MOHRE offer letter check: is your UAE job offer genuine?

The MOHRE offer letter check, step by step

1. 1

   Find the two numbers on your letter

   Most offer letters show a transaction number and a company number. If yours doesn't, ask the employer for them (Gulf News (opens in a new window)).
2. 2

   Open MOHRE's job offer inquiry

   Go to MOHRE's enquiry portal (opens in a new window) and choose the job offer inquiry. The portal opens in Arabic, with an English switch at the top (we checked it on 9 October 2026). On mohre.gov.ae the same check sits under Services, Enquiry Services, then Enquiry for Job Offer (Gulf News (opens in a new window)).
3. 3

   Enter the details

   The transaction number, the company number, a date range around the date of the offer, and the permit type: as the employee, choose all work permits.
4. 4

   Read the result

   A genuine offer shows the letter MOHRE approved: compare it with the one you were sent, line by line. If nothing comes up, the offer was never registered with MOHRE. It may be fake or not submitted properly, so ask the employer before you go any further (Gulf News (opens in a new window)).

The approved form carries a unique serial number and a barcode, and you can check the barcode through the MOHRE app, its website or its call centre (Gulf News (opens in a new window), Khaleej Times (opens in a new window)). To ask MOHRE about an offer or a recruiter, use the MOHRE website or app, or the call centre on 600 590000.

Check the company as well

An offer can be registered and still come from a company you know little about. Look the company up in the UAE's National Economic Register (growth.gov.ae, under Inquire about Economic Licences, with UAE Pass) by its name in English and Arabic. If you're outside the UAE, the UAE embassy in your country can confirm an offer too (Gulf News (opens in a new window)).

You never pay for a job offer

The employer pays for your recruitment, work permit and visa. A “processing fee”, a “visa deposit”, an agency fee or money for training before you start are all signs of a scam, whoever asks.

The labour law says so in as many words:

• Art. 6(4), Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (opens in a new window) · MOHRE · checked 9 October 2026The 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.

The DIFC's employment law has the same rule for employers there:

• Art. 21(1), Employment Law (opens in a new window) · DIFC · checked 9 October 2026An Employer shall not request, charge or receive, directly or indirectly, from a person seeking employment, a payment for

Our offer review flags any fee in a letter: see the rule in our offer letter guide.

Signs of a fake job offer

MOHRE and Dubai Police describe the same patterns. Any one of them is reason to stop and check:

• They ask you to pay

  For an interview, a job offer, a visa or work permit, training or a "placement". In the UAE the employer pays for recruitment and your visa; a licensed agency is paid by the employer, never by you. (UAE labour law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) (opens in a new window), Gulf News (MOHRE) (opens in a new window))

• They sell you a guaranteed job

  Paid coaching, CV writing or "career packages" sold with a promise of a job or a visa. A service is not a job offer, and no one can guarantee you a UAE visa for a fee. We don't list recruiters that sell these to job seekers. (UAE labour law (opens in a new window))

• The offer isn't on MOHRE's form

  A genuine UAE job offer uses the labour ministry's approved form, with a serial number and barcode. Check it on the MOHRE website or app, or call the ministry, before you resign, pay anything or share documents. (Gulf News (MOHRE) (opens in a new window), Khaleej Times (MOHRE) (opens in a new window))

• Too good and too fast

  A salary well above the market, hiring "immediately" or a process that skips interviews. Compare the pay with our salary pages. (Khaleej Times (MOHRE) (opens in a new window))

• Only on WhatsApp, Telegram or social media

  Scammers use messaging apps and social media, the names of unlicensed companies, or pose as government bodies. Apply on the company's own careers page and do visa steps only through official channels. (The National (Dubai Police) (opens in a new window), Khaleej Times (MOHRE) (opens in a new window))

• They want your bank details

  Or ask you to open a bank account or "activate" one for them. In fake part-time job scams, victims' accounts were used to move stolen money. (Khaleej Times (Dubai Police) (opens in a new window))

Looking for a recruiter you can trust? See recruitment agencies in Dubai: licensed agencies are paid by the employer, never by you.

Genuine? Now check the terms

A registered offer can still have a probation that runs too long, a notice period only you must give, a non-compete covering the whole Gulf or a small basic salary that cuts your gratuity. MOHRE registers the offer; it doesn't tell you whether it's a good one.

• What a UAE job offer letter must say
• The MOHRE labour contract, and comparing it with your offer
• Basic salary and allowances

Sources

1. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 with its amendments, and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (consolidated English text) (opens in a new window), MOHRE, 10 October 2026
2. Job offer inquiry (opens in a new window), MOHRE, 9 October 2026
3. Received a job offer letter in the UAE? Here is how to check its authenticity online (opens in a new window), Gulf News, 18 November 2024
4. MOHRE warns job seekers about recruitment scams (opens in a new window), Gulf News, 8 August 2026
5. MOHRE warning on fake job offers and recruitment scams (opens in a new window), Khaleej Times, 8 August 2026
6. How to verify a job offer in the UAE and avoid employment or visa scams (opens in a new window), Gulf News, 8 April 2025