MoHRE Issues 135 fines Against 42 Domestic Worker Recruitment Offices during the first half of 2026

Violations issued included 106 penalties for failing to refund amounts due to eligible employers.

GOVERNMENT

ME-HR &* Learning

8/11/20263 min read

Employers are urged to deal exclusively with licensed recruitment offices listed on the Ministry’s website

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) revealed that it has issued 135 fines against 42 domestic worker recruitment offices during the first half of 2026 for violating the Federal Decree-Law Concerning Domestic Workers and its Executive Regulations, taking the appropriate administrative and financial legal measures against violators.

These procedures form part of the Ministry’s efforts to develop the domestic worker recruitment system by continuously monitoring performance across licensed recruitment offices and ensuring compliance with approved requirements and regulations. This, as a result, allows for providing reliable services, enhancing customer confidence in recruitment offices operating in the UAE, protecting the rights of all parties involved, and establishing standards of transparency and responsibility in this vital sector.

The findings from the monitoring process revealed that the most prominent registered violation was failure on the part of certain recruitment offices to refund all or part of the recruitment amount to the employer within the period specified in the regulations. A total of 106 such violations were recorded in cases where employers returned the domestic worker to the recruitment office or reported their absence from work. The Executive Regulations of the Federal Decree-Law Concerning Domestic Workers specify a two-week deadline to refund due amounts from the date the domestic worker is returned to the office or the date their absence is reported.

The Ministry affirmed that compliance with the procedures for refunding recruitment fees is a key requirement for guaranteeing employers’ rights, ensuring balance in the contractual relationship, and curbing practices that may affect the customer experience or lead to disputes between the different parties.

Furthermore, MoHRE recorded 29 violations related to failure on the part of certain recruitment offices to comply with the approved terms and procedures regulating domestic worker recruitment activities, and enforced the appropriate administrative penalties as a result, in accordance with applicable regulations.

Meanwhile, the Ministry praised the level of compliance noted among many licensed domestic worker recruitment offices across the UAE, who demonstrated a firm commitment to abiding by the approved rules and regulations, while adhering to high standards of service quality and transparency in dealing with customers. MoHRE affirmed that these offices are a key partner in its efforts to develop the domestic worker recruitment system and enhance the level of services provided.

The UAE is home to a total of 138 licensed and active domestic worker recruitment offices. The Ministry monitors the performance of these offices with its comprehensive oversight system that includes inspection, tracking, and continuous evaluation – all with the aim of supporting positive practices, enhancing compliance, and addressing any actions that violate applicable regulations.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation asserted that its efforts to monitor recruitment offices are not limited to detecting violations and taking regulatory action against non-compliant establishments; they are also designed to promote a culture of compliance and encourage these offices to adopt professional best practices and play their part in building a more efficient and sustainable sector.

Additionally, the Ministry reaffirmed the full readiness of its inspection and monitoring system to address transgressions and violations seriously, firmly, and transparently. It emphasised its commitment to taking employers’ feedback and complaints regarding recruitment offices into consideration, urging customers to communicate with the Ministry and report any negative practices by domestic worker recruitment offices through the dedicated digital channels and platforms, or by calling its Labour Claims and Advisory Centre at 80084, so that transgressions can be dealt with directly and in accordance with approved legal frameworks.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation called on employers to deal exclusively with licensed recruitment offices listed on its website, www.mohre.gov.ae, and to review the approved regulations and procedures before signing contracts, in order to protect their rights and strengthen the partnership between all parties in the domestic worker recruitment system.