The UAE labour card is the work authorization record that is used for private sector employment in the UAE. For services provided by the government, MoHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) is the one that mostly uses the term ” work permit. A person is not legally entitled to take on employment with a private sector employer without the appropriate valid work permit from the relevant authority.
The term can confuse people, and they continue to look for “labour card”, “labor card”, “work card” and “UAE work permit”, when they are talking about the same employment record or information in the electronic record. The point is not the name on the label – it’s just whether the job is correctly registered and if the work permit is current.
What is a UAE labour card?
A UAE labour card is often referred to as the official employment ID or work permit that is kept by the labour authorities for the employee. While the current system is based on electronic work permits and employment contracts, it does not depend on a physical card that employees wear like a wallet. The current system is based on electronic work permits and employment contracts, not on a physical card like a wallet that the employee would wear.
There remains some official information in the UAE Government that uses the term “labour card”. For instance, its requirements for recruitment in the mainland refer to applying for a labour card after the employee has finished the procedures to obtain residency and identity.
Meanwhile, the existing MoHRE service system is based on work permits. According to the official website of the government, MoHRE grants 13 permits based on the type of work.
It’s a distinction that does count in the big search engine. Check your work permit from your MOHRE and/or employment details (not a separate plastic card) if you need to access your “labour card”.
Is a labour card the same as a work permit?
The terms are closely related in most practical searches, but in legal or administrative contexts are not the same.
A work permit is written permission to work in a job under the rules. The term “labour card” is often used to refer to the worker’s labour registration or the document/details related to this authorization.
The UAE Labour Law prescribes the basic condition: without the appropriate UAE work permit under the law and implementing regulations, a person can neither work in the UAE nor can an employer employ a worker.
Thus, when your employer says that your “labour card is ready”, the real question to ask is whether or not your valid work permit has been issued and the information regarding your employment is properly recorded.
Who issues the UAE labour card or work permit?
The Ministry is responsible for the work permit services for private sector establishments that are registered with MoHRE.
The employer typically makes the application, not the employee. For instance, MoHRE’s service for Overseas Work Permit targets the employer, and the application must be submitted by a signed representative of the establishment.
The employer is also required to have a licence, quota, documentation, and compliance status. At the moment, there’s a list of requirements provided by MoHRE for an overseas worker: an electronic quota, the worker’s age of 18 or above, a valid establishment licence, and a signed official job offer.
How does the UAE labour card process work?
There are several interconnected stages a typical worker would go through in the private sector on the mainland.
The first step is for the employer to draft the formal job offer and employment paperwork. The employer then requests the necessary work permit from MoHRE. If all requirements are fulfilled, the ministry verifies the application and documents and issues the permit when recruiting an individual from overseas.
Once the employee enters the UAE or the relevant process for changing employment and residency is completed, the remaining employment and residency procedures are carried out. In addition, the workers will undergo the medical fitness examination and Emirates ID procedures before the process of employment and residency is completed, according to the UAE Government’s mainland recruitment guidance.
The UAE has also launched Work Bundle, an integrated digital platform that will bundle up key aspects of employment and residency. The platform includes information related to issuing, renewing, and cancelling work permits, residency procedures, requirements for the Emirates ID, medical examination, and employment contract procedures.
This means that an employee doesn’t necessarily have to engage in each as an individual transaction.
What information does a UAE labour card contain?
The specific information that is available will vary depending on the record and the service used accessed, but labour and work-permit records are connected with information about workers’ employment, including who they are, their employer, their occupation, and information about the permit.
Consistent Important Documents to keep are:
- Official job offer
- MOHRE employment contract
- Work permit
- Passport and identity details
- Emirates ID
- Relevant professional licence or qualification, where required
Consider the job offer and the employment contract to be especially significant due to the established employment conditions of the contract. The UAE Government advises foreign workers to keep a copy of the job offer signed and make sure that the employment contract is in line with the conditions agreed to.
In the event of a change in the salary, job, or type of employment, the employer will have to submit a formal modification of the work permit or employment contract to MoHRE.
How to check your UAE labour card online
To verify the validity of your labour card or work permit, contact official MoHRE channels. Do not depend on an unofficial website.
