Is your UAE job offer real? How to check it before you pay or travel

Not legal advice. This article explains, in general terms, what the UAE government portal, official warnings and news reports say about job offers, as checked in October 2026. Rules and services change. Before you pay, resign or travel, check with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) through its official channels.

Short answer: employers that hire through MOHRE are required to use its approved job offer form, which carries a unique serial number and barcode. You can check it through the MOHRE website, the MOHRE app or the call centre on 600590000 (Khaleej Times). And the employer pays the recruitment costs, not you: the UAE government portal says charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal in the UAE (u.ae). An offer that can't be checked, or that asks you to pay for a visa, a medical test or processing fees, is a warning sign.

This guide is for anyone offered a job by a private-sector employer in the UAE that hires through MOHRE, whether you are in the country or abroad. Free zones work differently: a June 2026 article by HAS Law Firm says employment contracts in free zones "are issued and attested by the relevant free zone authority" and that "No MOHRE-issued work permit or labour card is required" (Mondaq). If the employer is in a free zone, ask which authority issues your contract and permit, and check with that authority. If you are applying from Egypt, there is a short section for you near the end.

Why this comes up now

On 2 October 2026, Emirates 24|7 reported that MOHRE had again warned job seekers inside and outside the UAE to verify an offer before completing any recruitment procedures, and repeated that employers must use its official job offer form (Emirates 24|7). A few days earlier, on 28 September, Emarat Al Youm reported that the ministry had warned that fraudsters may use deepfake videos, voice recordings, images or messages to pose as the ministry or its officials and staff, and to get people to share personal or banking details or transfer money (Emarat Al Youm, in Arabic).

So the check is not only "is this company real?" A real company's name can be copied. The question is whether this offer, with this number, was issued through MOHRE.

Step 1: check the offer's serial number with MOHRE

In August 2026, Khaleej Times reported that MOHRE said employers are required to use "an approved job offer form carrying a unique serial number and barcode", and that job seekers can use these details to verify whether an offer is genuine "through the Mohre website, mobile app, or call centre at 600590000" (Khaleej Times).

In practice:

1. Find the serial number and barcode on the offer. If there is none, ask the employer when the MOHRE offer will be issued. Gulf News lists "refusal to provide an official job offer that can be independently verified" among its seven warning signs (Gulf News).
2. Check it through MOHRE's own channels. Type the website address yourself (mohre.gov.ae, which may only open from inside the UAE), use the official MOHRE app, or call 600590000. Don't use a link or a number the recruiter sent you: in its deepfake warning, MOHRE told people to check links before clicking them and to call its call centre to verify any message they doubt (Emarat Al Youm, in Arabic).
3. Check the company separately. Gulf News advises contacting the company directly, using the contact details on its official website rather than those the recruiter provided, and checking its official careers page (Gulf News).

In our view, an email or a PDF without a MOHRE serial number is, at best, a promise of an offer. It may be honest, and the official form may follow. But it is not yet something to resign from your current job for, and never something to pay for.

Step 2: know what you should never pay

The UAE government portal's "Know Your Rights" summary for workers from abroad says: "The costs of the recruitment and travel, as well as the expenses for obtaining your residency permit in the UAE shall be borne by the employer with whom you have agreed to conclude a contract." The same page says "Charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal in the UAE" (u.ae). The Arabic version of the page adds that the employer may not charge the worker recruitment and employment fees and costs, or collect them from the worker, directly or indirectly (u.ae, Arabic).

Scammers ask for exactly these costs. Gulf News describes the pattern: after contacting the applicant, scammers may claim the person has been selected, then ask "for money for visa processing, medical examinations, registration or other recruitment-related costs" (Gulf News). The National lists upfront payment "for visa processing, medical tests, background checks or training" as a warning sign (The National).

So if anyone asks you to pay to get the job, the visa or the entry permit, stop there.

Step 3: keep the offer, then compare it with your contract

The same "Know Your Rights" summary says you are expected to sign your employment contract after arriving in the UAE, that its terms "must be consistent with the job offer you have signed in your country", and that you should keep a copy of the signed offer. If the employer does not provide the agreed job, or you don't receive your salary in full and on time, it tells you to contact MOHRE promptly (u.ae).

Before you sign the offer, read the salary line as carefully as the job title. Our guide to expected salary and notice period in the UAE and Saudi Arabia explains why the basic salary and the total package are not the same number.

Warning signs of a fake UAE job offer

Gulf News lists seven signs to be cautious of when an offer involves them (Gulf News):

• requests to pay money to secure a job;
• a salary that looks unusually high for the role;
• pressure to make payments or provide details immediately;
• emails that do not use the company's official domain;
• interviews conducted only through informal messaging apps;
• requests for bank details, passwords or verification codes;
• refusal to provide an official job offer that can be independently verified.

Three more come from other reports:

• An offer for a job you never applied for. The National names receiving a job offer "without having applied or been interviewed" as one indication of a possible scam (The National).
• A copied brand. "Fraudsters may copy the name, logo and branding of a genuine company to make the advertisement appear legitimate" (Gulf News). A familiar logo proves nothing on its own.
• A message that claims to be from MOHRE. The ministry has warned about deepfake messages in its name (Emarat Al Youm, in Arabic). Verify through the ministry's channels, not through the message.

One sign alone does not prove an offer is fake. The official check is the stronger test. If you are deciding whether a role was worth applying to in the first place, the honest job-fit checklist covers that earlier question.

