MOHRE Complaint: How to File a Labour Complaint in the UAE (2026 Guide)

Last updated: 24 October 2026

A MOHRE complaint is how a private sector worker in the UAE reports an employer for unpaid salary, unpaid gratuity, illegal deductions or other labour law breaches. You can file it through the MOHRE app, the MOHRE website or the hotline 600590000, and you can follow it in the same channels.

Once your complaint is registered, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) tries to settle it between you and the employer within 14 days. If that fails, MOHRE decides claims of up to AED 50,000 itself and sends larger claims to the labour court.

This guide explains the official process in plain words. It is not legal advice.

MOHRE complaint channels at a glance

The MOHRE app is the easiest channel for most workers, because it handles filing and tracking in one place.

These channels are for mainland private sector workers. Free zone employees and domestic workers follow different routes, covered below.

Before you file: what to prepare

Gather your details and evidence first, because MOHRE uses them to find your file and contact your employer.

• Identity details: Emirates ID, passport number and your labour card number.
• Your contact details: a working UAE mobile number and email, because MOHRE sends OTP codes and updates by SMS.
• Employer details: the company name, plus an email and mobile number for HR or the manager.
• Your claim: the months of salary that are missing, the amount you are owed, and whether your contract has already ended.
• Evidence: your contract or offer letter, bank statements or screenshots of missed payments, and WhatsApp or email messages with your employer.

In practice, many expats in the UAE raise the problem with HR in writing first. That email becomes evidence if nothing changes.

How to file a MOHRE complaint on the app

The app route works from any phone once your details are ready. Menu labels change between app versions, so look for the complaint services under the employee or worker section.

1. Download the official MOHRE app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Sign in with UAE Pass or your MOHRE account. To create a MOHRE account, register with your Emirates ID, passport number or labour card number.
3. Choose the complaint service. For salary problems, use the salary complaint service (My Salary). For other issues, such as gratuity or a cancellation dispute, use the labour complaint service for private sector employees.
4. Confirm your mobile number with the one-time password, if asked.
5. Find your record with your labour card number or passport details, then check that the employer and permit details shown are correct.
6. Enter your contact details, the employer’s email and mobile number, and whether your contract has ended.
7. Choose the complaint type and enter the amount you are claiming. For salary complaints, select the affected months.
8. Submit the complaint and save the transaction number that appears in the confirmation.

Filing on the MOHRE website or by phone

The MOHRE website offers the same complaint services as the app, with an OTP to verify your identity. Without a smartphone or UAE Pass, call or message 600590000 instead. If you are unsure whether your problem counts as a labour complaint, call 80084 first.

The anonymous salary complaint

MOHRE’s My Salary complaint lets you report unpaid or delayed salary without the employer being told who filed it. A valid case goes to MOHRE’s labour inspection team, which visits the company without naming you.

To use it you need a valid Emirates ID, your labour card number, and no other pending labour complaint or court case. Typical categories are salary delayed, salary not paid, deductions without legal grounds and unpaid overtime. MOHRE sends an SMS once the case is reviewed, usually in about 14 days.

Common MOHRE complaint types

Most complaints fall into a few groups: late salary, unpaid gratuity, a work permit the employer will not cancel, and absconding reports. MOHRE also takes reports on extra working hours, annual leave, accommodation and heat stress rules.

Unpaid salary and the automatic dispute

Under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, salary is late if it is not paid by the first day of the following month. MOHRE monitors payments electronically and acts on a fixed timeline after that date, set out on the u.ae payment of wages page.

• Day 2: alerts to the employer.
• Day 5: new work permits for the company are suspended.
• Day 11: an administrative fine.
• Day 16: MOHRE automatically registers an individual or collective labour dispute for the affected workers.
• Day 21: stronger measures, which can include an enforcement order for payment and a travel ban on the person in charge.

You do not have to wait for day 16; you can file your own complaint straight away.

