Many factors set UAE’s job market apart from the rest of the world. A strong and stable economy, tax-free income, and diverse career opportunities are just a few things that make this region an ideal destination for job seekers from all over the world.

The UAE’s authorities have introduced several policies and rules to protect the rights of both its employees and employers. One key step in this direction is the labour card. Every candidate looking for work must always have this card with them when looking for a job in the UAE.

But what exactly is this labour card and how can you get one for yourself? This is what this blog is all about. So, keep on reading till the end to know everything there is about the labour card in the UAE.

• What is the UAE Labour Card 2026?

• UAE Labour Card Eligibility Criteria

• The Process for Getting a UAE Labour Card

• Required Documents

• The Applications Process

• Ways to Check Your UAE Labour Card Online

• Downloading the UAE Labour Card

• UAE Labour Law Updates Affecting Your Labour Card (2025–2026)

• UAE Labour Card: Fee, Expiry, and Fines

• Modification or Renewal of the UAE Labour Card

• Benefits of the UAE Labour Card

What is the UAE Labour Card?

A labor card is a form of identification that every worker in the UAE must possess and carry with them at all times. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) or the relevant free zone authorities in the place of your work are responsible for issuing the UAE labour card. The labour card is a form of ID showing details regarding your work in the UAE.

This essential document for workers in the UAE establishes better employer and employee relations by facilitating the sharing of vital information. This information can also be used to determine employee benefits or for setting up payroll.

Initially, MoHRE issued physical labor cards but there was a change in the policy. Now workers get a digital version of the card that they can keep on their phones, or they can print these themselves if they prefer keeping a physical paper copy.  

Following is a list that shows the type of information you can find on your labor card:

• The employee’s name
• The name of the employer
• The employee’s labor card number
• The employee’s work permit number
• The employee’s occupation
• The nationality of the employee
• Card Expiration Date
• The employee’s personal identification number

UAE Labour Card Eligibility Criteria

Every employee in the UAE regardless of the nature of their work, nationality, or the nature of their sector, i.e., public or private must obtain a labour card and an appropriate work permit to show compliance.

Following are a few considerations in this regard:

• Every employee older than 18 and younger than 60 is eligible for the labour card.
• The employee must be academically qualified for the role.
• The employee must be physically and mentally fit and they must pass necessary medical examinations.
• Foreign employees must possess the relevant certificates from their home country.

As an employer, you need to pay attention to the following details:

• You must not possess expired labour cards.
• Employers must strive to keep their records in order.
• They must compensate the employees fairly in terms of salary and benefits based on their work.
• The businesses must adhere to every MoHRE guideline.
• The employers must provide the employees with the labour card within 60 days of their arrival.

Failure to do these things can lead to violations, which opens you up to fines and other penalties.

The Process for Getting a UAE Labour Card

Following are the main steps involved in the process of getting your UAE labour card:

Required Documents

First and foremost, you need to gather all the essential documents you will need to fill out the application. You can look at the following checklist for this purpose.

You will need:

• The latest photograph (of the employee)
• Company’s valid trade license Copy
• Copies of employees’ passports and their entry visas
• Health certificate of the employee
• Employment contract (3 copies)
• Academic credentials, depending on the job, i.e., a copy of a university certificate for a doctor, engineer, lawyer, etc.

The Applications Process

Following is the step-by-step process for obtaining a labor card in the UAE:

• Foreign workers first need a valid residency visa along with a work permit to get a job in the region. The residency visa shows you are allowed to live and work in the country, and it is essential for getting your work permit or labour card. 
• Next, you will need to obtain your work permit before legally starting a job in the UAE. Your work permit is mainly taken care of by the employer. You can usually get your labour card while applying for a work permit.
• Next, your employer needs to get a visa quota approval from the MoHRE.
• In the case of free zone companies, they must get this approval before the employee sets foot in the UAE.
• The applicant undergoes a background verification process and necessary security checks.
• They must get a signed contract letter in Arabic and English.
• The ministry then issues the entry visa “the pink visa” which gives the employee entry into the UAE.
• Next, the employee has to go through mandatory medical screening to obtain relevant documentation.
• They also need to provide additional documents as required in the application form and visit the Emirates ID center.
• After the fee payment, the labour card is issued to the candidate through their sponsoring company. 
• Once the permit is issued, the passport, Emirates ID, and work permit are stamped officially.

Following the launch of the UAE’s Work Bundle platform, MoHRE processing now takes approximately 5 working days from submission. The full end-to-end process — including medical screening, Emirates ID, and residency stamping — typically takes 2 to 3 weeks in total.

