WPS in 2026, the salary deadline explained

The Wage Protection System (WPS) is how the UAE checks that private sector employees are paid in full and on time. Salaries go through an approved bank, exchange house or other approved agent, which reports each payment to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). The UAE government portal now cites Ministerial Resolution 340 of 2026 for the system. The earlier rules were in Ministerial Resolution 598 of 2022.

The due date

Wages for a month are due on the 1st day of the following month. Pay for October is due on 1 November. Anything paid after that counts as delayed, and MOHRE’s measures count from that day.

Under the old rules, a salary only counted as late 15 days after its due date. That buffer is gone. Anything that used to happen in the first days of the next month, like overtime, commissions or a last-minute joiner, now has to be settled before the month ends.

How much has to go through WPS

Where lawful deductions apply, at least 85% of total wages must still be paid through WPS by the due date. Payments made in cash or from a personal account don’t show up as paid.

What MOHRE does when pay is late

These are the steps u.ae lists:

Suspending new work permits from day 5 is the part most employers feel first. A hire in the middle of their visa process stops moving, and so does every renewal that needs a new permit.

The day-11 fine is set by Cabinet Resolution 21 of 2020 on MOHRE fees and fines. Under the previous rules, MOHRE’s FAQ gave AED 1,000 per worker, up to AED 20,000, for a repeat within six months.

Who is left out of the check

Some workers are left out of the WPS check. They include workers on mission permits of up to three months, workers whose wage complaints have gone to court, workers reported for leaving work, workers on documented unpaid leave, and foreign workers of foreign companies who are paid outside the UAE, when the employer asks and the worker agrees.

Setting up a payroll calendar that works

Work backwards from the 1st:

1. Changes close around the 15th. Joiners, leavers, pay changes, overtime and expenses.
2. Draft payroll around the 16th, approved by the 19th.
3. Invoice around the 20th, with time to pay. Invoice before you pay, never after. Your client’s finance team needs a few days to set up the transfer.
4. Funds in place by about the 30th. Bank transfers between countries can take two or three working days.
5. Salary file submitted so payments land by the 1st.

Then look at the calendar. When the 1st falls on a weekend or during Eid or National Day, banks and exchange houses may not process payments, so move the whole cycle earlier rather than later. National Day, set for 2 and 3 December, is the next one to watch. Check the official announcement, as the days can move.

A monthly check before the file goes

• The salary information file matches the payroll you approved, person by person.
• New joiners have a UAE bank account or a WPS card, and the details are checked.
• Leavers are on the list for their final settlement. Final dues are payable within 14 days of the end of the contract.
• Nobody is paid in cash or from a personal account.

If you use an Employer of Record

Under the Employer of Record model, the provider is the employer on MOHRE’s file. MOHRE says the worker’s employment relationship is with the agency, so the WPS obligation and the permit suspension are the provider’s. But a late month at your provider still means late salaries for your people, and a stalled visa for your next hire. Ask your provider three things: on which date they need your funds, whether they pay salaries before receiving them, and what happened in the last month a client paid late.

Our own cycle is set out on the payroll page.