Quick answer: PRO services in Dubai are usually charged either per transaction (visa stamping, document clearing, licence renewal) or as an annual retainer. The government fees these services handle are fixed and public — an establishment card runs roughly AED 1,200–2,000, a residence visa AED 3,500–6,000, and an Emirates ID AED 286–1,186 depending on visa length — while the PRO's professional fee sits on top and is quoted per scope of work.
Key takeaways
- "PRO services cost in Dubai" has two parts: fixed government fees and a separate professional service fee — always ask for them split.
- Core government fees in 2026: establishment card AED 1,200–2,000, residence visa AED 3,500–6,000, Emirates ID AED 286 (2-year) to AED 1,186 (10-year).
- A per-transaction model suits one-off jobs; an annual retainer suits companies with ongoing visas, renewals and MOHRE work.
- Doing it yourself saves the service fee but costs time, portal logins and the risk of rejected applications.
- DBM quotes the government fee and its service fee separately on every engagement — no hidden bundling.
What are PRO services?
A PRO (Public Relations Officer) service handles your dealings with UAE government departments — visa processing, document attestation, labour files, Emirates ID applications, licence renewals and more — so you don't have to queue at immigration, MOHRE or a typing centre yourself. In practice, a PRO is the person or firm that knows which portal each task lives on, what documents it needs, and how to clear it without a rejection.
For a new company, a PRO is the bridge between having a trade licence and actually being able to operate — because a licence alone doesn't give you a visa, an establishment card or the right to hire. Those are separate government processes, each with its own fee, and that is exactly where PRO costs come from.
What does "PRO services cost in Dubai" actually cover?
The phrase bundles together two very different things, and the single biggest mistake buyers make is treating them as one number.
1. Government and authority fees. These are set by DET, GDRFA (immigration), MOHRE (labour), ICP and the typing centres. They are fixed, public and change without notice — no consultancy can discount them.
2. The professional service fee. This is what the PRO charges for doing the legwork: form completion, portal submission, typing-centre runs, document chasing and follow-up. It varies by the complexity of the task and whether you buy it per transaction or as a retainer.
When someone advertises a low "PRO package", they are almost always showing you the service fee only — with the government fees omitted. A transparent quote shows both lines.
How much do PRO services cost in Dubai in 2026?
Here are realistic 2026 government fees for the tasks a PRO most commonly handles. The professional service fee is additional and quoted per job.
| PRO task | Government fee (AED) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment card (immigration / GDRFA) | 1,200 – 2,000 | Required before any visa can be issued |
| Establishment card (MOHRE labour file) | 300 – 700 | A separate card from the immigration one |
| Residence visa (investor or employee) | 3,500 – 6,000 | Medical, EID and stamping included |
| Emirates ID (2-year visa) | 286 | The shortest card; there is no 1-year EID |
| Emirates ID (5-year visa) | 686 | — |
| Emirates ID (10-year / Golden Visa) | 1,186 | — |
| Medical insurance (basic, 2-year) | 1,600 – 3,000 | Required for the visa to be stamped |
| Trade name reservation | 620 – 735 | One-off DET fee |
| Initial approval (DET) | 120 – 235 | Pre-approval step |
Government and authority fees are set by the relevant department and change without notice — treat the ranges above as 2026 guidance, not a locked quote. For a full licence picture, see our Dubai mainland company formation breakdown.
Two things to note. First, the establishment card has two versions — one from immigration and one from MOHRE — and they are not the same card; a surprising number of first-timers pay for one and assume they're covered. Second, there is no one-year Emirates ID: the shortest card runs two years at AED 286, so any quote showing a cheaper "1-year EID" fee is wrong.
Per-transaction vs annual retainer: which is cheaper?
A per-transaction model is cheaper if you only need a one-off job done; a retainer is cheaper if you have ongoing, repeating government work across the year.
Per transaction suits a solo investor who needs a single visa stamped, one document attested, or one licence renewal handled. You pay the government fee plus a one-time service fee, and you're done.
Annual retainer suits an SME with employees, because visa renewals, labour-card updates, new hires, MOHRE contract changes and Emirates ID renewals land throughout the year. Bundling them under one monthly or annual fee is usually cheaper per task than paying individually each time — and you get a named contact who already holds your company file.
