Build your recruitment business on the right licence from the beginning.
First Elite Global can help you coordinate the company setup, MOHRE
requirements, documentation and practical steps needed to establish your
agency in Dubai.
22+ yearsof experience supporting company formation and related services
50,000+companies served across multiple jurisdictions
One teamto coordinate setup requirements and your next practical steps
Choose the correct activity
Which Recruitment Agency Licence Fits Your Business?
The first decision is not your company name or office. It is how your
recruitment business will actually operate. Mediation and temporary
employment place very different obligations on the agency.
01 / MEDIATION
Recruitment & Employment Mediation
This model is for an agency that brings employers and candidates
together and facilitates recruitment without becoming the worker's
employer.
It suits businesses focused on candidate sourcing, recruitment
introductions and placement rather than employing workers and assigning
them to client companies.
MOHRE licence feeAED 25,000
Financial guaranteeAED 300,000
02 / TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT
Temporary Employment & Outsourcing
This model applies where the agency employs workers and makes their
services available to a beneficiary or client under the regulated
temporary-employment and outsourcing framework.
Because the agency has greater employment responsibilities, the
regulatory and financial requirements are substantially higher.
MOHRE licence feeAED 50,000
Financial guaranteeAED 1,000,000
Planning to conduct both activities?
MOHRE also provides for a combined recruitment mediation and temporary
employment/outsourcing licence.
AED 75,000 licence fee
Prepare the application properly
What You Need Before the MOHRE Application
Recruitment is a regulated activity. A complete file needs more than
standard company-formation paperwork, and the exact documents depend on
the applicant, legal form and activity selected.
MOHRE lists initial approval from the relevant economic department among
the documents for a new agency licence.
A clearly identifiable business address
The agency must satisfy the address and premises requirements applicable
to its licensed recruitment activity.
Applicant and partner identification
Prepare the applicable passport, Emirates ID and ownership documentation
for the licence holder and partners.
Valid police-clearance documentation
MOHRE includes a valid Police Clearance Certificate within its
agency-licensing documentation.
Credit reports and financial information
Financial and credit documentation forms part of the regulatory
assessment for recruitment-agency licensing.
Acknowledgement of agency regulations
Applicants must acknowledge the legal rules governing recruitment and
employment-agency activities.
Required financial security
Plan for the applicable bank guarantee. MOHRE's conditions also provide
for an insurance arrangement as an alternative in the circumstances it
accepts.
Important compliance point
Recruitment agencies must not build their model around charging employees
for recruitment or employment services. Your commercial structure should
be planned around compliant employer-side arrangements.
A clearer route to launch
How the Recruitment Agency Setup Process Works
The exact sequence can change according to your structure and activity,
but a recruitment-agency setup should normally be approached in this order.
STEP 01
Define Your Business Model
Confirm whether you will operate as a mediation agency, temporary
employment and outsourcing agency, or combine the activities.
STEP 02
Structure the Company
Align the business activity, ownership, trade name and economic licence
with the regulated recruitment service you intend to provide.
STEP 03
Prepare the MOHRE File
Assemble the initial approval, identity documents, police clearance,
credit information and the other documents applicable to your case.
STEP 04
Arrange Financial Security
Put the applicable bank guarantee or accepted alternative in place
according to the agency activity being licensed.
STEP 05
Complete Licensing & Launch
Finalise the approvals and business-licensing requirements before
commencing the regulated recruitment activity.
Plan the budget correctly
What Does Recruitment Agency Setup in Dubai Cost?
There is no single total setup price because the economic licence,
premises, immigration requirements, professional support and your chosen
agency model all affect the final figure.
The MOHRE component can, however, be separated clearly from the other
setup costs.
Temporary employment / combined bank guaranteeAED 1,000,000
MOHRE service fees exclude applicable tax, collection charges and the
other costs involved in establishing and operating the company.
Government fees and requirements can change.
Budgeting tip
Separate the setup cost from the financial security
A useful quotation should separate government charges,
financial-security requirements and professional service fees so you
know what is payable, refundable or tied up as part of the licensing
process.
First Elite Global currently presents Basic, Standard and Premium support
options. Ask for the current inclusions, government fees and exclusions
before selecting a package.
Basic Package
Focused Setup Support
A starting option for founders who need a more focused level of
assistance with their recruitment agency setup.
Business Setup Support That Goes Beyond the Application
Recruitment-agency formation involves both company setup and sector-specific
requirements. Having the sequence mapped before you commit to the licence,
office and financial guarantee can help you avoid unnecessary rework.
First Elite Global can help you understand the setup route, prepare the
required information and coordinate the stages that apply to your business.
Start with what the agency will actually do so that the licensing
route matches the commercial model.
02
Clear document preparation
Understand the documentation and regulatory checks that need to be
addressed before submission.
03
Cost visibility
Separate licence fees, financial guarantees and wider company-setup
costs before you commit.
04
Practical next-step support
Move from initial setup planning through the licensing stages with a
clearer understanding of what happens next.
Proof you're in safe hands
What Clients Say About First Elite Global
“Setting up my business in the UAE was seamless with First Elite Global.
Their expert team handled everything efficiently, from legal structure
selection to paperwork.”
“They provided clear guidance and managed everything from registration
to banking. Professional and timely service.”
Common questions
Recruitment Agency Setup FAQs
Key points to understand before committing to a recruitment business
structure in Dubai.
Do I need MOHRE approval to start a recruitment agency in Dubai?
If the business will conduct regulated recruitment mediation or
temporary employment and outsourcing activities, it cannot undertake
those activities without the relevant MOHRE licence. The company
setup and economic licensing therefore need to be aligned with the
MOHRE requirements.
What is the difference between mediation and temporary employment?
A mediation agency brings employers and candidates together without
becoming the worker's employer. A temporary employment and outsourcing
agency employs workers and makes their services available to client
businesses under the applicable regulatory framework.
How much is a recruitment agency licence in Dubai?
MOHRE currently lists a federal licence fee of AED 25,000 for a
mediation agency, AED 50,000 for temporary employment and outsourcing,
and AED 75,000 when the activities are combined. These are not the
complete Dubai company-setup costs.
How much bank guarantee is required?
The current MOHRE requirement is at least AED 300,000 for a mediation
agency and AED 1,000,000 for temporary employment and outsourcing or
the combined activity. Confirm the current requirement before
committing funds.
How long does the recruitment-agency licence process take?
MOHRE publishes a service duration of 10 working days for its new
temporary-employment and mediation-agency licence service. That is the
ministry's service period for the relevant application and should not
be treated as the total elapsed time for the complete company setup,
premises, documents and other approvals.
What documents should I prepare?
The exact file depends on your legal form and applicants, but MOHRE
currently lists items including economic-department initial approval,
applicant and partner identification, a location diagram, credit
reports, a valid police-clearance certificate and acknowledgement of
the regulations governing agency activities.
Can a recruitment agency charge candidates recruitment fees?
Recruitment and employment costs should not be passed to workers.
MOHRE guidance states that recruitment agencies must not collect fees
from employees for recruitment or employment services.
What affects the total cost of setting up the agency?
Beyond the MOHRE licence and financial-security requirement, your
total cost can depend on the economic licence, business premises,
ownership structure, visa requirements, staffing and the professional
support required to complete the setup.
Plan the licence before committing capital
Ready to Set Up Your Recruitment Agency in Dubai?
Tell First Elite Global how you plan to recruit, place or supply workers.
The team can help you map the appropriate setup route, documents and
regulatory steps before you proceed.
