Work Permit Status Check UAE: MOHRE Enquiry Guide

To do a work permit status check in the UAE, use the MOHRE app or mohre.gov.ae with UAE PASS, or MOHRE’s public Enquiry Service at inquiry.mohre.gov.ae. For an application that is still being processed, choose the transaction or application status enquiry and enter the transaction number from your employer or the service centre. To see whether an issued permit is active, expired or cancelled, use Electronic Work Permit Information with your work permit (labour card) number or person code. You can also call MOHRE on 600 590000.

Do this next to check your work permit

• Ask HR or the PRO for the transaction number if your permit is still being processed.
• Use your work permit number for an issued permit; see our guide to finding your labour card number.
• Log in with UAE PASS in the MOHRE app to see your own permit and contract.
• Free zone employee? Check with your free zone authority instead of MOHRE.

Ways to check a MOHRE work permit status

Method	What you need	What it shows
MOHRE app (UAE PASS)	Verified UAE PASS account	Your permit, contract, status and expiry
MOHRE website (UAE PASS)	Verified UAE PASS account	The same personal dashboard on a computer
Enquiry Service: transaction status	Transaction or application number	Where a new permit, renewal or cancellation stands
Enquiry Service: electronic work permit information	Work permit number or person code	Permit type, employer and whether it is active, expired or cancelled
MOHRE call centre	Emirates ID or passport and permit details	Status confirmed by an agent

Method 1: MOHRE app or website with UAE PASS

1. Install the official MOHRE app, or open mohre.gov.ae.
2. Log in with UAE PASS; MOHRE’s individual services use UAE PASS login.
3. Open My Dashboard to see your work permit details, employer, permit type and expiry date.
4. Open Contract to view the approved employment contract linked to the permit.

This is the most complete view for employees whose permit is already issued.

Method 2: MOHRE Enquiry Service (no login)

1. Open MOHRE’s Enquiry Service at inquiry.mohre.gov.ae.
2. Select the enquiry type: transaction or application status for an application in progress, or Electronic Work Permit Information for an issued permit.
3. Enter the transaction number, work permit number or person code as requested.
4. Complete the verification and view the result.

The same portal also offers enquiries about companies, job offers and contracts, and labour complaint status, which helps when you want to confirm that a prospective employer is registered.

Method 3: Call MOHRE

Call 600 590000 with your Emirates ID or passport and any permit or transaction number. Agents can confirm whether a permit is approved, pending, active or cancelled, and whether a ban is on the file.

What each work permit status means

Status	Meaning	What to do
Under process or pending	The employer’s application is being reviewed	Wait, or ask HR if documents are missing
Returned or incomplete	MOHRE needs a correction or a document	HR must update and resubmit
Approved	The permit is approved and the next immigration steps can start	Continue with the entry permit or status change, medical test and Emirates ID
Active	You can legally work for the named employer	Note the expiry date
Expired	The permit was not renewed in time	Ask the employer to renew; work permits can be renewed up to 60 days before expiry
Cancelled	Employment ended and the permit was closed	Check your grace period
Cancelled with a ban	A labour ban applies	Confirm the reason with MOHRE and contest it if wrong

MOHRE work permit types

MOHRE introduced 12 types of work permit under the 2022 labour law, and the UAE government’s current list adds a permit for private teachers. Your enquiry result shows which type you hold:

• Recruitment from abroad: for a worker brought from outside the UAE.
• Transfer: for a worker moving between establishments registered with MOHRE.
• Family-sponsored residents: for people living in the UAE on a family member’s visa.
• Temporary: for a time-limited task at another company.
• Mission: for a temporary job or fixed-term project, three months and renewable once.
• Part-time: for fewer hours than full time, possibly with more than one employer.
• Juvenile: for workers aged 15 to 18, valid for one year.
• Student training: for students aged 15 or over already in the UAE, valid for three months.
• UAE and GCC nationals, Golden Visa holders and UAE national trainees.
• Freelance or self-employment: for independent workers without an employment contract.

Who pays for the work permit?

The employer does. Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 says no one may work in the UAE, and no employer may recruit or employ a worker, without a MOHRE work permit, and it prohibits employers from charging workers the fees and costs of recruitment and employment, directly or indirectly. If an employer or agent asks you to pay for your permit, or deducts it from your salary, keep the evidence and raise it with MOHRE. When the job ends, the law also entitles you to a free experience certificate on request.

Why your work permit does not show

• Free zone employer: free zone permits are issued by the free zone authority, not MOHRE.
• Government employer: federal and local government staff are outside MOHRE’s private sector system.
• Still processing: new data can take a short time to appear after approval.
• Wrong number: a visa file number or Emirates ID entered instead of the work permit or transaction number.
• Domestic workers: their permits and contracts are handled through MOHRE’s domestic worker services and Tadbeer centres.

After your work permit is approved

1. Your employer applies for the entry permit or a change of status with GDRFA or ICP.
2. You complete the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics.
3. The residence is issued, and the work permit becomes active for your employer.
4. Track the immigration side with our Emirates ID status check, and keep your contract safe.

When your job ends, the employer cancels the work permit before the residence; read our employment visa cancellation guide. If you suspect your employer reported you as absent, use our absconding status check.

Official sources: MOHRE, the UAE government’s work permits page and MOHRE’s types of work permits. This guide is general information; your employer’s PRO can see the full transaction history.

This guide is part of our UAE Visa and Emirates ID Guide.