, as well as a Taq'eem report in case of electronic quotas." The page lists no lease, no premises area and no ratio. It shows a duration of "2 working days".

An older MOHRE page, "Request a quota of work permits for establishments", listed "A copy of lease" and "Water and electricity bills for the last month" in a server-side reading on 20 September 2026. In a browser that day it returned error pages. The Services Directory page above lists no lease. If a MOHRE channel asks you for a lease, ask MOHRE which list applies.

We could not open MOHRE's Taqyeem service pages on 20 September 2026, so we have not stated whether the assessment involves a premises visit. Ask MOHRE.

Where the quota sits in the hiring sequence

MOHRE's page "Issuance of a New Work Permit - Overseas" sets the condition: "The establishment must have an electronic quota available". MOHRE's "Issue work offer" page likewise requires that "The establishment shall have an approved electronic quota". The quota comes before the permit. For the permit itself, see the explainer on work permits and labour cards.

GDRFA Dubai's work entry visa page lists as a term "The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization's endorsement of the work permit for establishments under its umbrella", and we found no quota, premises or tenancy condition on it.

Where the office still matters on the mainland

Three official statements tie the office to the licence and labour file.

The licence needs a physical address. u.ae's page "Steps to start a business on the mainland", updated 8 April 2026, states: "All businesses in the UAE must have a physical address to operate." It adds: "Office and warehouse rental agreement must be provided. Some emirates require the agreements to be attested. In Dubai, the agreement must be registered with Ejari." The DLD FAQ adds that a commercial Ejari "must be issued under authority's name with a valid License." For the registration itself, see the guide to Ejari registration in Dubai. Company formation is covered in the guide to mainland company setup in Dubai.

MOHRE inspects before it issues the card. The u.ae recruiting page states: "The ministry will issue the card only after inspecting the business premises and verifying lack of any violations." In that passage, the card is the MOHRE card the page calls the "eSignature card". It then states: "After the issuance of the card, the employer can apply for pre-approval work permit for its employees."

MOHRE records your location. MOHRE's "Issuance of Establishment Card" page states that the establishment details must be registered, including the "details of the establishment's business activity, and location." The immigration-side card is a separate file; see the explainer on the establishment card and immigration file. GDRFA Dubai's private-sector card page and ICP's card page, as read on 20 September 2026, list no tenancy contract, premises or quota document.

Two things that look like visa quotas but are not

GDRFA Dubai publishes a service called "Adding quotas for Tourist Establishments". It describes "A service that allows Tourist Establishments to add a new category to the establishment card, enabling them to request various tourist entry permits". It asks for "A copy of the tenancy contract for the establishment office." It concerns tourist entry permits, not employee visas. We did not find a quota-increase service for ordinary employers in GDRFA Dubai's "Establishments Support Services" list reviewed on 20 September 2026.

The DLD FAQ sets rules for business centres, including that "the area should be 5000 sq ft.or more" and "Each unit should be 100 sq.ft.or more". These rules sit under the FAQ question "What is the process to register the business center license in Ejari?", not under any visa question. The FAQ reviewed on 20 September 2026 had no question linking Ejari, office size or units to visas.

Free zones: each zone publishes its own allocation

u.ae states that free zone employees are subject to "the rules and regulations of their respective free zone authority". The table quotes what each zone's page showed on 20 September 2026, with its date where shown. Zones not named in this section were not reviewed. Check the current figure with the zone before you sign.

DAFZ's two pages differ on the Standard office, as the table shows. We have not reconciled them or applied any arithmetic. Ask DAFZ which description applies to the unit you are offered.

JAFZA's page is dated 2021, and it directs readers to the "Jafza Visa and Operations team". Confirm current numbers there.

DMCC distinguishes two flexi desks. DMCC's Basic Biz terms define a "Special Flexi Desk" as "including one visa only" and a "Standard Flexi Desk" as "limited to three visas". Clause 3.13 states that going beyond the Special Flexi Desk quota "will require an upgrade to Standard Flexi Desk or any other property type with a higher visa quota." DMCC's "Increase Visa Quota" manual, updated 9 March 2022, sets these conditions:

• "Should be operating from a physical unit and not from a business centre, flexi desk, or any shared workspace."
• "Should have utilized all its existing visa quota"
• "Must have an active DMCC license along with active lease or must be the owner"

The manual also lists, as a case for revoking visas, "If company changes the licence address to a small office." It gives no per-area figure. A 2018 DMCC FAQ document gives figures by office type that we did not find on a current DMCC page, so ask DMCC.

