Whether you are applying for a credit card or renting a house in the UAE, among the many documents required of you a salary certificate is a must. You may already have salary certificate or you may not and if you don’t have it and you don’t know what is it then don’t worry.
We will tell you what is a salary certificate in UAE. How you can get it and what you may need it for. We will also provide any other important information that you may need to know about the salary certificate.
What is a salary certificate in the UAE?
A salary certificate is essentially a proof of employment, provided by the employer upon request. It is a document that states your employment status, your designation in the company, your salary, and along with any other relevant information.
Employers don’t automatically provide a salary certificate, but an employee can request it and it is usually issued by the HR department of the company. This document can then be used as proof that you are employed and have a stable income, in other words, it attests that you are financially stable.
What do you need the salary certificate in the UAE for?
There are a number of areas where you may need a salary certificate in conjunction with other important documents. Some of its most common applications are stated below.
- Opening a Bank account: While not every bank requires that you provide a salary certificate, some may do so to determine the kind of bank account that best serves your needs.
- Getting a credit card: To get a credit card you will need to show the bank that you are employed and have a stable income, so you will need to provide a salary certificate, pay slips, etc.
- Applying for a loan: Just as with the credit card, if you want to apply for a loan, a salary certificate is one of the first things you will need to provide to banks in UAE.
- To get a family sponsorship visa: For ex-pats living in UAE, if they want to bring their families with them, they need to apply for a family sponsorship visa and the application requires a salary certificate to show that you are financially stable and can take care of your family.
- To get government assistance: The UAE government provides financial assistance to its citizens who are unemployed or whose income falls below a certain threshold. For the latter, if they want to avail of government assistance and social benefits, they need to show a salary certificate.
- For renting a home: You may need to provide a salary certificate, for renting a home in the UAE. It will prove that you are employed and have enough income to pay the rent.
Again, these are just some of the examples where you may need to provide a salary certificate. There can be a number of other instances where you may be required to produce a salary certificate.
How do you get a salary certificate in the UAE and how long it takes?
If you have an established reason to get a salary certificate, then acquiring it is very easy and takes only a few steps. Depending on the internal working of the company, the procedure may vary slightly but usually, it is the HR department that issues the certificate.
As for the HR department, they may need to verify your request for a salary certificate and once they have done this, they will issue the certificate in a few working days. On average it takes 3 to 5 working days for them to issue the certificate.
What information can be found in a salary certificate in the UAE?
A salary certificate contains all the necessary information about the employee and the employer that can be publicly shared and may be required for the very purpose you are getting the certificate. Here are some of the key things you will notice on your salary certificate in UAE.
- The certificate will have the company letterhead at the very top or the certificate will be printed on a stationary that has the letterhead somewhere.
- It will have employee details like your designation in the company, your salary, date of joining, employment status (full-time employee or part-time), and some kind of identification or reference number.
- It will have employer details, like their address, contact details, company registration number (CRN), and other such relevant information.
- It will have your salary details like what is your basic salary, information about allowances you are getting (housing allowance, transport allowance, etc.), any deductions being made from your salary, and finally your net salary.
- Lastly, it will have the company’s signature and official stamp or seal to verify it is a legit document issued by the company.
The important thing to remember is that salary certificates vary from company to company and may have a different format. But all of them will have these basic details and any other information that your employer deems necessary to be in the certificate.
How to get your salary certificate attested via MOFAIC?
If you want to use your salary certificate outside the UAE, you will need to have it attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The process to get it attested is very simple and can be done online.
You can get it done by visiting the official website of MOFAIC and clicking the Individual Services option and then following the instructions step by step. After the ministry has verified your request, they will attest it and you will get it back in one or two working days, although this time can vary.
The attestation fee is AED 150 and you may have to pay a few additional dirhams for the e-transaction.
Important things to remember
There are a few key things you need to remember about the salary certificate in UAE.
- Your employer is legally obligated to give you a salary certificate if you request one.
- t can be classified as a legally bounding document and as such if you falsify any information or forge the document, you may face serious legal repercussions.
- However, there is always a chance for some mistake or error, so always verify the document yourself when you get it and if there are any mistakes, have them corrected by your employer.
