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Labour Contract Typing in Dubai

Labour Contract Typing in Dubai

The binding document — typed, registered, and matched to the offer letter.

Mir Ali Licensed PRO consultant · Amer & Tasheel partner

Updated 27 Aug 2026 Get a fixed quote

The short version

The MOHRE labour contract is the legally binding document. The offer letter precedes it and must match it exactly.
Typing and registration runs AED 100 – 200 per contract.
Terms that differ between offer and contract are the most common cause of a stalled permit.
Your registered contract is what MOHRE relies on in any dispute — not a separate company agreement.

Employers often treat the MOHRE contract as paperwork and the internal offer as the real agreement. It is the other way round. In a dispute, the registered contract is the document that counts, and any side agreement that contradicts it tends not to help the party relying on it.

Offer letter and contract

1. MOHRE offer letter

Issued through the ministry and signed by the candidate before the work permit is applied for. It states salary, job title, hours and contract type.

2. Work permit

Applied for on the strength of the signed offer — see MOHRE work permits.

3. Labour contract

Typed, signed by both parties and registered with MOHRE after the residence chain completes. Terms must mirror the offer.

The mismatch that stalls files

If the salary, job title, hours or contract type differ between the offer letter and the contract, MOHRE raises a query and the file waits. It is not a rejection — it simply stops until someone notices.

Where the salary changed legitimately between offer and joining, the offer should be reissued rather than the contract quietly altered.

What it costs

Component	Typical range	Notes
Contract typing and registration	AED 100 – 200	Via Tasheel
Offer letter typing	AED 100 – 200	Precedes the permit
Contract amendment	AED 100 – 200	Salary or title changes
Contract cancellation	AED 100 – 200	On termination
Legal translation	AED 250 – 400	Where a supporting document requires it

What the contract must carry

Salary, split into basic and allowances — this split drives gratuity and must be paid through WPS
Job title, matching the profession approved on the permit
Contract type and term — limited-term contracts are the standard model
Working hours and weekly rest
Annual leave, at or above the statutory entitlement
Probation, within the statutory maximum — see probation rules
Notice period, binding both sides equally — see notice periods

Where contracts cause problems later

Basic salary set artificially low to reduce gratuity. It also reduces what the employee can sponsor family on, and it is visible to MOHRE.
Job title that does not match the permit — queried at registration and awkward at renewal.
Unequal notice periods. Notice binds both parties; a clause favouring one side tends not to survive scrutiny.
Probation longer than permitted.
A side agreement contradicting the registered contract, which generally will not assist the party relying on it.
Never registering the contract after the visa issues — leaving the employment relationship undocumented at MOHRE.

For employees

Read the contract before signing and keep a copy. If what you are asked to sign differs from what you were offered, raise it then — not after you have resigned elsewhere and relocated. If salary later goes unpaid, the registered contract is the basis of any MOHRE complaint.

What we do

We type and register contracts through Tasheel, check them line by line against the offer letter and the approved permit before submission, and flag terms likely to cause difficulty at renewal or termination. Where a contract needs amending we handle the amendment properly rather than leaving two versions in circulation.

Contract stuck, or terms that do not match?

Send us the offer letter and the contract. We will tell you where they disagree, what MOHRE will query, and how to correct it without restarting the file.

Check a contract

Labour contract questions

Is the offer letter or the contract binding?

The registered MOHRE labour contract is the binding document. The offer letter precedes it and its terms must be carried into the contract — a discrepancy between the two will be queried.

Can the salary change between offer and contract?

Not silently. Where terms genuinely change, the offer should be reissued and re-signed so the two documents agree. Altering the contract alone creates the mismatch that stalls the file.

Does the basic salary split matter?

Considerably. Gratuity is calculated on basic salary, so an artificially low basic reduces end-of-service entitlement. It also affects family sponsorship eligibility, and it is visible to MOHRE.

What if my employer never registered the contract?

That is a compliance failure on the employer's side and it weakens your position if a dispute arises. Raise it in writing, and if it is not resolved a complaint can be lodged with MOHRE.

Can a contract be amended mid-term?

Yes, with both parties' agreement and through a registered amendment at Tasheel, typically AED 100 to 200. Undocumented changes are the ones that cause problems later.

What happens to the contract on resignation?

It is cancelled at MOHRE alongside the work permit, and the visa cancellation follows. Doing this cleanly matters — an incomplete cancellation leaves the quota slot occupied and the file open.

Official sources

Please note. Contract requirements follow UAE labour law and MOHRE practice, verified August 2026. This is general information, not legal advice — take advice on a specific dispute.

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