Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
3 available 3 • View allThe company policy is to keep employees' passports, what to do?
6
Q: Hi,
Relating to my passport, I know it is illegal to withhold employees' passports.
Mine is with my employer, and when I requested it a couple of months ago, they said that it is the company policy to keep it.
I am about to file a complaint to the Department of Labour, but I just want to get your advice first. They also said to retrieve it, we should apply for an application and state the length of retrieval.
Is this common practice here in Dubai?
Thank you very much!
Jan 23, 2020
714
The 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
10927
How to retrieve your passport from the employer if you are in labour dispute
32
Q: I need some help.
I was working in a salon since January 2016 (Sharjah visa and a limited contract). I've been working there for 1 year and 10 months. This October 9, 2017, my employer cancelled me without giving my all dues: gratuity, annual leave and even my salary for this month.
In May of this year my passport expired, I talked to my employer since April that I want to renew my passport but she said 'No'. On October 19, I filed a case against my employer for retrieving my passport and getting my salary.
Last Wednesday we meet in Labour Department and my employer said she will give the passport on November 8, which is the same date when my visa expired. I'm just scared of what will happen if I overstay here.
Nov 4, 2017
21361
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
8505

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Hi Sir,
My husband had a judgment where he was found not guilty, as the misdemeanor court stated that it doubts the charges against the accused and found no conclusive evidence except the statements in the report files.
The court considered this invalid because there was no translator. After this, if the Public Prosecution appeals, will the verdict remain unchanged and be upheld if there is nothing more than this
Can you shed some light from your experience on this issue and say if the result will remain the same?
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Am I entitled to take 15 days' leave immediately after my probation period ends? 0
Hello,
I want to apply for 15 days' leave to visit my family immediately after my probation period ends. Is this legal as per UAE labor law?
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Am I required to replace an old fridge owned by the landlord if it can't be repaired? 0
Hello,
My rental here in Dubai comes with a fridge and cooker. I believe these to be at least 10 years old. The fridge has now stopped working and requires a part to be replaced.
This comes at a cost of 540 AED, which is over the agreed amount that I am responsible for. My Ejari comes with an extra addendum provided by the landlord, which states:
1. The landlord is responsible for major maintenance of the apartment (namely structural, electrical, and plumbing) exceeding 500 AED + 5% VAT. The tenant is responsible for any minor maintenance as needed as a result of wear and tear.
2. The property is leased with the following assets (fridge and cooker) owned by the landlord in working condition and should be returned in the same condition. Any maintenance required is the tenant’s responsibility.
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If I'm unable to fix this fridge, do I have to provide a new one? The company looking to repair the fridge is having an issue finding the part needed, as it is old.
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How to clear name and go back if you left the UAE with an unpaid personal loan? 0
My brother had a personal loan of 300k.
He lost his job, and the company terminated him, and his visa was cancelled, so he moved back home in 2015. He is trying to find a job back in the UAE.
Is there any way to get him cleaned, paying the court fine?
The bank he had a loan with has been merged with other groups, and he doesn't know who to contact.
Repayment is impossible without a job, and finding a job at the age of 50 is not an easy task.
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My sister passed away, leaving her son. How can I transfer his visa to my name? 0
Hello,
My sister passed away and left her son. Her husband has given me power of attorney and a legal heir certificate.
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My husband sold the house we bought jointlyand took a cheque plus 1-year instalments from me. What can I do? 0
Hi,
I am a non-Muslim indian expatriate, residing in Dubai since 2015. The first 5 years, I was on a working visa, and after the delivery of my first baby, I left my job and became dependent on my husband.
In 2018, we bought a house together where I invested AED 2 hundred thousand from my income (I have proof in the form of a cheque). I also paid AED 3300 monthly installment for 1 year, for a personal loan taken out for the house.
But in spite of my resistance, my husband tactfully put the house in his name, so the title deed was in his name. In 2024, when my kids and I were in India for vacation, he cancelled our visas and residency. He also filed for a divorce in India.
The divorce is not yet finalised, and we are still married. Since August 2024, he hasn't let me access my house in Dubai, so I filed a case, which eventually went in my favor in January 2025.
Since I used to travel on a visit visa, I left for India and returned in March, to find out that my husband had already sold the house. The new owner is residing there.
What can I do now?
Help!
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Hello,
How can I be exempted from paying the 5% court fee, and where should I go to apply?
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Can we claim and sell a liquidated customer’s goods to recover debts through Dubai Courts? 1
Hello,
Our customer has gone into liquidation, and we are shipping goods to Saudi Arabia. We have stopped the shipment and requested payment of their outstanding balance.
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I purchased an apartment, but the previous landlord refuses to vacate. What to do? 1
Hello,
I bought an apartment, but the previous landlord is refusing to vacate it. The contract clearly states that the landlord should hand over the apartment on the day of the transfer.
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My hair was damaged by a very known and professional salon. Can I seek refund and compensation? 0
Hello.
I went to a very well-known and professional salon (or so I thought) for a normal hair dye. The guy who did my hair left the dye on my hair for over an hour when it was supposed to be on for a maximum of 30 minutes.
He wasn’t paying attention to me walking around the store talking to everyone and also doing another customer's extensions.
Now my hair is potentially damaged, my skull burns, and is flaky (meaning the dye wasn’t ammonia-free which is extremely unprofessional for such an expensive salon).
I didn’t even get the outcome that I wanted and the dye color doesn’t even show. I talked to him about it but he shut it down so fast and gaslit me the whole time and made me feel like I was the wrong one and I was ‘complaining about something so light’.
Please let me know what I can do legally about this.
Thank you.
Jan 31, 2025
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If the Public Prosecution appeals a not-guilty verdict with no new evidence, will it stay the same? 0
Hi Sir,
My husband had a judgment where he was found not guilty, as the misdemeanor court stated that it doubts the charges against the accused and found no conclusive evidence except the statements in the report files.
The court considered this invalid because there was no translator. After this, if the Public Prosecution appeals, will the verdict remain unchanged and be upheld if there is nothing more than this
Can you shed some light from your experience on this issue and say if the result will remain the same?
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What can I do if a contractor failed to deliver a paid renovation project? 0
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How to clear name and go back if you left the UAE with an unpaid personal loan? 0
My brother had a personal loan of 300k.
He lost his job, and the company terminated him, and his visa was cancelled, so he moved back home in 2015. He is trying to find a job back in the UAE.
Is there any way to get him cleaned, paying the court fine?
The bank he had a loan with has been merged with other groups, and he doesn't know who to contact.
Repayment is impossible without a job, and finding a job at the age of 50 is not an easy task.
Appreciate your advice.
Thanks
May 19, 2025
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