Can you work in Dubai with a criminal record?
To work in Dubai, you have to be free of any criminal record. If you have a criminal record within the past five years, it would be hard to find work in Dubai. Individuals seeking jobs in Dubai have an additional step to take. This step is the security background check. The check should show Dubai authorities whether your records are clear of any criminal record. Only upon clearance can you land yourself a job in Dubai. Such a check is required for foreign workers planning to work in Dubai. It only means that before your employment contract in Dubai, you have to produce a certificate of good conduct. The certificate of good conduct should be from your home country. If you worked in another country before applying to Dubai, such certification should come from that specific country. For example, John is an American who worked in Singapore for the past three years. If he plans to work in Dubai, he should get the certification from Singapore. The Reason Behind Expats could easily find jobs in Dubai without any certification in the past. The move came about after Dubai saw many labor cases where they eventually found expats to have criminal records in their home countries. Some of these expats are even wanted by their home countries. The certification is for employers and the Dubai authorities to judge potential workers based on their records. This extra step should assure Dubai of lesser risks. It should also ensure the safety of its citizens and other residents. The certification is not only for office and skilled workers. This document is also required for domestic workers. Multiple Countries, Multiple Certifications There are instances that a job applicant worked in multiple countries in the past five years. If this is the case, the job applicant should produce multiple certifications – one from each country. For example, John worked in Singapore for the past three years. Two years before working in Singapore, he was working in London. When applying for a job in Dubai, John needs to produce certificates of good conduct both from Singapore and the UK. Dubai Residents Individuals born in Dubai need not produce such a certification to find jobs. But if such an individual has worked in another country in the last five years, he should submit the document. For example, Fatima was born and raised in Dubai. After graduation, she worked in the US for the past five years. Before she can apply for a job in Dubai, she needs to get a certificate of good conduct from the US, where she worked for the past five years. Upon submission of the document, UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation should certify the certificates. Such a security screening is only applicable to the job applicants themselves. There is no need for any certificate from the dependents or family members of the job applicant. Tourists and Students In addition, these certificates are not required for tourists. If you are going to Dubai to study, there is also no need to secure such a certificate. Other individuals who are not required are those on medical or mission visas. Such visas are usually issued for temporary work in the country for about three months or less.