What is a Recruitment Services licence in the UAE?

Sourcing and placing candidates with employers, or supplying workers, depending on the permitted scope. "Recruitment Services" is the plain-English label this is commonly searched as; the exact activity wording on a licence varies by emirate, free zone and business model.

Is Recruitment Services a mainland or free zone activity?

This sits in a regulated space, so the jurisdiction follows the regulator and the permitted scope rather than cost alone. The route depends on where your clients and assets sit, and authority confirmation is required before you commit.

Are external approvals needed for Recruitment Services?

Recruitment and manpower supply are supervised by the competent labour authority and normally require specific permits and guarantees. We check the approval position for your specific scope with the relevant authority before any application is filed.

How do I confirm the correct activity wording?

Activity catalogues differ between authorities and are updated periodically. We match your intended operations to the closest available activity, confirm it with the licensing authority, and flag anything that needs a separate approval or a different structure.

Recruitment Services

Sourcing and placing candidates with employers, or supplying workers, depending on the permitted scope.

Commonly searched as: recruitment agency licence dubai, manpower supply licence uae, staffing agency licence dubai, employment agency licence, manpower agency licence uae, temporary employment agency licence uae, mohre recruitment agency licence.

Activity at a glance

Canonical activity label: Recruitment Services (plain-English label, not an official activity name)
Category: Professional Services
Activity type: Regulated employment services
Likely jurisdiction context: Regulated
Possible external approvals: Recruitment and manpower supply are supervised by the competent labour authority and normally require specific permits and guarantees.

What this licence is for

Sourcing and placing candidates with employers, or supplying workers, depending on the permitted scope.

In practice the licence follows the operating model rather than the job title. Before selecting an activity we look at what you sell, who you sell it to, where the work is performed, whether you need premises or staff on the ground, and whether any part of the scope falls into a supervised or restricted area.

A single commercial description can map to several activity entries across different authorities, and picking the wrong one creates friction later at banking, visa quota or renewal stage. We confirm the wording with the licensing authority before you commit to a jurisdiction.

Official reference and regulator context

Published authority sources relevant to this area. Two Pillars Advisory FZCO is an independent consultancy and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of any authority listed here.

Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) (UAE mainland): Issuance of a New License for Temporary Employment and Mediation Agency. Official service page for temporary employment and mediation agency licensing. This is separate from general HR consultancy, which does not involve supplying or placing workers. https://www.mohre.gov.ae/en/services/issuance-of-a-new-license-for-temporary-employment-and-mediation-agency-2022 Last checked by Two Pillars: 2026-09-12.

Confirming the official activity wording

Official activity names and codes are held by the licensing authority, not by us. Before filing, the wording is checked against the authority catalogue for the chosen jurisdiction.

Invest in Dubai: Search business activities (Dubai, last checked 2026-09-12)
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET): Business licensing (Dubai, last checked 2026-09-12)

Frequently asked questions

What is a Recruitment Services licence in the UAE?: Sourcing and placing candidates with employers, or supplying workers, depending on the permitted scope. "Recruitment Services" is the plain-English label this is commonly searched as; the exact activity wording on a licence varies by emirate, free zone and business model.
Is Recruitment Services a mainland or free zone activity?: This sits in a regulated space, so the jurisdiction follows the regulator and the permitted scope rather than cost alone. The route depends on where your clients and assets sit, and authority confirmation is required before you commit.
Are external approvals needed for Recruitment Services?: Recruitment and manpower supply are supervised by the competent labour authority and normally require specific permits and guarantees. We check the approval position for your specific scope with the relevant authority before any application is filed.
How do I confirm the correct activity wording?: Activity catalogues differ between authorities and are updated periodically. We match your intended operations to the closest available activity, confirm it with the licensing authority, and flag anything that needs a separate approval or a different structure.

Ask Two Pillars to confirm the correct activity

Tell us how you plan to operate under Recruitment Services. We will confirm the available activity wording, the jurisdiction route and any approvals to plan for. Request a consultation.

Two Pillars Advisory FZCO is an independent consultancy and is not a government entity. The labels on these pages are plain-English descriptions of commonly searched activities, not official activity names, codes, fee schedules or regulator approvals. Applicability, permitted scope and any external approval requirement are confirmed with the relevant authority before an application is filed.