Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
3 available 3 • View allThe employer has no right to hold the passport of an employee
57
Q: I'm working with an LLC company in Abu Dhabi. for the past 13 days, the visa is already stamped on my passport but he is not giving it back to me.
Is there any law in UAE that says "the employer can hold the employee passport"?
Please clear my doubt.

Apr 20, 2019
10898
Is it legal for the employer to keep the employee's passport?
70
Q: Is it legal to hold the passport of the employee by a company?
I didn't get my passport back after stamping visa, they gave me just a copy of passport with the visa page.
My PRO told me that all passports should stay with the company and I can receive it back to travel only upon approval of the management.
He explained that this is the company policy and common practice.

Feb 23, 2016
17629
Does your employer have the legal right to keep hold of your passport?
44
Q: I recently ended up my contract with my employer because of a medical grounds.
Actually, we don't have medical insurance, we are working 17 hours and I am not getting any assistance from the company.
After submitting my resignation letter, my employer accepted it but requested me to leave the country then only after he will proceed with the cancellation. He finally agreed after a long period of negotiation.
Now, the employment visa is cancelled and he forwarded me the residence cancellation where it's clearly mentioned that I have until 08 December grace period.
I asked him to give me back my passport which he is keeping it since I started working for the company and he refused, saying that only on the 19th Jan in reference to my flight date which is 20th of January.
In between, I received an offer with three times the salary I used to get and a lot of benefits including health insurance.
As per the labour law, does he have the right to keep hold of my passport even after cancellation of my employment visa?

Jan 17, 2018
10022
Legal blog
1 available 1 • View allCan My Employer Hold My Passport? 10
An interview-format article covering the topic of an employer demanding to hold an employees passport. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of LAWGICAL with LYLAW.
Jan 15, 2020
8477
Laws & Regulations
4 available 4 • View allFederal Law No. (8) of 1980 Concerning the Regulation of Labor Relations 53
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
103737
Ministerial Decree No. (765) of 2015 On Rules and Conditions for the Termination of Employment Relations 8
This Decree sets the rules and conditions for the termination of fixed-term (limited) or unlimited (not term-bound) employment contract between employer and worker in the United Arab Emirates.
Sep 27, 2015
12454
Federal Law No. (11) of 1992 Concerning Issuance of the Civil Procedures Code 42
The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.
Feb 24, 1992
75391
Federal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 On the Regulation of Labor Relations 34
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).
Sep 20, 2021
26854

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