How to Apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE 2024 Last Date

In This Article

Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) launched Unemployment Insurance Scheme for workers in UAE. It is known as Involuntary Loss of Employment (ILOE) Scheme for federal government and private sector employees.

The purpose of the ILOE Insurance is to offer cash compensation to the beneficiary when s/he suddenly loses a job.

The UAE Unemployment Insurance Scheme is available through Online Application, Kiosk Machines, ATM Machines, Branch Visit, Call Centers, SMS and Mobile Apps. The ILOE application process is quite simple, you can complete your application in 5-10 minutes by using the step-by-step guideline shared here.

Who is Eligible for Unemployment Insurance in UAE?

All Federal Government Employees and Private Sector Employees are eligible for Unemployment Insurance in UAE.

As per the announcement of MOHRE (UAE Government), all working Emiratis and Expatriates are eligible to apply for Involuntary Loss of Employment Insurance Scheme except some Exempted Categories.

Exempted Categories or Unemployment Insurance

The exempted categories employees/workers given below are NOT eligible for Unemployment Insurance Scheme in UAE.

Investors
Business Owners
Temporary Workers or Contract Workers
Domestic Workers (Housemaid, Baby Sitter, etc.)
Juveniles Under the Age of 18 Years
Retired People Who Receive Pension and Joined A New Company/Employer
Self-Employed and Freelance Workers

So, all the employees/workers except given in above list are Eligible to apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE.

Documents Required to Apply for Unemployment Insurance

There are three main documents required to apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE, here I provide the list of documents as under.

Emirates ID Number
Unified Number or Work Permit (Labour Card)
A Valid UAE Mobile Number Issued in the UAE

With all 3 documents mentioned above, you can apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE and get cash compensation benefits if you ever lose your job in future.

UAE Unemployment Insurance Plans

The MOHRE offers Unemployment Insurance with two plans as Category A and Category B based on monthly income of the employees.

Plan Info/Category	Category A	Category B
Employee’s Basic Salary	AED 16000 or Less	More than AED 16000
Insurance Fee	AED 5+VAT per month	AED 10+VAT per month
Compensation Benefit	Up to AED 10000 per month	Up to AED 20000 per month
Maximum Benefit Period	Up to 3 Consecutive Months per claim	Up to 3 Consecutive months per claim

The Unemployment Insurance Policy Period is either 1 year or 2 years. You can select the policy period at the time of applying for the insurance.

Unemployment Insurance Fee and Payment Options

The Unemployment Insurance Fee is AED 5/month for Category A and AED 10/month for Category B employees. The insurance fee is liable to Value Added Tax (VAT) which is not included. So, the VAT will be added to the insurance fee at the time of payment.

The insurance plan has two options of one year and two years, the total insurance fee will be calculated based on the plan period you select. In addition, you need to select the payment option for insurance fee from options given below.

Monthly
Quarterly
Semi-Annually (Six Monthly)
Annually

You can choose the payment option that is convenient for you. Please note that the full amount of VAT will be added to the first installment/payment, so the first payment would be bigger.

How to Apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE

The MOHRE provides 10 different ways to apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE. Out of them, there are 3 direct channels and 7 indirect/other channels available at present. The application process through direct channels is free, while other channels may charge some service fee.

Here I provide the list of 10 ways to apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE as follows.

ILOE Website Portal
ILOE Smart App
ILOE Call Center
Licensed Exchange Centers (Al Ansari Exchange)
Tasheel and Tawjeeh Business Centers (Branch Visit)
C3Pay App and ATM
Botim App
uPay Kiosk and MBME Kiosk
Etisalat SMS
Du SMS (Coming Soon)

You can choose any one of the 10 methods to apply for Unemployment Insurance for yourself. Let me explain each method to help you go through the application process without any mistake.

#1. ILOE Website Portal

The Unemployment Insurance Online Application is available at ILOE website portal. Kindly follow the steps given below to apply online for Unemployment Insurance in UAE.

Go to ILOE official website @www.iloe.ae.
Find and click on Subscribe/Renew Here option. A new popup message will appear, click on Subscribe Here.
Select Individual option and select your work sector i.e. private or federal or non-registered with MOHRE (free zone).
Enter your Emirates ID Number or Unified Number.
Enter your UAE Mobile Number and click on Get/Send OTP. Then enter the OTP and submit to continue.
Enter your Work Permit Number (Labour Card Number). It will fetch your salary and select your insurance plan Category A or B as applicable.
Select your insurance plan period as 1 year or 2 years. Then select payment option from monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
Pay the insurance fee online to complete the process.

#2. ILOE Smart App

You can also apply for Unemployment Insurance through ILOE Smart App. The application process steps are the same as I have explained for ILOE website portal. The only difference is that you need to so the online process in ILOE Mobile App, not on its website.

