AE · Expiry & renewal tracking
Keep every employee's ILOE policy active
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022, employees in the UAE private sector and federal government must subscribe to the ILOE unemployment insurance scheme by buying a policy, except excluded categories such as owner-investors and domestic workers (u.ae). The worker pays the premium and a policy runs one or two years.
Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022 set up the UAE's unemployment insurance scheme, which gives the insured a limited cash benefit if they lose their job (Article 4). According to the UAE government portal u.ae, all employees in the federal government sector and the private sector must take part by buying an insurance policy. Investors who own the establishment where they work, domestic workers, employees on temporary contracts, juveniles under 18, and Emiratis who meet the retirement conditions or pensioners who have joined a new job are excluded.
The worker pays the premium for the basic package, in one of two categories based on basic salary (u.ae). The scheme's official website says a policy period is available for one year or two years. To claim, the insured must have been subscribed for at least 12 consecutive months and must have paid all premiums on the schedule they chose (Decree-Law, Article 5; u.ae).
At a glance
| Legal basis | Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022; Cabinet Resolution No. 97 of 2022; Ministerial Decision No. 604 of 2022 (u.ae) |
|---|---|
| Who must subscribe | Employees in the private sector and the federal government sector, except the excluded categories (u.ae) |
| Who pays | The worker pays the premium; two categories based on basic salary (u.ae) |
| Policy period | One year or two years (ILOE scheme website) |
| Benefit | 60 per cent of the subscription salary for up to 3 months per claim, with a monthly cap (Decree-Law, Article 6; u.ae) |
| Qualifying period | At least 12 consecutive months of subscription, all premiums paid on schedule (u.ae) |
| Claim deadline | Within 30 days of the end of employment (u.ae) |
u.ae lists nine channels for subscribing and paying, including the official ILOE website and app, business service centres (Tasheel and Tawjeeh), ATMs and kiosks, Al Ansari Exchange, some banks' apps and the BOTIM app.
Who is responsible?
The employee. u.ae says employees must participate by buying a policy and that the worker pays the premium. Employers that want staff to keep their cover can track the dates; the official pages read for this guide do not set a separate duty for the employer.
If the deadline passes
u.ae says a worker who does not subscribe is fined, and a worker who does not pay the premiums is fined. According to the scheme's website, if premiums are not paid on the chosen plan for more than 3 months from the due date, the policy is cancelled, a fine applies under the law, and the employee must subscribe again with a new policy. The website also says cover applies after 12 months of subscription, provided there is no interruption of more than three months.
Why continuous cover matters
Compensation requires at least 12 consecutive months of subscription (Decree-Law, Article 5), and the claim must be made within 30 days of the end of employment (u.ae). Renewing each policy before its period ends keeps the 12-month count running.
Tracking it with ExpirySuite
- Add each employee as a person and record their ILOE insurance certificate with the end date of the policy period (one or two years).
- Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days before expiry and on the expiry day, so the employee can renew through the ILOE portal or app before the policy ends.
- Assign a responsible person in HR so the right person gets the reminder; overdue records are also reported to managers on days 3, 7 and 14.
- Ask the employee for the renewed insurance certificate through a secure link valid for 14 days, without them needing an account.
- Emails arrive in each recipient's language, Arabic included.
Frequently asked questions
- Is ILOE unemployment insurance mandatory?
- Yes, for employees in the private sector and the federal government sector, except the excluded categories such as investors who own their establishment, domestic workers, temporary-contract employees and under-18s (u.ae; Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022, Article 3).
- Who pays the ILOE premium?
- The worker pays the premium for the basic package, in one of two categories based on basic salary (u.ae).
- How long is an ILOE policy valid?
- The scheme's official website says a policy period is available for one year or two years. Check the insurance certificate for the exact end date.
- What happens if premiums are not paid?
- u.ae says a fine applies. According to the scheme's website, after more than 3 months of non-payment from the due date the policy is cancelled and the employee must re-subscribe with a new policy.
- When can an employee claim?
- After at least 12 consecutive months of subscription with all premiums paid, if the job loss is not due to resignation or disciplinary dismissal. The claim must be filed within 30 days of the end of employment (u.ae).
Sources
- u.ae: Insurance against job loss (Unemployment Insurance scheme)
- Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022 Concerning Unemployment Insurance Scheme, Articles 3 to 6 (u.ae, unofficial English translation)
- ILOE scheme official website: plans and policy period
- ILOE scheme official website: FAQ (non-payment, coverage)
Last checked: Oct 1, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.
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Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each unemployment insurance (ILOE) (UAE) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.
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