UAE Employer Keeping Your Passport? Pakistani Workers' 7 Rights, the Recruitment Fee Ban and the Free 80084 Helpline
A UAE employer cannot keep your passport or charge you recruitment fees. MoHRE's 7 worker rights, what to do if your passport is held and the free 80084 line.
In the UAE, an employer may not keep a worker's passport, and charging a worker recruitment fees is illegal. Both rules are stated on the UAE government portal, u.ae. A worker also does not need the employer's permission to leave the country. For free help, call the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) on its toll-free Labour Claims and Advisory line, 80084.
We read these rules on u.ae's labour rights page on 10 November 2026. MoHRE supplies the page, and it was last updated on 15 October 2026. It also links MoHRE's "Know Your Rights" guide in Urdu. Many Pakistani workers in the UAE hand their passport to a supervisor "for safe keeping". Here is what the UAE says, and what to do if yours has been taken.
The 7 rights in MoHRE's Know Your Rights guide
The UAE's guide for workers from abroad has seven key messages. u.ae lists them, and the guide is available in Urdu, English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam and Chinese.
- You sign your employment contract after you arrive in the UAE.
- The employer pays the costs of recruitment and travel, and of your UAE residence permit.
- The contract must match the job offer you signed in your own country.
- Keep a copy of the job offer you signed.
- Contact MoHRE quickly if you did not get the agreed job, or your salary is not paid in full and on time.
- Keep your identity documents in a safe place.
- You can leave your job at any time, but you must know your legal duties.
Point 3 is why the offer letter matters so much. Before you sign anything in Pakistan, read our UAE job offer letter checks.
Your passport stays with you
The u.ae page says it plainly: "The confiscation of workers' passports is prohibited." The Know Your Rights guide adds that you should keep your own identity documents in a secure place.
So you do not have to hand it over. If a company asks for it to process a visa, it should give it back once the stamping or Emirates ID step is done. Keep a photo of your passport and visa pages on your phone and with your family in Pakistan.
What to do if your employer has your passport
- Ask for it back in writing, by message or email, and keep a screenshot.
- Call MoHRE's toll-free Labour Claims and Advisory line, 80084, and explain what happened.
- File a labour complaint with MoHRE if the employer refuses. Our MoHRE labour complaint guide shows how.
- Contact the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai for help with documents.
- If the passport is lost or not returned and you must travel, ask the consulate about an emergency document, explained in our Dubai consulate outpass guide.
Recruitment fees are the employer's cost
u.ae states that charging recruitment fees to people seeking a job is illegal in the UAE. The employer pays recruitment, travel and residence costs.
That rule covers the UAE side. In Pakistan, licensed Overseas Employment Promoters may charge a service fee within the limit the government sets. Agents who ask for more, or who are not licensed at all, break Pakistani law. Before you pay anyone, use our guides to check an overseas job agency licence and the legal fee limit for job agents.
| Cost | Who pays, according to u.ae |
|---|---|
| Recruitment | Employer |
| Travel to the UAE | Employer |
| UAE residence permit | Employer |
| Work permit fee (AED 250 to AED 3,450) | Employer |
| Court fee on a labour claim under AED 100,000 | Nobody, the worker is exempt |
You do not need permission to leave the UAE
The u.ae page says workers do not need their employer's permission to leave the country. That means travel, for example on leave or a family emergency.
Leaving is not the same as quitting, though. If you stop work without notice, the employer may report work abandonment, which can bring a one-year work permit ban. Read our UAE resignation and notice period guide before you go.
Free legal help for UAE labour cases
The u.ae page lists four kinds of help that cost a worker nothing:
- MoHRE's Labour Claims and Advisory Call Centre, toll free on 80084
- offices in the courts that give legal support to workers in labour disputes
- labour care units across the UAE that protect workers and explain their rights
- no litigation fees for claims under AED 100,000
MoHRE also runs online services for a labour complaint, a salary complaint, a free zone complaint and a collective complaint by a group of workers. A group complaint helps when a whole camp is unpaid, a problem we cover in our UAE late salary and WPS guide.
Common questions
Can my UAE employer keep my passport?
No. u.ae says confiscating workers' passports is prohibited. Ask for it back in writing and call MoHRE on 80084 if it is refused.
Is it legal to pay a recruitment fee for a UAE job?
Charging job seekers recruitment fees is illegal in the UAE, and the employer pays recruitment, travel and residence costs.
What is the MoHRE toll-free number?
80084, the Labour Claims and Advisory Call Centre listed on u.ae.
Do I need my sponsor's permission to travel out of the UAE?
No. The u.ae page says workers do not need their employer's permission to leave the country.
Is the Know Your Rights guide available in Urdu?
Yes. u.ae links an Urdu version of MoHRE's Know Your Rights guide, along with five other languages.
Do I pay court fees for a labour case?
Not for claims under AED 100,000, according to u.ae.
Last checked 10 November 2026 against the u.ae labour rights page (updated 15 October 2026) and work permits page (updated 19 October 2026), both supplied by MoHRE.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
