Learn about passport custody, employee rights, UAE law, and what to do if your employer refuses to return your passport in Dubai.
The issue of employers holding employee passports remains a common concern among expatriate workers in the UAE. Employees should understand their rights, the circumstances surrounding passport custody, and the available options if an employer refuses to return a passport.
UAE legal and administrative guidance has generally recognised that an employer does not have an unrestricted right to retain an employee's passport. Passport custody should not be used as a method of controlling an employee or restricting lawful movement.
Where a passport is temporarily required for a legitimate administrative purpose, such as a visa-related procedure, the document should be returned once that purpose has been completed.
For employment-related concerns, you can also review our Labour Law and Employment Legal Services .
Consent should be clear and voluntary. An employee should not be pressured into surrendering a passport through threats, intimidation, withholding of wages, or threats connected with employment.
Employers may cite safekeeping, administrative processing, or internal company procedures as reasons for holding passports. These reasons do not automatically establish a legal right to retain an employee's passport.
Employment disputes should generally be addressed through lawful employment, labour, and dispute-resolution procedures rather than through control of personal identity documents.
You can also read our resource on labour bans in the UAE .
If your employer is refusing to return your passport, consider these practical steps:
Discuss your passport or employment concern with our legal team.
Professional legal advice may be useful when:
Ayesha Al Dhaheri Advocates & Legal Consultants provides legal guidance on labour and employment matters in the UAE.
An employer does not have an unrestricted right to retain an employee's passport. The circumstances, consent, reason for custody, and applicable legal framework should be reviewed.
Make a written request, preserve relevant evidence, and consider contacting the appropriate authority or a qualified legal professional.
Legal advice can be particularly useful when passport custody is connected with termination, salary disputes, threats, immigration concerns, or another employment dispute.