Missing Worker Report in UAE: What Employers Must Do

An employee stops attending work. Calls go unanswered and nobody in the company knows where the person is. The employer now needs to act carefully.

In the UAE, the official private-sector procedure is called “Filing a Labour Complaint – Absence From Work.” Many people still call it an absconding report, work abandonment report or missing worker report. It is a formal labour process with strict conditions. Employers should never use it as a shortcut for resignation, termination or a salary dispute.

This guide explains when you can file a missing worker report UAE application, what evidence to keep and what happens after MOHRE reviews it.

What Is a Missing Worker Report in the UAE?

A missing worker report is a complaint filed by an employer when a MOHRE-registered employee has been absent for more than seven consecutive days, remains inside the UAE and cannot be located or contacted.

Article 28 of the Executive Regulation says an employer may notify the Ministry when the absence exceeds seven consecutive days and the employer does not know the worker’s whereabouts or how to contact them. MOHRE applies the same test through its official absence-from-work service. Employers can also read the Executive Regulation.

This guide covers establishment workers registered with MOHRE. Domestic workers use a separate service. Employers in DIFC, ADGM or another jurisdiction with its own employment framework should check the relevant authority.

When Can an Employer File the Report?

Confirm every condition before submitting:

These conditions come directly from MOHRE’s service requirements. The worker must be inside the country and the employer must be unable to locate or contact them. Any fines caused by late work-permit issuance or renewal must also be settled where applicable.

The report is different from dismissal for repeated absence. Article 44 of the UAE Labour Law contains separate termination rules, including absence without a legitimate reason for more than seven consecutive days or more than 20 non-consecutive days in a year. Use the correct disciplinary process instead of treating every attendance issue as a missing-worker case. See Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

What Employers Should Do Before Filing

1. Check Attendance and Leave Records

   Confirm the last day worked. Review annual leave, sick leave, unpaid leave, remote-work approvals, shift changes and pending resignation or termination communication.

   Speak to the direct supervisor. The manager may know about a medical emergency or another valid absence that HR has not recorded.

2. Make Reasonable Contact Attempts

   Call the worker’s registered number. Send an email and a written message. Contact the emergency person in the HR file when appropriate.

   Keep a contact log showing the date, time, channel and result. Save emails, delivery records, screenshots and call logs in case the complaint is challenged.

3. Check Immigration Movement

   MOHRE requires an entry and exit movement report issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. The report must be no more than 30 days old.

   If the employee has left the UAE, the normal service conditions are not met because MOHRE requires the person to be inside the country. Ask MOHRE or your PRO about the correct work-permit and residence-cancellation route.

   Nexture’s UAE immigration guide explains how employment sponsorship connects with residency.

4. Check for an Existing Dispute

   Find out whether the worker filed a salary complaint, reported unsafe conditions, resigned under the Labour Law or received permission to stop attending.

   Do not report someone absent when you know their location or have authorised the absence. MOHRE may cancel a complaint when the worker was on lawful leave, the employer knew about the situation or the work stoppage followed an agreement between the parties.

   Businesses handling frequent labour and immigration transactions may use structured corporate PRO support to keep both records aligned.

Documents and Details Required

MOHRE’s service card lists:

• The worker’s entry and exit movement report issued within the previous 30 days

• A document confirming the person is inside the UAE if that information has not reached MOHRE’s systems

You will also enter the work-permit or passport number, name, date of birth, nationality, absence date and establishment details.

Keep supporting records ready, including attendance data, leave records, the employment contract, contact attempts and any resignation, termination or labour-complaint documents.

MOHRE lists no service fee. Its service card states two working days, while a February 2026 Ministry announcement said processing had been reduced from two days to one under a service upgrade. Check the live portal for the current target.

How to File Through MOHRE

1. Sign In

   Use the MOHRE website or smart app and sign in through the establishment account or UAE Pass.

   In February 2026, MOHRE also made the absence-from-work complaint service available by phone through 80084.

2. Enter the Case Details

   Select the absence-from-work complaint. Enter the employee’s information, absence date and establishment details.

3. Verify Authority

   Complete the required electronic authorisation or OTP verification so MOHRE can confirm that the applicant represents the establishment.

4. Submit and Track

   A MOHRE officer reviews the case and sends the decision by text message. Follow up through the website, app or call centre.

   New employers can review Nexture’s Dubai business setup guide and its guide to setting up a Dubai company remotely when building their hiring, visa and compliance workflow.

What Happens After Approval?

MOHRE says the worker’s work permit is automatically cancelled once the application is approved, except for specified overseas-recruitment and transfer permits.

An approved complaint can affect the worker’s ability to obtain another permit. Article 50 of the Labour Law also provides for a one-year work-permit restriction in certain cases where a foreign worker leaves work for an illegitimate reason before the contract ends. The result depends on the case, so do not tell the worker that a fixed labour or immigration ban is automatic without checking the official record.

Employees reported absent under a work-abandonment report are excluded from the employer’s WPS calculation. The employer must still complete any remaining payroll, final-settlement and immigration steps correctly.

When Should You Avoid Filing?

Do not file when:

• Seven consecutive days have not passed

• The employee is outside the UAE

• Approved leave or statutory leave applies

• You know the worker’s location or remain in contact

• The company told the worker to stop attending

• Both sides agreed to end employment

• A legitimate reason for the absence exists

• The report is being used to pressure the worker over a labour claim

MOHRE has said a complaint may be cancelled when the seven-day condition was not met, the worker was present or on lawful leave, the employer agreed to restore employment, the stoppage followed an agreement or the complaint was false.

How Can the Report Be Cancelled?

Either party may ask MOHRE to cancel an existing complaint. The employee must be registered in MOHRE’s database and the absence report must already exist.

The official cancellation service is free and lists a completion period of 14 working days. Evidence may include approved leave, attendance records, medical documents, messages, resignation correspondence or proof that the employer knew the worker’s location.

If the employee returns and both sides agree to continue employment, correct the complaint promptly. Do not leave an inaccurate report active.

Domestic Workers Use a Separate Service

Domestic-worker cases follow a different MOHRE process. The absence must still exceed seven days and the employer must be unable to locate or contact the worker, but documents, channels and fees can differ.

Use the MOHRE domestic-worker absence service, not the establishment-worker form.

Employer Checklist

Before filing, confirm that:

• The absence exceeds seven consecutive days

• The employee is inside the UAE

• The location is unknown and contact attempts failed

• No approved leave or lawful absence applies

• The movement report is less than 30 days old

• Existing disputes and written agreements were checked

• Every statement in the complaint can be supported

Nexture’s guide to the UAE Good Conduct Certificate requirement can also help employers update document checklists for new visa applications.

Conclusion

A missing worker report UAE application must be based on records and the exact MOHRE conditions. Confirm the qualifying absence, verify that the employee is inside the country, document contact attempts and rule out authorised leave or an existing dispute.

When the conditions are met, file through MOHRE and track the decision. When they are not, use the correct resignation, termination, labour-complaint or visa-cancellation route.

Frequently Asked Questions