Before you start

A signed job offer and MoHRE-attested employment contract with an Abu Dhabi-licensed mainland employer (the employer initiates everything; you cannot self-apply).
A passport valid at least 6 months with blank pages, plus passport-size photos on a white background to ICP/SEHA spec.
Mandatory UAE health insurance — required for every new visa and renewal nationwide (employer-arranged for the employee).
Attested degree certificate if your MoHRE skill level or job title requires it (and needed later if you upgrade to a Green/Golden visa).

Step-by-step

1
Employer obtains the MoHRE work permit and ICP entry permit
Your employer applies through MoHRE for the work permit (labour approval) and through the federal ICP for the employment entry permit. The entry permit lets you enter — or, if you are already inside the UAE, remain — and starts the 60-day clock to complete residency. In Abu Dhabi this runs on ICP Smart Services, NOT Dubai's GDRFA.
Via employerWho: Employer / company PRO3-7 working daysEmployer-borne; work permit + entry permit roughly AED 250-3,500 depending on company category
2
Activate the entry permit — status change inside the UAE, or an exit/entry
If you are already in Abu Dhabi on a visit or other status, the PRO files an in-country 'change of status' so you never have to leave. If you must activate at the border, a quick exit/entry (historically a 'visa run' to Oman) does it. The status-amendment route is now standard and avoids a flight.
Via employerWho: Employer / company PRO2-5 working daysStatus change approx AED 520-640 (employer-borne)
3
Take the medical fitness test (SEHA)
Mandatory for all residents 18+. In Abu Dhabi this is done at a SEHA Disease Prevention & Screening Centre — book at visascreening.seha.ae. It is a blood test (HIV, hepatitis, syphilis) and a chest X-ray for TB; an active communicable disease can mean refusal/deportation. Results usually land in 24-48 hours and feed straight into the visa file; check status via the visa-screening service on TAMM.
In personWho: You (applicant)Same-day visit; results in 24-48 hoursAED 350-650 depending on standard vs VIP/express
4
Give Emirates ID biometrics (ICP)
Emirates ID issuance and the residence visa are now a single merged ICP application. You attend an ICP-approved centre to give fingerprints, a facial scan and an official photo. The residency file cannot be completed until biometrics are captured. Adults must attend in person; the card is printed centrally after approval.
In personWho: You (applicant)15-30 min appointmentEmirates ID approx AED 370 for 2 years (employer-borne)
5
Residence visa issued digitally and linked to your Emirates ID
ICP issues the 2-year residence file electronically — since 2022, no sticker is pasted in passports outside Dubai. Your Emirates ID is your proof of residency, and a digital copy of the residence permit is downloadable from the UAEICP app. For private-sector hires, MoHRE then activates the work permit so you can legally start work.
OnlineWho: ICP / employer PRO2-3 working days after biometrics; whole process ~2-3 weeks end to endResidence-issuance fees approx AED 500-1,200 (employer-borne)

Documents you’ll need

Original passport (6+ months validity) plus the ICP employment entry permit.
MoHRE-attested employment contract / job offer and a passport-size photo (white background).
Valid UAE health insurance certificate (mandatory nationwide for issuance and renewal).
SEHA medical fitness certificate (pass result) before the visa and Emirates ID are finalised.

Things most newcomers don’t know

The Emirates ID is the master key — get the number, then chase the physical card.

Banking (an AML legal requirement), a postpaid SIM/internet, a registered tenancy and a driving licence all need a valid Emirates ID. But once your EID number exists in the system you can often start bank and telecom steps before the plastic card arrives, so note the number the moment it is generated.

Source: u.ae — Emirates ID benefits; UAE bank AML rules

There is no visa sticker in your passport anymore — and that trips people up.

Since 2022 the residence visa is fully digital everywhere except Dubai. Landlords, banks or overseas officials who ask to 'see the visa stamp' should be shown the Emirates ID or the residence-permit PDF from the UAEICP app; you can also pull an official visa copy via ICP if a paper proof is demanded.

Source: Gulf News / The National (2022); ICP

Abu Dhabi is ICP + TAMM + SEHA + Tawtheeq — do not follow Dubai's GDRFA/Ejari instructions.

Generic UAE guides default to Dubai. In Abu Dhabi your visa runs through federal ICP Smart Services and the TAMM portal, the medical is at SEHA (visascreening.seha.ae), and your tenancy is registered in Tawtheeq — not Dubai's Ejari. Using the wrong portal wastes days.

Source: TAMM Abu Dhabi; SEHA; Tawtheeq (DMT)

You almost never touch the bureaucracy — but the 60-day clock is on YOU.

The employer's PRO files the permits, status change and most paperwork, so your active duties are just the medical and biometrics. Yet the 60-day completion window runs from your entry, and overstay fines accrue against you, the applicant — so if your employer's PRO stalls, push them before day 60.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming you must do a 'visa run' to Oman — for most in-country applicants a change of status is filed without leaving the UAE, so confirm before booking any flight.
Treating the medical fitness test as a formality — an active communicable disease (e.g. TB, HIV) can mean the visa is refused and you are required to leave, so do not sign a lease or ship belongings until you have passed.
Failing the 60-day window because the employer's PRO is slow — overstay fines land on you, the applicant, not the company, so track each stage and chase early.
Following Dubai (GDRFA/Ejari) steps in Abu Dhabi, or — if you join an ADGM company — expecting the standard MoHRE flow, since ADGM uses its own establishment-card immigration channel.