ILOE at a glance
Figures from the UAE government portal and the official ILOE site, checked on 22 October 2026.
| Item | Category A | Category B | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic salary | AED 16,000 or less | Above AED 16,000 | [1] [2] |
| Monthly premium | No more than AED 5, plus VAT | No more than AED 10, plus VAT | [1] [2] |
| Compensation | 60% of average basic salary, up to AED 10,000 a month | 60% of average basic salary, up to AED 20,000 a month | [1] [2] |
| Longest payment per claim | 3 consecutive months | 3 consecutive months | [2] [5] |
| Most you can receive in your working life in the UAE | 12 monthly payments in total | 12 monthly payments in total | [2] [5] |
| Fine for not subscribing | AED 400 | AED 400 | [1] |
| Fine for not paying premiums | AED 400 | AED 400 | [1] |
The u.ae page gives the premiums as maximums; the ILOE site lists AED 5 and AED 10 a month plus VAT, with the full VAT added to the first payment.
Who has to subscribe to ILOE
Subscription is compulsory for Emiratis and residents working in the private sector and the federal government sector [1] [3]. Five groups are left out: investors who own the business they work in, domestic workers, employees on temporary contracts, young people under 18, and retirees who already receive a pension and have taken a new job [1] [2]. The insurance is in the employee’s own name: you choose the plan, you pay the premiums, and the fine for not subscribing is charged to the worker [1].
How much ILOE costs and how to pay
Your category depends on your basic salary, not your total package. With a basic salary of AED 16,000 or less you are in Category A and pay AED 5 a month plus VAT; above AED 16,000 you are in Category B and pay AED 10 a month plus VAT [2]. If your contract pays commission and does not state a basic salary, you may choose either category [1] [3]. A policy runs for one or two years, and the full VAT for the policy is added to the first payment [2]. The government portal lists nine ways to subscribe and pay [1]:
- The official ILOE website and the ILOE app, which charge no extra fee [2]
- The ILOE contact centre on 600 599 555 [2]
- Tasheel and Tawjeeh business service centres
- Kiosks and ATMs that offer ILOE payments, and some banks’ mobile apps
- Al Ansari Exchange branches or app
- SMS through du or Etisalat: send ID, a space and your Emirates ID number to 2120 [2]
- The BOTIM app
The ILOE fine and how to avoid it
There are two separate fines of AED 400: one for not subscribing at all, and one for not paying your premiums [1]. The ILOE FAQ adds that if a premium is more than 3 months overdue under the payment plan you chose, your policy is cancelled and a fine is due under the law; to be covered again you must take out a new policy [3]. A cancelled policy also breaks your 12 months of continuous cover, which you need before you can claim [3] [4]. To avoid both problems, choose a payment plan you can keep up with, and check your policy and statement on the ILOE portal or app with your Emirates ID and mobile number [3]. If the portal cannot find your details, private-sector employees should raise a ticket with MoHRE or call 600 590000, and federal employees should ask their HR department [2]. If an absconding complaint has been filed against you, the ILOE FAQ says you are not required to pay premiums while it stands [3].
When you can claim, and when you cannot
You can claim only if all of these are true [1] [3]:
- You have been subscribed for at least 12 continuous months and paid every premium on your schedule
- You lost your job for a reason other than resignation
- You were not dismissed for disciplinary reasons under the labour law or federal HR law
- You claim within 30 days of the end of your job, or of the settlement of a labour complaint that went to court
- There is no absconding (work absence) complaint against you
- The claim is not fraudulent and the employer is not fictitious
- The job loss did not come from strikes or non-peaceful protests
- You are legally present in the UAE when you claim
How to claim ILOE compensation
Claim within 30 days of your last working day through the ILOE portal at iloe.ae, the ILOE app or the call centre on 600 599 555 [3]. The policy terms say the claim needs proof that your job was ended by the employer [4], so keep your termination letter and your MoHRE or court papers. Once the claim is submitted, the provider reviews it and the government portal says compensation is paid within two weeks of the submission date [1]. Payments stop if you start a new job while you are receiving them [1]. You can use the compensation calculator on the ILOE site [6], or estimate 60% of your average basic salary over the last 6 months yourself and apply the monthly cap for your category [2].
ILOE is separate from your gratuity and other insurance
ILOE is paid by the insurer, not by your employer, so it sits alongside whatever your employer owes you when your job ends, such as end-of-service gratuity, notice pay and unpaid salary; our UAE labour law guide covers those. There is also a separate insurance against defaulting employers, which the government portal says covers each worker up to AED 20,000 if the company goes bankrupt or fails to pay legitimate dues [7]. Use our gratuity calculator and salary tools to check what your employer owes you, and keep the ILOE claim running in parallel.