Recruitment-fee refunds depend on the recruitment model, a qualifying event and the applicable calculation. They are not an automatic refund of wages, every government payment or an ordinary monthly subscription. Identify the payment and agreement before calculating a claim.
Cabinet Resolution 106 of 2022, Article 6, sets the relevant agency recruitment-refund rules. It expressly excepts direct named recruitment from that agency-refund obligation. Direct recruitment means the employer identifies a worker outside the agency's registered list; it should not be assumed merely because the employer selected someone from the agency's candidates. Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 6 Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 1
Which events can qualify?
Article 6 addresses failure to meet its professional competence and personal conduct requirements during probation; worker termination or leaving, excluding protected Article 10 cases; employer termination because the agency failed to meet agreed preliminary or recruitment-contract conditions; and other cases determined by the Minister. Eligibility requires the actual facts, not simply a statement that the household changed its mind. Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 6
Protected reasons for leaving include specified employer breaches and abuse. They must not be treated as an ordinary worker-leaving refund trigger. Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 10
Full refund or proportional refund?
| Covered recruitment situation | Treatment under Article 6 |
|---|---|
| A qualifying event during the first month from service commencement | Full recruitment-fee refund |
| Medical unfitness established during probation | Full recruitment-fee refund, plus the employer's incurred government fees in this specified case |
| A qualifying case subject to proportional calculation | Recruitment cost divided by employment-contract months, multiplied by the remaining months |
| Direct named recruitment | Expressly excepted from this agency-refund obligation |
These rows must be read with the article's eligibility conditions and exceptions. A refund of government fees in the medical-unfitness case is not a general promise to return all government fees whenever employment ends. Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 6
Apply the formula to the right amount
Hypothetical example: Assume a covered recruitment cost of AED 12,000, a twenty-four-month employment contract and eighteen remaining months in an eligible proportional-refund case. The illustration is AED 12,000 ÷ 24 × 18 = AED 9,000. These figures are invented only to demonstrate the statutory formula; they are not INAYA charges, a quotation or confirmation of an actual entitlement.
Do not include worker wages or monthly service charges in that recruitment-cost figure without establishing the legal basis. Keep invoices and payment categories separate. Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 6
When must the recruitment refund be paid?
Article 6 requires the agency to return the applicable recruitment amount within two weeks from the worker being returned to the agency or the worker's absence being reported. The trigger is not automatically the first complaint email or the date a household decided to cancel. Keep evidence of the relevant return or report. Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 6
What about monthly or flexible agency services?
The operational manual treats temporary and flexible packages separately. For the described flexible model, it addresses deduction for the period worked and return of the remaining period when the worker stops or the beneficiary ends the service. Confirm that the actual contract uses that model before applying this provision. Read the applicable service and cancellation terms for your INAYA agreement separately. MOHRE operations manual 5/2024, Arabic PDF pp. 11–12
INAYA's starting prices remain Essential from AED 1,500 per month, Signature from AED 2,500 per month and INAYA Black on a Custom Quote. Those figures do not identify a recruitment fee or a refund formula.
If disputed, present the contract, payment evidence, event dates and requested amount to the appropriate MOHRE complaint route. Current Article 23 governs dispute handling. Contact INAYA for the written terms applying to your agreement. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 23 (controlling Arabic text)