MoHRE adds Tabby option for flexible payments

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has introduced Tabby as an instalment payment option for service fees and administrative fines, allowing eligible customers to spread obligations of up to AED20,000 over four to 12 months.

The new facility is available through the ministry’s digital channels and can be used by individuals and businesses completing eligible transactions. It provides an alternative to making a full payment at once, reducing the immediate financial pressure associated with large government fees or penalties.

Under the arrangement, Tabby settles the transaction amount with the ministry, while the customer repays the financial technology company through an agreed instalment plan. Approval, repayment periods and any applicable charges will depend on Tabby’s assessment and the terms presented to the customer during the payment process.

The ministry said the service was designed to provide greater flexibility through a simple digital process. It also supports wider federal efforts to make government transactions more accessible and expand the range of electronic payment methods available to customers.

The launch extends the use of buy now, pay later services beyond retail purchases and into government-related financial obligations. Such platforms allow approved users to divide payments over several months rather than drawing the entire amount from their available funds immediately.

Customers should review the total repayment amount, scheduled deduction dates and applicable conditions before confirming a transaction. Instalment arrangements can make short-term budgeting easier, but missed payments may affect a user’s access to future credit facilities or lead to charges under the provider’s terms.

The AED20,000 transaction ceiling distinguishes the Tabby option from MoHRE’s existing credit-card instalment plans. Those arrangements allow customers of eight participating banks to convert ministry fees and fines into monthly repayments, subject to the issuing bank’s policies and the cardholder’s available credit limit.

The participating institutions are Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mashreq Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Commercial International Bank and RAKBANK. Their plans can extend for up to 12 months, with zero interest available under the applicable arrangements and no ministry-imposed maximum transaction amount beyond the credit-card limit.

Cardholders seeking to use those banking plans generally need to contact their financial institution through its call centre or another approved channel. The bank determines whether the transaction qualifies and applies its own conditions for converting the payment into instalments.

Adding Tabby gives customers another route that does not depend on holding a card issued by one of the eight participating banks. It may prove particularly useful for smaller companies managing several labour-related transactions or people facing a sizeable administrative payment that would otherwise need to be settled immediately.

MoHRE processes a broad range of private-sector and domestic-worker services. These include work permits, employment contract procedures, establishment transactions and other labour-market requirements. Administrative fines may arise from violations of labour regulations, permit conditions or procedural obligations.

The instalment facility changes how an approved payment can be settled but does not alter the amount imposed, remove a violation or extend a regulatory deadline. Employers and individuals remain responsible for meeting all compliance requirements within the periods prescribed by the ministry.

The initiative builds on a federal agreement announced in November 2025 to permit government fees and fines to be paid through Tabby. That framework was intended to modernise the collection system while allowing federal entities to adopt the payment option across their digital services.

Other authorities have also expanded instalment-based transactions. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security introduced Tabby for eligible service fees of up to AED20,000, offering repayment periods ranging from three to 12 months, subject to credit assessment.