Corporate PRO Services
WPS registration UAE
Register for WPS, fix a rejected SIF, or clear an establishment-wide block. Since June 2026 salaries are due on or before the 1st, with no buffer.
- 7Government authorities we file with
- 0%Mark-up on government fees
- 24hTarget to submit an urgent, complete file
- 200+Guides, updated as rules change
- 1Named officer on your file, start to finish
The government entities your application is processed through
We prepare and submit applications on your written authorisation. MIRDXB PRO is a private service provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of any authority shown. Names and logos belong to their owners and are shown for identification only.
The short version
- Since 1 June 2026 (Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026), the previous month's wages are due on the 1st of each month. Any payment after that date counts as a delay.
- An establishment is compliant only if it transfers at least 85% of total wages due through WPS by the due date.
- From the fifth day after the due date MOHRE suspends new work permits for the whole establishment, not only for the unpaid staff.
- We set up your WPS agent, reconcile the salary file (SIF) before submission, and work through existing suspensions with MOHRE. Send your trade licence and we will check your establishment status today.
In short: The Wage Protection System (WPS) is MOHRE's salary transfer system: every establishment registered with MOHRE must pay wages through an approved bank, exchange house or Central Bank-licensed institution. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, in force since 1 June 2026, the previous month's wages are due on the 1st of each month, and an employer is compliant only if at least 85% of total wages are transferred by then. From the fifth day after the due date MOHRE suspends new work permits. A repeat delay within six months brings a fine of AED 1,000 per worker (maximum AED 20,000) and reclassification into the third category, where a two-year work permit costs AED 3,450 instead of AED 250.
Most companies treat WPS as a payroll task their accountant owns. It stops being that the first time a senior hire's work permit is held up because a salary file was late or rejected. For the employee's side of the system, see our WPS guide.
What we handle
| Service | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment status check | Same day | Suspensions, fines, MOHRE category |
| WPS registration with an approved agent | 3 to 7 days | Bank or exchange house setup |
| SIF reconciliation before submission | Monthly | Against registered MOHRE contracts |
| Rejected file diagnosis and resubmission | 1 to 3 days | Wages are not proven paid until the file is accepted |
| Working through a work permit suspension | Case dependent | Depends on how many days late and how many workers |
| Third-category review | Case dependent | Check what triggered it and what the file needs |
| Ongoing monitoring | Monthly | Part of a corporate retainer |
How do you register for WPS in Dubai?
WPS registration is done through a WPS agent, not on a MOHRE form. MOHRE lists its partner banks and exchange houses on its WPS page. The usual sequence for a mainland company:
Have an active MOHRE establishment file
The company needs its labour file open with MOHRE before staff can be paid through WPS. If it is not open yet, start with company labour file opening.
Sign a payroll agreement with a WPS agent
A bank, exchange house or other institution authorised by the Central Bank of the UAE. The agent links your MOHRE establishment number to its WPS service.
Give every employee a salary account or payroll card
Each worker is identified in the file by the personal number on the MOHRE labour card.
Submit the salary file (SIF) and fund it before the 1st
The SIF lists each worker and the amount paid. It goes to your agent, which routes it to MOHRE once the money has moved.
Confirm acceptance and keep the proof
Resolution 340 requires establishments to keep and submit evidence of wage payment. You may appoint someone else to pay wages for you, but the company stays responsible if they are late (Article 5).
When must salaries be paid, and what happens if they are late?
Wages for each calendar month are due on the 1st of the following month. The measures below come from Annex 1 of Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026 and are counted from that due date.
| When | What MOHRE does | Which establishments |
|---|---|---|
| From the due date | Electronic monitoring until payment is proven | All establishments |
| From day 2 | Notifications and alerts to pay | Non-compliant establishments |
| Day 5 | New work permits suspended, with a warning to pay | Non-compliant establishments |
| Day 11 | Administrative fine under Cabinet Resolution No. 21 of 2020 and reclassification into the third category | Where the violation is repeated within six months |
| Day 16 | Labour dispute registered automatically for the workers; work permits suspended | 25 or more workers; or groups under the same owner with 25 or more unpaid workers in construction, transport and storage, security, cleaning, recruitment or domestic worker recruitment |
| Day 21 | Executive instrument for the wages (under 50 workers) or collective dispute (50 or more); precautionary attachment; travel ban on the person in charge; referral to the Public Prosecution | Mainly 50 or more workers with a repeat violation, groups with 50 or more unpaid workers in the sectors above, or any size where the labour market is at risk |
The fine in Cabinet Resolution No. 21 of 2020 is AED 1,000 per worker, up to AED 20,000, for not paying through WPS. Entering false data or making workers sign false wage receipts is AED 5,000 per worker, up to AED 50,000. The worker's own options are set out in our guide to what to do when a salary is not paid.
