There are two documents here and they must agree. The commercial offer sets out the package; the **MOHRE job offer** is the standard form the candidate signs, which becomes the basis of the work permit and then the registered contract. Where the two differ, the candidate has a legitimate grievance and the employer has a compliance problem.
Offer of Employment
And the MOHRE job offer that follows it
There are two documents here and they must agree. The commercial offer sets out the package; the MOHRE job offer is the standard form the candidate signs, which becomes the basis of the work permit and then the registered contract. Where the two differ, the candidate has a legitimate grievance and the employer has a compliance problem.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employer | [COMPANY NAME], licence [NUMBER] |
| Jurisdiction | [Mainland — MOHRE / Free zone — zone authority] |
| Candidate | [NAME], passport [NUMBER] |
| Job title (as it will appear on the permit) | [TITLE] |
| Basic salary | AED [AMOUNT] per month — the gratuity base |
| Allowances | AED [AMOUNT] per month |
| Total salary | AED [AMOUNT] per month |
| Contract term | [2 or 3] years, fixed — renewable |
| Probation | [NUMBER] months — maximum 6 |
| Notice after probation | [30–90] days |
| Offer valid until | [DATE] |
| Quota confirmed | [Y/N] on [DATE] |
1. Before You Send It
| # | Check | Why | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visa quota confirmed available | An offer that cannot be permitted has to be withdrawn | [Y/N] |
| 2 | Job title matches a licensed activity | Mismatch produces permit refusal | [Y/N] |
| 3 | Skill level determined | Affects permit category and grace period | [Y/N] |
| 4 | Basic-to-allowance split decided | Drives gratuity for the whole employment | [Y/N] |
| 5 | Candidate’s current UAE status established | Transfer differs from overseas recruitment | [Y/N] |
| 6 | Qualification attestation started where required | Takes weeks | [Y/N] |
| 7 | Emiratisation impact considered | A skilled non-Emirati hire raises the quota base | [Y/N] |
| 8 | Full cost modelled including permit, visa, insurance, gratuity accrual | [Y/N] |
2. Offer Letter
[COMPANY NAME] Date: [DATE]
[CANDIDATE NAME]
[ADDRESS]
Dear [FIRST NAME],
Offer of employment — [JOB TITLE]
4 more pages in the Word file
This is page 1 of the Word document, exactly as it appears when you open it. Fields shown like THIS are placeholders for you to complete.
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.
The commercial offer letter and the standard MOHRE job offer serve different purposes, and both are signed. Where the salary, title or term differ between them, the candidate has a genuine grievance and the employer has an exposure that MOHRE can see without anyone complaining. Reconcile them before either is sent.
An offer issued before visa quota is confirmed may have to be withdrawn after the candidate has resigned elsewhere. That is a poor start to a relationship and occasionally a claim. Check the establishment file and the quota first.
Gratuity accrues on basic salary alone, so the basic-to-allowance split determines what the employee receives after years of service. Quoting only a total figure leaves them to discover the position at the end. Disclose it at offer stage — clause 1 of the letter does this deliberately.
Weighting a package towards allowances reduces gratuity exposure and is lawful. It should be a conscious commercial decision that the candidate can see and price, not something buried in a structure they only understand years later.
Unlimited contracts were abolished. Offer letters referring to permanent or indefinite employment are out of date and confuse candidates who expect the old model. Say fixed-term, say the length, and say it is renewable.
Permit, visa, medical, Emirates ID and recruitment fees are employer costs by law. That prohibition covers indirect recovery too — a repayment clause on early departure, a salary depressed to absorb the cost, or an agency rebate. Clause 6 of the letter states the position plainly, which is also good practice.
Beginning work during processing is unlawful for the employer and exposes the individual. Time pressure produces this constantly. Set expectations in the offer letter so the candidate is not surprised by the wait.
Quota approval, permit issuance, references, medical fitness and attestation are real conditions. Listing them means a failure at any stage is an anticipated outcome rather than a broken promise.
Where the role requires an attested degree, the process runs through the issuing country, the UAE embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and takes weeks. Start it at offer stage rather than after the permit application stalls.
Once the contract is registered, salary, title and the nature of the work cannot be changed by agreement alone. The employee must consent in writing and the change must go through the amendment service. Informal variations do not bind and show as discrepancies in WPS.
Each additional skilled non-Emirati hire raises the quota base and therefore the number of Emiratis required. For a mainland establishment near a threshold, that is a real cost attached to this specific offer and belongs in the hiring decision.
Permit, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, visa, insurance, any deposit, gratuity accrual and repatriation all attach to the hire. The salary is a fraction of it, and the accruing liabilities are the ones companies forget to provide for.
A candidate who has resigned in reliance on an accepted offer has a stronger position than one who has not. Where a condition genuinely fails, communicate immediately and in writing — silence while the employer works out what to do is what turns a disappointment into a dispute.
Clause 8 tells the candidate about the MOHRE offer, the permit, and the fact they cannot start yet. Most candidate frustration in UAE onboarding comes from a process nobody explained, running for weeks with no visible progress.
Reflects UAE law and practice current as of {{DATE OF USE}}. MOHRE offer and contract procedures, probation and notice rules, permit categories and free zone processes all change — confirm the current position with MOHRE or the relevant zone authority, and note that mainland documents may require an Arabic version, which prevails in a dispute.
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.