Why Your Offer Letter and Your MOHRE Contract Must Agree

You sent a candidate a letter with a salary, allowances and a start date. Later, the MOHRE job offer and then the MOHRE employment contract come up for signature, and one line reads differently. Which document counts, and what has to agree?

The official pages answer part of this directly. MOHRE's "Issue work offer" service page asks "Is the work offer correspondent to the contract?" and answers "Yes, the work offer is correspondent to the work contract". The UAE Government Portal (u.ae) states: "The employment contract should be based on the offer letter signed by both parties". Both statements concern the MOHRE job offer. We did not find, on the u.ae and MOHRE pages reviewed on 20 September 2026, any statement on what happens when a company's own internal offer letter differs from the MOHRE documents. Our editorial suggestion is simple: make all three documents carry the same terms before anyone signs.

For the wider map of employer transactions, see the overview of PRO services. This article covers the labour contract in the UAE private sector as the official pages describe it, and gives you a checklist to line the three documents up.

This article describes published requirements and is not legal advice.

The three documents, side by side

A hire under MOHRE can involve three separate papers. Only two of them appear on the official pages reviewed.

u.ae describes the order: "The employment process in the private sector involves receiving a formal job offer, signing the employment contract, receiving the work permit and then, receiving the work visa."

Your internal letter sits before all of this. It is where a candidate first sees the package.

What the official pages say about matching

Three statements carry the point.

• MOHRE, "Issue work offer" page: "Yes, the work offer is correspondent to the work contract".
• MOHRE, frequently asked questions page: "Yes, Job offer must match the contract". Our tool did not reliably capture the question text above that answer, so read the page itself for context.
• u.ae, "Job offers and the employment process" page (updated 12 August 2026): "The employment contract should be based on the offer letter signed by both parties".

MOHRE's FAQ page also describes what the job offer holds: "the detailed information is included in the job offer such as Contract type, salary (monthly, daily, or commissions....etc.), weekly leave balance, notice period, and other conditions."

The same FAQ page states a limit: "Job offer is rejected in case contract conditions that are added contradicts Labor Law or the ministerial decrees."

Article 8, clause 2, of the labour law also addresses proof. It states that the worker or his representative "may establish the employment contract, the amount of the wage and any of the rights he is entitled to" under the Decree-Law, its Executive Regulation "and the decisions issued in implementation thereof, by all means of evidence." Whether and how that applies to an internal letter is a question for a licensed legal adviser.

What the law says a contract must contain

The labour law is Federal Decree by Law No. (33) of 2021 Concerning Regulating Labour Relations. The UAE Legislation portal shows it effective from 2 February 2022, with status "Active". Its Executive Regulation is Cabinet Resolution No. (1) of 2022, also shown as effective from 2 February 2022.

A written contract in two copies. Article 8, clause 1, of the law states that the employer "must conclude an employment contract with the Worker, according to the form of work agreed upon". The contract is to be "in two copies, one of which shall be kept by the Employer and the other shall be handed to the Worker". It follows the forms set by the Executive Regulation.

The contents. Article 10, clause 1, of the Executive Regulation lists what the contract "shall include, in principal". The checklist below reproduces each item in the regulation's own words, from "the employer's name and address" to "any other data determined by the Ministry".

The wage. Article 22, clause 1, of the law states: "The amount or type of wage shall be specified in the employment contract, and if it is not specified therein, the competent court shall determine it as a labor dispute."

Extra clauses. Article 10, clause 2, of the Executive Regulation states: "It is permissible for the worker and employer to agree on inserting new clauses to the approved contract templates, provided that these clauses are in compliance with the provisions of the Decree-Law, this resolution, and legal regulations."

Employment contract types in the UAE

Article 10, clause 4, of the Executive Regulation lists the contract templates "approved in the Ministry's system": "a. Full-time employment contract. b. Part-time employment contract. c. Temporary employment contract. d. Flexible employment contract. e. Remote employment contract. f. Employment sharing contract." It adds "g. Any other employment contract templates stipulated in a resolution issued by the Minister".

MOHRE's overseas recruitment service page lists the same six models as "Full Time / Part Time / Temporary Work / Flexible Work / Remote Work / Job Sharing". Match the contract type first: Article 10(4) ties the contract to the template for the work pattern agreed.

Languages

The law and u.ae word this differently, so each is quoted.

