Document Types

Document Types define the categories of documents employees and admins can upload to the platform. Each type lays out whether the document is required, whether the system tracks expiry, who can upload it, and the scope (employee vs company-level documents).

What you can do here:

Create and manage document categories (Passport, Visa, Company License, etc.)
Mark documents as Mandatory or Optional
Track expiry dates with reminder notifications and tiered alerts
Control who can upload and view each document type
Enable employee self-service requests for specific documents

Understanding the Document Types Table

The table lists every document type in your workspace. The total count is shown at the bottom (e.g., “7 document types”).

Column	Description
Name	The display name of the document type. Sortable.
Required	Mandatory badge for required documents, Optional otherwise. Sortable.
Expiry	Tracked if the system monitors expiry dates (with the validity period shown next to it, e.g., “(1 month)”); `—` if not tracked. Sortable.
Access	A row of icons + a scope badge (e.g., Both, Company) showing who can upload/view the document and where it applies.
Status	Active or Inactive. Sortable.
⋯	Row menu — Edit, Deactivate, or Delete.

Use the Search document types… box to filter by name. Toggle Show inactive to include deactivated types in the list.

Access Icons

The Access column shows small icons that summarise who can do what:

Icon	Meaning
Person with up-arrow	Employees can upload documents of this type
Person with check / eye	Employees (and managers) can view documents of this type
Building icon	Company-scope document
Lock icon (when present)	HR-only access — restricted from employees

A scope badge (Employee, Company, or Both) appears next to the icons when a scope is set on the type.

How to Add a Document Type

Go to Settings > Documents > Document Types
Click Add Document Type in the top-right
Fill in the basic details
Configure Requirements, Access Control, Scope, and Document Request Settings
Click Create

Basic Information

Field	Description	Required
Code	A short unique identifier for the document type. Used in reports, exports, and integrations. Examples: `PP`, `VISA`, `EID`.	Yes
Name	The display name shown to users (e.g., “Passport”, “Emirates ID”, “Company License”).	Yes
Description	A brief explanation of what documents belong to this type and any special instructions.	No

Requirements

Setting	Description	Default
Mandatory	ON: Employees must upload this document type. The system flags employees who are missing mandatory documents. OFF: The document is optional.	OFF
Track Expiry	ON: The system monitors expiration dates and sends reminders before the document expires. Reveals additional expiry settings (see below). OFF: No expiry tracking.	OFF
Requires Document Number	ON: Employees must enter a document number (e.g., passport number) when uploading. OFF: Document number is not collected.	OFF

Expiry Settings

When Track Expiry is ON, three additional controls appear:

Field	Description	Default
Default Expiry (months)	The default validity period in months. When uploading a document, the system pre-calculates the expiry date based on this value.	12
Reminder (days before expiry)	Number of days before expiry when a reminder notification is sent (legacy single-reminder setting — used when no notification tiers are configured).	30
Notification Tiers	A series of advance-notice reminders. With multiple tiers, you can warn employees 30, 7, and 1 day(s) before expiry instead of a single reminder. Click Apply Default Tiers (30, 7, 1 days) to use the recommended tiers, or + Add Tier to create a custom one.	No tiers (uses the legacy reminder above)

For documents like passports, visas, and licenses with finite validity, enable expiry tracking and apply the default notification tiers — this gives employees plenty of advance notice to renew.

Access Control

Setting	Description	Default
Employee Can Upload	ON: Employees can upload documents of this type to their own profile via self-service. OFF: Only HR can upload on their behalf.	ON
HR Only Access	ON: Only HR personnel can view documents of this type. Employees cannot see them, even on their own profile. OFF: Employees and managers can view per their permissions.	OFF

Use HR Only Access for sensitive documents like background-check reports, disciplinary records, or confidential HR correspondence.

Scope

The Scope setting decides where the document type is available — there are three options shown as button cards:

Option	Description
Employee	Personal documents that live on each employee’s profile (e.g., Passport, Visa, Tax ID). Default.
Company	Organisation-wide documents (e.g., Trade License, Insurance Certificate).
Both	The type can be attached to either an employee or the company.

Document Request Settings

Setting	Description
Users can request this document	ON: Employees can submit requests for this document type through self-service (e.g., to ask HR to issue a Salary Certificate). OFF: Self-service requests are not accepted for this type.

How to Edit a Document Type

Find the document type in the table
Click the ⋯ menu at the end of its row
Select Edit
Update the fields you want to change
Click Save Changes

How to Deactivate a Document Type

If a document type is no longer needed but you want to keep existing uploads:

Click the ⋯ menu on the row
Select Deactivate

When deactivated, no new documents of this type can be uploaded, but existing documents remain in employee profiles. Toggle the Show inactive switch above the table to see deactivated types and reactivate them later.

Deactivating doesn’t delete existing documents — it just stops new uploads. Use this when phasing out a category instead of deleting it.

How to Delete a Document Type

Click the ⋯ menu on the row
Select Delete
Confirm in the dialog

Deleting a document type may affect existing documents of that type. Consider Deactivate if you want to preserve historical records.

Common Document Types

Examples of how organisations typically configure document types:

Identification Documents

Document	Required	Track Expiry	Default Expiry	Scope
Passport	Mandatory	Yes	120 months (10 years)	Employee
Emirates ID	Mandatory	Yes	24 months	Employee
Driver’s License	Optional	Yes	60 months	Employee

Employment Documents

Document	Required	Track Expiry	Scope
Employment Contract	Mandatory	No	Employee
Offer Letter	Mandatory	No	Employee
NDA	Mandatory	No	Employee
Salary Certificate	Optional (request-enabled)	No	Employee

Company Documents

Document	Required	Track Expiry	Scope
Trade License	Mandatory	Yes (12 months)	Company
Company Insurance	Mandatory	Yes (12 months)	Company
Tax Registration	Mandatory	No	Company

Work Authorisation

Document	Required	Track Expiry	Default Expiry	Scope
Work Visa	Optional	Yes	36 months	Employee
Work Permit	Optional	Yes	24 months	Employee

Best Practices

Use clear names — employees should be able to identify the right type at a glance. Avoid abbreviations in the Name field; use the Code for short identifiers.
Apply expiry tiers — for any document with finite validity, enable Track Expiry and click Apply Default Tiers (30, 7, 1 days). This is more reliable than a single reminder.
Set the right scope — pick Employee for personal documents (passport, ID, certifications) and Company for licenses or registrations that apply to the whole organisation. Both is rarely needed.
Restrict sensitive documents — turn on HR Only Access for confidential records (disciplinary, performance, legal correspondence).
Enable self-service requests for letters HR commonly issues (Salary Certificate, Employment Letter, NOC) so employees can submit requests instead of emailing.
Audit regularly — review document types annually and Deactivate ones that are no longer in use rather than deleting them.

Templates E-Signature Retention Policies Document Center