MOHRE Services for Establishments
Work Permit Cancellation UAE: MOHRE Service for Employers
If your establishment has decided to cancel a worker’s work permit, Instant PRO prepares the MOHRE work permit cancellation application with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. We first review the cancellation conditions, from fines and the acknowledgement of dues to the worker’s signature, then the documents required for the type of cancellation, and we follow the application until its result is issued.
- A service for employers
- Conditions and documents reviewed by cancellation type
- Completion time announced by the Ministry: two working days
Work permit cancellation in the UAE is a Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation service that lets employers cancel a worker’s work permit. It is submitted through the Ministry’s channels once its conditions are met, including payment of due fines and the establishment’s declaration that the worker has received their dues. Required documents depend on the type of cancellation.
Scope of This Page and What We Review Before Preparing the Application
This page deals with cancelling the work permits of establishment workers: the Ministry classes the service under establishment labour and directs it to employers. It does not cover cancelling the permit of a domestic worker, which has a separate service card at the Ministry, nor cancelling a residence, which is a separate procedure with the residence authority (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security), nor Abu Dhabi transactions through TAMM.
Before preparing the application we ask about the worker’s situation: whether the worker is inside or outside the country, whether an electronic work permit has been issued or the worker is still on an initial approval notice, and whether that notice has been used. We then explain what must be met: payment of any fines due, the establishment’s declaration that the worker has received their dues, and the worker’s signature unless the worker falls within the excepted cases. These answers decide which documents are attached to the application.
This service is one of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation services we handle for employers, alongside issuing a new work permit and employment contract renewal.
What Does Work Permit Cancellation Mean in the UAE, and What Are Its Limits?
As the Ministry describes it, the service is one for cancelling the work permit. Completing it requires the establishment to declare that the worker has received their dues, and the worker to sign their agreement to the cancellation while acknowledging receipt of all labour dues, with exceptions to the worker’s signature that we set out under the conditions. A search for employment contract cancellation UAE may mean ending the employment relationship itself. The Ministry’s service appears on its website under the title “Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts”, but it remains an administrative procedure with the Ministry and does not replace the route the law provides for labour disputes if a disagreement arises over dues. The provisions on ending an employment relationship and the rights that follow from it are found in Federal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 Concerning the Regulation of Labour Relations and its amendments, and in its Executive Regulation issued by Cabinet Resolution No. (1) of 2022, and this page does not cover them.
Work Permit Cancellation UAE: Conditions and Exceptions
In its service card, the Ministry sets three conditions for completing the cancellation. The first is payment of fines for late issuance or non-renewal of the work permit, if any, with unused work permits excepted. The second is that the establishment declares that the worker has received their dues. The third is that the worker signs to agree to the cancellation and acknowledges receipt of all labour dues.
However, the worker’s signature is not required in four cases: a worker outside the country, a worker with an infectious disease, a deceased worker, and a worker who has been administratively cancelled. In the text of the card, these cases are followed by the phrase “and that is after cancellation from the systems of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security”. Each worker’s situation is reviewed individually before the application is submitted.
Required Documents by Type of Cancellation
The basic document in every case is the cancellation request form issued by the Ministry, to which the following is attached according to the type of cancellation:
- Cancelling a worker outside the country: residence details.
- Cancelling a worker with an infectious disease: the medical fitness form (unfit).
- Cancelling the electronic work permit of a deceased worker: the worker’s death certificate, issued by the competent authorities in the country.
- Cancelling a worker on an initial approval notice for a used work permit: the cancellation request form signed by both parties.
- Cancelling a worker on an initial approval notice for an unused work permit: the cancellation request form signed by the employer only.
- Cancelling a worker with an electronic work permit: the cancellation request form signed by both parties.
- Request to deduct the record of a worker who left the country by administrative deportation: residence details.
Steps for MOHRE Work Permit Cancellation
The transaction goes through four stages at the Ministry:
Step 1 - Log In
Log in with the digital identity through one of the approved channels.
Step 2 - Complete the Application Data
The worker whose permit is to be cancelled is selected and the reason for cancellation is chosen; the remaining data is completed automatically through electronic linkage, without manual entry.
Step 3 - Confirm the Cancellation Request
The application data is reviewed and the submission of the cancellation request is confirmed.