• Labour law, Article 66, clause 2: the employer "is obligated to use Arabic in concluding contracts with Workers". Besides Arabic, "another language understood by the non-Arabic speaking Worker shall be used". That text "shall match the Arabic text, and in the event case of dispute, the Arabic text shall prevail."
• u.ae, on the job offer: "The job offer must be provided in Arabic and English, as well as in a third language that the worker understands." It adds: "The third language may be chosen from among the following 9 options: Bengali, Chinese, Dari, Hindi, Malayalam, Nepalese, Sinhalese, Tamil and Urdu."

If your internal letter is in English only, check that its English terms read the same as the English text of the MOHRE documents.

Term and probation

Article 8, clause 3, of the law as shown on the UAE Legislation portal states: "The employment contract shall be concluded for a definite period, renewable, based upon the parties' agreement." MOHRE's FAQ page states that the law "did not set a specific term for the labor relation between the two parties; instead, it allowed the parties to agree on a period that they deem to be suitable, without specifying a maximum period for the contract". The u.ae contract duration page states: "The term may be extended or renewed for a similar or shorter duration." The law and u.ae word renewal differently; confirm the position with MOHRE if a renewal term matters to you.

On probation, Article 9, clause 1, allows a period "not exceeding six (6) months as of the date of commencing work". The u.ae duration page states: "The probation period of the employee must not exceed six months, or be extended for another term." Put the same probation length in all three documents.

Where the offer and the contract sit in the hiring sequence

The u.ae page sets out the employer's steps for the job offer:

1. "The employer must sign the job offer electronically and send it to the worker in their home country either directly, through a recruitment agency, or via any designated entity, for review and approval by the worker."
2. "The signed job offer must be attached to the application for initial work permit approval, which is reviewed by MoHRE to ensure all required documents are complete."
3. The worker receives an entry permit. u.ae's fraud guidance page states: "After you sign the offer letter, the employer will send you an electronic entry permit for employment to allow you to enter the country."

MOHRE's overseas recruitment page lists among its documents "The official job offer form issued by the Ministry, signed by both the employer and employee." The guide to work permits and labour cards explains the permit stage, and the employer's step-by-step employment visa process shows where the visa follows.

The contract submission deadline: two official statements. u.ae states the contract "must be submitted to MoHRE within 14 days of the employee's arrival in the UAE or from the date of the status change if the worker is already in the country." MOHRE's "Issuance/Renewal of Employment Contracts" service page, read on its absher.mohre.gov.ae copy, states: "The application must be submitted within 60 days of the employee's entry into the country or the change in status." The two pages differ, and this article does not say which one applies. Confirm the deadline for your hire with MOHRE. Until you have that answer, working to the shorter figure is a cautious planning choice, not a statement of which rule applies.

The same MOHRE service page states: "Upon approval of the application, electronic approval of the contract will be processed."

The field-matching checklist

The rows below are the fields in Article 10, clause 1, of the Executive Regulation, quoted as written, plus three rows drawn from the other provisions above. Fill in one copy for each hire before the MOHRE job offer is signed, and again when the MOHRE contract comes up for signature.

Practical asset: the offer-to-contract field check. Write what each document says in its column, then mark the last column. Any "no" is resolved before signature. | Field (Executive Regulation, Article 10(1), unless stated) | Internal offer letter | MOHRE job offer | MOHRE contract | Matches? (yes/no) | |---|---|---|---|---| | "employer's name and address" | | | | | | "worker's name" | | | | | | "nationality" | | | | | | "date of birth" | | | | | | "what is needed to prove his identity" | | | | | | "his qualifications" | | | | | | "occupation or professions" | | | | | | "date of joining work" | | | | | | "place of work" | | | | | | "working hours" | | | | | | "rest days" | | | | | | "probation period if available" | | | | | | "term of the contract" | | | | | | "the wage as agreed upon including benefits and allowances" | | | | | | "length of the deserved annual leave" | | | | | | "notice period" | | | | | | "procedures of terminating the employment contract" | | | | | | "any other data determined by the Ministry" | | | | | | Contract type (Article 10(4)) | | | | | | Added clauses (Article 10(2)) | | | | | | Languages used (law, Article 66(2)) | | | | | 1. [Editorial] Copy figures exactly. Write the wage as the same components in all three documents, not as a total in one and a breakdown in another. 2. [Editorial] Where your internal letter carries a benefit that the MOHRE form has no field for, list it as an added clause and check it against Article 10(2). 3. [Official] Remember that MOHRE's FAQ page states a job offer "is rejected in case contract conditions that are added contradicts Labor Law or the ministerial decrees." 4. [Editorial] Keep the signed internal letter, the signed MOHRE job offer and the approved contract in one file for each worker. 5. [Editorial] Give the worker a copy of each. [Official] Article 8(1) requires the contract in two copies, one "handed to the Worker".

