How a genuine private-sector hire works
For a private-sector job in mainland UAE, the employer deals with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) at each step. The company must hold a trade licence and a MOHRE establishment card. It registers the job offer and the employment contract with the ministry, receives a work permit for the new hire and arranges the entry permit and residence visa.
The candidate then completes a medical fitness test at an approved centre and the Emirates ID biometrics. The employer, not the candidate, pays the permit, visa and recruitment costs. After arrival, the salary is paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS), which records the payment with MOHRE.
Every step leaves a record. That is the reason you can verify a genuine offer, and the reason a fake one tries to keep you away from the records.
Check 1: the employer's licence and establishment
Ask for the company's full trade name, licence number and the issuing authority, then search the number on the register of the emirate's economic department (the Department of Economy and Tourism, DET, in Dubai, ADDED in Abu Dhabi, SEDD in Sharjah) or the free zone's own company search. Our guide to verifying a trade licence walks through the steps.
Confirm that the company name on the register matches the name on the offer letter, and that the licensed activity fits the job. A company licensed for general trading offering a nursing job is a mismatch. Check that the licence is active.
Look the company up independently. Find the website through a search, not through a link in the message. Call the switchboard number from the register, not the one in the email, and ask to speak to human resources.
Check 2: the offer letter itself
A genuine offer states the job title, the monthly basic salary and allowances in dirhams, the employment type, the probation period (up to six months under the labour law), the notice period, the work location, the working hours, and the employer's name and licence number.
It does not ask for money. It does not come from a free email address such as Gmail or Yahoo when the company has its own domain. It does not contain spelling errors in the company name, and it does not promise a salary far above the market for the role.
Compare the salary with ranges for the same job in the UAE. A cashier job at AED 9,000 a month, a driver at AED 12,000 or a data-entry post at AED 15,000 with "no experience needed" are red flags.
Check 3: confirm the offer with MOHRE
MOHRE keeps the record of the offer and the contract, and it offers channels where a candidate can ask about them. Call the ministry's contact centre on 600590000, or use the MOHRE app and website, and ask how to confirm that the employer has registered your offer. Have the company name, licence number and the offer reference ready.
In the current process the employer registers the job offer and the contract with the ministry, and the candidate is asked to review and accept them electronically before the work permit is issued. Ask the employer for the transaction number. A real employer has one, and gives it without hesitating.
The steps and the names of the services change from time to time. Treat the ministry's own channel as the authority, not this page.
Check 4: who pays, and what they ask of you
Under UAE labour rules, the employer bears recruitment, work permit and visa costs. A candidate does not pay for a job offer, a visa, a medical test arranged by the employer, a "processing fee" or a "security deposit". Anyone who asks for such a payment, however small, is breaking the rules, whether they are an employer or an agency.
Recruitment agencies must hold a MOHRE licence, and you can ask the ministry to confirm it. A licensed agency charges the employer, not you.
Be cautious about requests for your passport original, your bank card details or your Emirates ID photo before you have an offer you have verified. A genuine employer asks for a passport copy and photo, and the original only for the visa stamping process.
Check 5: the visa route
A work visa is issued through a work permit and an entry permit for employment, not on a visit or tourist visa. If an employer asks you to arrive on a visit visa and says they will "change status" after you start, be careful. Working on a visit visa is a violation, and it leaves you without a contract, insurance or any claim to wages.
There is a legitimate route for people who want to look for work in person. The UAE offers job exploration entry visas for skilled candidates that allow a stay of 60, 90 or 120 days, with conditions on qualifications. Check the conditions with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs or the ICP.
For a genuine hire, the order is offer, contract, permit, medical, visa, travel. When the order reverses and money moves early, stop.
After you join: confirm the contract and the salary
In your first weeks, confirm that your contract matches the offer, and that you can see it in the MOHRE app or on your work permit record. Keep a copy.
Check that your salary arrives through the bank on the date in the contract and matches the amount. WPS payments leave a record. Ask HR for the work permit number and the details of your insurance: health insurance and the unemployment insurance scheme that applies to private-sector workers.
If your contract was changed after you arrived, for example a lower salary than the offer, do not sign. Ask for the original offer to be honoured and keep your messages.
If something does not match
If the licence, the offer or the visa route does not check out, stop communicating about money and documents. Tell the employer that you will confirm with the ministry.
If you have already paid, call your bank at once and report the matter to the police, with the messages and receipts: in Dubai, to Dubai Police through the eCrime platform or the app; elsewhere, to the police of your emirate. If you are already in the UAE and unpaid, or the contract was changed, file a complaint with MOHRE on 600590000 or through the app. Your embassy can also help with workers in difficulty.
Tell us if the job was posted on Moathaq. Use the report form with the company name and the job link. We remove the post and suspend the employer once the licence does not match.
Any AED amounts in this guide are typical ranges for Dubai as of October 2026; prices in other emirates are often similar or lower. They are not quotes and not offers: real prices depend on the job, the company and the date, so ask for written quotes.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay a visa fee to a UAE employer?
No. Under UAE labour rules the employer pays recruitment, work permit and visa costs. A request for any fee from a candidate is a red flag, from an employer or an agency.
What is the MOHRE contact centre number?
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation contact centre is 600590000. You can also use the MOHRE app and website to ask about an offer or file a complaint.
Can I work in the UAE on a visit visa?
No. Working on a visit visa is a violation. A legitimate work route requires a work permit and employment visa, or a job exploration entry visa if you are searching in person.
How long can a probation period last?
Up to six months under the UAE labour law. A longer probation, or a clause that lets the employer end the contract without notice after the first day, deserves a question before you sign.
