MOHRE labour contract: what it says and how to check it

What a MOHRE labour contract must contain

The Implementing Regulation of the labour law lists what every employment contract states (Cabinet Resolution 1 of 2022, Art. 10(1) (opens in a new window)):

• The employer's name and address; your name, nationality, date of birth, proof of identity and qualification.
• The job or occupation, the start date and the workplace.
• The working hours, the rest days and any probation.
• The term of the contract.
• The wage agreed, including the benefits and allowances.
• Annual leave, the notice period and how the contract can be ended.

The contract is on one of MOHRE's forms for the work pattern agreed: full-time, part-time, temporary, flexible, remote or job sharing (Art. 10(4)). Employer and employee may add clauses, as long as they agree with the law (Art. 10(2)). It is made in two copies, one of them yours (Decree-Law Art. 8(1)), in Arabic with a language you understand beside it; if the two differ, the Arabic prevails (Art. 66(2)).

Compare it with your offer

The MOHRE contract should carry the terms of the offer you accepted. Before you sign, put the two side by side and check:

• The basic salary and each allowance, not just the total.
• The job title, which becomes the occupation on your work permit.
• Probation (at most 6 months) and the notice period after it (30 to 90 days).
• Annual leave, medical insurance and any other benefit the offer promised.

A promise of salary paid “separately”, outside the contract, is a red flag: the registered contract is what MOHRE enforces (Khaleej Times (opens in a new window)). If the terms differ, ask the employer to correct the contract before you sign it; an offer withdrawn before the work permit is issued may be hard to take to MOHRE as a complaint (Khaleej Times (opens in a new window)). See the offer and the MOHRE contract in our offer letter guide.

Checking your MOHRE contract online

Your employer applies for the contract, signed by both of you, and MOHRE approves and attests it electronically; the service takes 2 working days, and a new contract is applied for within 60 days of your entry into the UAE or change of status. (MOHRE (opens in a new window)). Once it is approved you can view and save it yourself (Gulf News (opens in a new window)):

1. 1

   On mohre.gov.ae

   Open Services, then View Approved Contract, and choose Search by EIDA No. Enter your Emirates ID number and request a one-time password, which goes to the mobile number registered with your Emirates ID.
2. 2

   View and save it

   Enter the password and choose View My Contract. Save a copy on your computer or phone.
3. 3

   Or in the MOHRE app

   Log in with UAE Pass, open My Dashboard and scroll down to Contract, where you can view and save it.

Before you arrive, check the offer on MOHRE's job offer inquiry instead: the MOHRE offer letter check.

Limited and unlimited contracts: fixed terms now

Under the 2021 labour law every private-sector contract is for a fixed term, renewable by agreement. A 2022 amendment removed the cap on how long that term can be (Pinsent Masons (opens in a new window), Al Tamimi (opens in a new window)), so the old split between limited and unlimited contracts is gone.

• Art. 8(3), Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (opens in a new window) · MOHRE · checked 9 October 2026Contract of employment shall be concluded for a specified period of time, subject to renewal, in accordance with the agreement of both parties.

• A renewal adds to your original term, so your service, and your gratuity, keep counting (Art. 8(4)).
• If both sides carry on after the term ends without signing anything, the contract continues on the same terms (Art. 8(5)).
• An offer that still says “unlimited contract”: ask what term the MOHRE contract will show (the rule).

Ending the contract before its term

A fixed term doesn't lock you in. Either side can end the contract by giving the notice it sets (Art. 42(3)), between 30 and 90 days after probation, the same for both sides unless the difference favours you.

Probation, resigning, being let go and moving to a new job: probation, notice and resigning in the UAE. What you're paid at the end: how gratuity is worked out.

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. The UAE introduces amendments to the labour law and unemployment insurance: key information (opens in a new window), Al Tamimi & Company, 9 October 2026
3. How to check and download your UAE labour contract online for free (opens in a new window), Gulf News, 6 January 2026
4. UAE lifts cap on private sector employment contracts (opens in a new window), Pinsent Masons (Out-Law), 9 October 2026
5. Issuance and renewal of employment contracts (opens in a new window), MOHRE, 9 October 2026
6. UAE: can a company revoke job offer letter before an employee's joining date? (opens in a new window), Khaleej Times, 21 May 2023
7. Dubai: how to verify a job offer (legal check) (opens in a new window), Khaleej Times, 9 October 2026