Can My Teenager Work in the UAE? Jobs, Permits and Placements for 15 to 18 Year Olds

If your child knows roughly what they want to study, a placement in that field usually does more. If they don't, either one beats a summer of nothing.

A paid job teaches reliability, money and showing up on time. Those are real. But most university applications ask students to show how they've explored their chosen subject outside the classroom. A retail shift doesn't answer that question. A week shadowing a civil engineer, a clinic team or a marketing agency does.

A useful rule of thumb: if your child is torn between two directions, two short placements in different fields teach them more than one long one. Finding out you don't want to be an architect at 16 is cheaper than finding out at 20.

Most safe, daytime work is fine, as long as it matches what the company is licensed to do. Office roles, retail, front-of-house hospitality, marketing, admin and studio work all fit. What the law blocks is night work in industrial settings, anything hazardous, and a specific list of prohibited jobs.

The hours rules

• No more than 6 hours of actual work a day.
• At least 1 hour of breaks in total, with no stretch longer than 4 hours without one.
• No more than 7 hours on site in a day, including breaks and training.
• No overtime, and no working on public holidays.
• No night work in industrial projects. "Night" means a 12-hour period that includes 8pm to 6am.

Jobs on the prohibited list

A ministerial resolution lists 31 jobs no one under 18 can do. The ones parents are most likely to come across:

• Working in front of ovens in bakeries.
• Loading and unloading cargo at ports and warehouses.
• Transporting passengers by road or water.
• Working in bars or as a waiter in nightclubs.
• Lifting, pulling or pushing loads above set weight limits.
• Welding, and most factory work involving chemicals, metals or fuel.

What about delivery jobs? It's one of the most common things teens search for. Delivery work usually needs a vehicle license a 16 year old won't have, and transporting passengers is prohibited outright. Treat delivery as off the table.

The company must also train your child on health and safety, and tell you if they are sick, absent, or there is a conduct issue during working hours.

Three questions sort the organised companies from the rest.

1. Who is applying for the permit, and when?
2. What will my child actually do each day, and who will they report to?
3. Will they get an experience certificate at the end?

A company that answers all three without hesitating has usually done this before. One that says no permit is needed should explain why.

The company applies for the permit and pays for it. Your part is written consent and a few documents. Here is everything in one place.

An experience certificate with responsibilities and a performance appraisal

• Under 15? Older articles mention training permits from age 12, based on a 2016 resolution. Current guidance sets 15 as the minimum. Confirm with MOHRE before agreeing anything.
• Who it covers. Emirati students and expat students with a valid UAE residence visa.
• No gratuity or leave. Students on either permit aren't entitled to end-of-service gratuity or leave unless the contract says so.
• No cost barrier for the company. No insurance, bank guarantee or quota is needed to take on a juvenile.
• The grey area. A single day of job shadowing isn't carved out in the rules. A careful company treats any structured time on site as training.

Ask for the experience certificate before the last day, not after. It's the proof your child will use in university applications and on their first CV.

Sparq connects students aged 16 to 18, and university students, with UAE companies offering job shadowing and internships. Your child builds one profile and applies to real placements across sectors, and hears back either way, with feedback they can use for the next application.

Create your child's profile on Sparq https://sparq.ae/en/member

Can a 15 year old work in Dubai?

Yes, with a juvenile work permit issued by MOHRE and written consent from a parent. The company applies and pays the fees.

How many hours can a 16 year old work in the UAE?

Up to 6 hours of actual work a day, with at least 1 hour of breaks. No overtime, no public holidays, and no night work in industrial settings.

Do internships for school students have to be paid?

No. Student training placements can be unpaid, although companies are encouraged to cover expenses. Any pay must be written into the contract.

Can my child do an internship during term time?

Student training placements are designed for academic holidays, for up to 3 consecutive months at a time. Paid part-time work under a juvenile permit is possible alongside school, but staying in education comes first.

Does my child need a school letter?

For a training placement, yes: a no-objection letter from their school. For a paid job, no.

Do the same rules apply in free zones?

Some free zones, such as DIFC and ADGM, run their own employment rules. If the company sits in a free zone, ask them to confirm the requirements with their free zone authority.

Will my child get anything in writing at the end?

Yes. The company must issue an experience certificate covering their responsibilities and a performance appraisal.

Checked on 1 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with MOHRE before any placement starts.

• UAE Government portal: Legal provisions for employing minors (juvenile work permit conditions, documents, night and hazardous work)
• Khaleej Times: Internships in UAE, work hours, age, job restrictions (student training rules under Ministerial Resolution 519 of 2018: hours, documents, prohibited jobs, experience certificate)
• Gulf News: Summer internships in the UAE, what students and parents need to know (employer applies for and funds the permit)
• Gulf News: How you can work in the UAE from the age of 15 (background on the 2016 resolution and the earlier age-12 training permits)