One year ban will continue - Ministry of Labour UAE

This article from an earlier period highlights the distinction between the new rules that eased sponsorship transfer and the continuing penalty of a one-year ban for workers who committed a violation, such as breaching a contract or being absent without a valid reason.

However, the legal landscape has undergone significant changes since this report, especially with the introduction of the Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law).¹

Here is an analysis of the key points with the current (2025) legal context:

🚫 Worker Violations and Employment Bans: Current UAE Labour Law

1. The Employment Ban (Work Permit Restriction)

2010 Context	Current (2025) Legal Status of Employment Ban
Old Rule: A mandatory one-year ban was imposed on workers who breached a fixed-term contract or absented themselves from work without a legitimate reason (absconding).	Current Law (2021): The automatic six-month or one-year ban for employees who switch jobs is largely abolished for those on the new fixed-term contracts (max 3 years), provided the termination is lawful (i.e., serving the required notice period).
Violation Ban: However, the concept of an employment ban still exists for specific violations and is now addressed as a Work Permit Restriction (WPR).	Serious Violations: MoHRE can still impose a Work Permit Restriction (WPR)—effectively a ban—on employees found to have: * Absconded: Ceasing work without a legitimate reason and failing to return (which can result in a one-year ban and fines). * Breached Legal Obligations: Committing serious offences or violating the terms of a legal dispute resolution.

2. Termination Due to Company Closure

The woman's query highlights a situation where the company closed due to the employer's death, and the worker failed to inform the ministry.

• Current Law: In cases of company closure, bankruptcy, or death of the employer, the employee's contract is considered terminated by law.²
• Worker Obligation: While the old rule required the worker to inform the ministry within a reduced timeframe (2 months), the current focus is on ensuring the employee receives their end-of-service benefits. Employees must now approach MoHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) to resolve the status of their work permit and receive their dues.

3. Fines on Companies for Delayed Labour Cards

The report mentions an easing of the rule on fines for companies that delay or fail to renew labour cards, explicitly stating that fines will be paid by the companies, not the workers.

• Current Law (Confirmation): This principle is still strictly enforced. Under the current UAE Labour Law, the employer is legally responsible for all fees, fines, and costs related to the employee's work permit, residency visa, and labour card renewal.³ The employer cannot legally pass these fines onto the employee.
• WPS Penalty: The most significant fines today are linked to the Wages Protection System (WPS) non-compliance, where fines can reach up to AED 20,000 for each violation of salary payment.

In Summary: While the ability to transfer sponsorship is far easier today, serious employment breaches like absconding can still result in a Work Permit Restriction (ban) imposed by MoHRE. The employer remains fully responsible for all work permit and visa-related fees and fines.

Would you like me to clarify the current steps an employee should take if their employer closes down or fails to pay their final dues?

 

Emirates airline offers short term visa for Canadians at just $61

Canadians travelling through Dubai can obtain a short-term visa of four days for $61.5 (Dh225.9), provided they are travelling with Emirates airline.Similarly, Canadian citizens, holding a valid residency in the UAE and wanting to bring their parents and immediate relatives on a visit, can do so by booking tickets on Emirates airlines.

The visa charges are now $74.5 (Dh273.6) for a 30-day visa extendable by another 30 days.A 90-day visa only for parents or in-laws travelling by Emirates is available for for Dh1155.

“The facility is only available to passengers of Emirates airline irrespective of the nationality,” said an Emirates official at the Dnata office on Sheikh Zayed Road.

"Canadian travellers can now apply for and purchase UAE visas online via www.emirates.com. All ticketed Emirates customers, regardless of whether their ticket was purchased via a travel agent, online via www.emirates.com, or directly from an Emirates call centre or retail shop, may log-in to ‘Manage a Booking’ on www.emirates.com and access the application tool. Both 96 hour and 30 day visas are available and these will be issued via email within 3-4 working days," said a statement isued by Emirates airline.

Canada, until recently, was among more than 30 countries whose citizens could travel to the UAE on a free one-month visa.

But the UAE authorities recently amended the rules whereby Canadians will now have to pay $1,000 for a six-month multiple entry visa and the maximum stay is 14 days per visit. A three-month visa will go for $500. A 30-day visa will cost $250.

In October last year the UAE had given a 30 day deadline for the Canadian military personnel to leave the Camp Mirage base outside Dubai.

The irony is that the diplomatic standoff between Canada and the UAE centres around airspace and the nations carriers. Now it is the Emirates route that seems best for Canadians.

Earlier Story: Canadians to pay $998 for UAE visa

Canadian citizens travelling to the UAE will need to budget a little extra time and money when planning their trips.The UAE Embassy in Canada has announced it will charge Canadian nationals up to C$1,000 (US$998) for entry visas to the Gulf country from January 2 onwards.

The UAE Embassy in Ottawa has posted the new rates on its website, including a short-term (30 days), non-renewable visa that will cost C$250 ($249), a long-term (3 months) non-renewable visa for C$500 ($499), and a six-month multiple-entry visa for C$1,000 ($998), which allows for a maximum stay in the UAE of 14 days per visit.

While Canada was earlier among the list of 30-plus countries whose nationals do not require a visa to travel to the UAE - including the US, Germany, Japan and France - travellers will now need to apply for the visa about three weeks prior to flying.

The complete visa application needs to be sent to the UAE Embassy 15 working days before the departure date, according to the new requirements. The amount paid "is non-refundable in case of a visa refusal," the embassy said, adding that visa requirements may change in the future.

The new fees come into effect January 2.The decision for Canadian nationals to require visas to enter the UAE was announced in November.