Unpaid gratuity

Your employer must pay your final wages, gratuity and other dues within 14 days of the contract ending. If the 14 days pass without payment, file a labour complaint and enter the full amount. Work out your figure first with our UAE gratuity calculator, which follows Article 51 of the labour law.

Work permit cancellation without the employer

If your employer refuses to cancel your work permit, you can file a complaint asking MOHRE to cancel it without their consent. MOHRE tries to reach the employer for five working days, plus five more if the employer asks for time.

After that, MOHRE completes the cancellation at your request unless the employer shows you are under investigation for a crime connected to your work. Once the permit is cancelled, you must sort out your residency status within the period the law allows.

Absconding report disputes

An employer can file an unexpected work abandonment report, often called an absconding report, when a worker is absent without a lawful reason for more than seven days in a row and cannot be reached. If the report is proven true, the worker can face a one-year ban on new work permits.

MOHRE can cancel the report at the request of either side, for example when:

• seven consecutive days had not actually passed, or the absence had a legitimate reason;
• you were at work, or on leave allowed by law;
• you and the employer agreed to end the contract, or the employer allowed you to stop work or look for another job;
• the employer agrees to restore the work relationship.

Bring proof such as leave approvals or messages with your manager. A worker with an active absconding report cannot get a temporary work permit while a court case is running.

What happens after you file a MOHRE complaint

MOHRE first tries an amicable settlement, then decides or refers the case depending on its value. The UAE Government explains these stages on its resolving labour disputes page.

1. Review and contact. A MOHRE employee reviews your complaint, contacts you to confirm the details and then contacts the employer.
2. Settlement within 14 days. MOHRE has up to 14 days from the date you filed to reach a settlement. If you and the employer agree, MOHRE can issue a final decision on the settlement whatever the amount.
3. MOHRE decision for claims up to AED 50,000. If there is no settlement and your claim is up to AED 50,000, MOHRE issues a decision that can be enforced.
4. Referral to court for larger claims. Above AED 50,000 without agreement, MOHRE refers the dispute to the labour court with a memo summarising both sides and its recommendation.
5. Court hearing. The court sets a hearing within three working days of receiving the case.

Either side can challenge a MOHRE decision by filing a case at the Court of First Instance within 15 working days of being notified. Filing the case pauses enforcement of the decision, and the court’s ruling on it is final. This route applies since the 2024 amendment to Article 54.

Your obligations if the case goes to court

• Register the case with the court within 14 days of MOHRE approving the referral.
• Do not work for another employer without a temporary work permit from MOHRE. You can apply for one with a new employer while your case is running.
• If the job has ended, request cancellation of your old work permit within 14 days of the final judgment.

If you stop working because of the dispute, your work permit is cancelled six months after the complaint is referred to court. During the dispute, MOHRE can also order the employer to keep paying your wages for up to two months where pay was stopped.

Court fees and protection from dismissal

Workers and their heirs pay no judicial fees at any stage of a labour case when the claim does not exceed AED 100,000 (Article 55). The law also protects you for complaining: dismissal because you filed a serious complaint to MOHRE, or a lawsuit that is proven valid, is unlawful under Article 47. The court can award compensation of up to three months’ wages on top of your notice pay and gratuity.

How to check your MOHRE complaint status

You can follow your complaint in the MOHRE app, on the MOHRE website, by WhatsApp on 600590000 or by calling 80084. Have your transaction number ready.

1. Open the MOHRE app and sign in with the same account you used to file.
2. Open your complaints or requests and select the complaint.
3. Check its current stage and any messages from MOHRE.
4. If the status has not moved after 14 days, message 600590000 or call 80084 with the transaction number.

Answer calls from MOHRE while your complaint is open, because the ministry confirms your details before it approaches the employer.

Deadlines for a labour complaint

File as soon as you can. Two time limits matter, and the shorter one is the safe target.

