MOHRE Portal Upload Rejected: File Format Problems

The degree was attested. The translation was certified. The MOJ stamp was on every page. You uploaded it to the MOHRE portal and the system bounced it back. No clear error message. Just a red indicator and a stalled application.

The translation was fine. The attestation was complete. The problem was the file itself — a phone photograph saved as a PDF, slightly skewed, 4.7MB, and missing the selectable text layer that MOHRE’s system expects.

This is one of the most frustrating delays in the work permit process. Every document is correct on paper. The digital format does not meet the portal’s technical requirements.

What the MOHRE Portal Actually Checks

The MOHRE portal runs automated checks on uploaded files before a human reviewer sees the document. These checks are not published officially, but the consistent patterns from thousands of submissions are clear:

• File size: under 2MB per document. Files over this limit are rejected silently or with a generic error
• Format: PDF preferred. JPEG accepted for some document types. PNG occasionally works. Other formats fail
• Dimensions: A4 (210 x 297mm). Non-standard page sizes — especially US Letter — trigger formatting flags
• Text layer: the system expects selectable text in the PDF. A photograph saved as PDF has no text layer and may fail automated validation
• Resolution: 150-300 DPI. Below 150 DPI, stamps and signatures become unreadable. Above 300 DPI, file sizes balloon past the limit
• Orientation: portrait. Landscape-oriented scans sometimes display correctly but fail processing

None of these requirements appear on the MOHRE website. Applicants discover them by trial and error, usually under deadline pressure.

The Phone Photograph Problem

Most upload failures come from phone photographs. The applicant receives the stamped, signed, MOJ-certified translation on paper. They photograph it with their phone and upload the image as a PDF.

The resulting file has several problems:

• Skewed pages: even a 2-degree tilt makes the document look unprofessional and can confuse OCR
• Uneven lighting: shadows from the phone, desk lamp reflections on the MOJ stamp, dark edges
• No text layer: a photograph is an image, not a document. The MOHRE system cannot read text from it
• Oversized files: phone cameras at 12MP+ produce files far larger than needed
• Stamp legibility: the MOJ stamp number, translator signature, and license number must be clearly readable

The fix is not to photograph better. The fix is to receive the translation as a proper digital PDF from the translator, not as a paper document you then digitise.

When we deliver MOJ-certified translations, the digital PDF is the primary deliverable. It contains selectable Arabic text, is formatted at A4 dimensions, and is compressed under 2MB. The paper version with physical stamps is a backup, not the upload copy.

How to Fix a Rejected Upload

If the portal has already rejected your file, work through this checklist:

Check the File Size

Open the PDF properties. If the file is over 2MB, compress it. Online PDF compressors work, but check the output — if the MOJ stamp becomes blurry after compression, the resolution dropped too low. Target 200 DPI as the compression floor.

Check for Selectable Text

Open the PDF and try to select text with your cursor. If you cannot highlight individual words, the file is an image-based PDF. You need either:

• The original digital PDF from the translator (ask them to re-send it)
• A re-scan with OCR enabled that produces a text layer

Check the Page Dimensions

Open the PDF properties and check the page size. If it shows anything other than A4 (210 x 297mm or 8.27 x 11.69 inches), the scan was done with incorrect settings. Re-scan at A4, or use a PDF page-resize tool.

Check the Orientation

All pages should be portrait orientation. If any page is landscape (common with wide-format certificates or contracts), rotate it in a PDF editor before uploading.

Re-Request the Digital Version

If you received only a paper translation, contact the translator and request the digital PDF. Any MOJ-licensed translator working in 2026 produces digital versions as standard. If your translator only provides paper, that is a signal worth noting. The MOHRE document requirements apply to every document in the file, not just the degree.

Not sure whether your file meets the requirements? WhatsApp us the PDF and we can check the format before you upload.

Documents That Commonly Fail

Attested Degrees with Embassy Stamps

Embassy stamps and MOFA seals add physical bulk to the document. When scanned, these produce high-resolution images that push the file size over 2MB. The stamps also create shadows and reflections that reduce legibility.

Solution: scan the attested degree at 200 DPI in colour. This produces a readable file under 2MB for most single-page certificates. Multi-page attestation chains may need individual page scans combined into one PDF.

Multi-Page Employment Contracts

Employment contracts registered with MOHRE can be 5-10 pages. Scanning all pages at 300 DPI produces a file over 2MB easily.

Solution: scan at 200 DPI, or split the contract into separate uploads if the portal allows multiple files per document type. The translated version should be a lean PDF that matches the original page count.

Police Clearance Certificates

Foreign police clearances come in every format — A4, US Letter, A3 folded, and occasional non-standard sizes. The translation must be at A4 regardless of the original size.

Salary Certificates and Payslips

These are often received as email attachments in non-standard formats. Convert to PDF at A4 before uploading. A salary certificate translation delivered as a proper PDF avoids this entirely.

What We Deliver for MOHRE Upload

Every MOJ-certified translation from our office is delivered as:

• A digital PDF with selectable Arabic text
• A4 page dimensions
• 200-300 DPI resolution
• Under 2MB per document
• MOJ stamp, translator signature, and license number clearly legible
• Formatted for direct MOHRE portal upload

The paper version with physical stamps is provided for in-person submissions at MOHRE Customer Happiness Centres, courts, and other walk-in authorities. For portal submissions, the digital PDF is what you need.

Contact Channels

For portal-ready MOJ-certified Arabic translation:

• WhatsApp: +971 50 862 0217
• iMessage: +971 50 862 0217
• Email: info@onlinetranslation.ae
• Phone: +971 50 862 0217
• Walk-in: Palm Jumeirah Mall, Dubai

Send the document and tell us it is for MOHRE portal upload. We return a format-compliant PDF that uploads without issues — typically the same day.