Recruitment Agency Register

Official online lookupHas not ratified ILO C181

Recruitment agency licensing in United Arab Emirates

Licensing authority: Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) licenses domestic worker recruitment agencies. This record covers domestic worker recruitment only.1,2

How to check an agency in United Arab Emirates

MOHRE lists its approved domestic worker service centres on its official website. In February 2026 it said 136 approved centres operated across all emirates. A MOHRE call centre (600590000) verifies the credibility of social media accounts promoting domestic workers.1

Open the official lookup

Who needs a licence

Article 4 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 says domestic workers may not be hired or temporarily employed without a licence from the Ministry. Mediation or temporary employment of domestic workers without a licence is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of 200,000 to 1,000,000 dirhams, or either penalty.2

Fees charged to workers

Article 5 of the Decree-Law prohibits a recruitment agency from demanding or accepting, directly or indirectly, any commission for securing the job, and from charging domestic workers expenses.2

Reporting an unlicensed agency

MOHRE asks the public to report negative practices through its digital platforms or by calling 80084.1

ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (C181)

Not ratified3

Main law

Developments

  1. MOHRE said it had closed 12 domestic worker recruitment offices operating without licences and referred them to the Public Prosecution, and that it recorded 300 violations by 57 recruitment offices in 2025. Violations cited included failing to refund recruitment fees to employers within two weeks.1

Checked 28 October 2026. This page describes the licensing system. It does not list or rate individual agencies.

Sources

  1. Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, MoHRE: 12 unlicensed domestic worker recruitment offices closed and referred to Public Prosecution (25 February 2026)
  2. UAE Government (u.ae), Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers (5 September 2022)
  3. Government of the Netherlands, Treaty Database, Convention concerning Private Employment Agencies, Geneva, 19-06-1997 (29 January 2026)