Many workers still believe that a No‑Objection Certificate from the current sponsor is always required to change employers. Under the current UAE Labour Law framework, this is no longer the general rule for private‑sector employment, but there are still conditions and risk points that can prevent a transfer. HR teams and PROs also need to understand where labour rules stop and immigration rules begin, because both affect whether a move is actually possible in practice. EGSH helps clients complete these procedures correctly with MoHRE, GDRFA, and ICP.
This article explains how “sponsor” and NOC are used in the UAE labour and immigration systems, summarises the main scenarios in which you can lawfully change employers without a NOC, and shows when a transfer is restricted. It also covers specific cases where a NOC or consent is still required (such as family‑sponsored part‑time work), how residence visas are cancelled or put on hold in Dubai, and a practical checklist for assessing whether a transfer is realistic in your situation.
Understanding “Sponsor”, NOC, and the New Labour Framework
In the UAE practice, your “sponsor” is the person or organisation responsible for your legal stay. For most employees, this is their company, which holds a MoHRE work permit and an employment‑linked residence visa issued by GDRFA or ICP. Some residents are instead sponsored by a family member, and certain categories may temporarily hold residence without a traditional sponsor, while still needing a MoHRE permit to work.
A No‑Objection Certificate is usually a simple letter or system approval confirming that the sponsor does not object to a specific change, such as joining another employer, taking additional part‑time work, or transferring certain services. It is a practical instrument, not a concept defined in the Labour Law itself. The existence of a NOC does not replace the need to follow the legal rules on contract termination, notice, and work permit transfer.
Federal Decree‑Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationship sets out when and how work permits may be issued, renewed, or cancelled. Neither this decree‑law nor its implementing rules list a NOC from the current employer as a general legal condition for issuing a new work permit or transferring to a new employer.
Instead, they rely on whether the contract has lawfully expired or been terminated, whether probation rules are observed, and whether there has been any illegitimate abandonment or serious breach. Official MoHRE explanations further underline that employers may not force workers to leave the UAE at contract end and that workers may move to another employer once the contract expires.
Who Is Your “Sponsor”?
For employment under MoHRE, your employer is your sponsor for both the work permit and the linked residence visa. For family‑sponsored residents, the sponsoring relative is responsible for the residence visa, while any employer you work for must obtain a MoHRE work permit. In a few situations, such as the one‑year extension for widowed or divorced women and their children, residence may be granted without a sponsor for a limited period, but any employment still requires a valid work permit.
What a NOC Usually Means in Practice
In day‑to‑day procedures, a NOC is often requested by companies, banks, landlords, or authorities as evidence of consent. In labour matters, it may be used internally between companies when arranging a transfer, but the Labour Law itself does not make a generic NOC a statutory precondition for changing employers. One clear exception is part‑time work for family‑sponsored residents, for which a NOC from the family sponsor, in addition to a MoHRE part‑time permit, is required.
How Federal Decree‑Law No. 33 Changed the Rules
The current Labour Law shifted the focus from employer‑controlled NOCs to objective conditions. A job change is treated as a question of eligibility for a new work permit based on contract type, proper notice, lawful termination, and the absence of illegitimate abandonment. This framework is often summarised in official materials as the job transfer rules under Federal Decree‑Law 33 of 2021, and is complemented by specific ministerial resolutions on complaints and temporary permits.
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When Can You Change Employers Without a NOC? Key Scenarios
You can usually change employers in the UAE without a NOC if you satisfy the legal grounds for a new work permit and comply with immigration steps. The main scenarios are set out below.
After Contract Expiry and Non‑Renewal
When your employment contract expires in accordance with the law, you may move to work for another employer, subject to the procedures set out in the implementing regulation. If your contract ends by expiry, whether originally limited or unlimited, you may obtain a new work permit if you wish to join a new employer. There is no NOC requirement in these rules; the key conditions are contract expiry, settlement of dues, and, where relevant, completion of any notice period.
During Probation, With Proper Notice and Compensation
A worker on probation may transfer to another employer in the UAE, provided that the worker notifies the original employer in writing at least one month before the intended termination date. The new employer must compensate the original employer for recruitment or contracting costs. The law describes written notice and compensation, not a NOC, as the controlling conditions. If these steps are followed, the worker can seek a new work permit with the new employer.
Termination During Probation to Leave and Then Return
If you terminate the contract during probation specifically to leave the UAE, you may later obtain a new work permit within three months of departure. The new employer must still pay the recruitment cost compensation. If you do not comply with these provisions, a bar applies on issuing a new work permit for a period prescribed by the regulations, meaning you cannot lawfully transfer, even if a prospective employer is willing to hire you.
