Q: I have only an entry visa and I'm waiting for the medical exam. I have an emergency situation back in Bosnia and I have to go back. The employer told me that I have to pay for all the expenses… A: DO NOT pay him even one penny, this is illegal and against the federal labour law.…

Dear questioner, Further to your inquiry please DO NOT pay him even one penny, this is illegal and against the federal labour law. You are not obliged to pay any expenses to that person anyhow or whatever he says. The federal labour law obliged the employer to pay all the visa expenses to the employee. He is lying to you about not needing to sign any contract. Thank you.

Obligation to pay visa expenses to employer in case of early resignation

Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

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I changed my mind after accepting a job offer. What are consequences?

Q: I am working in (Company A), I recently signed a MOL job offer letter from a company (Company B) in Dubai, however, I have since been offered another job which I wish to accept from Company C. Is it possible for me to withdraw from the original offer letter from Company B and sign with Company C? Note: I am still on employment visa from Company A. Does this affect the employee withdrawing from the offer? Will I still be able to accept the offer of Company C? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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Can I reject already accepted job offer before signing Ministry of Labour papers?

Q: Hi, I joined one company and I signed their company offer letter. I worked for a couple of days and found out that there are unlikely things happening. Now that they gave me the offer letter from the Ministry of Labor, I don't wish to sign it as I don't want to continue with the company anymore. Can I just leave the company or is there any procedure to be done? Thanks.

Nov 2, 2017

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Accepting a job offer and rejecting it to take another

Q: Hi, I am currently working in India. I have accepted a job offer from a company in Dubai. I have also signed and shared the MoL offer letter. While I am serving notice period in India I have received another offer from Dubai. Can I reject and accept the other offer? What are the legal implications around this step? Regards, A. S.

Sep 10, 2019

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Employer's right to ask the employee for visa expenses after termination

Q: Good Day I received a termination last week. Now my employer is asking me to pay him visa expenses and insurance expenses since my Emirates ID came out after begging only this month. I started working for the company in October. Since they are the ones who terminated me due to performance, should I pay for the visa?

Jan 23, 2020

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Can the employer ask the employee to pay visa expenses upon finishing contract?

Q: My two-year contract will expire in July 2021, and I resigned in January with a six-month notice period, as required by company policy. However, after I’ve sent the resignation letter, they've asked me to pay for my visa. They told me I needed to work for at least 5 years to cover all of the recruiting costs, which was sadly stipulated in my employment contract. As per my knowledge, employers are not permitted to reimburse any recruitment/visa expenses from employees. Furthermore, I will complete my 2 years contract so why do I need to pay it.

May 30, 2021

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What to do when you face an absconding case and request to pay visa expenses?

Q: Hello Sir. I wanna ask if I have the right to get help from MOHRE. My Iraqi employer filed an absconding case and wants me to pay AED 6,168 for visa cost and AED 8,000 for the commission they gave to the agency. I think it's unreasonable.

Jun 8, 2021

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Legal blog

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An Overview of the New UAE Labor Law and Recent Amendments of 2024

The UAE has adopted a major reform in its legislative system that brought about 40 new laws and amendments to the company law, criminal law, personal status, among others. The amendments aim to develop the legislative structure in various sectors, the labor law being one of these, was the most recent. We try in this article to shed light on the changes introduced with the new labor law and their significance on both, the employer and employee.

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Federal Law No. (8) of 1980 Concerning the Regulation of Labor Relations

The provisions of this Law, known as "UAE Labour Law", govern the relationship between employers and employees and other labour matters in the United Arab Emirates. There are special labour related regulations applicable in some of the free zones in the UAE.

Apr 20, 1980

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Ministerial Decree No. (764) of 2015 On Ministry of Labour Approved Standard Employment Contracts

According to this Decree, tentative approval to admit a foreign worker for the purpose of employment in the UAE cannot be granted until an Employment Offer that conforms with the Standard Employment Contract is duly signed by the employee and presented to the Ministry of Labour.

Sep 27, 2015

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Federal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 On the Regulation of Labor Relations

The provisions of this Decree-Law, known as "New UAE Labor Law", govern labour relations in the private sector of the United Arab Emirates. The New Labor Law repeals the previous UAE Labor Law (Federal Law No. (8) of 1980).

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Mohammad Salah Shoaib

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