Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
3 available 3 • View allWhat to do if the passport is kept by the employer
1
Q: My employer cancelled my visa last month and said that I should look for work, after that, I can take my passport. So my concerns are that I may not find work and I want to get back to my country.
What will he do?

Jun 24, 2019
824
Claiming passport from the employer after labour dispute
3
Q: Dear Respected Lawyers,
I am on management visa from Sharjah whose passport was denied by the employer after completing 13 months of service.
They told me passport can't be given until my client in Iraq settles a business transaction dues the company did. Feeling insulted, I resigned on June 20th 2018 and stopped going to the office waiting for my Iraqi client to visit the UAE.
Finally, the client came to Dubai on August 23rd and showed my employer his account where the client lost more than USD 700,000 because of the mismanagement of the project by the employer.
The employer left the meeting room saying I will never get my passport or visa cancelled. He told if ever I report it to the Labor Department, I will be put into trouble through his contacts with senior police officials.
Finally, I filed my labour complaint today for my Visa cancellation. Kindly advise whom should I approach at Sharjah Court to file a petition for getting back my Passport on an urgent basis.
Humbly requesting your valued positive advice and assistance.

Aug 27, 2018
1776
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
10046
Legal blog
2 available 2 • 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
8552
An Overview of the New UAE Labor Law and Recent Amendments of 2024 236
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.
Sep 10, 2024
96129
Laws & Regulations
3 available 3 • View allFederal 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
27877
Federal 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
103924
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
12513

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