UAE Labour Fines: Analyzing the 2010 Write-Off and What Companies Must Do in 202

The Ministry of Labour's historic decision to write off Dh1 billion in fines on unrenewed labour cards between 2000 and 2010 stands as a landmark moment in UAE labour policy. While this one-off amnesty provided massive relief to approximately 28,500 companies, the current landscape under the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) operates with a significantly stricter compliance framework.

Understanding the motivation behind that 2010 amnesty—to encourage companies to "legalise their status"—is crucial for navigating the zero-tolerance approach of 2025. Today, the focus is not on historic clean-up, but on mandatory and continuous adherence to the new Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

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⚖️ Then vs. Now: The Shift from Amnesty to Strict Enforcement

The most significant change is the move from the old "Ministry of Labour" to the modern, technologically enhanced MoHRE. The former relied on large, infrequent amnesty programs; the latter uses robust digital monitoring systems, including the Wage Protection System (WPS) and AI tools to flag violations immediately.

2010: The Amnesty Era (Dh1 Billion Write-Off)

Feature	Details	New Capped Fines
Goal	Clear a decade-long backlog of non-renewals (2000–2010).	Dh2,000 or Dh5,000 per card, regardless of duration.
Strategy	Blanket reduction (80%) to incentivize formal registration.	Aimed at integrating non-compliant staff into the legal system.
Context	Pre-dates the major Federal Labour Law reforms.	Focused solely on non-renewal penalties.

2025: The Compliance Era (MoHRE)

Feature	Details	Key Penalty Range
Goal	Achieve global labour market integrity, worker protection, and national agenda targets (Emiratisation).	Penalties can reach up to Dh1,000,000 for serious violations.
Strategy	Mandatory, continuous compliance (WPS, fixed-term contracts, Emiratisation targets).	Fines are often cumulative and multiply per employee or per day.
Context	Governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021 and its amendments.	Focus is on work permits, wages, contracts, and national talent.

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⚠️ What Companies Must Do in 2025: Compliance Essentials

Unlike the historical fine, which addressed a single administrative failure (labour card renewal), today's regulations impose strict requirements across all facets of the employment relationship. Employers must prioritize the following to avoid massive fines and sanctions:

1. Work Permits and Contracts (The Modern "Labour Card")

• Timely Issuance & Renewal: The digital work permit (the modern equivalent of the labour card) must be issued and renewed on time. Failure to renew a work permit within the 60-day grace period may result in a Dh500 fine.

• Fixed-Term Contracts: All employees must be on fixed-term employment contracts. Unlimited contracts are abolished and must have been converted.

2. Wage Protection System (WPS)

• Mandatory Payment: All companies registered with MoHRE must use the Wage Protection System (WPS) to pay salaries.

• WPS Violations: Delays in paying wages or attempts to circumvent WPS protocols attract significant penalties, including suspension of the company's work permit services.

3. Emiratisation Targets

• Mandatory Quotas: Private sector companies with 50 or more skilled employees must increase their Emirati workforce by 2% annually, aiming for 10% Emiratisation by the end of 2026.

• Non-Compliance Fine: Failing to meet the semi-annual targets results in an annual financial contribution of Dh42,000 for every Emirati not appointed.

• Fake Emiratisation: Any manipulation of records or 'Fake Emiratisation' schemes results in fines starting at Dh100,000 for the first offence, escalating to Dh500,000 for repeat violations.

4. Severe Administrative Penalties

MoHRE applies high-value fines for serious breaches, which include:

• Employing a worker without a valid work permit: Penalties starting at Dh50,000 per worker.

• Providing false data/documents to MoHRE: Violations leading to sanctions and potentially judicial referral.

• General Labour Law Violations: Fines for breaches of the Labour Law (Art. 33/2021) can range from Dh5,000 to Dh1,000,000.

The Bottom Line:

The 2010 fine write-off was an exception—a governmental cleanup effort. In 2025, MoHRE operates with the expectation of proactive compliance. The current fines are punitive and designed to enforce adherence to the highest international standards of employment and worker protection.

UAE Labour ministry reduced employment fee for companies

Employment fee for facilities under Category A has been reduced from Dh11,000 to Dh300 a year. Transfer fee for companies under Category B, which earlier paid Dh11,500 for three years has been reduced to Dh1,500 for two years. Firms under Category C, which shelled out Dh12,000 now need to pay just Dh2,000 for two years.

The ministry cancelled all fees for employment of nationals in the private sector to boost emiratisation. Similarly, fees for recruitment of GCC nationals have also been lifted.

The ministry stressed the need for all workers to have a valid labour card and valid residency visa with the relevant signatures of the authorities. Even those unregistered until now, including government workers, students, children below 18 years, and spouses of citizens

UAE retirement age increased from 60 to 65

New norm part of the labour rules revision to help expatriates who otherwise retire at 60

Expatriates in the UAE have been given an additional five years of service with the Ministry of Labour revising the retirement age from 60 to 65.

Part of the widespread changes in the country's labour law will allow expats to secure visas up to the age of 65 years, Arabian Business reported quoting an unnamed official of the ministry.

“The retirement age before was 60, now it’s 65. They raised the retirement age [under the new legislation,” the official told the website.

The ministry had last week announced the decision to reduce the validity of labour cards to two years from three, starting from January 1, 2011. This practically gives expat workers the freedom to switch jobs without a no-ojection certificate (NoC) from the employer.

The previous law had ensured workers get a six-month ban forcing them to leave the country if their employers refuse the NoC.