UAE good conduct requirement now applies to workers switching jobs

The UAE’s good conduct certificate requirement for visa applicants will now apply to existing workers in the country that are switching jobs, according to reports.

Gulf News cited official sources as confirming the certificate is now mandatory for workers regardless of their length of service in the country.

This came after reports last month suggested the requirement was not initially being applied to those switching jobs inside the country after its February 4 introduction.

Read: UAE workers won’t need good conduct certificate to switch jobs

“Expatriate workers planning to switch jobs will now have to produce certificates of good conduct from the local police,” a source told the publication.

The change means only domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia do not yet require the certificate for work visas but they are expected to do so by June 1.

Read: UAE postpones good conduct requirement for some workers

Officials told the publication that only candidates applying for their first job in the UAE would require good a conduct certificate from the country or countries they have resided in over the last five years.

For existing workers the certificate can be obtained from the local police force in the emirate.

The document or documents must be certified by UAE missions abroad or through the attestation centres at customer happiness centres for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The costs of this are Dhs100 ($27) for UAE nationals, Dhs200 ($54) for UAE residents and Dhs300 ($82) for people outside of the country, with additional knowledge and innovation fees of Dhs10 each also added on.

The new requirement does not apply to dependents of workers, students, tourists or health tourists.