Emiratisation Compliance Checklist 2025: Six Steps to Meet Your MoHRE Target Before the Check
Emiratisation Compliance Checklist — Quick Reference
Emiratisation compliance requires a company to maintain its UAE National (Emirati) workforce at or above the required percentage target at each MoHRE semi-annual compliance check in January and July. MoHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, the UAE federal body responsible for private sector employment regulation, Emiratisation enforcement, and the Wage Protection System) assesses compliance automatically from registered workforce data. The MoHRE non-compliance penalty is AED 108,000 per unfilled Emirati position per year in 2025, rising to AED 120,000 in 2026. The six-step compliance checklist below covers companies under both the main 50+ employee rule and the 14-sector rule for 20–49 employee companies. NAFIS (National Programme for Emiratisation) salary support of up to AED 8,000 per month per qualifying Emirati hire is available throughout — register before hiring, not after. The Emiratisation target percentage is the qualifying Emirati workforce divided by total headcount, expressed as a percentage.
6-Step ChecklistJanuary + July ChecksAED 108,000 Penalty 2025NAFIS Register First
Step 1 — Calculate Your Current Emiratisation Percentage: The Formula
Count only UAE Nationals in qualifying skilled roles. UAE Nationals in roles paying below AED 4,000 basic per month do not count toward the numerator. Ensure all counted Emirati employees are correctly registered on MoHRE and active on WPS payroll at the calculation date.
Step 2 — Identify Your Required Target: 2025 Percentage and How the 2% Annual Increase Works
Private sector companies with 50 or more employees must reach a 10% UAE National workforce by 2026. The path to 10% requires a 2% annual increase from the 2022 baseline. For 2025, the interim Emiratisation target is 6% for companies that started from a zero-baseline in 2022. Companies that have already met their previous year’s target face the same 2% increment to reach the next annual milestone.
| Year | Annual Target (from 0% baseline) | Annual Target Increment |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2% | +2% |
| 2023 | 4% | +2% |
| 2024 | 6% | +2% |
| 2025 | 8% | +2% |
| 2026 | 10% | +2% |
Step 3 — Register for NAFIS: Why to Do This Before You Start Hiring, Not After
NAFIS (National Programme for Emiratisation) salary support of up to AED 8,000 per month per qualifying Emirati hire is paid from the date of registration on nafis.gov.ae — not from the date the employee joins. Registering for NAFIS after the employee has already started means losing the subsidy for the days or weeks between the start date and registration. For a maximum-rate hire, that is up to AED 8,000 per month lost from day one.
Complete your company registration on nafis.gov.ae before you make your first Emirati offer. Register each new Emirati hire on their first day of employment. Do not wait until after the first payroll cycle.
Step 4 — Audit Existing Emirati Employees: Verifying All Are in Qualifying Roles
Before the check date, review every UAE National currently employed. Confirm each one meets all three qualifying criteria: UAE National citizenship (confirmed), basic salary of AED 4,000 or above per month (check WPS payroll records), and active MoHRE employer registration (check MoHRE portal). An Emirati employee who does not meet all three criteria does not count at the check. Correct any registration errors or salary discrepancies before the January or July check date.
Step 5 — UAE National Recruitment: Sourcing Qualifying Candidates for Your Sector
If your audit reveals a gap between your current Emiratisation percentage and your required target, start UAE National recruitment immediately — not at month-end, not after the next budget cycle. Each week of delay reduces the time available to place, onboard, and register the hire before the January or July check date.
RFS HR Consultancy, a UAE-licensed Emiratisation recruitment agency and employment agency headquartered in Dubai specialising in UAE National placement for private sector Emiratisation compliance, delivers qualified Emirati shortlists within 48–72 hours of engagement. Start the RFS Emiratisation recruitment service engagement as soon as the gap is identified.
Step 6 — Pre-Check Verification: What to Confirm Before the MoHRE Semi-Annual Assessment
Calculate Your Compliance Position Now
Enter your headcount and Emirati employee count to get your exact gap, penalty exposure, and NAFIS savings estimate.