NAFIS in UAE: Benefits, Registration and Overview

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Table of Contents

• Nafis contact number and official channels
• What changed in Nafis in September 2026
• How much Nafis salary support can you get?
• Nafis child allowance
• New support for children of Emirati mothers and wives of Emiratis
• Nafis pension support (Ishtirak)
• Other Nafis programmes
• Who is eligible for Nafis?
• How to register for Nafis
• Nafis in numbers
• What Nafis means for employers
• Hiring Emiratis? Get the payroll right
• FAQs on Nafis in the UAE

Last updated: 4 November 2026 | Reviewed by: M. A. Farahat, ACPA, CFE, CICA

Short answer: Nafis is the UAE federal programme that pays Emiratis extra money for working in the private sector. Since September 2026, an Emirati earning at least AED 6,000 a month can receive salary support of up to AED 6,000 a month, depending on their qualification, plus AED 600 a month for every child. You can register for free at nafis.gov.ae with UAE Pass. The Nafis call centre is 800 NAFIS (800 62347).

Nafis launched in September 2021 with a budget of AED 24 billion and a target of 170,000 Emirati private-sector jobs. It passed that target early, and in April 2026 the government extended it to 2040. Then the rules changed in September 2026, so a lot of what you’ll read about Nafis online, including the earlier version of this page, describes a system that no longer exists. This guide reflects the current rules.

Nafis contact number and official channels

Nafis is run by the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (ETCC). Only use these official channels. Nafis registration is free, so anyone charging a fee to “register you for Nafis” is not part of the programme.

What changed in Nafis in September 2026

• The minimum salary to qualify for salary support is now AED 6,000 a month, in line with the Cabinet’s minimum salary for Emiratis in the private sector.
• Salary support now depends on your qualification, with a new top rate of AED 6,000 a month for bachelor’s degree holders.
• The four-child limit on the child allowance has gone. You now get AED 600 a month for every eligible child.
• Two new groups can get support: children of Emirati mothers, and wives of Emirati men, if they work in the private sector.
• Employers now pay their own full share of pension contributions for Emiratis on the Nafis Subscription (Ishtirak) programme.
• People already receiving support move to the new amounts gradually, not overnight.

How much Nafis salary support can you get?

For new beneficiaries since September 2026, the maximum monthly salary support is:

Your salary has to be at least AED 6,000 a month to qualify. The ETCC’s announcement caps the support tiers at a monthly salary of AED 20,000.

Here’s what that looks like in practice. An Emirati with a bachelor’s degree, earning AED 9,000 a month at a private company and with two children, could receive up to AED 6,000 in salary support and AED 1,200 in child allowance. That’s up to AED 16,200 a month in total.

If you were already receiving salary support before September 2026

Your support doesn’t drop to the new level straight away. If it’s above the new limit, it is reduced automatically by AED 500 every six months until it reaches the new policy level.

Employees outside the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and Central Bank systems, including some free zone employees, whose salary is below AED 6,000 get a longer runway. They keep 100% of their current support for six months from September 2026, then 70% for six months, then 30% for three months, while their salary is brought up to the minimum.

Nafis child allowance

Eligible Emiratis in the private sector receive AED 600 a month for each child. The limit of four children was removed in 2026, so a parent with five children now receives AED 3,000 a month. By March 2026, more than 38,000 children had benefited from the scheme.

New support for children of Emirati mothers and wives of Emiratis

Since September 2026, two groups who weren’t covered before can receive salary support of up to AED 3,000 a month:

Wives who are doctors, teachers or PhD holders can skip the children and marriage-length conditions after two years of marriage, if their degree is from a top-500 university in their field or they work in a role the labour market needs.

Nafis pension support (Ishtirak)

Nafis still supports pension contributions for Emiratis registered on its Subscription programme, known as Ishtirak. The change is on the employer side. Before September 2026, Nafis covered part of the employer’s share during the first years of employment. Now employers pay their full share from the start.

For Emiratis registered with the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) since November 2023, contributions are 15% from the employer, 11% from the employee, and 2.5% from the government.

Other Nafis programmes

Beyond the cash support, Nafis runs the Competencies, Experience and Training for Employment programmes, which train job seekers in skills private employers are hiring for. About 7,700 Emiratis had enrolled by March 2026. The National Healthcare Programme does the same for healthcare jobs, with about 3,500 beneficiaries so far. The Nafis platform also lists private-sector vacancies, so it doubles as a job board for Emirati candidates.

If you lose a private-sector job, also check your cover under the federal unemployment insurance (ILOE) scheme, which pays 60% of your basic salary for up to three months.

Who is eligible for Nafis?

• You are a UAE national.
• You are 18 or older. Some programmes accept Emiratis from age 15.
• You work, or are looking for work, in a private company regulated by MoHRE, or in banking, insurance, hospitality or part-time employment.
• For salary support, you earn at least AED 6,000 a month.

Each programme has its own criteria. If you don’t qualify for one, the portal shows a “Not Eligible” notice with a checklist of which conditions you meet and which you don’t, so you can see exactly what’s missing.

How to register for Nafis

1. Go to nafis.gov.ae or open the NAFIS UAE app.
2. Select Sign in, then choose the Emirati option.
3. Log in with UAE Pass. Your personal details are filled in automatically from UAE Pass.
4. Check your profile. If anything is wrong, correct it in “My Account” or contact UAE Pass support.
5. Choose the programme you want, such as salary support or child allowance, and apply.

Registration costs nothing. You can track your application and receive updates in the app.

Nafis in numbers

By the end of March 2026, according to the ETCC:

• More than 176,000 Emiratis had joined the private sector through Nafis.
• 152,000 were working in 32,000 private companies.
• Women made up 74% of private-sector beneficiaries.

What Nafis means for employers

Nafis money goes to the Emirati employee, not the company, but the September 2026 changes still land on your payroll.

The biggest is pension cost. If you hire Emiratis through the Ishtirak programme, you now pay your full employer share of GPSSA contributions from day one, so budget for 15% of the contribution salary rather than the reduced rate you may have paid before.

Salary is the second. Emiratis need a salary of at least AED 6,000 a month to get Nafis support, and the same figure is the Cabinet’s minimum for Emiratis in the private sector. An Emirati paid below it no longer counts toward your Emiratisation targets.

And Nafis is how most companies find Emirati candidates. Posting roles on the platform helps you meet your Emiratisation requirements in the private sector. Hiring Emiratis on paper only is treated as fake Emiratisation, which brings heavy fines and repayment of any Nafis support received.

Also read: Is Nafis Registration Mandatory for ICV in the UAE? | UAE Labour Law 2027 Guide

Hiring Emiratis? Get the payroll right

Our UAE payroll team handles GPSSA pension contributions, WPS salary files and the AED 6,000 minimum salary for Emirati employees, so your Emiratisation numbers hold up when MoHRE checks them. Ask us for a quote.

FAQs on Nafis in the UAE

Sources:
Nafis: official website

M. A. Farahat – ACPA, CFE, CICA

Research and Publications Department
Payroll Middle East
Tel: +971 4 2500251 | Email: sales@payrollmiddleeast.com