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MOHRE Labour Complaint in Dubai

MOHRE Labour Complaint in Dubai

Unpaid salary and contract disputes — free to file, decided on evidence.

Mir Ali Licensed PRO consultant · Amer & Tasheel partner

Updated 27 Aug 2026 Get a fixed quote

The short version

MOHRE complaints are free to file. Nobody should charge you a fee to lodge one.
The process starts with mediation at MOHRE. Unresolved cases are referred to the labour court.
Evidence decides outcomes: the registered contract, WPS records and written communication.
Filing a complaint does not automatically cancel your visa — but it changes what your employer can do next.

Most labour disputes in the UAE are about money that was agreed and not paid. The system for dealing with that is more accessible than people expect, and it does not require a lawyer to begin. What it does require is documentation.

What MOHRE will handle

Dispute	Notes
Unpaid or delayed salary	The most common category by far
End-of-service gratuity	Calculated on basic salary and service length
Unpaid leave or overtime	Against the registered contract terms
Arbitrary dismissal	Termination without valid cause
Contract breaches	Terms not honoured by either party
Refusal to cancel a visa	Where an employer blocks a clean exit
Passport retention	Withholding a passport is not permitted

How the process runs

1. Raise it in writing first

Email or documented message to the employer. It costs nothing, sometimes resolves the matter, and becomes evidence if it does not.

2. File the complaint

Through MOHRE — by app, call centre or a Tasheel centre. Free of charge. You will need your Emirates ID, contract and evidence.

3. Mediation

MOHRE contacts both parties and attempts settlement. A large share of cases end here, and this stage is usually measured in weeks rather than months.

4. Referral to labour court

Where mediation fails, MOHRE issues a referral letter. Court is slower and this is the point at which legal advice becomes worthwhile.

Nobody should charge you to file

Lodging a MOHRE complaint is free. If someone is asking for a fee to "register your case", they are charging you for something you can do yourself in minutes.

What is worth paying for is preparation — assembling the evidence, calculating what you are actually owed, and making sure the file is coherent before it is lodged. Not the filing itself.

Evidence that decides cases

The registered MOHRE contract — the terms that count
WPS records showing what was paid and when. These are objective and hard to argue with
Bank statements corroborating non-payment
Written communication — emails and messages where the issue was raised
Payslips and any signed acknowledgements
Resignation or termination letter, with dates

Where salary was paid through WPS, non-payment is visible in the system rather than a matter of assertion. That is usually the strongest evidence available.

What employees get wrong

Waiting too long. Months of unpaid salary is harder to resolve than one, and memories and records fade.
Nothing in writing. Verbal complaints leave no trail.
Absconding instead of complaining. Walking away can result in an absconding report, which is far worse than the original problem.
Accepting a settlement without calculating the actual entitlement first.

What employers get wrong

Ignoring the mediation invitation. Non-attendance does not help.
Assuming a side agreement overrides the registered contract. It generally does not.
Retaining a passport as leverage — not permitted and damaging to the company's position.
Letting WPS lapse and hoping it is not noticed. It is recorded.

What we do

We help you prepare before anything is lodged: assembling the contract, WPS history and correspondence, calculating what is genuinely owed including gratuity, and presenting the file so mediation has something concrete to work with. We act for employees and for employers, and we will tell either side honestly when their position is weak.

Owed money, or facing a complaint?

Send the contract and the dates. We will tell you what the entitlement actually is, what evidence matters, and what a realistic outcome looks like.

Get it assessed

Labour complaint questions

Does filing a complaint cost anything?

No. Lodging a complaint with MOHRE is free. Costs only arise if a case proceeds to court, or if you choose to pay someone to prepare the file properly beforehand.

Will my visa be cancelled if I complain?

Filing does not automatically cancel your visa. It does change the dynamic — an employer facing a live complaint has limited scope to cancel unilaterally without the matter being examined. Get advice before resigning mid-dispute.

How long does it take?

Mediation is generally measured in weeks. Referral to labour court extends the timeline substantially. Most cases that settle, settle at mediation.

What if my employer holds my passport?

Withholding a passport is not permitted. It can be raised directly as part of a complaint and it weakens the employer's overall position.

Can I leave the UAE with a complaint open?

It depends on the case and whether anything else is recorded against you. Take advice before travelling — leaving at the wrong moment can complicate both the complaint and your immigration record.

Can an employer file against an employee?

Yes. Employers commonly raise matters such as unserved notice or an absconding report. The same evidentiary standards apply.

Official sources

Please note. This is general information about the MOHRE complaint process, verified August 2026, and is not legal advice. Outcomes depend on the specific facts and evidence. For a contested dispute, take proper legal advice.

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