Build UAE Wage Protection System File (WPS SIF)
Skill: Convert monthly payroll into a WPS Salary Information File
Region: United Arab Emirates (الإمارات العربية المتحدة) Category: Payroll — Wage Protection System (WPS) Does: Takes a month's payroll and assembles the Salary Information File (SIF) for the UAE Wage Protection System — the delimited file employers submit through an agent (bank / exchange house) so wages are transferred and verified by MOHRE and the Central Bank (CBUAE). Spec: UAE WPS — SIF (Salary Information File): SCR (Salary Control Record) + EDR (Employee Detail Record)
WPS is mandatory for employers under MOHRE (mainland; free zones have parallel regimes). The SIF is a delimited text file (commonly
.sif/.csv, comma-separated) with a strict record layout: EDR lines (one per employee) followed by a single SCR trailer. Field positions and validations are defined by the WPS file specification and the routing agent — confirm the current spec and your agent's requirements before generating.
When this applies
- Employers must pay wages through WPS within the regulated timeframe (wages are due and the SIF processed so payment occurs within the period set by MOHRE — typically within 15 days of the due date).
- The SIF total and employee transfers are reconciled against the salaries actually credited; mismatches trigger WPS non-compliance flags.
Record structure (SIF)
EDR Employee Detail Record (one per employee)
EDR ...
SCR Salary Control Record (one, trailer/summary for the file)
EDR — Employee Detail Record
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Record type | EDR |
| Employee unique ID | MOHRE labour card number / personal number (or Emirates ID per spec) |
| Employee routing code | the bank/exchange routing code receiving the salary |
| Employee account / IBAN | the worker's account (UAE IBAN) |
| Pay start / end date | the salary period covered |
| Number of days | days in the salary period for the employee |
| Fixed component | fixed salary amount |
| Variable component | variable pay (allowances/overtime) |
| (Leave/notes) | days on leave, etc., per spec |
SCR — Salary Control Record
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Record type | SCR |
| Employer unique ID | MOHRE establishment / company ID |
| Employer bank routing code | the paying bank routing code |
| File creation date / time | |
| Salary month / year | the period |
| Number of EDR records | employee count |
| Total salary amount | sum of all EDR (fixed + variable) |
Data rules
- The SCR totals must reconcile to the EDRs: the SCR record count = number of EDR lines and the SCR total salary = Σ (fixed + variable) across all EDRs.
- Amounts in AED to the spec's decimal convention; routing codes and IBANs must be valid UAE banking identifiers; the employee unique ID must match the MOHRE labour record.
- Each employee appears once per file for the period; pay start/end and days must be consistent with the salary month.
- The file is delimited per the spec (comma-separated, fixed field order); the agent (bank/exchange house) validates and forwards to the WPS (CBUAE/MOHRE).
- Free-zone authorities (e.g. DMCC, JAFZA) may run their own WPS variant — use the applicable authority's SIF spec.
Worked example (two employees, outline)
EDR,<empID-1>,<routingCode>,<IBAN-1>,20250501,20250531,30,5000.00,500.00
EDR,<empID-2>,<routingCode>,<IBAN-2>,20250501,20250531,30,4000.00,0.00
SCR,<employerID>,<employerRouting>,20250601,053100,052025,2,9500.00
(2 EDR lines; SCR count = 2; SCR total 9,500.00 = (5000+500) + (4000+0). Field order/labels per the current WPS SIF spec.)
Validation checklist
- Current WPS SIF specification (and the routing agent's requirements / applicable free-zone variant) confirmed
- One EDR per employee; a single SCR trailer
- Employee unique ID matches the MOHRE labour record; routing codes and IBANs valid
- Fixed + variable components present; pay start/end and days consistent with the salary month
- SCR record count = number of EDRs; SCR total = Σ (fixed + variable)
- Amounts in AED per the spec's decimals; delimiter and field order correct
- Employer establishment ID and paying-bank routing correct; salary month/year set
- Submitted via the agent within the MOHRE timeframe; WPS reconciliation clears
Last updated: 2026-05-31 — WPS SIF field layouts and timeframes are set by MOHRE/CBUAE (and free-zone authorities); confirm the current SIF specification, field order, validations, and submission timeframe with your routing agent and the applicable authority (mohre.gov.ae / centralbank.ae) before use.