Every authority, one place, official links only
The UAE government, indexed
No reseller sites, no ads pretending to be government portals — just the real authority for each thing you need to do.
Employment
Labour & Emiratisation
Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation
Labour complaints, WPS, contract registration, work permits
Tax & Business
Registration, filing & formation
Federal Tax Authority
Corporate tax, VAT registration, filing, penalty reconsideration
Visas & Residency
Immigration & identity
Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security
Federal visas, Emirates ID, entry permits (outside Dubai)
General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs — Dubai
Dubai-specific visas, residency, status checks
Disputes & Justice
Courts & committees
Why this page exists
Going direct, and why it matters
Search for almost any UAE government service and the first results are often intermediaries. Some are legitimate typing centres and licensed agents. Others are resellers charging a large markup for filling in a form you could complete yourself in ten minutes, and a few are designed to look like official portals when they are not. Every link on this page goes to the actual authority.
How to tell a real portal from a lookalike
| Check the domain | Federal entities use .gov.ae. Emirate-level and free zone authorities vary, but a commercial .com offering to "process" a federal service is an intermediary, not the authority. |
|---|---|
| Look at the payment | Official portals charge published government fees. A price well above the published fee is a service charge, which is fine if disclosed and a warning sign if not. |
| Watch the urgency | Government portals do not run countdown timers or warn that your application will be cancelled within the hour. |
Who handles what
The split is not always obvious, and going to the wrong authority is the most common reason a simple task takes a week.
| Federal Tax Authority | Corporate tax and VAT registration, returns, payments, reconsideration. Everything runs through EmaraTax. |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation | Employment contracts, work permits, wage protection and labour complaints for mainland employers. |
| Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship | Emirates ID, residency and visa matters, alongside the emirate-level GDRFA offices. |
| Department of Economy and Tourism | Mainland trade licences, at emirate level. |
| Free zone authorities | Licensing, visas and employment for companies registered inside that zone, which is a separate track from the mainland one. |
| Ministry of Finance | Tax policy, e-invoicing framework and international agreements, rather than day to day filing. |
Before you start any of them
Most portals want the same core set of documents, and having them ready as clear scans saves more time than anything else. Trade licence, Emirates ID, passport copy, establishment card where it applies, and your TRN if you are registered. Where a service needs a document attested, that is a separate process with its own timeline, and it is worth confirming before you begin rather than discovering it at submission.
Common questions
How do I know a UAE government portal is genuine?
Federal entities use .gov.ae domains, official portals charge published government fees, and they do not use countdown timers or threaten to cancel your application. A commercial site offering to process a federal service is an intermediary.
Which authority handles corporate tax and VAT?
The Federal Tax Authority, through the EmaraTax platform. That covers registration, returns, payment and reconsideration requests.
Do free zone companies use the same authorities as mainland ones?
Not for licensing, visas and employment, which are handled by the free zone authority. Federal tax obligations still run through the Federal Tax Authority.
General information about UAE rules, not tax or legal advice. Verify anything that affects a decision with the relevant authority or a licensed adviser. About · Contact · Terms · Privacy