UAE: Do employees have to retire at 60 or 65? – information

In some cases, you can apply for a retirement visa to stay in the UAE after retirement

Question: Is there an official retirement age in the UAE? I am turning 60, will my visa or work contract model change after I turn 60?

answer: Based on your inquiry, it is assumed that you are employed in the UAE by a mainland employer. Accordingly, Federal Decree No. 33 of 2021 on Employment Regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 and Federal Decree No. 29 of 2021 on Enforcement Regulations on Entry and Residence of Foreigners Golden Residence Permit and No. 52 of 1989 Ministerial Decision No. 1 applies to the rules and procedures adopted by the Employment Permit Department regarding the recruitment of non-national employees for employment in the UAE.

In the UAE, the employment law and subsequent ministerial resolutions say nothing about the retirement age for UAE employees. However, the current employment law allows the application of the provisions of the previous Employment Act (Federal Act No. 8 of 1980 regulating the employment relationship) and other ministerial decisions in such cases. This is in line with Article 73, paragraph 3, of the Labor Code, which states, “Decisions, regulations and rules in effect before the provisions of this Decree come into force shall continue to apply, provided that their inapplicability does not conflict with the provisions of this Decree until They are replaced in accordance with the provisions of this Decree.”

Based on the provisions of the aforementioned Employment Act, Ministerial Resolution No. 52 of 1989 established 60 years as the retirement age for foreign employees employed in the private sector. This is in accordance with Article 3(c) of Ministerial Decision No. 52 of 1989, “No application for employment in the UAE by a non-national employee shall be approved unless the recruited employee is not less than 18 years of age and not over 60 years of age. However, if the employee being recruited has extensive and rare experience in his professional field, provided that the job he is recruiting for in the UAE is of economic importance, the maximum age limit may be waived, and such waiver shall be approved by the Minister.”

It is worth noting that since January 2011, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has been accepting applications for work permits from individuals aged 60 to 65; thereby raising the retirement age from 60 to 65. Based on this, the retirement age for employees working in Mainland private sector entities may be 65. However, taking into account the nature of an individual’s work, his or her seniority, and expertise that is important to the entity for which he or she works, the retirement age limit of 65 may be further increased upon MoHRE’s approval.

In addition, once an employee turns 65, the MoHRE can issue a work permit to the employee on an annual basis, upon application by the employer, instead of the regular two-year work permit. So, since you are around 60 years old, you can continue to work normally with a two-year work permit and UAE residence visa. Once you turn 65, your employer may have to obtain a work permit and UAE residence visa annually based on your expertise and experience, which may be required by your employer and the UAE economy.

Alternatively, if you resign or retire at the age of 55, you can live in the UAE by applying for a retirement visa. To apply, you must (i) have valid documentation confirming that you have a continuous work experience of not less than 15 years in or outside the UAE, (ii) be over 55 years of age, (iii) have one or more The property is in the UAE, with a valuation of not less than 1 million dirhams, or a fixed deposit of not less than 1 million dirhams in a bank in the UAE, or your annual income is not less than 240,000 dirhams or its equivalent currency. This is in accordance with Article 52 of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 related to the Golden Residence Permit.

Further clarification on this matter, you can seek advice from the MoHRE, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs if you are a resident of Dubai, and from the Federal Directorate of Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security if you reside in other emirates of Dubai Suggest UAE.