> Source: https://thecastindex.com/modelling/united-arab-emirates — application routes checked 2026-10-01. Generated at build time from the same data the page serves.

# How to become a model in the United Arab Emirates

Apply through a Dubai agency’s own website: MMG Models, Michelle Hay Management, Bareface, Jay Jay Models, ANT Management and Pret Models all take online applications. UAE law bars work under 15, and 15 to 18-year-olds need a ministry work permit with written guardian consent. The government says charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal.

## Agencies and their official application routes

- **MMG Models** (Dubai) — online form: https://mmgmodels.com/ae/page/become-a-model-31; open call: No walk-ins: appointments only, so apply online or by email.; height: Height is a field on the application form. The page states no minimum.; safety: Says it never sends payment links to external pages by email or SMS and never asks anyone to meet outside its office. It also sells an optional two-day masterclass (AED 3,990 plus VAT) and says attending does not guarantee representation.
- **Michelle Hay Management** (Dubai) — online form: https://www.michellehaymanagement.com/be-discovered
- **Bareface** (Dubai) — online form: https://assets.bareface.com/applications/; height: Height is a field on the application. The page states no minimum.; age: Applicants under 18 must register with a parent’s email address, and the parent must sign the terms and conditions.
- **Jay Jay Models Dubai** (Dubai) — online form: https://www.jayjaymodels.com/apply-model; open call: Says it works on a strict appointment schedule and offers no walk-in sessions.; height: For its models board it lists a minimum of 5 ft 9 in for women (petite from 5 ft 5 in) and 6 ft 0 in for men; for commercial and bestager models it says height plays a lesser role.; age: Models-board applicants must be 18 or over; it says the commercial and bestager board has no age limit.
- **ANT Management** (Dubai) — online form: https://antmgmt.com/dubai/become; height: Height is a required field on the application. The page states no minimum.; safety: Says talent can join its ANT Talent booking app free of charge.
- **Pret Models** (Dubai) — online form: https://www.pretmodels.com/become; height: Height is a field on the form. The page states no minimum.

## How agencies recruit

- Dubai agencies take applications through forms on their own websites. MMG Models asks for natural, unedited daylight photos without make-up, no more than three months old, and says phone photos are fine. (https://mmgmodels.com/ae/page/become-a-model-31)
- Agencies work by appointment. MMG Models says it does not take walk-ins and aims to reply within a week; if you have not heard back by then, your application was unsuccessful. (https://mmgmodels.com/ae/page/faq)
- Under-18s apply with a parent involved. Bareface asks applicants under 18 to register with a parent’s email address, and the parent must sign its terms and conditions. (https://assets.bareface.com/applications/)
- Young people aged 15 to 18 can work only under a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, which needs written consent signed by a parent or guardian and a medical fitness certificate. (https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Workplace-regulations/employment-and-training-of-minors)
- Elite Model Look’s 2026 country list includes “UAE and Qatar”, routed to the contest’s international entry site. (https://www.elitemodellook.com/int/en/about/2026/index.htm)

## Rules on fees, contracts and safeguarding

- The UAE Labour Law prohibits employing anyone under 15, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation does not issue work permits below that age (Article 5 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, as summarised by the government portal). Source: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Workplace-regulations/employment-and-training-of-minors
- Juveniles aged 15 to 18 may work only under a ministry work permit. The permit needs written consent signed by a parent or guardian, a medical certificate of fitness for the work and a ministry-approved contract. Juveniles may not work at night or in dangerous or harmful jobs. The page does not mention modelling specifically. Source: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Workplace-regulations/employment-and-training-of-minors
- The government portal says charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal, and that recruitment, travel and residence-permit costs are borne by the employer. We found no rule written specifically for modelling agency fees, and the page does not say how this applies to agencies representing freelance models. Source: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/employment-in-the-private-sector/labour-rights
- Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on child rights (Wadeema’s Law) protects children against all forms of negligence, exploitation and physical and psychological abuse. The government’s summary does not mention modelling. Source: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/justice-safety-and-the-law/Safety/children-safety

## Official model searches

- Elite Model Look (international entry): https://www.elitemodellook.com/int/en/about/2026/index.htm — Elite’s international model contest. Its 2026 country list includes “UAE and Qatar”, routed to the international entry site. The terms set an entry window of 1 January to 31 December 2026, a minimum age of 14, and written parent or guardian consent for under-18s.

## FAQ

### Do Dubai modelling agencies charge to apply?

None of the application forms listed here asks for a fee. The UAE government says charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal, though it does not say how this applies to agencies representing freelance models. MMG Models sells an optional paid masterclass and says attending does not guarantee representation.

### How old do I have to be to model in the UAE?

UAE law bars work under 15. Juveniles aged 15 to 18 need a ministry work permit with written consent from a parent or guardian, and may not work at night. Jay Jay Models takes models-board applicants from 18, and Bareface asks under-18s to apply with a parent’s email.

### Can I walk in to a Dubai agency?

Not at the agencies that say so. MMG Models and Jay Jay Models both say they work by appointment only and do not take walk-ins, so apply online first.

### Is there a minimum height?

Most agencies listed here ask for your height without stating a minimum. Jay Jay Models lists 5 ft 9 in for women (petite from 5 ft 5 in) and 6 ft 0 in for men on its models board, and says height matters less for commercial work.

### How long until an agency replies?

MMG Models aims to reply within a week and says no reply after a week means the application was unsuccessful. Jay Jay Models says it contacts applicants it is interested in within two weeks.

### Can I apply from outside the UAE?

ANT Management says it accepts applications from talent based anywhere in the world. Elite Model Look’s 2026 contest also lists the UAE, routed to its international entry site, from age 14 with parent or guardian consent for under-18s.

## Sources

- MMG Models — Become a model: https://mmgmodels.com/ae/page/become-a-model-31
- Bareface — application form: https://assets.bareface.com/applications/
- Jay Jay Models — Model application: https://www.jayjaymodels.com/apply-model
- ANT Management — Become: https://antmgmt.com/dubai/become
- UAE Government portal — Employment and training of minors: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Workplace-regulations/employment-and-training-of-minors
- UAE Government portal — Protection of workers’ rights: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/employment-in-the-private-sector/labour-rights
- UAE Government portal — Children’s safety: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/justice-safety-and-the-law/Safety/children-safety
- Elite Model Look — 2026: https://www.elitemodellook.com/int/en/about/2026/index.htm