Is it normal to pay for a work visa to the Gulf?

No. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain the law puts recruitment and work-permit costs on the employer. The UAE government says plainly: if a company or agency asks you for money for the visa or medical test, it is not genuine.

How can I check if a UAE job offer is real?

A genuine UAE offer uses the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) form with a serial number and barcode that you can check on the MOHRE website or app, or on 600 590000. You can also look the company up in the National Economic Register.

A recruiter only talks to me on WhatsApp. Is that a scam?

Not always. But interviews held only over informal messaging apps are among the warning signs Gulf News listed from the UAE labour ministry’s 2026 warning, and the UAE government portal advises checking that emails come from the organisation’s own domain.

Can I work in the UAE on a visit visa?

No. The UAE government states that a visit or tourist visa does not give you the right to work. A job that asks you to start on a visit visa is a red flag.

Where do I report a Gulf job scam?

In Dubai: the Dubai Police app, the eCrime platform or 901. In Saudi Arabia: the HRSD line 19911 or the ministry app. In Bahrain: the LMRA expat hotline 995. Indian nationals can also use the MADAD portal or the Overseas Workers Resource Centre on 1800 11 3090.

How to spot a Gulf job scam

Facts last checked 24 October 2026 · sources linked at the end

The surest sign of a Gulf job scam is a request for money. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain the law makes the employer pay recruitment and work-permit costs, so a “visa fee”, “processing fee” or paid medical test is a red flag. Other signs: a salary that looks too good, pressure to decide fast, a free email address, interviews only on WhatsApp, and no official offer you can verify.

Seven warning signs

From the UAE labour ministry’s August 2026 warning as summarised by Gulf News, and the UAE government portal:

You are asked to pay — for a visa, “processing” or a medical test.
The salary is unusually high for the role, or hiring is unusually fast.
You are pushed to pay or accept quickly.
Emails come from a free address, not the company’s own domain.
Interviews happen only over WhatsApp or other informal apps.
You are asked for passwords, verification codes or bank details.
There is no official offer you can check — or you are told to start on a visit visa.

Who pays recruitment costs — the law, country by country

Country	What the law says
UAE	The employer may not charge the worker recruitment or employment costs, directly or indirectly (Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 6). MOHRE adds that the employer bears agency fees, entry visa, travel, medical tests and residency.
Saudi Arabia	The employer bears recruitment fees, iqama and work-permit fees and renewals, and the return ticket at the end of the contract (Labor Law, Art. 40).
Qatar	Licensed recruiters may not take recruitment fees or costs from the worker (Labour Law 14/2004, Art. 33).
Oman	It is prohibited to charge workers any amount in return for employing them (Labour Law, Royal Decree 53/2023, Art. 31).
Bahrain	The employer bears the fees imposed on the worker and may not charge you for the work permit (LMRA).
Kuwait	The ILO notes that charging private-sector workers recruitment fees is not explicitly prohibited by Labour Law 6/2010, though work-permit fees are paid by the employer and selling visas is illegal. Treat any fee request with suspicion and verify the employer directly.

How to check an offer before you accept

UAE

A genuine offer uses the MOHRE form with a serial number and barcode: verify it on the MOHRE website or app, or call 600 590000.
Look the company up in the National Economic Register.
Check an entry permit with GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (other emirates). Your contract must match the offer you signed — if it doesn’t, MOHRE says refuse to sign and tell them.

Saudi Arabia

Private-sector contracts are documented on Qiwa, where you can review and approve or reject your contract.
Unlicensed recruitment is illegal; report it on 19911 or the ministry app.

Qatar

Check your visa status in the Ministry of Interior’s Metrash app, and use only recruitment agencies on the Ministry of Labour’s published list of registered offices.

Bahrain

Track a work-permit application by its ID in LMRA’s verification service. The LMRA expat hotline is 995.

Oman and Kuwait

Verify directly with the company through its official website and phone number, never only through the contact who approached you. Oman’s police report a rise in fake job messages that ask for “processing” fees.

If you are applying from India

Check that a recruiting agent is registered on India’s eMigrate portal.
By law (Emigration Rules, as amended in 2017) a registered agent may charge a worker at most ₹30,000 in service fees, against a receipt; visa fees, the medical and the air ticket are the foreign employer’s cost.
Report problems through the MADAD portal or the Overseas Workers Resource Centre, 1800 11 3090.

If you already paid

Stop paying, keep every message and receipt, and report it — to the police in the country concerned (in Dubai: the Dubai Police app, eCrime or 901), to the labour ministry, and to your own embassy. Then keep looking through sources you can verify: our comparison of Gulf job boards lists the established ones.

Every role on UnfairJobs links to its original posting so you can check the source yourself — and we never charge employers or sell listings.

Browse live Gulf roles →

No job or interview promises — you always apply yourself, on the original posting.

Questions, answered

Is it normal to pay for a work visa to the Gulf?: No. In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain the law puts recruitment and work-permit costs on the employer. The UAE government says plainly: if a company or agency asks you for money for the visa or medical test, it is not genuine.
How can I check if a UAE job offer is real?: A genuine UAE offer uses the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) form with a serial number and barcode that you can check on the MOHRE website or app, or on 600 590000. You can also look the company up in the National Economic Register.
A recruiter only talks to me on WhatsApp. Is that a scam?: Not always. But interviews held only over informal messaging apps are among the warning signs Gulf News listed from the UAE labour ministry’s 2026 warning, and the UAE government portal advises checking that emails come from the organisation’s own domain.
Can I work in the UAE on a visit visa?: No. The UAE government states that a visit or tourist visa does not give you the right to work. A job that asks you to start on a visit visa is a red flag.
Where do I report a Gulf job scam?: In Dubai: the Dubai Police app, the eCrime platform or 901. In Saudi Arabia: the HRSD line 19911 or the ministry app. In Bahrain: the LMRA expat hotline 995. Indian nationals can also use the MADAD portal or the Overseas Workers Resource Centre on 1800 11 3090.