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You haven't lost anything. In 2026 the labour card UAE institutions ask for is no longer a plastic card. It is your electronic work permit record at MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. You can print it, save it as a PDF or share it from your phone in minutes, once you know where to look and which numbers to type.
The phrase outlived the plastic. Khaleej Times reports that the UAE no longer issues physical labour cards; workers download an electronic version instead. Bank forms, tenancy checklists and onboarding packs were written years ago, and many still say "labour card".
MOHRE has moved most of its work online. In June 2025 Gulf News reported that the ministry issues work permits automatically with AI tools, handles issue, cancellation and amendment in real time, and offers more than 100 digital services. The record behind your "labour card" already exists. You just have to pull it out.
Yes. "Labour card", "work permit card" and "MOHRE labour card" all mean the same thing: proof that MOHRE has authorised a specific employer to employ you in a specific job. The work permit is the authorisation. The labour card was its printed form.
The work permit is not your visa, though. Your residence visa comes from GDRFA in Dubai or ICP in the other emirates, and your Emirates ID comes from ICP. Together they cover your right to live here. The MOHRE permit covers your right to work for that employer. Our UAE work permit guide by visa type explains which permit each visa category needs.
Most failed attempts happen here. You'll see three identifiers, and people mix them up.
| Identifier | What it is | Where you'll usually find it |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit number (often still called the labour card number) | The number of this specific permit with this employer | Your work permit printout, the MOHRE app, or HR |
| Person code | Your personal number in the MOHRE system, separate from the work permit number | Your HR or PRO team |
| Transaction number | A MOHRE reference number the print form also asks for | Your HR or PRO team, who hold the company's MOHRE records |
If you have none of these, ask your HR or PRO team. They hold them in the company's MOHRE file. You can also call MOHRE's call centre on 600 590000; Khaleej Times says staff verify you with your Emirates ID number.
All three routes show the same MOHRE record. Pick the one that matches what you have on hand.
Best when you have your contract or an old printout in front of you.
Fastest if you don't have your transaction number.
Menu labels change between app versions, so yours may differ slightly.
Use this when someone needs to verify your labour card, not just see a copy.
Not comfortable with portals? Your HR team or a typing centre can pull up the record and print it for you.
Ask which document or detail they actually need. On a form, "labour card" usually means proof that you're legally employed here, and you can show that several ways:
Requirements vary by bank and by product, so don't assume one copy fits every desk. On one of its account pages, for example, Emirates NBD asks expats opening a salary-transfer account for a salary transfer letter or a copy of their appointment letter or contract, not a labour card.
Usually not. If your employer is licensed in a free zone, your employment is normally registered with that zone's authority rather than MOHRE. DMCC's January 2024 visa guideline, for example, says a new employee's residence visa is issued together with a Company Employment Card, which the company downloads from the DMCC member portal.
So your "labour card" is the zone-issued card or its digital version, available from the zone's portal or your HR team. If the MOHRE portal finds nothing under your name, check whether your employer is a free-zone company before assuming something is wrong.
Your employer renews the work permit, not you. The renewal goes through the company's MOHRE file, usually handled by a PRO, HR or a typing centre. Once it's approved, the electronic record updates and your next download shows the new dates.
Wrong details, such as the job title or contract terms, are also the company's to correct through MOHRE's modification service. A move to a different employer isn't a correction; it means a new work permit. Late renewals can mean penalties for the employer; here's how to check labour card fines on MOHRE.
When an employee says the bank wants their labour card, you're the one expected to know the answer. Which number is which, which portal covers mainland versus free-zone staff, why a renewal isn't showing yet. It's routine work that eats hours when nobody on the team has done it before.
You can learn it on the job over two years, one rejected form at a time. Or you can spend three days on Sarmat's KHDA-certified Certified PRO Program and walk in prepared. It's taught in Deira by a mentor with 8+ years of hands-on PRO work and 500+ visas processed, and Tamara or Tabby can split the AED 2,890 fee into instalments.
Prefer to hand it off? Sarmat has 12+ years in UAE government services, and our PRO services in Dubai and typing centre handle work permit printouts, renewals and corrections.
Not as a plastic card. Khaleej Times reports it is now electronic: you download it from MOHRE's website or app, or add it to UAE PASS.
Use "Print electronic work permit" on inquiry.mohre.gov.ae, the Employee section of the MOHRE app, or the Documents section of UAE PASS.
Your personal identifier in the MOHRE system. It's different from the work permit number, which belongs to one specific permit.
Not from MOHRE in most cases. Free-zone staff usually hold an employment card from their zone authority, such as DMCC.
Your employer, through the company's MOHRE file. The digital record updates once the renewal is approved.
Got a bank form, landlord or HR request asking for a labour card and not sure what to send? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you which document fits. Prefer email? Use our contact page.
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