Can I apply for a UK Skilled Worker visa from Dubai?

Yes. You apply online from outside the UK once your employer has given you a certificate of sponsorship, and either confirm your identity with the ID Check app or attend a UK visa application centre for biometrics.

What English level do I need?

CEFR level B2 for new applicants, unless you are a national of one of the exempt countries.

How much does a UK Skilled Worker visa cost from the UAE?

From outside the UK, the application fee is £819 for up to three years or £1,618 for longer, plus the immigration health surcharge, usually £1,035 per year per person. Your employer's sponsorship costs are separate.

How long does a decision take?

Usually within three weeks from outside the UK, once you have proved your identity and provided your documents. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

United Kingdom · Applying from the UAE

UK Skilled Worker visa from the UAE

The visa is decided by the job, not by you. Get the job and the sponsor right, and the application from the UAE is the short part.

6 min readUpdated 2026-10-12

The three things the visa depends on

A job offer from a UK employer approved by the Home Office as a sponsor. A job whose occupation code is eligible — 'higher skilled' jobs qualify; 'medium skilled' jobs only in limited cases, such as roles on the immigration salary list or the temporary shortage list. And a salary at or above the minimum for that job.

Your employer gives you a certificate of sponsorship, an electronic record with a reference number. You must apply within three months of receiving it, and you can apply up to three months before your start date.

Salary and English

The usual minimum salary is whichever is higher: £41,700 a year, or the 'going rate' for your occupation code. Some applicants can be paid less — from £33,400 — in specific circumstances set out by the Home Office, and healthcare and education jobs on national pay scales follow different rules.

New applicants must prove English at level B2 on the CEFR scale. Nationals of certain majority-English-speaking countries are exempt.

Skilled Worker essentials (gov.uk, checked 12 October 2026)
Minimum salary	The higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job
English	CEFR level B2 for new applicants
Application fee from outside the UK	£819 (up to 3 years) · £1,618 (more than 3 years)
Immigration health surcharge	Usually £1,035 per year, per person
Money to support yourself	£1,270 held for 28 days, unless your sponsor certifies it or you are exempt
Decision from outside the UK	Usually within 3 weeks of proving identity and providing documents

Applying from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

You apply online. Depending on your passport, you either confirm your identity with the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app or give fingerprints and a photo at a UK visa application centre.

A tuberculosis test is required if you are applying from a listed country — check the Home Office list against where you have lived. A criminal record certificate is needed for certain jobs, for example in health, education and social care.

Your partner and children can come as dependants. Each pays the application fee and the health surcharge, and each needs their own maintenance funds unless your sponsor covers them.

What it costs, from the UAE

For a three-year visa from outside the UK, one person pays the £819 application fee plus the health surcharge for each year of the visa. A family pays the same per person. Convert at your bank's rate on the day; the Home Office charges in pounds.

Your employer pays separately for its sponsor licence and for the certificate of sponsorship and immigration skills charge. Those are the employer's costs, not yours.

After the visa

The visa can last up to five years and can be extended. gov.uk currently says that after five years you may be able to apply to settle permanently. The government has consulted on changes to settlement, so check the rule in force when you plan around it.

If you are moving within your own company to set up a UK operation, the Global Business Mobility routes may fit better than a Skilled Worker sponsorship.

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Common questions

Can I apply for a UK Skilled Worker visa from Dubai?: Yes. You apply online from outside the UK once your employer has given you a certificate of sponsorship, and either confirm your identity with the ID Check app or attend a UK visa application centre for biometrics.
What is the minimum salary for a UK Skilled Worker visa in 2026?: Usually the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for your occupation code. Some applicants can be paid less, from £33,400, in specific circumstances, and healthcare and education jobs follow national pay scales.
What English level do I need?: CEFR level B2 for new applicants, unless you are a national of one of the exempt countries.
How much does a UK Skilled Worker visa cost from the UAE?: From outside the UK, the application fee is £819 for up to three years or £1,618 for longer, plus the immigration health surcharge, usually £1,035 per year per person. Your employer's sponsorship costs are separate.
How long does a decision take?: Usually within three weeks from outside the UK, once you have proved your identity and provided your documents. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.