A recruiter says your CV has been shortlisted, but the company name isn’t clear. Before sending your passport copy or accepting an interview, check who you’re dealing with. A UAE recruitment agency license is one part of that check. A trade license shows general business registration, but may not confirm permission to arrange jobs.
The process is manageable once you know which details to ask for and which authority to contact. Start with the agency’s legal name.
Why You Need to Check More Than a Trade License
A business license shows that a company is registered for stated activities. Recruitment and temporary staffing can require separate permission from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). A company may have a valid business record without approval for the recruitment service it offers you.
A Business Record Is the First Check
The business record helps you confirm the company’s legal name, issuing authority, business activity and, where shown, license status. Compare it with the name on the job advertisement and messages.
A match is useful, but it doesn’t prove that the person contacting you works for the company. Scammers can copy a genuine agency’s name and license image.
The Recruitment Activity Is a Separate Check
MoHRE’s agency licensing service covers mediation, temporary employment and outsourcing. Mediation generally means connecting a candidate with an employer. In temporary employment or outsourcing, the staffing company may employ workers and assign them to a client.
Those are different arrangements. If a recruiter says you’ll be employed by the agency but work at another company, ask whether its permission covers temporary employment or outsourcing.
A current business license confirms a business record. It doesn’t, by itself, confirm permission for every recruitment activity the business advertises.
Get the Agency’s Details Before You Search
You can’t reliably verify “Dubai Jobs HR” if that’s only a social-media page name. Ask for the company’s exact legal name, trade license number, issuing authority, office address and official website. Ask which services it offers as a recruitment consultancy, and which company will employ you and which company you’ll work for.
Ask for the Recruitment License Details
Request the agency’s current MoHRE recruitment license details if it says it recruits or supplies workers under MoHRE-regulated activities. If it calls its approval an HR consultancy license or a manpower supply license, verify the actual approved activity with MoHRE. Ask whether the approval covers mediation, temporary employment or both, and whether it includes employment placement services. If it gives you an establishment number, keep that too.
Don’t accept “We’re registered with the government” as the full answer. A genuine contact should be able to explain which authority issued the relevant permission and what activity it covers.
Keep the Original Messages
Save the job advertisement, sender’s number, email address, offer letter and any license image. Write down the name exactly as the recruiter gives it, including words such as “Services” or “Outsourcing.”
A one-word difference may mean you’re checking a different company. If the recruiter changes the legal name after you ask for a license number, pause before sending anything else.
Check the Trade License With the Right Authority
Verification routes vary across the UAE. Mainland companies are licensed by the relevant emirate’s business authority. Free-zone companies should be checked with the authority that issued their license.
The UAE government’s business license verification page points to official ways to check registered names, activities and licenses. Use it to find the appropriate route rather than relying on a link sent in a WhatsApp message.
For a Dubai Mainland Company
If you’re checking a recruitment agency in Dubai, use Invest in Dubai’s license search. It accepts a license number, Dubai Unified License number, or English or Arabic business name. Compare the result with the recruiter’s documents, including the full legal name and business activity.
If the company claims to be based in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or another emirate, use that emirate’s official licensing route. A missing result in the Dubai search doesn’t prove that a company registered elsewhere is fake.
For a Free-Zone Company
Ask which free zone issued the license, then check through that authority’s official website or published contact details. A mainland search isn’t a substitute for checking with the issuing authority.
A free-zone license may describe services such as executive search or recruitment consultancy, or identify an HR consultancy license. Those descriptions alone don’t confirm permission for the specific placement or staffing arrangement. If you’re unsure which permission applies, ask the free-zone authority and MoHRE.
Confirm the UAE Recruitment Agency License With MoHRE
Once you have the legal name and recruitment license details, check them through MoHRE’s official channels. Explain whether the recruiter says it provides recruitment services by finding candidates for another employer, employing workers for assignment to clients, or both.
Ask whether the license details match the legal name and whether the permission covers the activity described to you. If a recruiter calls it a “temporary recruitment license,” ask MoHRE which formal permission applies rather than assuming that phrase is an official license category. If an online service doesn’t give you a clear answer, contact MoHRE directly through the contact details published on its own website.
Check the Activity, Not Only the Number
A number on a PDF isn’t proof that the agency can offer the service in the message. A recruiter might call its approval a manpower supply license, but verify the actual approved activity. Check that the permission is current and belongs to the company contacting you, then compare it with the proposed job arrangement.