A worked example (illustrative)

A company's internal letter offers one monthly package figure, "all inclusive". Suppose that, on the MOHRE job offer, HR records the pay as a basic wage and separate allowances. The worker now holds two documents that describe the same pay in different shapes.

Article 10(1) asks for "the wage as agreed upon including benefits and allowances". Article 22(1) of the law puts the wage in the employment contract. Our editorial suggestion: reissue the internal letter with the same breakdown that HR has entered on the MOHRE offer, countersigned, before the MOHRE offer goes out. For how salaries are paid once the contract is in place, see the employer guide to WPS.

When terms change after signing

A start date slips, a job title changes, a salary is revised. The sequence below uses only what the official pages state.

1. [Official] Agreement and approval. Under its "Initial work permit" heading, u.ae states: "No clause in the contract may be replaced or amended as long as: the worker's rights are not undermined, both parties agree to the amendment, MoHRE approves the amendment." The wording is quoted exactly; ask MOHRE if it is unclear for your case.
2. [Official] Before the initial work permit approval. MOHRE's "Issue work offer" page states: "The work offer data can be modified after printing and prior to the initial approval of an electronic work permit at the service centers 'Tasheel'." That page refers to Tasheel centres and e-dirham, which suggests older content, so ask MOHRE which channel handles this today.
3. [Official] Added conditions. The same page states: "In the event of adding conditions to the work offer letter, the Ministry's system will refer the request to the Labor Relations Department to receive the approval of the additional conditions before sending them to the worker to sign them."
4. [Official] Amendment or renewal. MOHRE's FAQ page states: "If your electronic work permit is valid, you may submit an application for amendment. In the case of an expired electronic work permit, you should submit an application for renewal." It adds: "As long as there are no changes to the details of the employment contract, such as amending the salary amount, an electronic work permit renewal application is sufficient."
5. [Official] A change of work model. Article 10(3) of the Executive Regulation allows a change "from one work model to another" on three conditions: "a. Approval from both the employer and worker. b. Settlement of all dues arising from the first contract. c. Following the procedures determined by the Ministry."
6. [Editorial] Update your own paper. Issue a signed addendum to the internal letter on the same day, so your file shows the same terms as the amended MOHRE record.
7. [Editorial] Update payroll. Change the wage in your payroll system only once MOHRE has approved the amendment, and keep the approval with the pay record.

We could not read MOHRE's "Modification of Work Permits / Employment Contracts" service page on 20 September 2026: automated access was refused, and in a browser the same day MOHRE's employment contracts service page and FAQ page showed an "Under maintenance" page. This article therefore states no documents or fees for that service. Ask MOHRE for them.

For employees: checking your MOHRE offer

u.ae's fraud guidance page states: "You can verify the validity of the job offer using its reference number through the enquiry service - application status on the website of MoHRE." MOHRE's "Offer Inquiry" page, headed "Employment offers and contracts services", offers a search "By Transaction Number" or "By EIDA No" and a button marked "View My Contract".

Before you sign, compare the MOHRE offer with the letter you were first sent, using the checklist above. If a figure differs, ask the employer in writing which is correct. If a disagreement remains, MOHRE is the authority to contact.

What MOHRE decides, what you prepare, what a provider can do

MOHRE decides. MOHRE, not any provider, decides whether a job offer, an added condition, a contract or an amendment is approved.

You prepare. The employer and the worker agree the terms. The internal letter, the figures on the MOHRE forms and the signed copies are theirs. Questions about how a clause will be read in a dispute go to a licensed legal adviser.

A provider's part. Any provider works within its licensed activity. The guide to choosing a PRO services company lists questions to ask about scope before you hand over any transaction. For the government charges around a hire, see the article on what an employee visa costs a company.

This article does not cover ending a contract. Notice, end-of-service and cancellation steps sit in separate articles.

Information verified against official sources on 20 September 2026.

If you want support preparing the MOHRE documents for a new hire or an amendment, contact RINJAZ to confirm availability, scope and quotation. RINJAZ is a privately licensed UAE service provider. It is not a government entity and does not act for any authority.

A provider's role, within whatever its licensed activity covers, is to prepare documents, submit them through the correct channel and track progress. MOHRE decides whether a job offer, contract or amendment is approved, and no provider can promise the outcome.