Labour card renewal: deadlines, fines and what it blocks
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The labour card — the MOHRE work permit — is the employer's document as much as the employee's. Letting one lapse costs a fine and can freeze the company's ability to file anything new.
The deadline and the fine
Published guides report that employers have 60 days after expiry to renew, after which a fine of AED 200 per month applies, up to AED 2,000, with part of a month counted as a full one. Check the current figure on MOHRE's fine calculator before relying on it.
What an expired work permit blocks
Outstanding fines can lead to the company's MOHRE account being suspended — which stops new work permits and visa applications for everyone, not only the employee concerned.
The MOHRE contract has to be renewed before new work permits can be filed.
Staying ahead of it
Track each employee's labour card as its own date, next to their visa and Emirates ID.
Start the renewal alongside the residence visa renewal, not after it.
UAE fees and fines change. This guide is general information checked on the date above, not legal advice — confirm current figures with the authority before acting on them.