MOHRE Inquiry Service: How to Check Your UAE Work Permit Status

Your offer letter says the visa is ready. Your recruiter stopped replying three days ago. And you have no idea whether the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation actually has a work permit filed under your name — or whether the whole thing is a scam.

This is one of the most stressful moments in any Egypt-to-UAE employment journey. The MOHRE Inquiry Service exists precisely to resolve that uncertainty. In under two minutes, you can independently verify whether a real, government-registered work permit exists for you — no agent, no WhatsApp message from a recruiter, no hope required.

Here is exactly how to use it, what the results mean, and what to do if something looks wrong.

What Is the MOHRE Inquiry Service?

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) is the UAE government body that regulates private-sector employment in the mainland (outside free zones). Every employer who wants to hire a foreign national in the UAE mainland must register a work permit application through MOHRE before the employee can receive a residence visa.

The MOHRE Inquiry Service is a public-facing digital tool that lets any person — candidate, employee, or employer — look up the real-time status of a work permit application. It is available through the MOHRE website (mohre.gov.ae) and the MOHRE smart app, which is available on both iOS and Android.

This is not a third-party lookup tool. It is the same system MOHRE itself uses. If a permit is in the system, you will see it. If it is not, it does not exist.

How to Check Your UAE Work Permit Status

There are two ways to run an inquiry, depending on what information you have available.

Method 1: Inquiry by Establishment Number and Labour Card Number

If you are already employed and want to check your current work permit or labour card status:

1. Go to mohre.gov.ae and navigate to Services, then Inquiry Services.
2. Select "Worker Inquiry" or "Work Permit Inquiry."
3. Enter your employer's establishment number (found on your contract or any official MOHRE correspondence) and your labour card or work permit number.
4. The system will display your permit status, issue date, expiry date, and the name of the company registered as your sponsor.

Method 2: Inquiry by Application Reference Number

If your employer has told you that a new work permit has been applied for:

1. Use the same inquiry portal and select "Application Status."
2. Enter the reference number provided by your employer or their PRO (Public Relations Officer).
3. The result will show where in the approval workflow the application currently sits.

Method 3: MOHRE Smart App

The MOHRE app allows the same lookups from a mobile device. Under "Inquiry Services," select the type of inquiry and enter the relevant numbers. The app also provides push notifications for status changes if you enable them.

For Egyptian applicants still in Cairo who have received an employment offer, Method 2 is the most relevant. Before booking a flight or completing your Egyptian document attestation, run this check. A legitimate UAE employer will have no hesitation giving you the application reference number.

What the Status Results Mean

The MOHRE system displays statuses in both Arabic and English. The most common ones and what they mean for you:

Under Processing / قيد المعالجة: The application has been submitted and is being reviewed. This is normal at the early stage. Allow 3–5 working days before following up.

Approved / معتمد: The work permit has been approved. Your employer can now proceed with the Entry Permit, which is the document that allows you to travel to the UAE.

Rejected / مرفوض: The application was not approved. This may be due to a quota issue on the employer's side (they have exceeded their permitted headcount ratio), a documentation problem, or a regulatory compliance issue with the company. A legitimate employer will explain the reason and either resolve it or withdraw the offer honestly.

Cancelled / ملغى: The work permit was previously issued but has been cancelled. If this appears on your active permit and you have not resigned or been terminated, this requires immediate follow-up with your employer.

Expired / منتهي: The permit has passed its validity date. Work permits must be renewed before expiry — typically aligned with the residence visa renewal.

Why Egyptian Applicants Should Check Before Spending on Attestation

The document attestation process for Egyptian professionals is expensive and time-consuming. The full chain — university registrar, Supreme Council of Universities, Ministry of Higher Education, Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UAE Embassy in Cairo — can take four to seven weeks and cost between EGP 7,000 and EGP 12,000 in total fees across all documents.

Running a MOHRE inquiry before starting attestation is free and takes two minutes. If no application exists under the reference number your recruiter gave you, that is a critical warning sign. Scammers posing as UAE recruiters often use AI-generated offer letters that look identical to real documents. The MOHRE system will immediately expose whether the company and the application are real.

According to MOHRE's own guidelines on recruitment fraud, any request for payment of visa fees from a candidate is illegal under Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Employers bear full legal responsibility for all recruitment and visa costs. If someone asks you to pay for your own work permit or Entry Permit, stop the process immediately.

Checking Your Status After Arrival: Work Permit and Labour Card

Once you have entered the UAE and your employer has completed the residency process, you will be issued a labour card (also called a work permit card in some contexts) and an Emirates ID. At this point, the MOHRE inquiry becomes useful for a different reason: confirming that your registered job title, salary, and company match what is written in your actual contract.

A common problem flagged by MOHRE in recent years is "contract substitution" — where an employer registers one contract with MOHRE but gives the employee a different document to sign. Because the MOHRE-registered contract is the legally binding one, checking that both documents match is essential before you begin work.

If you find a discrepancy, you have the right to file a complaint through the MOHRE Complaints Service without paying any court fees for claims under AED 100,000. This protection specifically applies to private-sector employees in the mainland.

What to Do If You Have Problems with Your Permit

If your inquiry shows a rejected or cancelled application and your employer is not being transparent about the reason, contact MOHRE directly:

• MOHRE Call Centre: 800 60
• MOHRE Smart App: Live chat and complaint filing
• Amer service (Dubai-specific): For visa-related queries through Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs

For Egyptian professionals who want a complete roadmap of the UAE work permit process — from the attestation chain in Cairo to the Emirates ID and first paycheck — the Egypt to UAE Employment Visa Guide covers every step with document checklists, fee tables, and MOHRE compliance guidance.

The MOHRE Inquiry Is Your First Line of Defence

The UAE has invested significantly in digital transparency because it knows that recruitment fraud targeting Egyptian and other Arab professionals is a real and growing problem. The MOHRE Inquiry Service is the government's answer to that: a free, instant, official verification tool that cuts through any amount of recruiter ambiguity.

Use it before you spend a single pound on attestation fees. Use it after your permit is issued to confirm your contract details. And use it throughout your employment to ensure your permit is current and valid. It takes two minutes and can save you months of complications.

See more UAE guides →