Recruitment agencies in Dubai: how they work, licensing and fees

Recruitment agencies fill many jobs in Dubai, from senior executive roles to hospitality and construction work. In the UAE they need a licence from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), and it is the employer who pays for their services. You should never pay an agency to find you a job. This page explains how agencies work, how to check one and how to spot a scam.

Key facts

• MOHRE licenses recruitment agencies and grants these licences to UAE citizens only.
• Charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal in the UAE. The employer pays for recruitment, travel and your residence permit.
• You can ask MOHRE to confirm whether an agency is licensed, or to take a complaint.
• For most private-sector jobs, the offer is issued through MOHRE, and you can check it using its reference number.
• Domestic workers are recruited under a separate law, through MOHRE-licensed domestic worker agencies and approved service centres.

How recruitment agencies work in the UAE

An employer hires an agency to find candidates. The agency advertises the role or searches for suitable people, screens CVs and puts forward a shortlist. The employer interviews the candidates, decides whom to hire and pays the agency.

Once you are chosen for a private-sector role, the employer normally issues a job offer through MOHRE setting out your job, pay and terms. It is issued in Arabic and English, plus a third language if you need one, and can be sent to you directly or through a recruitment agency. When you arrive, you and the employer sign it, and MOHRE registers it as your employment contract. Free zones have their own employment and visa processes, so ask how yours works. Our guide to work permits and visas covers the next steps.

Agencies are one route among several. You can also apply directly to employers and through job portals. The UAE government notes that you should not pay any commission for a job found through a portal. Browse current openings on our jobs page.

Licensing: how to check an agency

Recruitment agencies operating in the UAE need a MOHRE licence, and MOHRE grants these licences to UAE citizens only. Before you share documents or attend an interview an agency has arranged:

1. Ask for the agency’s full legal name and its MOHRE licence details.
2. Confirm the licence with MOHRE. The UAE government portal advises job seekers to check licensed companies with the ministry, and to raise a complaint there if needed. Use MOHRE’s official website, app or service centres.
3. Check the company is registered. Search its English and Arabic names in the National Economic Register.
4. Check the email address. Offers should come from an address on the agency’s or employer’s own domain, not a free webmail account.
5. Check the employer too. Ask who the employer is, and confirm the company exists before you accept an offer.

The rule on fees

UAE rules are clear:

• Charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal in the UAE.
• Job seekers do not have to pay money to any recruitment agency. Agency fees are the employer’s responsibility.
• The employer must also pay the costs of recruitment and travel, and of getting your residence permit.

So you should not pay a “registration fee”, “processing fee”, “visa fee”, “medical fee”, “training fee” or “deposit” to an agency or employer to secure a job. If an agency asks for money, do not pay, and report it to MOHRE.

Domestic workers have the same protection under their own law. Recruitment offices must not demand or receive any commission or financial reward from workers in exchange for employment.

Types of recruitment agencies

• Executive search firms (headhunters) fill senior and specialist roles, often by approaching people directly rather than advertising.
• Sector specialists focus on one industry, such as finance, technology, healthcare, engineering, hospitality or construction. Others focus on job types, such as admin jobs or sales jobs.
• Volume and overseas recruiters hire large numbers of workers, often from abroad, for sectors such as construction, facilities management, security, hospitality and logistics. The same rules apply: you pay nothing, and your MOHRE job offer must be in a language you understand.
• Temporary and contract staffing agencies place people on short-term assignments. Ask who your legal employer will be and how your contract will be registered.
• Domestic worker recruitment is a separate system. Households hiring domestic workers, such as housemaids, nannies or private drivers, use MOHRE-licensed domestic worker recruitment agencies or MOHRE-approved service centres, known as Tadbeer centres. The rules are in Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on domestic workers (amended in 2023) and Ministerial Resolution No. 676 of 2022 on domestic worker recruitment agencies.

How to get the most from recruitment agencies

• Be specific. Tell recruiters the roles, sectors, salary range and start date you want, and your visa status.
• Keep your CV current and tailored, with clear dates and results.
• Ask questions. Is the role live? Who is the employer? What is the salary and package?
• Stay in control of your CV. Keep a record of where each agency has sent it, and ask agencies not to submit you for a role without your agreement.
• Respond quickly and be honest about other offers.
• Do not rely on agencies alone. Apply directly too, and browse current jobs.
• Keep your passport. Confiscating workers’ passports is prohibited in the UAE.

Warning signs of recruitment scams

• You are asked to pay for anything: registration, visa processing, a medical test, training, accommodation or a “refundable” deposit. The UAE government says a company or agency asking for money to process a visa or medical test is not genuine.
• The offer arrives without an interview, or the salary looks far too high for the role.
• The email address does not match the employer’s or agency’s domain.
• There is no official job offer. For most private-sector roles this is a MOHRE offer, and its reference number should show up in MOHRE’s application status enquiry service.
• You are told to come on a visit visa and start work while “your visa is processed”. Working on a visit or tourist visa leads to fines and legal liability.
• The company cannot be found in the National Economic Register, or the agency cannot show its MOHRE licence.
• You are pressured to decide quickly, or asked for bank or card details or passport scans before any interview.

Before you travel, check that your entry permit is genuine. Permits issued in Dubai can be checked on the GDRFA website, and those from other emirates on the ICP platform.

If something goes wrong

• Stop all payments, and keep every message, receipt and document.
• Raise a complaint with MOHRE about the agency or employer.
• Report fraud to Dubai Police through its official app.
• If you are already working and the agreed job is not provided, or your wages are not paid in full and on time, contact MOHRE promptly.

FAQ

Do recruitment agencies in Dubai charge job seekers?

They should not. Charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal in the UAE, and the employer pays the agency. If an agency asks you for money, do not pay, and report it to MOHRE.

How do I check if a recruitment agency is licensed in the UAE?

Ask for its legal name and MOHRE licence details, then confirm them with MOHRE through its official channels. You can also search for the company in the National Economic Register.

Who pays for my visa and medical test?

Your employer. Under UAE rules, the employer pays for recruitment, travel and your residence permit. A request to pay for a visa or medical test is a classic warning sign.

Can I get a job in Dubai through an agency while I am abroad?

Yes. For most private-sector roles you should receive a MOHRE job offer, which you can check with its reference number. Confirm your entry permit on the GDRFA or ICP website before you travel.

Can a recruitment agency get me a government job?

Government vacancies are advertised on official portals such as Dubai Careers, so apply there directly. Be wary of anyone who promises a government job in exchange for money. See our guide to government jobs in Dubai.

What is a Tadbeer centre?

Tadbeer centres are MOHRE-approved service centres that handle the recruitment of domestic workers, such as housemaids and nannies, for households. They do not recruit for office or professional jobs.