Compliance is tested across the establishment: at least 85% of total wages due must arrive by the 1st. When the test fails, the suspension stops new work permits for every role on the file, not only for the employees paid late. The 85% line decides when enforcement starts; each worker is still owed the full wage, less only lawful deductions (see wages and deductions under the Labour Law).
How does a WPS delay change your MOHRE category and permit fees?
MOHRE classifies mainland establishments into three categories, and the category sets the work permit fee. Under Resolution 340, a repeat salary delay within six months can move a company into the third category (Ministerial Resolution No. 209 of 2022). The spread on a two-year work permit is large:
| Category | Two-year work permit | Typically applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | AED 250 | Strong compliance and workforce diversity record |
| Category 2 | AED 1,200 | Most established companies |
| Category 3 | AED 3,450 | Establishments with violations, including repeat WPS delays |
A company in the third category pays many times more per permit, on every hire and renewal. If your per-visa costs have risen without explanation, check your category before you change provider. Our MOHRE work permit service shows how the permit fits into the full visa cost.
Why do WPS salary files (SIF) get rejected?
A rejected file does not prove payment, so MOHRE's clock keeps running until a corrected file is accepted. The causes we correct most:
- Amount mismatch against the registered MOHRE contract. Even a small variance needs explaining.
- New joiner missing: labour card issued mid-month and not added to the file.
- Leaver still included, or an employee on approved unpaid leave included at full salary. Approved unpaid leave is excluded from WPS once MOHRE has been notified.
- Wrong establishment or agent ID after a bank change.
- Insufficient balance on the transfer date: file submitted, money not moved.
- Short payment. A worker paid less than 85% of the registered wage, without a lawful deduction to explain it, counts as unpaid.
Always confirm the file was accepted, not merely sent. This single habit prevents most of the day-5 suspensions we are called in to fix.
How do you remove a WPS block in the UAE?
A WPS suspension is lifted by proving payment, not by paying a fee alone. The work we do:
Establish what is actually outstanding
Which months, which employees, whether a fine or third-category reclassification has been applied, and whether a labour dispute has been registered. Guessing here costs weeks.
Pay outstanding wages in full through WPS
Matched to contract amounts, so the establishment is back above the 85% line and each worker has received the wage due.
Settle any fine separately
Wages and fines are distinct. Both must clear.
File a compliant current cycle
Pay the next month on time, so the record shows the pattern corrected and not just the arrears paid.
Follow up with MOHRE if the suspension stays
Take the payment evidence to MOHRE (call centre 600 590000) or a MOHRE service centre. Disputes registered on day 16 or measures taken on day 21 follow their own process, so expect more time in those cases. Our guide to the UAE labour ban covers the separate one-year permit ban.
Free zones and domestic workers
Free zones. Resolution 340 applies to establishments registered with MOHRE. Most free zone companies employ staff on their free zone authority's permits instead, so MOHRE's WPS measures do not reach them directly. Several free zone authorities run their own wage-payment rules, so check your zone's current requirements. If your group also holds a mainland licence, the staff on that MOHRE file are covered.
Domestic workers. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022, WPS has been mandatory since 1 April 2023 for five domestic professions: private agricultural engineer, private messenger, home care provider, private tutor and private trainer. For other domestic workers, such as housemaids, nannies, cooks and drivers, WPS is optional. A domestic wage not paid through the system within one month of the due date is late, and the employer's file can be suspended after two months. See our maid and domestic worker visa service.
Monthly discipline that prevents all of this
The compliance checklist we run for retainer clients
- Payroll cut-off at the 25th, so funds land on or before the 1st
- SIF reconciled against MOHRE contract amounts before submission
- Joiners and leavers reflected the same month the labour card changes
- Unpaid leave and other WPS exclusions notified to MOHRE with documents
- Account funded at least two working days ahead of the transfer
- File acceptance confirmed and retained as proof of payment
- Establishment status checked quarterly, not only when something fails
- ILOE status checked across staff, so permits are not blocked separately
WPS registration questions
When exactly must salaries be paid now?
Under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, in force since 1 June 2026, wages for each month are due on the 1st of the following month, through WPS. Any payment after that date is recorded as a delay. Paying a day or two early is the safe habit.
How many days late before work permits are blocked?
MOHRE starts alerts from the second day after the due date and suspends new work permits on the fifth day if the establishment has not transferred at least 85% of total wages due.
What is the fine for paying salaries late through WPS?
For a repeat delay within six months, MOHRE applies the fine in Cabinet Resolution No. 21 of 2020 from the eleventh day: AED 1,000 per worker, up to AED 20,000. False WPS data or fake wage receipts carry AED 5,000 per worker, up to AED 50,000.