Get ILOE Mobile App from Play Store or App Store.
Open the ILOE app on your mobile.
Tap on Subscribe/Renew Here. Select your employment category.
Enter your Emirates ID or UID and Mobile Number.
Tap on Get OTP, enter the OTP and submit it.
Enter your Work Permit or Labour Card Number.
Choose your insurance plan and payment option.
Pay the insurance fee plus VAT to start your insurance policy.
Exit ILOE App after the payment is done.

#3. ILOE Call Center

The Unemployment Insurance Subscription is also available at ILOE Call Center. You do not need to go anywhere, simply call on ILOE Call Center Number 600599555 to apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE.

Make a call to ILOE Call Center Number 600599555.
Select your preferred language.
Choose Subscribe option.
Talk to the call center executive.
Provide your Emirates ID/UID and Work Permit details.
Choose your plan period and payment option.
Follow the instructions of the call center executive to complete the application process.

#4. Licensed Exchange Centers

The UAE Government has authorized Al Ansari Exchange to process Unemployment Insurance Application. You can visit your nearest Al Ansari Exchange Branch/Center to apply for Unemployment Insurance Scheme.

Find the Al Ansari Exchange Branch Nearby your place.
Visit the branch with your Emirates ID or UID and Work Permit.
Inform the service executive that you want to apply for Unemployment Insurance.
Provide your UAE mobile number and required documents.
Choose your insurance plan period, payment option and things.
Pay the insurance fee through the available payment mode at Al Ansari Exchange.
Once the payment is done, get the receipt and leave.

#5. Tasheel and Tawjeeh Business Centers

There are many Tasheel and Tawjeeh Business Centers available in UAE. Whether you live in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or any other Emirate, you can fine a Tasheel/Tawjeeh business center near your location. You can go there to apply for Unemployment Insurance.

You need to provide your identity and work details to the service executive at Tasheel center. Depending on your insurance plan category, you need to pay the fee of AED 5/10 to finish the application and activate your insurance policy.

#6. C3Pay App and ATM

If you have C3Pay App on your mobile then you can use it to apply for Unemployment Insurance easily. You can also go to a C3Pay associated ATM Machine to do the process.

Open C3Pay App on your mobile.
Login and select ILOE or Unemployment Insurance Scheme.
Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.

If you want to apply for ILOE Insurance Scheme through C3Pay ATM, you need to visit your nearest ATM that allows C3Pay Cards. Then insert the card, enter PIN, choose ILOE or Unemployment Insurance and follow on-screen instructions.

#7. Botim App

Botim is a popular mobile app in UAE. People use Botim for calling , messaging, video calling and making payments. But you can use Botim for online application for Unemployment Insurance.

You need to open Botim App on your mobile. Then find and tap on ILOE or Unemployment Insurance option. Thereafter provide required details, choose desired options/plans and pay the insurance fee to finish the task.

#8. uPay Kiosk and MBME Kiosk

uPay and MBME are popular payment service providers in UAE. There are many uPay Kiosk and MBME Kiosk machines available in various parts of the UAE. You can visit your nearby uPay or MBME Kiosk to apply for Unemployment Insurance Scheme.

#9. Etisalat SMS

If you are an Etisalat customer in UAE, you can apply for Unemployment Insurance by sending a simple SMS message.

Type a text message as ID<space>Emirates ID Number

Send the SMS to 2120.

After you send the SMS, you will receive a New SMS. You should read that message and follow the instructions to process your application for Unemployment Insurance through SMS.

#10. Du SMS (Coming Soon)

The Unemployment Insurance Application will be available soon on Du SIM. Thereafter you will be able to apply for ILOE Insurance Scheme via SMS from your Du number.

In this way, you can apply for Unemployment Insurance using 10 different methods.

UAE Unemployment Insurance Last Date

Earlier, the MOHRE announced the Unemployment Insurance Last Date as 30th June 2023. Later the authority decided to the extend the last date till 1st October 2023.

As per the order from MOHRE, all federal and private sector employees in the UAE have to apply for Unemployment Insurance Scheme before 1st October 2023. If you don’t purchase Unemployment Insurance before last date then you have to pay an insurance fine.

UAE Unemployment Insurance Fine

AED 400 Fine: If an employee fails to subscribe to ILOE unemployment insurance in given time limit, s/he has to pay the fine of AED 400. After paying the fine, the employee has to apply for Unemployment Insurance as per rules.
AED 200 Fine: In case you applied for Unemployment Insurance and stopped paying insurance fee for 3 consecutive months, you are liable to pay the fine of AED 200. Not only that, you will get disqualified from the insurance scheme benefits until you pay all pending fees plus fine to reactivate the insurance policy.

Unemployment Insurance Providers in UAE

There are 9 insurance companies in UAE that provide Unemployment Insurance under ILOE Scheme. Here I provide the list of Unemployment Insurance provider companies as follows.

UAE Unemployment Insurance Benefits

The Unemployment Insurance Scheme comes with cash compensation benefits for the subscribers/applicants. The cash compensation provides social security to the applicants so that they can survive and take care of their family even after losing the job.