Step 4 - Work Permit Cancelled
The permit is cancelled as soon as the application is completed and the requirements are met, and the client is notified of any additional requirements where needed.
The service is offered through service centres, the Ministry’s website and app, and delivery, and the Ministry provides a user guide that explains how to use the system.
How does Instant PRO help? We review the conditions and documents with you, then prepare the application and follow it until its result is issued. We receive requests Monday to Friday, from 9 AM to 6 PM.
Work Permit Cancellation Fees UAE: Completion Time and Announced Amounts
The time and amounts below are updated according to the service card of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and may change; please check the official source.
The completion time is announced by the Ministry and is not a promise by the office, and issuing the result remains with the competent authority. The card does not state a specific government amount for this service; the reference is what appears in the official submission channel. The business service centres’ commission is the commission of those centres, not an Instant PRO commission. The fines mentioned in the conditions are a condition of cancellation, and their amount is not specified.
Notice: The amounts mentioned are taken from the Ministry’s official announcement and do not include tax and collection fees. The total cost may differ depending on the submission channel. To ask about the cost of the service, you can contact Instant PRO before starting.
Following Up the Application After Submission
After the application is submitted, we continue to follow it with the Ministry until its result is issued. If the Ministry notifies us of additional requirements, we let you know, explain what needs to be completed and how it is submitted, and update you with the result once it is issued. To ask about the status of your application with us, you can message us on WhatsApp.
You can also track the application yourself through the enquiry services on the Ministry’s website or its smart app, by calling the call centre on 600590000, which the Ministry states is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or through live chat.
Instant PRO is independent of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and does not represent it. The reference for what is stated here is the service card “Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts” on the Ministry’s website.
Work Permit Cancellation UAE: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between work permit cancellation and residence cancellation?
Work permit cancellation is a transaction with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation concerning the permit issued to a worker in the establishment, whereas residence cancellation is a separate procedure with the residence authority. The Ministry links this service to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, but this page covers only the Ministry’s procedure.
What are the conditions for work permit cancellation in the UAE?
Any fines for late issuance or non-renewal of the work permit must be paid, with unused permits excepted. The establishment must also declare that the worker has received their dues, and the worker must sign to agree to the cancellation, acknowledging receipt of all labour dues, with specific exceptions to the worker’s signature.
Is the worker’s signature always required?
No. The service card excepts four cases from the worker’s signature: a worker outside the country, a worker with an infectious disease, a deceased worker, and an administratively cancelled worker. The card text then continues with a phrase about cancellation from the Federal Authority’s systems, so each worker’s situation is reviewed individually before the application is submitted.
What documents are required to cancel a work permit?
The basic document is the Ministry’s cancellation request form, with what the case requires attached: residence details for a worker outside the country, the medical fitness form (unfit) for an infectious disease, a death certificate for a deceased worker, or a form signed by both parties or by the employer alone, depending on the permit or notice type.
How long does the cancellation of a work permit and employment contract take?
The announced time for cancelling a work permit and employment contract is two working days as of 13 October 2026. This is the Ministry’s announced period, not a promise by the office, and issuing the result remains with the competent authority. The client is notified once the application is completed, and it can be followed through the Ministry’s enquiry services.
What are the work permit cancellation fees in the UAE?
The service card states no specific government amount as of 13 October 2026. It announces a commission of up to AED 72 for business service centres, which is not an Instant PRO commission. Applying through the Ministry’s website or app is free, with only government fees collected, and the announced amounts exclude tax and collection fees.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is general and for awareness, based on the government sources mentioned. It is not legal advice or a commitment that an application will be accepted or completed. The transaction is subject to the conditions and procedures approved by the competent authorities.
Government references: the “Cancellation of Work Permits and Employment Contracts” service card (English), Federal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 Concerning the Regulation of Labour Relations and its amendments (u.ae), and Cabinet Resolution No. (1) of 2022 (UAE Legislation), verified on 13 October 2026.
The Next Step
Work Permit Cancellation UAE: Get Help With Your Application
To start reviewing your application, send us your establishment number at the Ministry, the type of cancellation required, and whether the worker is inside or outside the country. We will explain the conditions and documents needed and how to submit them, then prepare the application and follow it up.
WhatsApp: +971 56 232 7778
Office 805, Opal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai
Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Conditions and documents reviewed before submission
- Service cost explained before we start
- Application followed up after submission