The six-month labour ban in Dubai may be revised or scrapped

The six-month labour ban in Dubai may be revised or scrapped altogether, a senior official said. The move comes in the wake of thousands of expatriates losing their jobs in Dubai due to tough economic conditions.Abdul Razaq Qamber, training head at the Inspection Department at the Ministry of Labour (MoL), said the ministry is set to revise a ministerial decision imposing a six-month ban on expatriate workers, XPRESS reported.Employees working outside the free zones and who resign or lose their jobs are automatically slapped a six month ban, preventing them from moving from one company to another.Qambar was speaking during a discussion on workers’ wages held on Sunday at the Ministry of Labour in Dubai.

UAE Eliminates Automatic Entry Ban: Focus Shifts to Compliance and Worker Mobilit

The UAE has fully moved past the historical practice of imposing an automatic six-month entry ban on expatriates who cancel their employment or residency visas. The automatic administrative ban, which was formally lifted in 2005, has been replaced by a modern, flexible system that encourages skilled labour mobility and only imposes sanctions for serious legal violations.

Today, the regulatory system is segmented: ICP manages residency and entry bans, while MoHRE manages work permits and labour sanctions.

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🚫 Immigration & Entry Ban: Applied for Violations Only

The primary rule is that a general ban on re-entry is not applied automatically upon routine visa cancellation. Expatriates can re-enter the UAE on a visit, tourist, or new entry permit without waiting.

An entry ban (Immigration/Travel Ban) is now strictly applied only to individuals who:

• Violate Immigration Laws: For example, overstaying the grace period, committing visa fraud, or using a visa for non-designated purposes.

• Face Criminal/Civil Action: Bans are placed due to ongoing criminal investigations, court orders, or unresolved civil claims (e.g., bounced cheques or unpaid debts exceeding AED 10,000.

• Absconding: A Permanent Ban may be imposed if an employer successfully reports an employee for absconding (leaving work without notice and illegally).

Neither administrative lists nor passport stamps are used for routine cancellation; such measures are reserved for legal violations.

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💼 Work Permit Suspension: The Modern Labour Ban

While the general entry ban has been largely eliminated, MoHRE may impose a Work Permit Suspension (often still informally called a 'labour ban') for specific violations of the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021). This ban restricts a worker's ability to obtain a new work permit from MoHRE for a fixed period (typically one year from the date of departure).

Grounds for a One-Year Work Permit Suspension

A one-year work permit suspension is enforced in cases where the worker:

1. Breaches Contract during Probation: Terminates the employment contract during the probation period without legal cause.

2. Unlawful Termination: Unilaterally terminates a contract without adhering to the required notice period.

3. Work Abandonment: A valid "work abandonment" report is filed and proven against them.

4. Fictitious Establishment: The worker's permit was cancelled because the employer was proven to be a fictitious company.

Grace Periods After Visa Cancellation

The old, rigid 30-day grace period has been replaced with a flexible system tied to the worker's skill level and visa type. This allows people more time to adjust their status or find a new job without leaving the country.

Residency Type/Skill Level	Grace Period (After Expiry/Cancellation)
Golden & Green Visa Holders	180 days
MoHRE Skill Level 1 & 2 Professionals	180 days
MoHRE Skill Level 3 Professionals	90 days
Most Other Employment Visas	30 to 60 days

Work Permit Suspension Exemptions

The one-year work permit suspension does not apply to several categories, making it easier for skilled workers to switch jobs immediately:

• High-Skill/Specialised Professions: Workers with professional skills required in the UAE market.

• Golden Visa Holders.

• Workers sponsored by family members.

• Workers moving to government departments or free zones.

The modern system is designed to penalise non-compliance while maximising labour mobility for skilled individuals who adhere to their contractual and legal obligations.

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You might be interested in a video summarising the Current MoHRE Labour Ban Rules and why they are implemented.

Lifting Labour Ban In Dubai - is it possible

The Ministry of Labour has amended the labourers' Visa Transfer Law, which, I believe, are in favour of both - the labourers and the labour market. The ministry has ceased the previous condition that obligates the labourer to complete one year continuous service for his/her employer before being permitted to transfer his/her visa to another employer.

According to the new rule, the Ministry of Labour no longer requires such a condition. So, any labourer who has not completed a year's service for his/her employer may transfer to another employer after obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the employer to transfer the visa to another employer, provided that the newly imposed fees should be settled. Such fees are called "the one year non-completion fees" which is calculated at the rate of Dh500 per month. For instance, if the employee continues a period of two months service only then he/she would be obliged to pay a fee of Dh5,000 for 10 months.

Now any labourer, who completes a period of three years service and who could not obtain an NOC, can resign and can approach the Ministry of Labour and the ministry - as per his demand - will cancel the visa and apply a six-month ban. With the new rules and upon completion of three years' service, this ban can be lifted and the employee can transfer to another employer without the need to obtain such NOC from the previous employer, provided that the newly imposed fees should be settled in addition to the visa transfer fees. Such new fees are called 'ban lifting fees'. Worth saying is that this new law is not applicable in Abu Dhabi but might be in the future. Therefore, the reader as per the new law will not have any problem as long as the company has promised to grant him a n NOC to transfer his visa.

Employee Banned In UAE

If an employee has been deemed an absconder, is the lifetime ban in effect to the whole of UAE or all the GCC countries?

The lifetime ban which may be imposed on the employee, is applied only in UAE, and is not applied in all GCC countries.

UAE- Mission Visa - 90 to 180 days

This is a relatively new visa arrangement intended for people working in the UAE temporarily with the permission of the Labour Ministry. The DNRD website information is not very clear - this information comes from articles in the press.

Visa is issued for 3 months, cost is 600 dhs. Extension for another 3 months costs 1200 dhs. Maximum stay is 180 days (so if you stay 6 months, you may be in trouble for the extra couple of days although there is apparently a grace period of 7 days for 3 month visas - may not apply for the second 3 months).

Apparently you need to get a Temporary Work Permit from the Ministry of Labour first before applying for the Mission Visa. MOL website does not have further information about a TWP (at least, not in English).

According to the Interior Ministry, it is only available to expatriate doctors, engineers, lawyers and technicians.