An MOL enquiry is a check against UAE Ministry of Labour records — and the Ministry of Labour no longer exists under that name. It was renamed the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), and the enquiry service people are looking for now sits at inquiry.mohre.gov.ae, the ministry’s official enquiry portal, which the UAE Government portal u.ae identifies as MOHRE’s enquiry service for checking application status.
Nothing about your records changed with the name. Work permits, labour contracts, bank guarantees and establishment files are all still there, searchable by transaction number, person code or company number.
MOL, MOHRE, and why the old name persists
The rename came out of the UAE’s largest-ever restructuring of government, announced by the UAE Cabinet at the World Government Summit in Dubai. The announcement stated plainly: “The labour ministry will now become the ministry of human resources and emiratisation.”
Today every official page uses the new name. The UAE Government portal describes private sector employment as governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationship, known as the UAE Labour Law, which took effect on 2 February 2022 and replaced Federal Law No. 8 of 1980.
Yet “MOL” has not disappeared, and not only through habit. The ministry’s own Android application, linked from the UAE Government portal, is published under the package identifier ae.gov.mol — the old abbreviation, still embedded in the app’s technical identity. If you have ever wondered whether MOL and MOHRE are the same body, that is your answer.
Because the ministry rebranded rather than merged, you do not need to migrate anything. An MOL labour card, an MOL transaction number from years ago and a current MOHRE work permit all refer to the same system.
The official enquiry portal
MOHRE Inquiry Services is the portal’s own heading. You choose an enquiry from a “Choose a service” dropdown, then complete the fields presented.
The dropdown currently offers 33 enquiries. That breadth is why people struggle — this is not a single “check my status” box, and the wrong enquiry returns nothing useful. Here are the ones most people want.
| If you want to | Choose this enquiry |
|---|---|
| Check the progress of a submitted transaction | Application Status |
| Verify a job offer you have received | Enquiry for Job Offer |
| See the contract that was approved for you | View Approved Contract |
| Check details of an electronic work permit | Electronic Work Permit Information |
| Print an electronic work permit | Print Electronic Work Permit |
| Look up a company’s details | Company Information |
| Verify a trade licence certificate | Trade License Certificate Verification |
| Check a company’s labour quota | E Quota Status by company number, or by transaction number |
| Check a bank guarantee, fine or outstanding amount | Bank Guarantee Detail, Fine Calculator, Pending Payments |
| Check whether a file has reached immigration | Transaction status in immigration |
| Confirm a company’s immigration link | General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Establishment Link Status |
| Check a cancellation | Cancellation Transaction Enquiry |
| Check a domestic worker’s record | Domestic Worker Enquiry |
| Verify a document | Document Verification |
The portal also carries enquiries for absconding approvals and withdrawals, mission pre-approvals, PRO and bank guarantee refund receipts, private employment agency licences, recruitment agency complaints, private teacher work permits, violation settlement status, worker insurance and person modification.
What you need to hand
The fields vary by enquiry. Those appearing on the portal are:
- Transaction No — the reference for a submitted application
- Person Code — the ministry’s reference for an individual worker
- Company No — the establishment’s number with the ministry
- Emirate and Permit Type dropdowns
- Date of Birth, and From Date and To Date for ranges
- A verification code, then Search or Print
The portal does not state which fields belong to which enquiry until you select one, and no passport number or Emirates ID field appears among those presented. If you only hold a passport number, your employer or PRO will usually need to supply the transaction number or person code.
Verifying a job offer before you move to the UAE
This is the single most valuable use of the enquiry portal, and the UAE Government portal recommends it directly as a fraud check.
u.ae states that any UAE job offer must come as an offer letter from MOHRE, signed by the authorised manager, and that you should verify it by its reference number through MOHRE’s enquiry service. It adds a second check: confirm the company exists by searching its English and Arabic names in the National Economic Register at ner.economy.ae. It also warns that a visit or tourist visa does not permit you to work in the UAE, and that working under one can lead to fines and legal liability.
What an MOL enquiry cannot tell you
Be clear about the boundary, because this is where time gets wasted.
MOHRE records cover the employment relationship: work permits, labour contracts, quotas, bank guarantees, establishment files and labour complaints. Your visa and Emirates ID are not MOHRE records. Those sit with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, and with GDRFA in Dubai for Dubai. The portal’s “Transaction status in immigration” enquiry shows whether a file has reached immigration, but it is not a visa status check.
MOHRE’s jurisdiction also does not extend uniformly across free zones: free zone establishments have their own complaint route, and most free zones administer their own employment permits. Domestic workers are excluded from the UAE Labour Law and are covered by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers, which is why the portal has a separate Domestic Worker Enquiry.
Other ways to reach MOHRE
The UAE Government portal publishes several MOHRE channels, and not all are the same number, so use the one matched to your question:
- Contract and recruitment questions: phone 009716-802-7666, email ask@mohre.gov.ae, or live chat
- WhatsApp: 600590000
- A Labour Claims and Advisory Call Centre on toll-free 80084
- The MOHRE app on Google Play and the App Store
- In person: business services and guidance centres, domestic workers’ services centres, and Tawseel service providers
Complaints have dedicated services rather than going through the enquiry portal: labour complaints for private sector employees, salary complaints, collective complaints, free zone complaints, employee grievances, and a separate domestic workers’ route.
Common questions
What is an MOL enquiry?
An MOL enquiry is a check against UAE labour ministry records, such as the status of a work permit application, an approved employment contract, a company’s labour quota or a bank guarantee. The Ministry of Labour was renamed the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, so these checks are now made through MOHRE’s official enquiry portal at inquiry.mohre.gov.ae. The records themselves were not changed by the rename.
Is MOL the same as MOHRE?
Yes. The UAE Cabinet announced, as part of the country’s largest-ever government restructuring, that “the labour ministry will now become the ministry of human resources and emiratisation”. The old abbreviation survives in places, including the ministry’s own Android app package identifier, ae.gov.mol. Any MOL reference number or labour card relates to the ministry that now operates as MOHRE.
How do I check my labour contract or work permit status?
Go to MOHRE’s enquiry portal at inquiry.mohre.gov.ae and select the relevant enquiry from the “Choose a service” dropdown — Application Status for a submitted transaction, View Approved Contract for your approved contract, or Electronic Work Permit Information for permit details. You will normally need a transaction number, person code or company number. If you do not hold one, ask your employer or PRO for it.
Can I check my UAE visa status through MOHRE?
No. MOHRE records cover the employment relationship, not immigration. Visa and residence status is held by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, and by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai for Dubai applications. MOHRE’s “Transaction status in immigration” enquiry only shows whether a file has reached immigration.
How do I verify a UAE job offer is genuine?
The UAE Government portal advises that a genuine UAE job offer arrives as an offer letter from MOHRE signed by the authorised manager, and that you should verify it by its reference number through MOHRE’s enquiry service. It also advises checking that the company exists by searching its English and Arabic names in the National Economic Register at ner.economy.ae. A visit or tourist visa does not allow you to work in the UAE.
Help with UAE employment and visa records
MOHRE enquiries most often go wrong at the seam between the ministry and immigration: a work permit approved but a residence file that never progressed, or an establishment whose immigration link was never completed.
Worldwide Formations has handled UAE company formation, work permits and residence visas for 20+ years, on both sides of that seam. If a staff file has stalled and the enquiry portal is not telling you why, speak to our team.