Lawful Termination With Notice After Probation
Either party may terminate an employment contract for a legitimate reason by giving written notice of 30 to 90 days. During the notice period, the contract remains in force and wages must continue to be paid. A worker becomes eligible for a new work permit when a limited-term contract is completed and not renewed, when a renewed limited-term contract is terminated with proper notice and any required compensation, or when an unlimited contract is lawfully terminated with the agreed notice. In these cases, eligibility depends on fulfilling the notice and compensation requirements, not on obtaining a NOC.
Employer Breach or Company Inactivity
There are also cases when MoHRE may issue a new work permit even though the original contract is still in force. These include when the employer fails to pay wages for more than 60 days, when MoHRE confirms that the establishment has been inactive for more than two months and the worker has reported it, and when a final court judgment in a labour case (about early termination or certain unpaid dues) is in favour of the worker. In such cases, MoHRE’s confirmation and the court’s decision, not the employer’s consent, allow the worker to move.
Mutual Termination and Skilled/Unskilled Distinction
A new work permit may be granted if both the employer and the employee mutually agree to terminate the contract before its end. For workers in lower skill categories, at least six months of employment must usually have been completed before such a transfer; for skilled workers in levels 1, 2 or 3 who have respected their contractual obligations, this six‑month condition may be waived. Again, a NOC is not mentioned as a legal condition; the decisive elements are mutual agreement and the skill/tenure rules.
While a Labour Case Is in Court (Temporary Permits)
Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022 on labour complaints allows a worker whose dispute has been referred to court to obtain a temporary work permit with a new employer while the case is ongoing. This is not permitted if a valid “unexpected work abandonment” (absconding) report has been filed by the original employer. Where no such report exists, and MoHRE issues a temporary permit, you may work for another employer without needing a NOC from the previous one while the court decides the dispute.
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When Transfer Is Restricted or Effectively Blocked
Even though there is no general NOC requirement, certain actions or omissions can prevent you from obtaining a new work permit, thereby blocking any transfer sponsorship in the UAE without a NOC. These restrictions flow directly from the Labour Law and MoHRE regulations.
Illegitimate Work Abandonment
If a foreign worker leaves work for an illegitimate reason before the end of the contract term, they will not be granted another work permit in the UAE for a period specified by the regulations. This provision aims to prevent workers from disappearing from their jobs without lawful grounds or proper notice. Where such illegitimate abandonment is established, the worker’s ability to join a new employer is restricted by law, not by the absence of a NOC.
Non‑Compliance With Probation Rules
UAE labour rules make the right to change employers during probation conditional on providing written notice and on the new employer covering the applicable recruitment-cost compensation. Official guidance clarifies that if these conditions are not met, the worker may face a temporary restriction on obtaining a new work permit. Employees who resign abruptly during probation and join another employer without notice or compensation risk being refused a new permit, even if the two employers have an informal understanding.
Early Termination and Notice Failures
A worker is not eligible for a new work permit if they initiate termination before completing a limited‑term contract without fulfilling the legal conditions, or if they fail to give the required notice under any contract type. Eligibility to change jobs is therefore closely linked to the respect of the contract duration, notice periods and any compensation obligations. These rules operate independently of any NOC practice between companies.
Effect of a Valid Absconding Report
A worker with a labour case referred to court may obtain a temporary work permit, except where a valid “unexpected work abandonment” (absconding) report has been filed. A valid absconding report can therefore block access to a temporary permit and severely limit the possibility of transferring to a new employer until the report is cancelled or otherwise resolved under the applicable procedures.
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When a NOC or Consent Still Matters – Family Sponsorship and Special Categories
Although the UAE labour law job change rules do not impose a general NOC requirement, certain immigration and part‑time work scenarios still require NOCs or use different sponsorship structures.
Part‑Time Work Under Family Sponsorship
Residents sponsored by a family member may take on a second job only after obtaining both a MoHRE part‑time work permit and a NOC from the family sponsor. The NOC confirms that the family sponsor consents to the sponsored person working for another employer. This requirement is specific to family‑sponsored residents working part-time; it does not apply to standard full‑time transfers between employers where the worker is company‑sponsored.
Residence Without a Traditional Sponsor
According to ICP, Cabinet decisions allow widowed and divorced women and their children to obtain a one‑year residency extension from the date of death or divorce without needing a sponsor. During this period, the individual’s residence status is not tied to an employer or family sponsor, though any work still requires a MoHRE permit under the general rules on work in the UAE. Job change in such a case concerns obtaining and transferring work permits rather than changing a “visa sponsor” in the usual sense.
Historic Amnesty and Temporary Residence Without Sponsor
ICP’s 2018 initiative “Protect Yourself by Changing Your Status” offered status violators a chance to regularise their stay. Some could obtain a six‑month temporary residence without a sponsor through the virtual labour market, enabling them to find a new employer and then transfer residence to that employer. This was a time‑bound amnesty, but it illustrates that in exceptional programmes, the government may create transitional residence without a sponsor to facilitate legalisation and later employer‑based sponsorship.
