Processing time to complete all necessary documents to acquire work permits and residency visas has been reduced from almost one month to five days, thanks to the new Work Bundle platform launched on Tuesday.

The integrated procedure will also reduce the needed documents from 16 to five, and the number of times to go to service centres from seven to only two, officials said at a press conference.

Work Bundle integrates all procedures for government entities — such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre), Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, Dubai Health, and the Department of Economy and Tourism, and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).

It is first rolled out in Dubai before being implemented in other Emirates.

The Work Bundle platform will “facilitate, simplify and shorten the procedures for residency and work permits in the country,” tweeted Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The new integrated online platform will reduce about 65 million working hours in visiting and following up transactions at government offices, Sheikh Mohammed said. It will also cut down on about 25 million government procedures and 12 million visits, while slashing costs for government and private sector entities.

Last month, UAE ministries and federal entities were ordered to cut at least 2,000 procedures and reduce the time required for processing by half within a year.