MoHRE offers e-services for applying for work permits and employment records, which can also be accessed by the MOHRE smart application. The ministry refers applicants to its inquiry services, smart application/call centres for follow-up work permit transactions.
One way to work through the check is:
- Open the official MoHRE website or MOHRE app.
- Use the relevant employee or inquiry service.
- Enter the identification or transaction information requested by the system.
- Review the work permit and employment details shown.
- Compare the displayed information with your employment contract.
Don’t assume your record is not in the system because it’s not there – a failure to process it does not necessarily mean your employer has failed to process it. The application might be pending; it may contain incorrect information, or you may have a different employment authority to apply for.
MoHRE has listed as its call-centre number on its service pages 600590000 for assistance.
What are the UAE labour card fees?
The cost of a labour card fee will vary from situation to situation and is not a fixed amount. The cost of the application will vary based on the type of work permit and, in some instances for the MoHRE permits, the employer’s classification.
MoHRE currently charges an AED 50 federal application fee and two-year permit issuance fees of:
- AED 250 for Category 1
- AED 1,200 for Category 2
- AED 3,450 for Category 3
The ministry further says that there are no extra service fees over what is applicable under the federal regulations on its website and Smart App, but the commissions of business centres are subject to a maximum of applicable federal charges. The amounts listed are not amounts collected, but rather amounts net of taxes and collection charges.
The UAE Government’s guidance on obtaining and renewing work permits also outlines the fees and costs associated with getting a work permit (between AED 250 and AED 3,450), depending on the classification of the company.
The following numbers are not intended to be a standard price for all employment relationships. There are a variety of fees and issuance periods for the different types of permits.
How long is a UAE labour card valid?
Not all work permits are valid for the same length of time.
MoHRE’s standard work permit for overseas workers has a two-year validity, for example.
Other permits are for a different length of time. The official government website includes, among others:
- Temporary work permit: six months
- Juvenile work permit: one year
- Student training and employment permit: three months
- Mission work permit: three months, renewable once
- Golden Visa holder work permit: two years
- Freelance work permit: governed by its applicable permit terms
Thus, it is safer to check the expiry date of your labour card, rather than taking it for granted that every labour card in the UAE has a validity of 2 years.
What happens when the labour card expires?
It’s a matter of the employer arranging renewal before the existing work authorization is due to expire.
Conditions for the issuance to continue must be met; documents and required qualifications must be presented, and appropriate fees must be paid based on the type of permit and the classification of the establishment, during the renewal procedure carried out by MoHRE.
Administrative penalties can be incurred if the permit is not renewed in a timely manner. Fines for late issuance or non-renewal must also be paid in order to receive a cancelled MoHRE card.
The best way for employees to be safe is to confirm the validity of the work permit, instead of the employer’s HR department finding out that it is expired.
Can you change employers with a UAE labour card?
Yes, there is a formal transfer work permit in the UAE for certain workers who are to be transferred from one establishment registered with MoHRE to another.
The transfer permit is for the purpose of transferring a non-UAE national worker from one establishment to another. According to MoHRE, the conditions for eligibility apply, as well as the new employment documentation and ministry approval.
It doesn’t mean that when you change employers, you should just continue to work under the old employer’s permit. The new employment arrangement needs the appropriate authorization.
It is particularly important when transitioning jobs. Whenever a worker undertakes a new employment relationship and new work permit, the worker should ensure that the previous employment relationship and work permit have been properly processed and that the new employer has gone through the relevant permit process.
Can you work for two employers?
A few employees are allowed to work for multiple employers in the UAE, provided that they have the proper permissions to do so.
For instance, MoHRE’s part-time work permit enables qualified labor to work on a part-time basis and, in accordance with the regulations, continue to work for more than one employer following employer approval by the ministry.
The key point here is that, just because you have a valid labour card/work permit, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can work for every other company.
If you desire another job, find out if you will need a part-time permit, or another suitable permit, before working.
What happens when a UAE labour card is cancelled?
At the time of the termination of an employment contract, the employer has to complete the necessary work permit and employment contract cancellations.
MoHRE’s cancellation service involves the employer requesting cancellation and filling out the necessary information. If applicable, any outstanding fines for late issuance or non-renewal shall be paid, and the production plant shall certify that the worker has been issued the worker’s due rights and entitlements.