Residence Visa and Status After You Change Employer
Changing employers without a NOC does not remove the need to manage your residence visa with GDRFA (in Dubai) or ICP (in other emirates). Work permits and residence visas are linked but handled by different authorities, so both must be aligned when you change visa sponsor in the UAE.
Cancelling an Employment‑Linked Residence Visa
GDRFA Dubai’s service description for cancelling residence permits explains that, for an employment‑linked visa, the process requires the sponsor’s passport, the sponsored person’s passport and an extract of work‑permit cancellation issued by MoHRE. After the residence permit is cancelled or expires, there is a 60‑day grace period during which the person may remain in Dubai to arrange a new visa, leave the country, or change status. Applications are submitted via Amer centres or GDRFA smart channels, and sponsors pay the prescribed cancellation fees.
Using the “Hold Service” in Dubai
A “hold service” can facilitate changing employers during probation in the UAE or later without exiting the country. Where a resident has a visa valid for at least three more months and an offer letter from a new company stating salary and profession, the existing residence may be placed on hold for up to 60 days. The sponsor submits a cancellation form and a refundable deposit, and the hold period allows time for the new employer to complete the transfer and new visa procedures. Approval of this service is at GDRFA’s discretion and does not replace MoHRE requirements.
Rectifying Status After Work‑Permit Cancellation
Once MoHRE cancels a work permit, the worker must change or regularise their residency status within the timeframe prescribed by immigration regulations. Depending on the circumstances, penalties for delays in work-permit issuance or renewal may be applied to the employer, the worker, or both, in accordance with MoHRE and immigration rules.
In practice, this means that when planning a change of sponsor or employment status, it is essential to coordinate MoHRE work-permit procedures with GDRFA or ICP residence processes and to remain within the applicable grace periods to avoid fines or status violations.
FAQ
When can I legally change employers in the UAE without a NOC?
You can generally change employers without a NOC after your contract expires and is not renewed, or when you lawfully terminate with written notice and meet any compensation obligations. In addition, new work permits are allowed while the contract is still in force in cases of employer breach, company inactivity, or a final court ruling in your favour. In each case, MoHRE assesses eligibility for a new work permit based on these legal grounds, not on whether a NOC is produced.
Can I change jobs in the UAE during my probation period without my employer's NOC?
During probation, you may move to another employer if you give your current employer at least one month’s written notice and the new employer compensates the old one for recruitment or contracting costs. The law does not mention a NOC in this context, but if you fail to follow these notice and compensation rules, MoHRE may refuse to issue a new work permit. Always ensure the new employer is willing to pay the required costs before you resign.
What happens to my visa if I change sponsors in Dubai?
When you change sponsors in Dubai, your current employment‑linked residence visa must usually be cancelled or placed on hold through GDRFA Dubai, based on a MoHRE work‑permit cancellation extract. After cancellation or expiry, you typically have a 60‑day grace period to obtain a new visa, leave the country, or change status. If you qualify for the GDRFA hold service, your residence may be frozen for up to 60 days while the new employer completes the transfer and new visa stamping.
Can I get a new work permit if my employer did not pay my salary in the UAE?
A new work permit may be issued while the existing contract is still in force if the employer has failed to pay wages for more than 60 days. MoHRE must confirm the wage violation and process your request for a new permit. In such a case, the transfer depends on MoHRE’s confirmation of breach, not on the employer’s NOC or consent.
Can I work for another employer while my labour case is in court in the UAE?
A worker whose labour complaint has been referred to court may apply for a temporary work permit with a new employer. This is not available if a valid “unexpected work abandonment” (absconding) report has been filed by the original employer. If the temporary permit is granted, you may work for the new employer until the court issues a final decision.
Do I need a NOC to work part time on a family visa in the UAE?
Yes. For residents sponsored by a family member, taking a second job requires both a part‑time work permit from MoHRE and a NOC from the family sponsor. This NOC confirms that the sponsor agrees to the additional employment and that it is separate from the rules governing changing full‑time employers for company‑sponsored workers.
Explained by
Amira Ali Al Hammadi
Labour & Tasheel Services Consultant at EGSH
Amira Ali Al Hammadi is a specialised service provider with nine years of experience delivering MOHRE-related Labour and Tasheel services. Her professional expertise covers establishment and employee procedures, including renewals, cancellations, amendments, fine payments, employment contracts, and compliance support for companies of all sizes.
This article is intended to provide general information based on official UAE sources, and does not constitute personalised legal advice. Before acting, applicants should verify the current rules and fees directly with the relevant authority or an authorised service centre.
