A question that comes up a lot for people working in the UAE: my employment contract is in English (or French, or Tagalog, or my home-country language) - does it need to be translated into Arabic, and if so, who is allowed to certify it? The honest answer is that it depends entirely on where the contract came from and where you are sending it, and a fair number of contracts do not need translating at all.
This article covers the document and translation side: when an employment or labour contract needs certified Arabic translation, what gets translated, and how certification works. It is not employment-law advice. Questions about gratuity, notice periods, who is right in a dispute, or what you are owed belong with a lawyer or with MOHRE; what follows is only about getting the document into a form a UAE authority will accept.
The Short Answer
If your employment contract is going to a UAE mainland authority and it is not already in Arabic, it needs an MOJ-certified Arabic translation. UAE mainland bodies - courts, ministries, and government departments - operate in Arabic and act on the Arabic version of a document.
The important exception is the standard UAE private-sector contract registered through MOHRE. That one is already issued bilingually, in Arabic and English, with Arabic as the governing text, so for most UAE-facing purposes it does not need translating again. The translation need shows up in three other situations: a contract issued abroad, a contract written only in a third language, or a UAE contract you need to use in another country. The rest of this guide is about those three.
When You Actually Need a Certified Translation in Dubai
Rather than translate everything by reflex, match your situation to the table. If you are not sure which row you are in, a free document route check will confirm it before any work starts.
| Your Contract | Where It Is Going | Translation Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| UAE MOHRE bilingual contract | A UAE authority | Usually no - Arabic is already on it |
| Foreign employment contract | Golden Visa or residency file | Yes - MOJ-certified Arabic |
| Any non-Arabic contract | Evidence in a labour case | Yes - MOJ-certified Arabic |
| Contract in a third language | Any UAE submission | Yes - into Arabic |
| UAE contract or salary letter | A bank, court, or ministry abroad | Often yes - into the destination language |
| Free-zone or DIFC/ADGM contract | Its own free-zone authority | Often no - English is accepted |
Who Is Qualified to Certify It in Dubai
- Arabic to English is MOJ-certified directly under License #701.
- Other major pairs are MOJ-certified through contracted licensed translators, each under their own licence.
- Rare pairs with no MOJ translator in the UAE are issued under Arkan company certification.
A contract is translated in full, not summarised. A certified translation reproduces the whole document - the parties, the job title and salary, the term, the clauses, the schedules, and the signatures - so the Arabic version matches the original exactly. The translator does not paraphrase or interpret the terms; that faithful, complete rendering is what keeps it usable in front of an authority. You can verify any translator’s MOJ licence by calling the hotline at 800 333333.
For a Dubai Golden Visa or Residency File
Several Golden Visa and skilled-professional categories ask for a current employment contract showing your job classification and salary. If that contract was issued outside the UAE, or in a language other than Arabic, the file needs a certified Arabic translation of it, usually alongside a translated salary certificate and your degree or transcript where the category requires proof of qualifications.
The translation is a document step, not an eligibility decision. Getting the contract translated and certified correctly keeps the file moving; whether you qualify for a particular category is decided by the issuing authority. For the wider list of what a visa file typically needs translated, see our guide to Golden Visa document translation.
For a Labour Dispute in Dubai
If a matter reaches the Dubai Labour Court, the documents each side relies on - the employment contract, offer letters, payslips, and correspondence - generally have to be in Arabic, and any non-Arabic document is expected to come with a translation by an MOJ-accredited translator. An untranslated foreign-language contract is weaker as evidence than the same contract properly translated and certified.
That is where our lane stops. We translate the contract and the supporting documents so they are ready to be filed; the strategy, the claim, and what you are entitled to are for your lawyer and for MOHRE. If a hearing involves someone who does not speak Arabic, the forum arranges or accepts a qualified court interpreter, which is a separate service from translating the documents. Our walkthrough on translating documents for a court filing covers how the paperwork side fits together.
