Can my employer deduct recruitment, visa, or work permit costs from my salary in the UAE?

As a general principle in the UAE, the costs of recruiting and employing you — including work-permit and residency-visa fees the employer is responsible for — are meant to be borne by the employer, not passed on to you through salary deductions. The law restricts charging employees for the employer's own employment costs, and deductions from wages are only allowed on specific lawful grounds. Being asked to repay recruitment or visa fees, or having them quietly docked from your salary, often falls outside those permitted grounds and can be challenged. There can be narrow, properly agreed and documented arrangements, but a blanket charge for the employer's hiring costs is not a lawful default. If such amounts are deducted, keep your contract, payslips, and any documents describing the charge, and ask in writing for the legal basis. If it is not justified, raise it with MOHRE. To confirm whether a recruitment or visa deduction is lawful in your situation, you can compare verified UAE employment lawyers on LEXAI.