MOHRE Complaint Number: How to File and Track It in the UAE

If you're an employee whose salary is late, whose end-of-service hasn't landed, or whose employer just decided to "restructure" you out the door — the MOHRE complaint number is what gets the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) to actually look at your file. Most people google it at 11pm on a Wednesday, panicked. Here's how it really works.

Quick answer

The MOHRE complaint number is the reference issued when you submit a labour complaint to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. You file by calling 600590000, using the MOHRE app, or visiting a Tas'heel centre. Filing is free. A legal mediator reviews the file within roughly 14 days and tries to settle it. If settlement fails, MOHRE issues a referral letter to the Labour Court. Keep the complaint number — it's how you track status, attend mediation, and prove you raised the issue on time.

What the MOHRE complaint number actually is

It's a reference, not a verdict. When you submit a complaint, the system spits out a number that looks something like MB-XXXXXXX. That's your file ID.

You'll need it for everything that follows. Tracking online. Attending mediation. Getting a referral letter to court. Sharing the case with a lawyer.

Two things worth knowing upfront. First, this system only covers private-sector employees governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations — so DIFC and ADGM staff have separate routes (DIFC Employment Law DIFC Law No. 4 of 2021, and ADGM's own employment regulations). Second, the complaint number is generated regardless of merit. Getting one doesn't mean MOHRE thinks you're right. It just means the file is open.

In my experience, clients confuse "I have a complaint number" with "I have a case." Those are very different things.

How to file and get your MOHRE complaint number

Three working channels in 2024:

Call 600590000. MOHRE's labour claims and advisory line. The operator opens the file and SMSes you the complaint number. Fastest if your Arabic or English is decent and you've got your Emirates ID, labour card details, and a clear chronology in front of you.

MOHRE smart app or website. Download the app, log in with UAE Pass, pick "Register Labour Complaint." Upload your offer letter, contract, payslips, WhatsApp messages — whatever supports the claim. The Wage Protection System (WPS — the federal payroll-tracking system that flags unpaid salaries) data is already linked to your file, so missed transfers show up automatically.

Tas'heel service centre. In-person filing if you'd rather have a human walk you through it. Bring originals and copies.

Filing itself costs nothing. Tas'heel typing fees run around AED 100-200 if you go through them, but the direct app route is free.

One mistake I see weekly: people file the complaint before they've actually resigned or been terminated. If you're still employed and want to keep your job, a complaint nukes the relationship. Frankly, file when you've decided the job is over — not as a negotiating threat. Employers read complaints as a declaration of war.

Watch out: Article 54 of Decree-Law 33/2021 gives you one year from the date the entitlement became due to bring a labour claim. Miss it and the claim dies — complaint number or not.

What happens after you get the number

Within a few days, MOHRE assigns a legal researcher (mediator). You'll get an SMS with a mediation date — usually 7 to 14 days out, sometimes longer in busy periods.

Mediation is virtual now, by default. The mediator calls both sides, reads the file, and tries to broker a settlement. If both parties sign, it becomes an enforceable settlement under Article 54(2). Done. Money should hit within the timeframe agreed.

If mediation fails — employer doesn't show, refuses to pay, or disputes the facts — and the claim is under AED 50,000, MOHRE itself can issue a binding decision under Article 54(4), a 2022 amendment most people still don't know about. That decision is appealable to the Court of Appeal within 15 working days.

If the claim is over AED 50,000, or if either side objects to MOHRE's decision, you get a referral letter (the famous "to whom it may concern" document) and two weeks to file at the Labour Court. Court filing is free for amounts up to AED 100,000 under Article 54(5).

The complaint number stays attached to the file through all of this. Reference it in every email, every court filing, every conversation with the mediator.

Tracking your MOHRE complaint number

Three ways:

• MOHRE app → "My Complaints" → enter the number. Status updates in real time.
• Call 600590000 and quote the number.
• The Tawjeeh worker support service can also pull status if you're stuck.

Statuses you'll see: Under Review, Mediation Scheduled, Settled, Referred to Court, Closed. "Closed" without explanation usually means the employer paid through WPS and the system auto-resolved it — but verify, because I've seen files marked closed when the employee got nothing.

If status hasn't moved in 21 days, escalate. Email the MOHRE customer happiness team and reference the number. Squeaky wheels get oiled.

Common reasons complaints stall

Honestly, most complaints stall because of the complainant, not MOHRE.

Wrong employer name. You filed against the trade name on the visa, but the legal entity on the MOL contract is different. The system can't find them.

No documentary support. "He promised me a bonus" without a written promise is hard. WhatsApp screenshots help. Verbal promises rarely survive mediation.

Inflated claim. I've watched clients ask for AED 180,000 when the contract entitles them to AED 42,000. The mediator loses patience. So does the employer. Settlement dies on arrival.

Parallel cases. If you've also filed in DIFC or sent a legal notice through another channel, disclose it. Mediators hate finding out at the hearing.

Ghosting the mediator. Two no-shows and the file closes for non-attendance. You can refile, but you've burned credibility and possibly time on the one-year clock.

Costs snapshot (2024):
- Filing complaint: free
- Tas'heel typing (optional): AED 100-200
- Labour Court up to AED 100,000: free
- Labour Court above AED 100,000: 5% of claim, capped at AED 20,000
- Lawyer's fees: negotiable; some take labour cases on contingency

When to skip MOHRE and go straight to court

You can't, mostly. Article 54 makes MOHRE the mandatory first stop for private-sector onshore disputes. Skipping it gets your court case dismissed.

Exceptions worth flagging:

• DIFC employees: straight to DIFC Courts' Small Claims Tribunal for claims up to AED 500,000.
• ADGM employees: straight to ADGM Courts.
• Domestic workers: different regime under Federal Law No. 9 of 2022; complaints still go to MOHRE but procedure differs.
• Free zone employees (non-DIFC/ADGM): generally still route through MOHRE, but check your free zone authority first — some run their own preliminary mediation.

For a broader look at how labour disputes move through the system, see our employment category.

What to do the moment you get the number

Save it three places. Phone notes, email to yourself, and a screenshot. I'm not joking — people lose them.

Then put together your evidence pack: signed contract, offer letter, last six months of payslips, WPS history (downloadable from the MOHRE app), termination letter or resignation acceptance, and any messages showing the dispute. PDFs only. Mediators don't open .HEIC files from your iPhone.

Finally, decide your settlement number before mediation. Not your dream number — your walk-away number. Mediation lasts 30 to 60 minutes. You don't want to be doing maths in real time.

The complaint number opens the door. What you do in the next 14 days decides whether you walk through it with a cheque or a court date.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a UAE-licensed lawyer →

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Citations

[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended), Articles 54 and following — MOHRE official portal: https://www.mohre.gov.ae

[2] MOHRE Labour Complaint service page: https://www.mohre.gov.ae/en/services/register-labour-complaint.aspx

[3] Cabinet Resolution No. 47 of 2022 amending dispute resolution procedures under the Labour Law

[4] DIFC Employment Law, DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019 (as amended by DIFC Law No. 4 of 2021): https://www.difc.ae

[5] Federal Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers

[6] MOHRE call centre: 600590000 — service hours and channels listed at https://www.mohre.gov.ae/en/contact-us.aspx