The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has issued Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, requiring every private-sector employer in the United Arab Emirates to credit salaries to workers’ bank or payroll-card accounts on the first calendar day of each Gregorian month, starting 1 June 2026. The rule forms the centre-piece of a wider upgrade to the UAE’s Wage Protection System (WPS), a platform that already tracks more than five million salary transfers a month. Under the new timetable, companies that miss the 1 June cut-off will face an escalating series of penalties. A five-day delay triggers an automatic suspension on the issuance of new work permits, while a 15-day delay adds financial fines and public-naming measures. MoHRE says the sharper compliance teeth are enabled by an AI-driven monitoring engine rolled out late last year, which analyses real-time salary-credit data from banks and exchange houses.
![UAE Sets 1 June Deadline for Monthly Salary Payments Under Overhauled Wage Protection System]()
For organisations relocating staff to the UAE in light of these payroll changes, VisaHQ can streamline the visa and entry-permit process, helping employees to secure local bank accounts and WPS registration well before the new salary-credit deadline. HR teams can use the company’s dedicated UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) to track application status, gather required documents, and schedule renewals, taking one more compliance headache off the table.
For global-mobility and payroll teams the change removes the flexibility that had allowed firms to stagger payments across the first fortnight of the month. Multinationals that operate multiple payroll cycles—for example keeping a mid-month run for allowances—must now compress all payments into a single day or face breach notifications. Vendors that provide secondment staff will also have to align their cycles with host-employers to avoid knock-on suspensions. Practically, companies should confirm that salary files can be generated and uploaded to the WPS portal in time for funds to settle on the first. Banks have advised clients to submit SIF (Salary Information File) batches at least 48 hours in advance to allow for reconciliation and anti-money-laundering checks. Employers with staff on assignment outside the UAE should verify that overseas banking cut-offs do not create inadvertent delays. Looking ahead, MoHRE officials have hinted that the next phase of reform will extend instant-payment rails to gratuity settlements and end-of-service benefits, thereby closing another compliance gap that frequently catches out relocating employees.
For organisations relocating staff to the UAE in light of these payroll changes, VisaHQ can streamline the visa and entry-permit process, helping employees to secure local bank accounts and WPS registration well before the new salary-credit deadline. HR teams can use the company’s dedicated UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) to track application status, gather required documents, and schedule renewals, taking one more compliance headache off the table.
For global-mobility and payroll teams the change removes the flexibility that had allowed firms to stagger payments across the first fortnight of the month. Multinationals that operate multiple payroll cycles—for example keeping a mid-month run for allowances—must now compress all payments into a single day or face breach notifications. Vendors that provide secondment staff will also have to align their cycles with host-employers to avoid knock-on suspensions. Practically, companies should confirm that salary files can be generated and uploaded to the WPS portal in time for funds to settle on the first. Banks have advised clients to submit SIF (Salary Information File) batches at least 48 hours in advance to allow for reconciliation and anti-money-laundering checks. Employers with staff on assignment outside the UAE should verify that overseas banking cut-offs do not create inadvertent delays. Looking ahead, MoHRE officials have hinted that the next phase of reform will extend instant-payment rails to gratuity settlements and end-of-service benefits, thereby closing another compliance gap that frequently catches out relocating employees.
