The letters employees ask for most — salary certificates, NOCs, experience certificates — are also the ones issued most carelessly. A salary certificate stating a figure that differs from the MOHRE-registered salary is a document the employer has created contradicting its own filing.
Employment Letters
Probation, confirmation, promotion, certificates and NOCs
The letters employees ask for most — salary certificates, NOCs, experience certificates — are also the ones issued most carelessly. A salary certificate stating a figure that differs from the MOHRE-registered salary is a document the employer has created contradicting its own filing.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employer | [COMPANY NAME], licence [NUMBER] |
| Issued by | [ROLE] — nominate one owner; inconsistency is the risk |
| Letterhead | Company letterhead with licence number |
| Stamp | [Company stamp applied] |
| Figures must match | The MOHRE registered contract and WPS |
| Register of letters issued | [LOCATION] |
| Version and date | [NUMBER], [DATE] |
1. Probation
1.1Probation may not exceed six months and may not be extended beyond that.
1.2During probation the employer may terminate on 14 days written notice.
1.3An employee resigning during probation to join another UAE employer must give one month; to leave the UAE, 14 days, subject to the Law.
1.4Where the employee leaves the UAE during or shortly after probation and returns to work for another employer within a defined period, the Law provides for the new employer to compensate the original one in certain circumstances. Confirm the current position before relying on it.
Probation confirmation — letter
Dear [FIRST NAME], Your probation period ends on [DATE]. I am pleased to confirm that you have successfully completed it and your employment continues on the terms of your contract. [Your entitlement to sick leave now applies.] Congratulations, and thank you for the start you have made.
Probation not passed — letter
Dear [FIRST NAME], Following our discussions about [THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS], I am writing to confirm that your employment will end on [DATE], being 14 days from the date of this letter, in accordance with your contract and the Law. All sums due to you will be paid within 14 days of your last working day, and we will confirm the position on your work permit and visa. We wish you well.
2. Promotion and Salary Change
2.1A change to job title or salary requires the employee’s written consent and a formal amendment through the ministry. A promotion letter alone does not change the registered contract.
2.2Where the job title changes materially, a work permit amendment may be required, and the new title must still match a licensed activity.
2.3The new salary must be reflected in WPS from the effective date.
Promotion letter
5 more pages in the Word file
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These notes accompany the template and explain the drafting choices, the compliance points and the mistakes most often made with this document. They appear as a final page in the Word file, intended to be deleted before the document is executed.
A certificate stating a figure higher than the registered salary is a false statement by the employer, contradicted by its own MOHRE filing and its own WPS record. Employees ask because a bank or landlord threshold is just out of reach. The answer is no, and it should be a policy so that individual managers are not put under pressure.
The salary in a certificate must match the MOHRE registered contract and what actually goes through WPS. Where those three do not already agree, the certificate request has surfaced a compliance problem that needs fixing first.
Job title and salary changes require the employee’s written consent and a formal amendment through the ministry, and a material title change may need a work permit amendment. Issuing the letter and stopping there leaves the registered contract saying something different from reality.
A general no-objection letter with no stated purpose can be used for something the employer never contemplated — a second job, a facility, a visa application. Name the purpose, name the recipient where possible, and put a validity date on it.
Where an employee wants a second job, the correct instrument is a part-time work permit, not a letter saying the employer does not mind. Issuing an NOC and treating the matter as closed leaves the employee working without authorisation.
There is no lawful extension beyond six months. Employers who want more time must either confirm the employee or end the employment on the applicable notice. Informal extensions have no effect and create a confirmed employee by default.
The employer may terminate on 14 days notice during probation. An employee resigning to join another UAE employer gives one month; to leave the country, 14 days. The asymmetry is deliberate and is frequently got wrong in handbooks.
A certificate records role and dates. Recording a dispute, a performance concern or a reason for leaving turns a routine document into a defamation risk and a grievance, and it will be produced in any subsequent proceeding.
Letters written by different managers produce different figures, different formats and inconsistent treatment between employees. One named owner with a template and a register solves all three.
When a bank calls to verify a certificate, or a document surfaces that the company does not recognise, the register is the answer. It takes one line per letter.
A delayed salary certificate can cost an employee a tenancy or a loan approval. The request is usually urgent for them and trivial for the employer. Set an internal turnaround and meet it.
Giving one employee a letter and refusing another in the same circumstances is a grievance, and in a small workforce it is noticed immediately. Decide the policy once and apply it.
Where an employee leaves the UAE during or shortly after probation and returns to work for another employer within a defined period, the Law provides for compensation between employers in certain circumstances. Confirm the current position rather than relying on a general impression.
Probation periods, notice during probation and the letters expected differ in the financial free zones, which operate their own employment codes. This pack is drafted for the mainland framework.
Reflects UAE law current as of {{DATE OF USE}}. Probation rules, notice periods, contract amendment procedures and the compensation provisions applying to early departures all change — confirm the current position with MOHRE or a UAE employment adviser before relying on these letters.
This is a ready-to-use template provided for convenience. Laws and requirements change, and every situation is different — please have it reviewed by a qualified professional (a lawyer, corporate secretary, or accountant as relevant) before you rely on it.