Ways to Check Your UAE Labour Card Online

Following are the two ways you can easily check your labour card number

• You can use the MoHRE app, which is available both for Android and iOS devices for this purpose. Simply log in to the app, click on your profile, and you will see every piece of information regarding your employment including labour card number, issue date, expiry date, etc. You can also see an electronic version of your labour card by clicking on “View Labour Card” from the app.
• You can also visit your local Tas’heel service center to get your employment details like labor card number, contract, etc., in person.

Downloading the UAE Labour Card

The UAE authorities no longer issue physical copies of this card. However, you are allowed to download and print this card yourself if you prefer to keep a physical copy with you at all times.

Here is what you need to do to download this card:

• Visit the official MoHRE website and head to the “Services” section.
• Now you can select “New Enquiry Services” and then click on “Choose a Service”.
• Next, you can choose “Print Electronic Work Permit” to proceed.
• Now you will need to add information like Work Permit Number, Transaction Number, Person Code, Date of Birth, and the security code that appears on your screen.
• Next, you can click on “Search” to see your details.
• At the top right corner is the option “Print”. Click on it and your card will be downloaded and printed instantly.

UAE Labour Law Updates Affecting Your Labour Card (2025–2026)

Several significant changes to UAE labour law and MoHRE regulations have come into effect since 2025 that directly affect how the labour card works, what obligations it creates, and what penalties apply for non-compliance.

1. Fixed-Term Contracts Now Mandatory for All Private Sector Employees

All employees in the UAE private sector must now be on fixed-term contracts, typically lasting two or three years. The previous unlimited-term contract model has been abolished. This affects the labour card directly because the labour card is now linked to a fixed-term contract, and any renewal or transfer must reflect the updated contract terms.

Employers who have not yet converted existing unlimited contracts to fixed-term contracts are in breach of the current law and risk penalties during any MoHRE inspection or labour card renewal.

2. Probation Period Rules and Notice Requirements

The probation period is capped at a maximum of six months. Employers must give at least 14 days’ written notice if they wish to terminate an employee during probation. If an employee wishes to leave during the probation period to join another UAE employer, they must provide one month’s written notice. If leaving the UAE entirely, 14 days’ notice is required.

These rules are enforced through the labour card and employment contract registered with MoHRE. Non-compliance with notice periods can result in compensation obligations and restrictions on the new employer’s work permit quota.

3. New WPS Salary Deadline — June 2026

This is the most recent and operationally significant change for employers. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, every private sector employer registered with MoHRE must credit salaries to workers’ bank or payroll card accounts on the first calendar day of each Gregorian month, effective 1 June 2026.

The updated WPS removes the 15-day grace period that previously meant late payments were not immediately flagged. Under the new rule, there is no buffer period — delayed payments trigger automatic compliance flags in real time.

The penalty escalation structure is as follows:

• A five-day delay triggers an automatic suspension on the issuance of new work permits.
• An 11-day delay adds financial fines and a Third Category reclassification for the establishment.
• A 16-day delay results in labour dispute registration, and by day 21, asset attachment and Public Prosecution referral become possible.

Outstanding WPS violations block all work permit renewals across the entire establishment file, not just for the affected employees. This means a single missed salary payment can freeze labour card renewals for every employee in the company until the violation is cleared.

A company is considered compliant if it pays at least 85% of total wages due to its workforce by the deadline. This threshold accounts for lawful deductions — but any shortfall below 85% triggers the escalation process regardless of the reason.

What this means for employees: Your labour card number is directly linked to WPS monitoring. If your employer misses the salary deadline, MoHRE flags it automatically. You can raise a formal dispute through the MoHRE app or Tas’heel without needing a lawyer or court filing.

What this means for employers: Payroll cut-off dates must now be set at least 2 working days before the 1st of each month to allow banks time to process and confirm transfers. The previous practice of running payroll on the last day of the month is no longer safe under the new rule.

4. 60-Day Labour Card Issuance Deadline

When an employee enters the country or alters their visa status, the employer has 60 days to complete the labour card and residency permit process. Failure to do so results in automatic fines applied to the establishment card. This deadline applies to new hires, visa transfers, and status changes — not just first-time arrivals.

