If you have a late salary in UAE, the rules are now on your side. Since 1 June 2026, private-sector salaries for the previous month are due on the 1st day of the next month, and MOHRE starts acting against late employers from day 2. You can also file a free, confidential complaint with MOHRE without your company knowing your name.
What changed on 1 June 2026?
MOHRE issued Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026 on the Wage Protection System (WPS). As of October 2026, these are the main points for workers in mainland private companies:
- One payday for everyone: your salary for a month is due on the 1st of the next month. For example, your May salary was due on 1 June.
- Paid through WPS: your salary must go through a bank, exchange house or other financial institution approved by the UAE Central Bank.
- The 85% rule: you count as “paid” only if you get at least 85% on time and the rest is a lawful deduction (for example, an approved loan repayment or a documented absence).
- New workers are covered from the start. The old 30-day exemption for new employees was removed.
Some workers are outside these rules, for example those whose wage case is already in court, those reported for leaving work, those on documented unpaid leave, and holders of mission permits of three months or less. Banks are also excluded.
What happens to my employer if my salary is late?
If a company does not pay, these steps can follow:
| When | What MOHRE can do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Electronic monitoring of all companies |
| Day 2 | Notices and warnings to the company |
| Day 5 | Stop new work permits for the company, with a warning |
| Day 11 | Administrative fine; for a repeat within six months, the company can be moved down to the “third category” |
| Day 16 | For companies with 25 or more workers: MOHRE can register a labour dispute for the workers automatically and suspend work permits |
| Day 21+ | In serious cases: enforcement orders, freezing of assets, travel ban on the person in charge, referral to the Public Prosecution |
These are penalties for the employer. There is no fine for you as a worker because your company paid late.
What should I do about a late salary in UAE?
Do not wait months hoping it will sort itself out. Follow these steps:
- Check your bank or salary card on the 1st. Look at the exact amount and date the money arrived. Take a screenshot.
- Keep records. Save your offer letter, MOHRE contract, payslips, bank statements, attendance records and any messages where the company promises payment.
- Ask HR in writing. Send a short, polite message: “My salary for [month] was due on [date] and I have not received it. Please tell me when it will be paid.”
- Call MOHRE for free advice. The Labour Claims and Advisory Centre is toll-free on 80084.
- File a complaint if you are still not paid (see below).
How do I file a salary complaint with MOHRE?
MOHRE’s My Salary Complaint service is for private-sector employees. It is free, needs no documents, and your identity is not shared with your employer. You can apply through:
- the MOHRE app (App Store / Google Play) – sign in with UAE Pass or your details, then find the “My Salary” service
- the MOHRE website
- phone or WhatsApp on 600590000 (phone support 8 am to 8 pm)
- the Labour Claims and Advisory Centre on 80084
You need your passport number, name, date of birth and nationality. You cannot have another complaint or court case already open.
What MOHRE does next: an officer studies your complaint and, if it looks valid, inspectors visit the company. MOHRE says this takes about 14 working days; you get the result by SMS.
If you file a full labour complaint (a dispute) and no settlement is reached within 14 days, MOHRE sends the case to the labour court. Workers do not pay court fees for claims below AED 100,000.
Do not wait too long. Labour claims have a time limit – the law, as amended in 2024, says claims are not heard after two years from the end of the job – and the earlier you complain, the easier it is to prove what you are owed.
What should I not do?
- Do not just stop coming to work. Your employer could report you for leaving work. The law allows leaving without notice in some cases where the employer breaks the contract, but only after notifying MOHRE 14 working days before. Call 80084 first.
- Do not sign papers you do not understand. Never sign “salary received” or “full and final settlement” papers if you were not paid. Ask for a translation first.
- Do not pay anyone to “fix” your complaint. MOHRE complaints are free. Anyone asking for money to speed it up is likely a scam – see our guide to fake job offers and report scams to us.
New in the UAE? Read our guide to your first 30 days in a new UAE job.
Quick answers
When is my salary due in the UAE now?
On the 1st of the following month. Your September salary is due on 1 October.
Will my employer know I complained?
MOHRE says your identity is not disclosed to the employer in the My Salary Complaint service.
My company paid 90% and cut the rest. Is that late?
Not if the cut is a lawful, documented deduction. If you do not know why money was cut, ask HR for a payslip and call 80084.
Does this apply in free zones?
It applies to companies licensed with MOHRE. Free zones may have their own rules.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change – check with MOHRE (80084) or mohre.gov.ae for your own case.
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