Attestation in Dubai: Sometimes, Not Always
A contract issued abroad that needs to carry official weight in the UAE often has to be legalised before it is translated - either an apostille, for countries in the Apostille Convention, or a full attestation chain ending with MOFA attestation. The order matters: the legalisation goes on the original first, then the attested document is translated, so the certification is captured in the Arabic version. A contract used purely inside a single UAE process frequently needs translation only. A route check tells you which applies before you spend on a step you do not need.
Common Mistakes That Cause Delays in Dubai
- Translating the MOHRE contract that is already bilingual. If Arabic is already on the document, you are paying to translate something the authority can already read. Check first.
- Using a company-stamped translation for a court or ministry. Mainland authorities look for the individual translator’s MOJ stamp, licence number, and signature, not a company stamp alone.
- Translating only the salary clause. Authorities generally expect the full contract, including the annexes and any schedules, unless your lawyer has confirmed a partial translation is acceptable.
- Skipping legalisation on a foreign contract. A contract from abroad that is translated but never apostilled or attested can be sent back. The legalisation has to be done on the original first.
- Leaving it to the deadline. A visa appointment or a filing date is a poor time to discover the contract needs attestation and translation in sequence. Start with a route check.
Have an employment contract that needs certified Arabic translation? Arkan provides MOJ-certified legal translation under License #701, with a document route check included so you only translate what you actually need. Get a timeline and quote on WhatsApp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an employment contract need to be translated into Arabic in the UAE?
It depends on where it came from and where it is going. A standard UAE private-sector contract registered with MOHRE is usually already issued in Arabic and English, so it rarely needs translating. A contract issued abroad, or in a third language, that you are submitting to a UAE authority - for a Golden Visa, a residency file, or as evidence before the Dubai Labour Court - needs a certified Arabic translation, because UAE mainland authorities act on the Arabic. A document route check confirms which case you are in.
Who can certify an employment contract translation in the UAE?
A translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. For Arabic to English, Arkan certifies directly under MOJ License #701. Other language pairs are handled by contracted MOJ-licensed translators, each under their own licence, and pairs with no MOJ translator in the UAE are issued under Arkan company certification. UAE authorities check for the individual translator’s MOJ stamp, licence number, and signature, not just a company logo.
Do I need to translate my MOHRE labour contract?
Usually not. The UAE private-sector employment contract registered through MOHRE is issued bilingually, with Arabic and English side by side, and Arabic is the governing version. For most UAE-facing purposes that bilingual original is enough. You would only need a certified translation if you are using the contract somewhere that requires a different language - for example a bank, ministry, or court in another country - or if your contract was issued only in a language other than Arabic or English.
Does an employment contract need attestation as well as translation?
Sometimes. A contract issued abroad that has to carry official weight in the UAE often needs to be legalised first - an apostille or a MOFA attestation chain, depending on the issuing country - before it is translated. The legalisation goes on the original, then the attested document is translated. For a contract used purely inside one UAE process, translation alone is frequently enough. A route check confirms the correct order before any work starts.
Can you translate an employment contract for a UAE Golden Visa application?
Yes. Where a Golden Visa file includes an employment contract that is not in Arabic, it needs a certified Arabic translation, alongside the salary certificate and any supporting documents the category requires. We translate and certify the contract so it matches the original and is ready for submission. Whether you qualify for a given Golden Visa category is decided by the authority, not by the translation.
How long does employment contract translation take?
A standard one or two-page employment contract is usually ready within about one business day. Longer contracts with annexes, bonus schedules, or stock-option terms can take a little longer, and we confirm the timeline after seeing the document. Rush service is available when a visa appointment or filing deadline is close.
Next Steps
Before you pay to translate anything, confirm two things: whether your contract is already bilingual (most MOHRE contracts are), and whether the receiving authority needs attestation as well as translation. Our free document route check answers both, or you can send the contract straight to us for a timeline and quote on WhatsApp. For the full service, see our certified legal translation page, and if your contract is part of a wider corporate file, our guide to company document translation in the UAE covers the related paperwork.