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Establishment Card

Also known as: Establishment Card MOHRE, Labour Establishment Card

Quick Answer

The Establishment Card is the master file MOHRE keeps on every UAE company that employs workers. Its number is required to issue work permits, register on the Wage Protection System, and submit any labour transaction.

When a Dubai company hires its first employee, MOHRE creates an Establishment Card for it. This card is the employer-side counterpart to a worker's labour card: it identifies the company in MOHRE's systems, links to its trade licence, and is the prerequisite for every subsequent work-permit, contract, and WPS action.

The card carries an annual renewal fee of approximately AED 700–2,000 depending on company type and worker count. It must stay aligned with the trade licence: if the trade licence expires, the establishment card cannot be used; if the company changes address (Ejari), MOHRE must be updated.

Forgetting to renew the establishment card blocks every labour transaction — visa renewals, new hires, employment cancellations. ZETUP PRO tracks establishment card validity across all clients and renews alongside the trade licence to keep MOHRE access uninterrupted.

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