The honest answer for most startups: begin per-transaction while you have one or two people, then move to a retainer once headcount and renewal volume make the recurring work predictable. Our PRO services are scoped either way, and we tell you which is cheaper for your actual activity rather than defaulting you to the higher one.
PRO services vs doing it yourself
You can absolutely do this yourself — the portals are public. Whether you should depends on how you value your time and your tolerance for rejected applications.
Doing it yourself means registering on the right platforms and learning each one's quirks. Visa and status work runs through immigration portals and the ICA / ICP Smart Services system; company immigration access needs e-Channel registration; and Emirates ID has its own application and status flow. None of it is impossible, but a single wrong field — a mismatched name spelling, an expired medical, a missing attestation — sends the application back, and you only find out after you've paid and waited.
What a PRO adds is pattern recognition: they've filed the same application hundreds of times, so they catch the error before submission, not after. The service fee is, in effect, the price of not restarting a rejected application — and for business owners, the time saved is usually worth more than the fee.
How to engage a PRO service: step by step
- List the exact tasks. Visa stamping? Licence renewal? Document attestation? A PRO can only quote accurately against a defined scope.
- Ask for a split quote. Insist on government fees on one line and the service fee on another. If a provider won't separate them, that's your answer.
- Confirm what's included. Does the visa fee cover medical, Emirates ID and stamping, or are those extra? For residence visas, the AED 3,500–6,000 range should already include them.
- Check the timeline. Each task has a realistic processing window; a good PRO gives you one upfront.
- Hand over documents once. A competent PRO collects your passport copies, licence and photos in a single request, not in a drip-feed.
- Decide transaction vs retainer. Based on your renewal volume, lock in whichever model costs less over twelve months.
Documents checklist for common PRO tasks
- Passport copy (and visa page, if already a resident)
- Passport-size photo with white background
- Valid trade licence copy
- Establishment card (immigration and/or MOHRE, as relevant)
- Emirates ID copy, if renewing or amending
- Tenancy contract / Ejari, where an office is involved
- Signed authorisation for the PRO to act on your behalf
Exact requirements vary by task and nationality, so confirm the final list before you start — it saves a wasted typing-centre trip.
FAQ
How much does it cost to use PRO services in Dubai?
Expect to pay the fixed government fee for each task plus a separate professional service fee. Government fees in 2026 run roughly AED 1,200–2,000 for an establishment card, AED 3,500–6,000 for a residence visa, and AED 286–1,186 for an Emirates ID. The PRO's service fee depends on scope and is quoted per job.
What is included in a PRO service fee?
A PRO service fee covers the professional work — form completion, portal submission, typing-centre runs, document follow-up and government liaison — but not the government fees themselves. Always ask for the two split out, because a low advertised "package" price usually shows only the service portion and omits the authority fees entirely.
Is a PRO service mandatory for a Dubai company?
No, a PRO service is not legally mandatory — you can file visa, labour and renewal tasks yourself through the government portals. Most owners outsource it because the portals have strict document rules, and a single rejected application costs more time and money than the service fee would have. It's a convenience choice, not a legal requirement.
Can I do PRO work myself to save money?
Yes, you can handle most PRO work yourself via ICP Smart Services, e-Channel and the typing centres, and you'll save the service fee. The trade-off is time and risk: mismatched details or missing attestations get applications rejected after you've already paid, so weigh the saving against the cost of redoing it.
How often do PRO government fees change?
Government and authority fees are set by departments like DET, GDRFA, MOHRE and ICP, and they can change without public notice. The ranges in this guide reflect 2026 figures, but always confirm the current amount before budgeting — especially for visas and Emirates ID, where the fee scales with the visa duration.
Does a PRO handle licence renewals too?
Yes, licence renewals are one of the most common PRO tasks, alongside visa stamping and labour-file updates. A renewal involves its own government fee plus any office or market-fee components, and a PRO ensures it's filed before expiry to avoid late penalties and the risk of your company file being blocked.
Need a straight answer on what your specific PRO tasks will cost — government fees and our service fee, shown separately? Book a free consultation via our contact page or message us on WhatsApp at +971 50 504 6228. With a 4.9-star Google rating from 126 reviews and 10+ years handling UAE government processes, DBM will tell you the real number before you commit.