• 30 days: Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022 gives the employer and the worker the right to file a labour complaint within 30 days of the other side failing its contract or legal duties.
• Two years: since the 2024 amendment to Article 54, a labour claim is not heard after two years from the end of the employment relationship. Before the change the limit was one year, and some government pages still mention one year.

Salary complaints in the app also only let you select months from the past year. Evidence gets harder to collect over time, so treat the first month of a problem as your deadline.

Free zone employees and domestic workers

Free zone employees first go to their free zone authority’s dispute or mediation office. If it cannot settle the case, it issues a no objection letter so you can take the case to court. MOHRE also lists a separate free zone complaint service.

Domestic workers are covered by the domestic workers law, not the main labour law. Either the worker or the employer can file with MOHRE through its e-services platform or a MOHRE-approved domestic workers service centre. MOHRE tries to settle the complaint within two weeks before it goes to court. Domestic workers pay no litigation fees, but claims are not accepted after three months from the end of employment, so they should act quickly.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Stopping work before filing. Leaving without a complaint on record can give the employer grounds for an absconding report. File first, then follow MOHRE’s guidance.
• Taking a new job without a temporary permit. Working for another company during a court case without MOHRE’s temporary work permit breaks the rules on referred complaints.
• Claiming a round figure. Work out the exact months and amounts, with your basic salary and allowances from the contract, before you file.

Frequently asked questions

How do I file a MOHRE complaint online?

You can file a MOHRE complaint online through the MOHRE app or the MOHRE website. Sign in with UAE Pass or a MOHRE account, choose the labour complaint or salary complaint service, find your record with your labour card or passport number, enter your claim and submit. You receive a transaction number to track the complaint. You can also register it through 600590000.

How can I check my MOHRE complaint status?

You can check your MOHRE complaint status in the MOHRE app, on the MOHRE website, by WhatsApp on 600590000 or by calling 80084. Keep the transaction number from your confirmation ready, because the agent or the system uses it to find your case. Sign in to the app with the same account you used when you filed the complaint.

How long does MOHRE take to settle a labour complaint?

MOHRE has up to 14 days from the date you file to settle a labour complaint amicably. If there is no settlement, MOHRE issues its own decision for claims of up to AED 50,000 and refers larger claims to the labour court. The anonymous salary complaint also usually takes about 14 days, and you get an SMS once it is reviewed.

What is the deadline to file a labour complaint in the UAE?

The safe deadline for a labour complaint in the UAE is 30 days from the employer’s breach, the period set in Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022. The outer limit for a labour claim is two years from the end of the employment relationship, after the 2024 amendment to Article 54. Some government pages still mention one year, so file early.

Can my employer fire me for filing a MOHRE complaint?

No, dismissing a worker because they filed a serious complaint to MOHRE, or a lawsuit that is proven valid, is unlawful under Article 47 of the UAE labour law. The court can order the employer to pay compensation of up to three months’ wages, on top of your notice period pay and end of service gratuity. Keep copies of your complaint and messages.

Can I work for another company while my labour case is in court?

Yes, you can work for another company while your labour case is in court, but only with a temporary work permit from MOHRE. You apply for it with the new employer during the case. This option is not available to a worker who has an active absconding report filed by the employer, so challenge an unfair report first.

Key takeaways

• File a MOHRE complaint through the MOHRE app, the MOHRE website or 600590000; ask questions on 80084.
• MOHRE tries to settle within 14 days, decides claims of up to AED 50,000 and refers larger claims to court.
• Salary is due on the first of each month; MOHRE registers a dispute automatically on day 16 of non-payment.
• File within 30 days of the problem; the outer limit is two years from the end of employment.
• Free zone staff go to their free zone authority first; domestic workers have a separate route and a three-month limit.

Sources

• Resolving labour disputes, The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)
• Payment of salaries and wages, u.ae
• Protection of workers’ rights, u.ae
• Domestic workers, u.ae
• Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
• Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (Articles 47, 53, 54, 55) and Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022, UAE Government texts