Recruitment fees in the UAE: what the law says
Under the UAE Labour Law the employer pays recruitment and employment costs and can't collect them from you, directly or indirectly. Recruitment needs a licence from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), and the employer can't keep your official documents.
This page covers private-sector jobs under the UAE Labour Law. The law doesn't apply to federal and local government employees, the armed forces, police and security, or domestic workers (Article 3(2)). DIFC and ADGM have their own employment laws, and in other free zones the free zone authority issues work permits and visas, so a genuine job there won't show up with MOHRE. u.ae: laws applicable to free zone employees (opens in new tab)
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority. Sources checked 25 October 2026. We quote the English text of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 published on the UAE government portal, which is marked as not an official translation; the Arabic text is the law.
The law
“The employer is prohibited from charging the worker for the fees and costs of recruitment and employment or collecting them from him, whether directly or indirectly.”
Recruitment or employment costs asked of you, or taken later from your salary, are against the law for jobs under the Labour Law.
“It is not permissible to undertake the activity of employment or mediation to recruit or employ workers, except with a licence from the Ministry …”
Only a recruiter licensed by MOHRE may recruit for jobs under the Labour Law.
“It is not permissible to undertake work in the UAE and the employer may not recruit or employ any worker, except after obtaining a work permit from the Ministry …”
A real mainland job comes with a MOHRE work permit; in a free zone the permit comes from that free zone's authority, and DIFC and ADGM run their own. A job you are told to start on a visit visa is not a real job.
“Not withholding the official documents of the worker or forcing him to leave the State at the end of the employment relationship;”
This is one of the employer's obligations: your passport and other official documents stay with you.
What the law does and doesn't cover
- Article 6(4) is written about the employer. Recruitment agencies have their own rules, in Ministerial Resolution No. 51 of 2022 (amended by No. 302 of 2022), which we don't quote here. Either way, treat a fee asked of you for the job as a reason to stop and check with MOHRE.
- If you move to another employer during probation, the law has the new employer compensate the original one for recruitment costs, unless agreed otherwise (Article 9(3)). That is a matter between employers.
- Domestic workers are covered by a separate law, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, not by this page.
- ADGM states that it “is a financial free zone exempt from the UAE Federal Labour Law”; its own Employment Regulations 2024 apply there. DIFC has its own Employment Law (DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019). For a job in either, check that zone's own rules. ADGM Employment Affairs Office (opens in new tab)
6 red flags of a recruitment scam
A “processing” or “placement” fee to secure the job
Paying a recruiter or employer for a job offer or for sponsorship is the classic scam. The employer's own recruitment, permit or sponsorship costs can't be passed on to you. Some visa costs are yours, such as a visa application charge; pay those only to the government, on its official website.
The law: Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 6(4)
Payment to a personal account, a money-transfer app or crypto
Government fees are paid to the government, on its own website or office. A request to send money to a person, or by gift card or crypto, is a scam.
A job offer without an interview
Real employers check who they hire: an interview, your registration and references. An offer that arrives straight after you send a CV, or in a group chat, is a warning sign.
Pressure to decide or pay today
“Only two places left”, “the visa quota closes tonight”. Pressure is there to stop you checking. A real offer survives a day for you to verify the employer.
A recruiter on Gmail, WhatsApp or Telegram only
Check that the email domain matches the employer's own website and look the employer up yourself. Where the country licenses recruiters, ask for the licence and check it with the regulator.
The law: Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 6(3)
A request for your original passport or certificates
Nobody needs your original passport to offer you a job. Share a copy only after you have verified the employer, and keep the originals.
The law: Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 13(2)
How to report
MOHRE call centre
In the UAE call 600590000 (general enquiries, also on WhatsApp) or 80084 (Labour Claims and Advisory Centre), or use the MOHRE app or live chat. MOHRE handles complaints about employers and recruiters.
Contact MOHRE (opens in new tab)Free zone jobs
For a job with a free zone company, contact that free zone's authority, which issues its work permits and visas. In ADGM, contact the ADGM Employment Affairs Office; in DIFC, employment claims go to the DIFC Courts.
ADGM Employment Affairs Office (opens in new tab)DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre)
Jobs in DIFC fall under the DIFC Employment Law (DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019). For employment matters, start from DIFC's official website.
DIFC official website (opens in new tab)DIFC Courts
Employment claims under the DIFC Employment Law are heard by the DIFC Courts.
DIFC Courts (opens in new tab)MOHRE email
Write to ask@mohre.gov.ae to ask whether a job offer, employer or recruiter is genuine.
ask@mohre.gov.ae
If you are outside the country, you can also tell the job board or site where you found the offer, and the police where you live.