If you already paid or shared documents

1. Stop replying and don't send more money. Dubai Police, quoted by The National, say victims "shouldn't reply further to the scammer or send more money" (The National).
2. Keep the evidence. Dubai Police ask victims to collect "screenshots of messages, emails, offer letters and payment requests" (same source). Gulf News adds the advertisements, email addresses and telephone numbers the scammer used (Gulf News).
3. Report it. In Dubai, The National reports that victims can use the Dubai Police smart app or its e-crime platform, call 999 or 901, or visit the nearest police station (The National). In Abu Dhabi, Gulf News points to Abu Dhabi Police's Aman service on 800 2626 (Gulf News).
4. If you shared bank or card details, call your bank on the number printed on your card. This one is our advice, not an official instruction, but it costs nothing.

Applying from Egypt

On 10 June 2026, Egypt's Ministry of Labour warned against unlicensed companies, pages and individuals that post fake overseas job ads and ask for money to complete employment or travel procedures (Cairo Governorate, republishing the National Media Authority). The statement says:

• applications for overseas job opportunities "must be submitted directly through the official Ministry of Labor website", where its announcements give the professions, conditions and application steps;
• the job opportunities it provides "are completely free of charge, and no fees are collected for applications", and the ministry "does not work with any intermediaries in this process";
• to check whether an overseas job opportunity is reliable, you can visit the General Directorate of Employment (3 Youssef Abbas Street, Nasr City, Cairo) or the labour directorate in your governorate;
• to check whether an overseas recruitment company is licensed, you can visit the General Directorate of Overseas Recruitment Companies at the ministry's former headquarters in Nasr City.

If the offer comes from a private employer in the UAE, the MOHRE check in Step 1 still applies, whoever introduced you to the job. For jobs inside Egypt, see how to apply for jobs in Egypt.

Checklist before you pay, resign or travel

1. Does the offer carry a MOHRE serial number and barcode?
2. Did you check it yourself, through the MOHRE website, the MOHRE app or 600590000, not through a link or number the recruiter sent?
3. Has anyone asked you to pay for the job, the visa, the entry permit, a medical test, registration or training? If yes, stop.
4. Did you actually apply and interview, and does the email come from the company's own domain?
5. Have you contacted the company through the details on its official website?
6. Do you have a copy of the offer you signed, and does the contract you sign in the UAE match it?
7. Applying from Egypt through a recruitment company: is it licensed? Check with the ministry's General Directorate of Overseas Recruitment Companies.

FAQ

How do I check if a job offer letter is fake or real in the UAE? Look for the MOHRE serial number and barcode on the offer, then check it through the MOHRE website, the MOHRE app or the call centre on 600590000. If the offer has no number that can be checked, or if anyone asks you to pay, treat it as a warning sign. For a free-zone employer, check with the free zone authority instead.

How can I check my job offer letter online in the UAE? Through MOHRE's website or its app, using the serial number and barcode on the offer. Type the address yourself rather than following a link from the recruiter. The website may only open from inside the UAE; if it doesn't load for you, call 600590000.

Can I check a UAE job offer by passport number? The MOHRE warnings we found name the offer's serial number and barcode as the way to check it. We found no official source describing a check by passport number, so we can't confirm one. Ask the MOHRE call centre (600590000) which details it needs.

Do I have to pay for my UAE work visa? No. The UAE government portal says the costs of recruitment and travel, and the expenses for obtaining your residency permit, are borne by the employer, and that charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal in the UAE.

Is the job offer the same as the employment contract? No. If you are recruited from abroad, you sign the offer in your home country. The UAE government portal says you are expected to sign the employment contract after arriving, and that its terms must be consistent with the offer you signed. Keep a copy of the offer.

What should I do if I paid a fake recruiter? Stop replying, don't send more money, keep every message and payment record, and report it to the police: in Dubai through the Dubai Police app, its e-crime platform, 999 or 901; in Abu Dhabi through the Aman service on 800 2626.

Where Taqdim fits

It checks whether a job is worth applying to before you spend time on it, then prepares your CV and cover letter for that role. It does not verify employers or job offers: that check belongs to MOHRE, and to you. What it does and doesn't do.

Taqdim is in closed beta. Join the waitlist.

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Related: Expected salary and notice period: how to answer (UAE, KSA) · Cover letter for UAE jobs: format, length, and what not to claim · Should I apply for this job? The honest job-fit checklist · How to apply for jobs in the UAE: a step-by-step guide (2026).

Sources

• UAE Government portal (u.ae), "Protection of workers' rights", including the "Know Your Rights" summary: u.ae · Arabic version
• Khaleej Times, "UAE authority warns residents against fake job offers, recruitment scams" (8 August 2026): khaleejtimes.com
• Emirates 24|7, "UAE: Got a job offer? Check the barcode before you proceed, MoHRE warns" (2 October 2026): emirates247.com
• Gulf News, "How scammers target jobseekers in the UAE" (9 August 2026): gulfnews.com
• The National, Dubai Police on job and visa scams that use real company names (21 January 2026): thenationalnews.com
• Emarat Al Youm, MOHRE warns of deepfake fraud messages (28 September 2026, in Arabic): emaratalyoum.com
• Mondaq (HAS Law Firm), "Termination and employee rights in UAE free zones" (10 June 2026): mondaq.com
• Cairo Governorate, "Labor Ministry warns of fake overseas job ads" (10 June 2026, from the National Media Authority): cairo.gov.eg