Can your employer keep your passport in the UAE?

What the position is

Your passport belongs to you. As a general rule an employer cannot retain it against your will, and a "company policy" to hold passports does not override your right to your own document. Handing it over briefly for a specific government process — with your consent — is different from an employer keeping it indefinitely.

What to do if it happens

• Ask for its return in writing, so there's a record.
• Keep copies of your passport, contract and messages.
• Escalate to HR, then to the relevant labour authority (often MOHRE) or the police if unresolved.
• If it's tied to unpaid wages, a resignation or a ban, get a lawyer involved early.

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