You have signed a Tadbeer contract for your maid, nanny or driver — but how do you know it is genuine, properly registered, and actually enforceable? In the UAE a domestic worker contract is only worth what the regulator recognises, and a surprising number of families discover a problem only when they try to renew a visa or file a complaint.
This guide shows you how to verify a Tadbeer contract step by step, how to obtain your official copy, and which red flags mean the paperwork in your hand is not what you were told it was.
What "Tadbeer contract verification" actually means
Verification is three separate checks, and most people only do the first one:
- Is the centre licensed? Only a Tadbeer centre authorised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) can issue a valid domestic worker contract.
- Is the contract the official MOHRE form? The UAE uses a standard domestic worker contract. A centre's own branded document is not a substitute.
- Is it registered in the system? A signed paper copy means little if the contract was never logged with MOHRE against your file and the worker's permit.
If you are still choosing a provider rather than checking an existing agreement, start with what Tadbeer is and how the programme works before you sign anything.
The legal basis — what your contract must respect
Domestic work in the UAE is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023. A genuine contract will reflect that framework: defined duties, rest and leave entitlements, wage payment obligations, and the end-of-service position.
Any clause that strips a worker of a protection granted by that law — confiscating a passport, open-ended unpaid hours, wages withheld as a "guarantee" — is a signal that the document was not produced through a compliant channel, regardless of what letterhead it carries.
How to verify your Tadbeer contract: step by step
Step 1 — Confirm the centre is MOHRE-licensed
Ask for the centre's MOHRE licence number and check it against the official register on mohre.gov.ae rather than trusting a certificate on the wall. Licence status can lapse, and a contract issued by an unlicensed operator is the single most common verification failure.
You can also cross-check the centre's physical presence using our directory of MOHRE-licensed Tadbeer centres across the UAE, or browse vetted providers in the GCC Domestic agencies directory.
Step 2 — Match the document against the official MOHRE contract
Compare what you signed, clause by clause, against the standard form. The official contract names both parties, the worker's exact job category, the agreed wage and payment cycle, working hours, weekly rest, annual leave, and who bears recruitment and repatriation costs.
Our breakdown of the MOHRE UAE domestic worker employment contract sets out what each section should say, and understanding your employment contract with Tadbeer explains the clauses families most often misread.
Step 3 — Verify registration through MOHRE's own channels
Paper is not proof of registration. Use MOHRE's official enquiry services — the MOHRE smart app, the enquiry pages on mohre.gov.ae, or the call-centre number published on the ministry's website — and ask them to confirm that a domestic worker contract exists in the system under your Emirates ID and the worker's details.
Have ready: your Emirates ID, the worker's passport number, the worker's permit or visa file number, and the Tadbeer transaction or reference number the centre gave you.
Step 4 — Cross-check the worker's visa and permit status
A valid contract and a valid residency status should agree with each other. If the contract says one sponsor and the visa says another, something is wrong upstream. Our guide to checking a maid's visa status in Dubai and the UAE walks through the official lookup tools.
How to get a copy of your Tadbeer contract
You are entitled to a copy of the contract you signed. In practice there are three routes:
- Back to the issuing centre. Request a stamped duplicate, quoting your transaction reference. Ask for it in writing if the counter staff hesitate.
- MOHRE channels. Registered contracts can generally be retrieved through the ministry's app or service centres using your Emirates ID.
- MOHRE directly. If the original centre has closed or changed ownership, ask MOHRE (app, website or call centre 600590000) for the registered copy.
Keep a scanned copy, the receipt, and the reference number together. When a dispute starts, the family that can produce dated paperwork is in a far stronger position.
Red flags: when your contract is probably not genuine
- No MOHRE licence number anywhere on the document, or a number the centre will not let you verify.
- The contract exists only as a WhatsApp photo and cannot be found on MOHRE's systems or on the Work in UAE platform. (A genuine contract can be digital: contracts are now e-signed on workinuae.ae.)
- Blank fields you were told would be "filled in later".
- Terms that contradict the standard MOHRE contract — especially around wages, rest days or passport custody.
- Payment requested in cash to a personal account, with no itemised invoice.
- The centre discourages you from contacting MOHRE directly.
Several of these overlap with recognised recruitment scams — our UAE domestic worker scam warning and safety guide covers the patterns police and MOHRE have flagged.
What to do if verification fails
Do not simply sign a replacement document and hope it resolves itself. Escalate in order:
- Put your request in writing to the Tadbeer centre and keep the reply.
- Contact MOHRE through its official complaint channels and quote the licence number and your reference.
- If wages, leave or custody of documents are involved, treat it as a labour dispute rather than a paperwork error.
Our walkthrough on how to file a MOHRE complaint in the UAE sets out what the ministry expects from both employers and workers.
Do not confuse contract renewal with visa renewal
Verification often surfaces a second issue: families assume renewing the residency visa automatically refreshes the employment contract. The two run on separate tracks, and a lapsed contract can block a visa transaction later. See maid contract renewal vs visa renewal in the UAE for how the timelines interact.
Verifying a domestic worker contract elsewhere in the GCC
Each GCC state has its own official channel, and the principle is identical — verify with the regulator, not the recruiter:
- Saudi Arabia: contracts run through Musaned. Use our Musaned contract check guide.
- Bahrain: verification sits with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).
- Qatar, Kuwait and Oman: verification is handled by the relevant labour ministry and its licensed recruitment offices.
Costs: what to expect
Verification itself is normally an administrative step rather than a priced service, though obtaining a stamped duplicate copy may attract a small administrative charge depending on the centre. Package and visa costs are a separate matter — our Tadbeer maid visa cost breakdown explains which components typically make up the total and why quotes vary between centres.
Frequently asked questions
Can I verify a Tadbeer contract online by myself?
You can verify much of it online. The MOHRE smart app and the enquiry services on mohre.gov.ae let you check that a domestic worker contract is registered against your Emirates ID. Confirming the issuing centre's licence status is also an online check. For a stamped duplicate of the document itself, you will usually need to approach the centre or a MOHRE service point.
What documents do I need to verify my contract?
Your Emirates ID, the worker's passport, the worker's permit or visa file number, and the Tadbeer transaction reference. Bringing the signed copy you already hold makes a clause-by-clause comparison much faster.
Is a contract signed only at the Tadbeer centre, without MOHRE registration, valid?
Treat it as unverified. The signature at the centre is part of the process, but the contract needs to exist in MOHRE's system to be relied on in a dispute or a later visa transaction. If the ministry cannot find it, ask the centre to produce evidence of registration in writing.
What if the Tadbeer centre that issued my contract has closed?
Go directly to MOHRE. A registered contract lives in the ministry's records independently of the centre's commercial status, so closure should not erase it. If no record exists, that is itself important information — and grounds for a complaint.
Does my maid get her own copy of the contract?
Yes. Both parties should hold a copy, and the worker is entitled to one in a language she understands. A centre that issues only the employer's copy is not following the spirit of the domestic workers law, and it is worth insisting before you leave the counter.
Verification protects both sides. If you are hiring now, start with a licensed provider from the GCC Domestic agencies directory and ask for the MOHRE licence number before you pay anything.