IFZA states on its guide page that registration fees include "the cost of registered office space, if your business has four or more visa allocations." We did not find an IFZA page stating visas per package or office type.

We found no visa numbers on the Meydan Free Zone FAQ or Dubai Silicon Oasis's office-space page. See also the guide to free zone company setup in Dubai.

Abu Dhabi: what we found and did not find

We did not find an Abu Dhabi statement linking premises area to visa numbers on the ADDED, ADRA and TAMM pages reviewed on 20 September 2026. What they say concerns the licence. TAMM's "Issue Economic Licence - Commercial" lists "Approved lease contract" among required documents. ADRA's Standard Economic Licence page states: "You are required to lease office space, however it is optional in the first year for some economic activities." TAMM's Tajer Abu Dhabi service offers a licence "for specific commercial activities without an official establishment site". See the guide to mainland business setup in Abu Dhabi, and ask MOHRE about quota for an Abu Dhabi establishment.

Two worked examples

A new mainland company planning five hires. MOHRE's FAQ states that new establishments "will be granted 3 quotas", or quotas for 6 workers if listed in Annexure no. (2). With 3 quotas, hires four and five would need additional share. The FAQ allows that "if the previous quotas are used", with review by "a special committee". Plan timing with MOHRE; a larger lease alone may not change the result.

A DMCC company on a Standard Flexi Desk wanting a fourth visa. DMCC's terms say the Standard Flexi Desk is "limited to three visas". DMCC's increase manual requires operation "from a physical unit and not from a business centre, flexi desk, or any shared workspace." The route DMCC publishes runs through a change of premises. Confirm with DMCC before committing to a unit.

Published fee lines

Fee lines as the pages show them, not totals, excluding any provider's fee:

DMCC's schedule states: "All fees and charges mentioned in this schedule are subject to change by DMCC without prior notice." Ask any provider to show its fee separately.

Fees checked on 20 September 2026.

The premises-to-headcount verification framework

Practical asset: the premises-to-headcount verification framework. Complete it before you sign or change a lease, and before each hiring round. Part A: what the official source says for your jurisdiction | Jurisdiction | Where the quota rule is published | What to write down | |---|---|---| | Dubai mainland | MOHRE FAQ and "Work Permit Quotas For Establishments"; u.ae "Recruiting on the mainland" | Your current quota, quota used, and whether you are a new or existing establishment | | Dubai free zone | Your zone's own office, package or visa pages | The allocation for your unit type, the page date, and the zone team that confirmed it | | Abu Dhabi mainland | No premises-to-visa rule found on the pages reviewed | The answer MOHRE gives you, with the date | Part B: questions to ask before you sign a lease 1. Is the space registered in the right system (Ejari in Dubai) under the company's licence? 2. In a free zone: what visa allocation does this exact unit type carry, according to which current page? 3. Does the zone allow a quota increase from this unit type, or does its published route require a different unit? 4. On the mainland: is our quota used up, and has MOHRE confirmed the route for additional share? 5. Is our trade licence valid through the hiring period, and is our Taq'eem report valid? 6. Do the new roles match the licensed activities, as MOHRE's condition on profession requires? Part C: hiring-plan worksheet (fill in your own rows) | Role | Planned start month | Quota available now (yes / no) | Premises change needed (yes / no) | Authority confirmation and date | Status | |---|---|---|---|---|---|

Who decides, what you prepare, what a provider can do

What the authority decides. On the mainland, MOHRE decides the quota, any additional share and each work permit. In a free zone, the zone authority decides its own allocation and any increase. The authority, not any provider, decides each application.

What the company prepares. A valid trade licence, a registered lease where required, a valid Taq'eem report, evidence of work volume, and a hiring plan matching the licensed activities. Keep the licence current; see the guide to trade licence renewal in Dubai.

What a provider can do. Within whatever its licensed activity covers, a provider can help check the published allocation for your premises, prepare the documents the authority lists, submit them through the channel the authority names and track progress. It cannot set or change a quota.

Last verified: 20 September 2026. Information verified against official sources on 20 September 2026.

If your company is planning new hires or a move of premises, contact RINJAZ to confirm availability, scope and quotation. RINJAZ is a privately licensed UAE service provider. It is not a government entity and does not act for any authority.

A provider's role, within whatever its licensed activity covers, is to prepare documents, submit them through the correct channel and track progress. MOHRE or the free zone authority decides each quota and work permit application, and no provider can promise the outcome.