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GUIDE · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026

WPS explained — and why files get rejected

Every UAE employer registered with MOHRE pays through the Wage Protection System. This is what the regime requires, what a SIF file actually contains, and how to stop the bank bouncing it at 4 pm on payday.

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  • Min. Res. 598/2022
  • CBUAE SIF layout
  • EDR + SCR
  • One file per licence

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS

Two record types, one strict format

A SIF is a flat file with two kinds of row. Get either wrong and the whole submission fails — the bank does not part-process it.

SIF file structure
RecordCarriesCommon failure
EDR — Employee Detail RecordOne row per employee: MOL personal ID, IBAN, bank routing code, fixed and variable pay, days on the payrollMissing or mistyped IBAN; employee has no MOL ID yet
SCR — Salary Control RecordOne row per file: employer MOL establishment ID, bank routing code, pay month, total amount, record countTotal does not reconcile to the sum of the EDRs

Layout per the Central Bank format prescribed under Ministerial Resolution 598 of 2022.

The submission sequence

  1. Close and approve payroll

    The amounts in the file must match an approved payroll run, including overtime, unpaid days and any deductions.

  2. Validate every record first

    Check each employee has an IBAN, a valid routing code and a MOL ID, and that the control total reconciles. This is the step that prevents rejection — do it before generating, not after.

  3. Generate the SIF per establishment

    One file per trade licence, drawn from that entity's own run and carrying that entity's employer MOL ID.

  4. Submit to the bank or exchange house

    Through your WPS-approved channel.

  5. Record the outcome

    Submitted, accepted or rejected — and keep the evidence. This is what an inspection asks for.

The pre-flight checklist

  • Every employee has an IBAN in the correct format
  • Every employee has a bank routing code
  • Every employee has a MOL personal ID
  • New joiners mid-month are included with correct days
  • Leavers are removed or reported correctly
  • The employer MOL establishment ID matches the licence
  • The control-record total reconciles to the detail rows
  • The pay month is correct — a surprisingly frequent slip

eHRMS runs every one of these automatically and names the employee behind any failure before the file is generated. See payroll & WPS.

Not legal advice. The figures and rules on this page reflect the statutory references built into eHRMS at the time of writing, and are provided for general guidance. Entitlements change and individual contracts, free zones, DIFC and ADGM differ — always confirm current requirements with MOHRE, your free zone authority or your labour counsel.

FAQ

WPS questions

The Wage Protection System is the mandatory electronic salary-transfer regime for employers registered with MOHRE. Wages must be paid through approved channels and reported in a prescribed file so the ministry can verify that employees were paid, in full and on time.

The Salary Information File — the file you submit to your bank or exchange house. It contains an Employee Detail Record (EDR) per employee with their MOL ID, IBAN, routing code and amounts, plus a single Salary Control Record (SCR) carrying the employer's MOL ID, bank routing, month, total and record count. The format is the Central Bank layout prescribed under Ministerial Resolution 598 of 2022.

Almost always data, not formatting: a missing or mistyped IBAN, a wrong routing code, an employee with no MOL ID, or a mismatch between the control-record total and the sum of the detail records. Validating every record before generating the file eliminates essentially all of it.

Persistent non-compliance is what holds up new work-permit applications for the whole establishment, alongside penalties. In practice the work-permit freeze hurts more than the fine, because it stops hiring.

Four. Each establishment has its own MOL ID and files from its own payroll run. Branches under a single licence can share one file; separate licences cannot.

The regime is designed so that the wage due under the registered contract flows through it. Structuring around that is exactly what inspections look for. Keep the contract, the payroll and the SIF consistent.

More guides

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