Travel bans and exit rules in the United Arab Emirates

Why a travel ban is issued

• Court orders and arrest warrants. Gulf News lists a civil or criminal court ban, or an arrest warrant, as a cause of a ban on leaving the UAE.⁴
• Civil debts, including bounced cheques. Gulf News reports that under Article 324 of Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022 (Civil Procedures Law), a creditor can ask a judge for a travel ban where the debt is Dh10,000 or more, is established and due, and there are serious grounds to believe the debtor intends to flee. The creditor must offer a court-accepted guarantee. A bounced cheque is treated as an executory deed, so a creditor can open an execution case and request a ban if the debtor does not comply.⁸
• Debts to government and ongoing inquiries. Gulf News lists unpaid debts to the UAE government, with a ban issued by the Minister, and ongoing inquiries by government or judicial authorities as causes.⁴
• Immigration violations. Gulf News lists working without a valid work permit, overstaying a visa, leaving without cancelling a work permit and illegal entry as causes of restrictions.⁴
• Labour ban after a work abandonment complaint. This is a ban on a new work permit, not a ban on leaving. Under Article 50 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, a foreign worker who leaves work for an illegitimate reason may not receive a new work permit for one year. MoHRE imposes the ban after reviewing an employer's labour complaint.^1,2

How to check for a ban

1. Dubai Police app or website, service for criminal status of financial casesGulf News reports the service is free and needs an Emirates ID number and a one-time password sent to the registered mobile. It covers financial criminal cases registered in Dubai.⁴
   Official www.dubaipolice.gov.ae
2. Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Estafser serviceGulf News reports it shows whether the Public Prosecution has claims against a person and needs the Unified ID (UID) number.⁴
   Official www.adjd.gov.ae/sites/eServices/EN/Pages/Estafser.aspx
3. Ras Al Khaimah digital portal, RAK Courts case inquiryGulf News reports users select the RAK Court category, then General Inquiry and Case Inquiry, Civil Courts.⁴
   Official rakdigital.rak.ae
4. MoHRE call centre 600590000 (labour ban only)The UAE government portal says workers can check for a one-year work permit ban by calling 600590000, 8 am to 8 pm, in several languages, or through other MoHRE channels.²
   Official www.mohre.gov.ae

How a ban is lifted

• Automatic removal by the Ministry of Justice. Gulf News reported on 15 August 2024 that the UAE Ministry of Justice made travel ban removal automatic for eligible individuals, with steps reduced from nine to zero, under the Zero Bureaucracy programme. The article did not define eligibility.⁵
• Ministry of Justice cancellation request. Gulf News reports that a request to cancel a ban arising from a criminal offence or another reason can be made online through the Ministry of Justice using UAE Pass, with supporting documents, that an authorised person can act under a power of attorney, and that the process takes five working days.⁴
• Paying the amount in the execution file. Gulf News reports that after the debtor pays the amount in the court execution file, the debtor can ask the court to lift execution measures including the ban, which ends once the court's decision reaches the competent authority.⁸
• Settling the debt. For debt-related bans, Gulf News reports the person pays the amount owed, obtains a clearance letter from the creditor and submits a request to lift the ban, after which the ban may be lifted.⁴
• Expiry or grievance (labour ban). The UAE government portal says the one-year work permit ban lifts automatically when its period ends, counted from when the worker leaves the UAE. A worker can contest it through MoHRE with documents showing it is unjustified.²

Exit rules

No source reviewed states whether the UAE has an employer exit permit, and none describes one. Restrictions on leaving described in the sources come from court, prosecution or government travel bans. Article 13 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 requires employers not to withhold a worker's official documents and not to force a worker to leave the State at the end of the employment relationship. Human Rights Watch said in January 2020 that, after Qatar's reform, Saudi Arabia remained "the only country to require exit permits for all its migrant workers." Saudi Arabia has since changed its rules for private sector workers.

Sponsorship and changing jobs

Private sector employment is regulated by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationships, issued on 20 September 2021 and in force from 2 February 2022, administered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). Domestic workers are excluded from that law and covered by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022.

Changing employer

Article 49 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 allows a worker to move to another employer after the contract ends, under conditions in the Implementing Regulation. Article 9 allows a move during probation if the worker gives the current employer at least one month's written notice, and the new employer generally compensates the original employer for recruitment costs. A foreign worker who leaves without following Article 9 may not receive a work permit for one year.

Absconding reports

Article 50 requires the employer to notify the Ministry when a worker is absent from work. A foreign worker who leaves work for an illegitimate reason may not receive a new work permit for one year, and the Ministry may exclude some job categories, skill levels or workers from this rule. The government portal says MoHRE reviews the employer's complaint through several stages before imposing the ban. Article 44 allows dismissal without notice for absence without a legitimate excuse of more than 20 intermittent days in a year or more than 7 consecutive days.

Reforms

• 20 September 2021Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships issued, in force from 2 February 2022, setting rules on job moves, recruitment fees and document retention.¹
• 5 September 2022Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers issued, allowing domestic workers to transfer to new employers when contractual requirements are met.³
• 1 June 2026Ministerial Resolution No. 0340 of 2026 on the Wage Protection System took effect, replacing Resolution No. 598 of 2022, according to EY.⁶

Domestic workers

Domestic workers are covered by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, issued on 5 September 2022. It says domestic workers should be allowed to retain all official documents (Article 11), are entitled to a paid weekly rest day (Article 9), must be paid monthly within 10 days of the due date (Article 15) and may transfer to new employers if contractual requirements are met (Article 21). Employers must notify the Ministry within five days if a domestic worker abandons work, and a worker who leaves without the employer's knowledge must inform the Ministry within two days (Article 18). Disputes go first to the Ministry, then to court if not settled (Article 23).³

Wage protection

Article 22 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 requires employers to pay wages on their due dates under Ministry rules. According to EY, Ministerial Resolution No. 0340 of 2026, effective 1 June 2026, requires wages for a month to be paid by the first day of the following month through the Wage Protection System or another MoHRE-approved system, and treats an employer as compliant if at least 85 percent of wages due are paid by the deadline. Gulf News reported in April 2025 that MoHRE made WPS mandatory for five domestic worker occupations (private trainer, private teacher, home caregiver, private representative and private agricultural engineer) and optional for other domestic occupations.^1,6,7

Fees workers should not pay

Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021: "The employer is prohibited from charging the worker for the fees and costs of recruitment." The employer may not collect these costs directly or indirectly. For domestic workers, Article 11 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 says employers may not charge domestic workers "any costs or charges whatsoever, whether directly or indirectly", and Article 5 bars recruitment agencies from demanding or accepting any commission from them.^1,3

Where to complain or get help

Sources

1. UAE Government (u.ae) / MoHRE, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationship and its amendments (20 September 2021) · official
2. UAE Government (u.ae), Grounds for banning the issuance of a new work permit for one year (6 October 2025) · official
3. UAE Government (u.ae) / MoHRE, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers (5 September 2022) · official
4. Gulf News, Want to know if you have a travel ban against you in the UAE in 2025? (11 March 2025)
5. Gulf News, Travel ban removal in UAE is now automatic (15 August 2024)
6. EY, UAE introduces enhanced Wage Protection System, effective 1 June 2026 (26 May 2026)
7. Gulf News, New UAE Salary rule: WPS now mandatory for new worker categories (7 April 2025)
8. Gulf News, Travel bans in the UAE: can a bounced cheque or unpaid traffic fine stop you from travelling? (20 January 2026)
9. Human Rights Watch, Qatar: End of Abusive Exit Permits for Migrant Workers (20 January 2020)