The cancellation of a work permit is unrelated to all other immigration processes. The employee may also require cancellation of the residence status/visa with the relevant immigration authority, if applicable.
This distinction is significant since a labour card cancellation does not necessarily mean all residency records are cancelled.
Is a labour card required in a UAE free zone?
This is one of the most crucial misconceptions.
All free zones in the UAE do not necessarily have the same employment administration as that of a MoHRE establishment on the mainland. In general, the rules of each free zone authority apply to free-zone workers; however, the UAE Government labour-law provisions apply in the circumstances set by the laws. There are separate employment laws in place in DIFC and ADGM in particular.
This can then be managed by the relevant free-zone authority for the employee’s work permit and employment processes.
Before assuming that a mainland MoHRE labour-card process applies, determine who the authority is for your employment file if your company operates within a free zone.
Labour card vs Emirates ID: what is the difference?
Emirates ID is not the labour card.
Emirates ID is an identity document issued under the UAE ID system, and the labour-card/work-permit record is associated with your legal employment status.
They are linked in the employment and residency process and have different functions. The recruitment process in the UAE is conducted on the UAE Mainland and comprises two stages: the work permit stage and the Emirates ID stage.
Doing just as an Emirates ID does not automatically mean you are allowed to work for any specific employer.
What should you do if your labour card information is wrong?
Don’t overlook an incorrect job or employer name or other important piece of employment information.
Begin by cross-referring the information that appears on your MoHRE record with your signed employment contract and job offer. If it’s actually changing employment details, then the employer may need to make a request for Modification of Work Permits / Employment Contracts. MoHRE has a formal service to change employee work permit and employment contract information.
If the employer fails to address the concern, voice your concern to MoHRE via official channels and retain copies of relevant employment documents.
What if you are working without a valid work permit?
It is not something to be taken lightly that you’re working without the proper authorization.
In accordance with Article 6 of the UAE Labour Law, it is illegal to work in the UAE without a Work Permit and illegal to hire or employ a worker without a Work Permit.
The appropriate answer is for the person to request a check from the employer or HR office to confirm employment authorization at the time. Don’t just take a word for it that the app is “in process.”
The scenario becomes more crucial during a change of job, when having a second job, working under family sponsorship, or when crossing the borders between mainland and free zone employment where different categories of permits and authorities might apply.
Conclusion
Today, the UAE labour card is familiar to most, but most often, the employment record is managed electronically via work-permit systems. The most important problem is not that they don’t have a card, but that they don’t have an appropriate and valid work permit and employment registration, for most people working in the private sector regulated by MoHRE.
Prior to beginning a job or changing employers, or engaging in a second occupation or renewal, confirm the type of permit, employer information, occupation, and validity period. If your company is based in a free zone, then you should first check whether your employment file is managed by the authority or not. These checks are to ensure that one of the most frequent errors is not made, such as assuming that an Emirates ID and/or residence visa and/or old labour-card document automatically entitles a worker to work for any employer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a UAE labour card?
Employment and work permit records of workers are known as the UAE labour card. The existing system primarily relies on electronic work permits for private-sector work registered by MoHRE.
How can I check my UAE labour card?
You can visit MoHRE’s website or smart app to verify your work permit and employment information.
How much does a UAE labour card cost?
The fee will vary based on the type of work permit and the employer category. The fees for overseas work permits vary depending on the company’s classification and are the standard two years.
How long is a UAE labour card valid?
The validity is dependent on the type of work permit. The norm for an overseas work permit is usually two years, with other permits having various durations.
How can I renew my UAE labour card?
Your employer usually renews your permit via MoHRE. All documents, conditions, and applicable fees must be completed prior to renewal.
Can I change my job with a UAE labour card?
Yes, workers who are eligible can move to another employer, following the necessary work-permit process from MoHRE. The old employer’s permit cannot be transferred to the new job.
Is a UAE labour card the same as an Emirates ID?
No. Emirates ID is used to verify your identity, and the labour card/work permit is used for your authorization to work.
What should I do if my UAE labour card is expired?
Inquire with your employer about the status of your work permit and ensure your permit is renewed if it is needed. If you need help with your permit status, you can also contact MoHRE.
