In the UAE private sector, last month’s salary is due on the 1st of each Gregorian month. From the 2nd day after that date, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) starts sending the employer automatic alerts. So if the 1st has passed and your account still shows nothing, the clock is already running in your favour.
What you do next depends on two things: whether the money is actually missing or just slow to show up, and how many days have passed since the due date.
First, rule out a payment that is only delayed
A salary paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS) can be sent on time and still take a day or two to show up, especially when the employer’s bank and your bank or card provider are different. Before you treat it as unpaid, check these:
- Look at your balance directly, not just your SMS alerts. A UAE salary balance check by app, ATM or phone shows credits that an alert may have missed.
- Ask HR or payroll for the date the salary file was sent and the bank or exchange house it went through.
- Confirm the IBAN or card number payroll holds for you matches your current account. A card replaced after loss, or an account you closed, is a common reason for a salary to bounce back to the employer.
- Check whether a public holiday or weekend fell on or right after the 1st.
If payroll confirms the file went out and the IBAN is correct, wait one more working day. If they can’t give you a date, the salary hasn’t been paid.
What the law says about salary deadlines
Every establishment registered with MOHRE must pay wages on the due date through the Wage Protection System or another system the ministry approves. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, the due date for the previous month’s salary is the first day of each Gregorian month. The employer has to transfer at least 85% of the total wages due on time, where lawful deductions apply.
The employer can pay in UAE dirhams or in another currency if your employment contract says so. Only banks, exchange houses and financial institutions authorised by the Central Bank of the UAE can process WPS payments.
The MOHRE timeline after a missed payday
MOHRE monitors WPS payments electronically, so it sees a late salary even if you say nothing. The wage protection timeline under the 2026 resolution runs like this:
| Day after the due date | What happens to the employer |
|---|---|
| From the due date | Electronic monitoring until payment is proven |
| Day 2 onwards | Notifications and alerts to pay |
| Day 5 | New work permits suspended, with a warning to pay |
| Day 11 | Administrative fine and downgrade to the third category, if the violation repeats within six months |
| Day 16 | A labour dispute registered automatically for the affected workers, at establishments with 25 or more workers (and at groups in certain sectors that reach that number) |
| Day 21 | Steps toward an enforceable order for the wages, precautionary attachment, a travel ban on the person in charge, and referral to the Public Prosecution for larger repeat violators |
The day 16 and day 21 steps depend on the size of the company. At a small employer you shouldn’t wait for an automatic dispute that may never be opened for you. File your own complaint.
How to file a My Salary Complaint with MOHRE
MOHRE’s My Salary Complaint service is built for this exact case: a private sector employer that hasn’t paid wages on time. It is confidential. The employer is not told who complained.
- Open the MOHRE website or the MOHRE smart app.
- Choose the My Salary Complaint service for private sector employees.
- Fill in your personal details on the complaint form.
- Submit the complaint. There is no fee and no document is required.
- Wait for MOHRE to contact you. The service completion time is 14 working days.
Two conditions apply. You must be registered in MOHRE’s database, and you can’t already have a pending complaint or a case in court about the same dispute.
You can follow up on the complaint through the inquiry services on the MOHRE website or app, or by calling 04 665 9999. The general MOHRE call centre is 600 590000, available 24/7.
When a confidential complaint isn’t enough
A My Salary Complaint pushes MOHRE to act against the employer. It is not the same as a formal labour complaint for unpaid wages over several months, end-of-service dues or a contract dispute. If the salary is still missing after the complaint is closed, or several months are owed, call 600 590000 and ask about registering a labour complaint. A labour complaint about wages that gets referred to court also takes you out of WPS monitoring until it ends.
Situations where WPS doesn’t flag a late salary
WPS only tracks workers it expects to pay. These groups are excluded from WPS compliance, so a missing salary won’t trigger the automatic timeline:
- Workers with a wage-related labour complaint already referred to the courts
- Workers reported absent through a work abandonment report
- Workers on unpaid leave, when the supporting documents are submitted to MOHRE
- Workers whose freedom is restricted by an order or judgment, for the period they can’t work
- Seafarers working on vessels, when the establishment requests it
If an employer files a work abandonment report against you while your salary is unpaid, that changes the situation completely. Call MOHRE the same day.
What to keep while you wait
A complaint goes faster when you can show what you were owed and what arrived. Save:
- Your employment contract or offer letter showing the salary and payday
- Your last three payslips
- Bank or card statements showing the last salary credit and the gap since
- Any written message from HR about the delay, including WhatsApp messages
- Your labour card or work permit number
Don’t sign a resignation letter, a settlement or a “full and final” receipt while salary is still owed. Once you sign, it is much harder to argue that money was missing.
Common mistakes
- Complaining to the bank. Your bank or card provider can only credit what the employer sends. If no salary file arrived, the bank has nothing to trace.
- Waiting months before acting. The MOHRE measures start on day 2. Every month you let pass is another month to recover.
- Assuming a payroll card is the problem. People on salary cards often think the card is faulty. A Ratibi, C3 or NOW Money balance that hasn’t changed usually means the employer hasn’t paid, not that the card failed.
FAQ
When is salary due in the UAE?
On the first day of each Gregorian month for the previous month’s work, unless your employment contract sets a different payday. Employers must pay through WPS or another system MOHRE approves.
Can my employer find out I filed a salary complaint?
No. The My Salary Complaint service is confidential, and MOHRE doesn’t disclose the complainant’s identity to the employer.
How long does MOHRE take to deal with a salary complaint?
The service completion time is 14 working days. MOHRE notifies you once the request is complete.
Is there a fee to file a salary complaint?
No. The My Salary Complaint service is free and needs no documents.
Does my employer have to pay the full salary on the 1st?
The employer must transfer at least 85% of the total wages due on time, where lawful deductions apply. The rest is still owed to you.
My salary card shows zero. Is my salary late or is the card blocked?
Check the balance by app or ATM, then ask payroll whether the file was sent. If payroll can’t confirm a payment date, treat the salary as unpaid and follow the complaint steps.
What to do this week
- Check your balance by app or ATM and ask payroll for the payment date in writing.
- If nothing has arrived and no date is given, file a My Salary Complaint on the MOHRE app.
- Save your contract, payslips and statements in one folder.
- Call 600 590000 if the complaint closes without payment or if you receive an absence report.
Every payroll card and bank guide on the site is collected on the UAE bank balance & salary check page.
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