UAE Labour Card: Fee, Expiry, and Fines

Fees

Following are the labour card or work permit fees from inside the country, i.e., for valid residence visa holders:

• Work permit for persons sponsored by their kinship = AED 200
• Work Permit for those sponsored by their kinship, including a two-year labour card = AED 300 for the first category, AED 2,000 for the second, and AED 5,000 for the third.
• Juvenile Work Permit = AED 100
• Temporary Work Permit = AED 100
• Temporary work permit with 6-month labour card = AED 500
• Part-Time Work Permit = AED 100
• Part-time work permit with 1-year labour card = AED 500

Following are the work permit fees from outside the country for all employment types:

• Applying for a work permit = AED 200 for each worker
• Issuance of Work Permit  including Two Years Labour Card = AED 300 for Category 1, AED 600, AED 1,500, AED 200 for Category 2, AED 5,000 for Category 3
• Work permit (recruitment and employment of workers aged over 65 years from abroad including a two-year labour card) = AED 5,000
• Changing work permit = AED 200

Following are the fees for the Renewal of labour cards and Transfer of Employees from One Establishment to Another (All Contract Types)

• Labour Card Renewal – Two Years =
  AED 300 for Category 1,
  AED 600, AED 1500, AED 2000 for Category 2,
  AED 5000 for Category 3
• Issuing labour card instead of a lost or damaged card = AED 200
• Changing labour card details or employment contract details = AED 200
• Permit for transfer from one establishment to another = AED 200
• Worker transfer and employment permit, including two-year labour card = AED 300 for Category 1,
  AED 600, AED 1,500, AED 2,000 for Category 2,
  AED 5,000 for Category 3.

Expiration

The UAE labor card is valid for 2 years for private employees and for 3 years in case the employee works for a government entity. In both cases, the employee must renew their labour card within 50 days following the date of expiration.

Fines and Penalties

Failing to maintain a valid labour card or comply with MoHRE obligations can result in a range of fines and operational restrictions. The following are the key penalties in effect in 2026:

• Late renewal — failing to renew the labour card within 50 days of expiry results in a fine of AED 500 per card.
• Late labour card issuance — employers who fail to issue a labour card within 60 days of an employee’s arrival or visa status change face automatic fines applied to the establishment file.
• WPS non-compliance — under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, salary payments made after the 1st of each month are immediately flagged. A delay of five days suspends new work permit issuance. Delays beyond 11 days result in financial fines per employee. Persistent non-compliance can result in establishment reclassification, asset attachment, and referral to the Public Prosecution.
• Unpaid fines block all renewals — any outstanding MoHRE fine freezes all labour card and work permit renewals across the entire company, not just the affected employee.

To check your current fines, visit the MoHRE website, select “Services,” then “New Enquiry Service,” then “Fine Calculator.” Enter your card number and security code to view outstanding penalties.

Modification or Renewal of the UAE Labour Card

Every employee must renew their labour card within 50 days after it expires.

Renewal can be completed online through the MoHRE website or the MoHRE smart app, without visiting a Tas’heel centre in person. To renew online, log in to the MoHRE portal, navigate to “Work Permit Services,” select “Renew Work Permit,” and follow the steps to upload the required documents and pay the applicable fee. The renewed card is typically issued within 3 to 5 working days for online applications.

If you prefer to renew in person, Tas’heel service centres remain available across the UAE.

Benefits of the UAE Labour Card

The UAE labour card provides legal and practical protections for both employees and employers. Here is what it enables:

For Employees

• Legal employment status — the labour card is official proof that you are employed legally in the UAE. Without it, an employee has no standing under UAE labour law and cannot raise a formal complaint with MoHRE.
• Access to work-related benefits — the card is linked to your employment contract, which determines your entitlement to annual leave, sick leave, overtime pay, and end-of-service gratuity.
• WPS-linked salary protection — your labour card number is tied to your WPS registration, meaning your salary payments are monitored by MoHRE. If your employer fails to pay on time, the system flags it automatically and you can raise a dispute.
• Fast-track dispute resolution — employees holding a valid labour card can access MoHRE’s AED 50,000 Fast-Track Rule, which allows the ministry to resolve salary disputes without requiring court proceedings.
• Health insurance and payroll management — employers use labour card data to set up payroll systems and manage health insurance entitlements accurately.

For Employers

• Compliance with MoHRE regulations — maintaining valid, up-to-date labour cards for all employees keeps the establishment file clean and prevents automatic blocks on new work permit applications.
• WPS compliance — each labour card number is required to generate a valid Salary Information File (SIF) for WPS submissions. An expired or missing labour card creates gaps in payroll reporting.
• Protection against penalties — employers with valid labour cards on file are less exposed to MoHRE inspections and the escalating fine structure introduced under the 2025–2026 labour law amendments.

Conclusion

The UAE labour card is an important document that every employee must possess to show compliance with labor laws and to ensure their rights are protected at all times.

This card allows workers to get fair wages, health insurance, and several other benefits. This is why anyone planning to work in the UAE must understand the labour card requirements.

By staying informed, maintaining the necessary documents, and following the key rules, it is possible to avoid violations and guarantee both the employers and the employees stay compliant with the UAE labour laws and regulations at all times.

Contact HRSG today to navigate the UAE labour card processes without errors. From obtaining a labour card to ensuring timely and accurate fee payments, we can assist you with everything you need.