The cash compensation benefits under Unemployment Insurance Scheme in UAE are as under.

60% of the Basic Salary Received in Last Six Months Before Losing the Job.
Maximum AED 10000 per month for Category A
Maximum AED 20000 per month for Category B
Maximum Cash Compensation for One Claim is up to 3 consecutive months or Starting of New Job, Whichever is earlier.
Maximum Cash Compensation During the Insurance Period Over the Entire Work Life is up to 12 months, Irrespective of Number of Claims.

Eligibility for Claiming Unemployment Insurance in UAE

The employees who have applied for Unemployment Insurance, are eligible for cash compensation if they lose the job. But there are some eligibility criteria and conditions that you should know before you file a claim.

In order to file a claim for Unemployment Insurance in UAE, you…

Must have paid the insurance fee for minimum 12 consecutive months.
Must have a legal residence in UAE.
Must have not lose the job for disciplinary reasons.
Must have not resigned from the job voluntarily i.e. by choice.
Must have not lose the job for doing frauds.
The company you work must be Real, not fictitious.
Must have filed the claim within 30 days of job loss/termination.
Must not have an existing Absconding Case filed by the employer.
Job Loss due to strike and a non-peaceful protest is not eligible.
If other employer/company hires you, the claim gets cancelled automatically and cash compensation will be stopped.

If you meet the eligibility conditions given above, only then you can claim the unemployment insurance benefits. In case of ineligibility, your claim for cash compensation will be Rejected.

How to File a Claim for Unemployment Insurance in UAE

In case of loss of employment (job loss), you can file a claim for Unemployment Insurance in UAE. The ILOE Insurance Scheme provides cash compensation benefits for up to three months if you lose the job and meet the eligibility criteria for claiming the insurance.

There are 3 direct channels available for filing Unemployment Insurance claim, you can choose the channel you like and claim for cash compensation.

ILOE Website Portal – www.iloe.ae
ILOE Smart App – Android – iPhone/iPad – Huawei
ILOE Call Center – 600-599-555

Step for Claiming Unemployment Insurance

Go to ILOE official website www.iloe.ae OR open ILOE Smart App on your mobile.
Login with your username & password or Emirates ID & Mobile Number.
Find out Claim option and click on it.
Provide the proof of job loss and other information as asked.
Submit the details to file your claim to respective authority.

You can also file a claim for Unemployment Insurance in UAE by calling up ILOE Call Center Number 600599555. You should talk to the call center executive and provide information about your job loss and supporting documents. Thereafter the executive will submit your claim.

After filing a claim for Unemployment Insurance, the ILOE authority will process your claim in two weeks. Thereafter it will issue cash compensation and the amount will be credited to your bank account.

Unemployment Insurance for Employees Working in Free Zone

The UAE Unemployment Insurance Scheme is mandatory for all federal government and private sector employees in the country. But the employees working in Free Zone Companies have an option to apply for Unemployment Insurance in UAE, it is not mandatory for them.

The employees can apply individually or the free zone companies can apply for Unemployment Insurance for their employees. The application process and steps are the same as federal government and private sector employees that I have explained above.

The Unemployment Insurance offers great benefits for the employees. Therefore I strongly recommend the employees of Free Zone Companies to apply for Unemployment Insurance even if it is optional for them.

Wrapping Up

The people working in UAE must get the Unemployment Insurance to avoid insurance fine and get cash compensation benefits. I have shared all necessary information about ILOE Unemployment Insurance Scheme and its application procedure.

I have explained the process for claiming Unemployment Insurance when you lose job suddenly. For more queries, you should check the FAQs and their answers given below. You can also ask your questions in the comment box to get a reply in 24 to 48 hours.

FAQs

What is the purpose of Unemployment Insurance in UAE?

The purpose of Unemployment Insurance in UAE is to provide cash compensation for survival in case of involuntary loss of employment i.e. sudden job loss.

How much cash compensation can I get?

You can get cash compensation of 60% of your basic salary but must not exceed the maximum limit.

What is maximum cash compensation in Unemployment Insurance?

The maximum cash compensation in Unemployment Insurance is up to AED 10000 for basic salary of AED 16000 or less and up to AED 20000 for more than AED 16000 basic salary.

How much is Unemployment Insurance Fine in UAE?

The Unemployment Insurance Fine is AED 400 if not purchased the insurance before 1st October 2023. There is another fine of AED 200 if the employee does not pay the insurance fee for 3 consecutive months.

How can I purchase Unemployment Insurance by SMS?

If you are an Etisalat Summer Customer, you can purchase Unemployment Insurance by SMS, just type ID<space>Emirates ID Number and send it to 2120.

Can an employee claim Unemployment Insurance if s/he has an Absconding Case?

No, an employee cannot claim Unemployment Insurance if s/he has an existing Absconding Case?