Our work permits are blocked but we paid the salaries. Why?
Usually because the payment is not yet proven in WPS: the file was rejected, paid outside WPS, or below the 85% line. A fine or a labour dispute registered on day 16 also has to be dealt with separately before everything clears.
Does one late salary block work permits for all our employees?
Compliance is measured on the whole payroll, so one late salary may not by itself fail the 85% test. Once the establishment does fail it, the suspension covers new work permits for the whole file, not only the employees paid late. Every worker is still owed the full wage.
How long does it take to fix a WPS block?
There is no fixed official time. A day-5 suspension usually clears once the wages are proven paid through WPS. Cases with a fine, a third-category reclassification or a labour dispute take longer because each step has its own process.
Why did our per-visa cost suddenly increase?
Most likely a move into MOHRE's third category after repeat WPS delays or other violations. A two-year work permit costs AED 250 in the first category and AED 3,450 in the third.
Which employees are excluded from WPS?
Article 4 of Resolution 340 excludes, among others, workers whose wage claim is in court, workers with an absconding report, workers on approved unpaid leave, seafarers on request, foreign staff of foreign companies paid abroad, and mission permits of up to three months. Banks, places of worship, and citizen-owned fishing boats and taxis are also excluded.
Do free zone companies need WPS?
MOHRE's WPS resolution applies to establishments registered with MOHRE. Free zone staff are usually on the free zone authority's permits, and several authorities set their own wage-payment rules, so check your zone's requirements rather than assuming an exemption.
Do I have to pay my maid through WPS?
Not for a housemaid: WPS is optional for most domestic jobs. It has been mandatory since 1 April 2023 for private agricultural engineers, private messengers, home care providers, private tutors and private trainers (Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022).
Can you take over our monthly WPS submission?
Yes. We reconcile the SIF against registered contracts before submission and confirm acceptance each month, usually as part of a corporate PRO retainer alongside licence and establishment card renewals. MIRDXB PRO prepares and checks the files; payment itself goes through your own WPS agent.
- MOHRE: Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026 concerning the Wage Protection System (PDF)
- u.ae: Payment of wages (due date, 85% rule, escalation, exclusions)
- MOHRE: Wages Protection System (partner banks and exchange houses)
- u.ae: Work permits (fees from AED 250 to AED 3,450 by classification)
- UAE Legislation: Cabinet Resolution No. 21 of 2020 on MOHRE service fees and administrative fines
- MOHRE: Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022 on domestic work professions under WPS (PDF)
- MOHRE news: WPS registration optional for 14 domestic worker professions
- u.ae: Domestic workers
Please note. The WPS due date, 85% thresholds, exclusions and the day-by-day measures were re-checked against the MOHRE text of Resolution 340 of 2026 and u.ae on 10 and 11 October 2026; the domestic worker rules against MOHRE's Resolution 675 of 2022, and permit fees against u.ae, on the same dates. The UAE Legislation portal blocked automated access, so the Cabinet Resolution 21 of 2020 fine amounts (the resolution Resolution 340 applies) are as listed in its published annex and were not re-opened today. MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO and visa services company in Al Barsha 1, Dubai; we prepare applications and submit them through the government channels. General information, not legal advice.
Why MIRDXB PRO
Checked first. Filed right. Priced in writing.
We check before we quote
ILOE, WPS, company category, card validity, overstay and attestation, all checked on day one.
Government fees at cost
Published fees passed through unchanged. Our fee is separate, fixed and in writing before you commit.
Filed at the right counter
Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE, ICP or the owning authority, in the order the authorities need it.
We tell you when the answer is no
We would rather lose the work than lodge something that fails.
How it works
From first message to final stamp, in four steps
- 01
Tell us what you need
One WhatsApp message or call about your situation.
About 30 seconds - 02
We check and quote
File checks first, then government fees, our fee and the timeline in writing.
Before anything is paid - 03
We file it
Submitted at Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE or the owning authority, in the right order.
24h target to submit urgent files - 04
Done, with updates
Progress on WhatsApp at every stage until the file is closed.
Named officer throughout
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Fixed quote
Get WPS Registration & Compliance handled
Send us your situation. We confirm what applies to your file, the published government fees and our own fee, in writing, before anything is paid.
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- Call+971 56 897 4054
- Emailinfo@mirdxbpro.com
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- OfficeAl Barsha 1, Dubai, UAE
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MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO services company acting solely on the written authorisation of its clients. We are not a government body and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of GDRFA Dubai, ICP, MOHRE, MOFA, Amer, Tasheel or any other authority. Government fees are passed on at cost; our own fee is quoted in writing before we start. Fees, eligibility rules and processing times are set by the relevant authority and can change without notice. This page is general information, not legal advice.