MoHRE’s licensing rules also involve financial requirements for agencies. Any bank guarantee or deposit required of an agency is the agency’s obligation, not a fee for a candidate to pay. Don’t let a recruiter use “license costs” as a reason to request money from you.
Know When Another Route Applies
Domestic-worker recruitment has its own rules and official checks. Don’t assume a list of licensed domestic-worker offices is a complete register of agencies recruiting for office, retail or other private-sector jobs.
If an overseas recruiter contacts you, ask which UAE company is handling the placement. An overseas business may also need checking with its home-country authority. For the UAE side, confirm the named employer, local agency if involved, and applicable approvals before you travel.
Make Sure the Recruiter and Job Match the Records
A verified company record is a good start. Someone can still pretend to represent that company. Check the person and vacancy separately before applying through an unfamiliar link.
Contact the Company Independently
Find the agency’s website and published phone number yourself. Call to ask whether the recruiter works there and whether the vacancy is real. If a client employer is named, contact it through its publicly listed details to confirm it authorised the recruiter.
Avoid relying only on the phone number in the offer letter. A scammer who created the letter may control that number too. A Gmail address isn’t proof of fraud, and WhatsApp is common in hiring, but neither confirms who sent the message.
Check the Offer Before You Commit
Ask who will sign your employment contract, who will pay your salary and where you’ll work. A recruiter may use the term “employer of record,” but that doesn’t replace confirming the named employer and contract details. Make sure the agency name, employer name and job details stay consistent throughout the application process.
A license check doesn’t verify salary or contract terms. If you receive an offer, confirm the employer and recruiter behind it before you resign, travel or share more documents.
Treat Payment Requests and Pressure as Warning Signs
The UAE government’s worker rights guidance says charging prospective employees recruitment fees is illegal. Don’t pay an agency to register your CV, release an interview, secure a placement or “activate” an offer.
Be cautious about requests labelled as medical, training or work permit charges too. If someone claims a payment is officially required during the visa process, check the exact rule and payment channel with MoHRE or the relevant authority before paying. Never send money to a recruiter’s personal account to secure a job.
Slow Down When Hiring Seems Rushed
An offer after a brief chat, unusually high pay for vague duties, or a deadline measured in hours deserves a closer look. So does a recruiter who won’t arrange a proper conversation or explain the employer’s name.
Scammers may use real logos and company names. Spelling mistakes or a free email address can add to your concerns, but they aren’t a substitute for official checks. Our guide to spotting Dubai recruitment agency scams covers other patterns to watch for.
Protect Your Documents
A recruiter may eventually need documents for a genuine hiring process. Before that stage, don’t send passport scans, Emirates ID images or bank details to an unverified contact. Never share passwords or one-time passcodes.
If the person says you must upload these details before they can tell you the employer’s name, stop. Verify the agency and vacancy first.
What to Do if You Can’t Confirm the License
Sometimes a search returns no clear match because the business uses an Arabic name, a different legal name or a free-zone registration. Ask the recruiter for the issuing authority and exact registered details, then check again through that authority. An unclear search result is a reason to ask more questions, not automatic proof of fraud.
If the agency refuses to provide details, its records don’t match, or the official authority can’t confirm the claimed approval, don’t pay or send sensitive documents. You can apply through the employer’s official careers page instead, if the vacancy appears there.
If you’ve already paid, contact your bank promptly and keep payment receipts and messages. If you’ve shared sensitive information, secure affected accounts. Report suspected fraud to the relevant police authority and raise recruitment-related concerns with MoHRE through its official channels. Give them the names, numbers and documents you saved.
Before you trust a job agency in Dubai
Is a UAE Trade License Enough to Prove an Agency Is Legitimate?
No. It helps confirm the business record, but it doesn’t prove that the company has permission for every recruitment or staffing activity it advertises. You also need to check the relevant recruitment approval and confirm that the person offering the job represents the company.
Can a Recruitment Agency Charge Me a Placement Fee?
Charging prospective employees recruitment fees is illegal under UAE worker-rights guidance. Don’t pay to get an interview or job placement. If you’re unsure about a differently named charge, ask the relevant official authority to confirm the rule before you pay.
What if the Agency Is Registered in a Free Zone?
Check its trade license with the issuing free-zone authority. Then ask what activities its license permits and whether the job arrangement needs separate recruitment approval. Don’t assume a Dubai mainland search covers free-zone businesses.
Does a Valid Agency License Mean the Job Offer Is Real?
No. Someone may impersonate a licensed agency, or a real agency may advertise a role whose terms you haven’t confirmed. Contact the agency and employer independently, then check your offer against the employment contract when one is available.
