United Arab Emirates: why confirm a former employee's job?

In short

• The facts are already on paper. When the contract ends, every employer must give the worker, on request and free of charge, an experience certificate (شهادة خبرة) with the dates of joining and leaving and the job title or kind of work (Labour Relations Law, Art. 13(11)). Those are the facts we ask about.
• It helps the person who worked for you. A record confirmed by a former employer is what the next employer trusts. Answering takes about a minute and needs no account.
• certo asks on their behalf, with their explicit consent. The federal personal data protection law forbids processing personal data without the consent of the person concerned, so with that consent it may be processed (Art. 4). The person started this check themselves, for these facts and no others.
• You do not have to answer. We found no UAE law that obliges an employer to answer certo. Declining is fine.

Companies in a free zone that has its own data protection law, such as the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), are outside the federal law (Art. 2(2)). Their own law applies; this page does not cover it.

The Labour Relations Law

Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, quoted from the text on uaelegislation.gov.ae, as last updated on 29 July 2024.

Article 13(11): the experience certificate

In English: the employer must give the worker, at their request when the contract ends and free of charge, an experience certificate stating the date they joined, the date the work ended, their total length of service, their job title or the kind of work they did, their last wage and the reason the contract ended, without anything in it that may harm the worker's reputation or reduce their chances of work. We ask only about the dates and the job, never about pay or why the employment ended, so your records already hold what we ask.

What is never asked

We found no provision of the Labour Relations Law that lists questions an employer may not put to a job applicant. The data protection law treats data that reveals a person's family, racial origin, political or philosophical opinions, religious beliefs, criminal record, biometric data or health as sensitive personal data (Art. 1). certo never asks you about any of these.

Personal data

Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data applies to your personnel records.

Article 4: no processing without consent

In English: processing personal data without the consent of the person concerned is prohibited, unless one of the listed exceptions applies. Disclosing these facts to certo is processing, and the person's request is that consent.

Article 1: what consent is

In English: consent by which the person authorises another to process their personal data, specific, clear and unambiguous, given by a statement or a clear affirmative act. The person's request names your organisation, certo and each fact, and they sent it themselves.

Article 6(1)(a): proof of consent

In English: where processing rests on consent, the controller must be able to prove it. certo records which account asked, when, and for which facts. Write to support@certo.bio and we send you the record for your request.

Article 5(3): only what is needed

In English: personal data must be adequate and limited to what the purpose needs. You confirm or leave unticked only the facts listed. Add nothing else: anything beyond them is not covered by the person's consent.

Article 23(1)(b): certo is outside the UAE

certo is run from Estonia, in the EU. Besides a transfer to a country with its own personal data protection law under Article 22, the law allows a transfer abroad on:

In English: the express consent of the person concerned to the transfer of their personal data outside the State, where it does not conflict with the State's public and security interest.

What this means for your answer

• Tick only what your HR, payroll or personnel records show.
• Not sure it is the same person? Press "We can't find a matching record". Never confirm a record you are not sure is theirs.
• Your policy is not to answer? Press "We do not answer these requests". The record shows your organisation declined, and nobody else there is asked.

Sources

• Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (UAE Legislation, uaelegislation.gov.ae, the official federal legislation portal)
• Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (UAE Legislation, uaelegislation.gov.ae)

This page is not legal advice. It reflects the law as it stood on 26 October 2026.