3.32 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Hiring maid in UAE? Here's what you need to keep in mind

Published
By Sneha May Francis

Hiring live-in house-helps is turning a norm of sorts in the UAE. Indians, Nepalis, Sri Lankans, Filipinos and Indonesians feature as the top nationalities for the job.

As, some countries have slowed down the process on fresh recruits to the UAE, local maids agencies confirm that there has been a drop in demand, and the expats are willing to hire workers who are already in the UAE.

While the UAE ministry has its set of requirements for hiring domestic workers, like basic salary requirement for the sponsor (Dh10,000 or Dh9,000 plus accommodation) and two-bed accommodation, each country also has issued their set of regulations.

Emirates24|7 lists them out.

Almost all nationalities require the employer to provide their workers with an employment contract, a return airfare to their home country, a separate sleeping area, food and medical insurance.

Sri Lanka

Also for Sri Lankan and Indian maids, the sponsors must obtain an affidavit from their individual embassies stating they are unrelated.

When hiring a Sri Lankan house-help, a minimum, monthly salary of Dh850 must be offered. Once the initial paperwork is done, the employer must proceed to the Sri Lankan embassy and deposit Dh3,673, which will be refunded when the worker completes her contract and returns to her country.

The Sri Lankan embassy also insist that the maid must not be younger than 23 years, and, must undergo a training in domestic work in Sri Lanka and would need to get a medical fitness report. Also, three copies of the labour contract, which will specify daily working hours as not more than 12 hours, need to be signed by the sponsor and maid.

Nepal

For hiring a worker from Nepal, the minimum monthly wage is Dh900, and age of the worker must be over 30 years. A refundable deposit of Dh5,000 at the Sri Lankan embassy is mandatory. The Nepali Embassy also requires a police clearance certificate of the employer.

Once the visa has been stamped, a copy of the attested visa and the employment contract must be sent to the worker in Nepal, who would then apply for Foreign Employment Permit from the Department of Foreign Employment in Kathmandu.

India

The Indian worker needs a minimum monthly wage of Dh1,100 and a refundable deposit of Dh9,200 at the Indian embassy. The worker must not be younger than 30 years.

Apart from the standard boarding and medical requirements, the Indian embassy also instructs the employer to provide a prepaid mobile phone with a SIM card to be handed to the house-help on her arrival in the UAE.

The embassy specifies that the employer (other than a UAE national) must be accompanied by an Indian national, who will stand as a guarantor of the sponsor’s character and social standing. The standard employment contract must also be attested by the Notary Public, Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Philippines

The Philippines embassy requires a Filipino worker to get a minimum monthly salary of Dh1,468. The Philippines embassy requires a document titled Employer’s Information Sheet that will hold details of the sponsor. Also, the sponsor must hold an undertaking for the employment of the worker.

However, there is currently a hold on fresh recruits from Philippines.

Bangladesh

For hiring domestic helpers from Bangladesh, the minimum salary set by their embassy is Dh750. However, there’s not much information available on the Bangladeshi embassy website.

In the UAE, residents must sponsor domestic workers or face penalties that could run into Dh50,0

Minimum salary requirement as per nationality (per month)

Indian - Dh1,100
Bangladeshi - Dh750
Nepali - Dh900
Sri Lankan - Dh850
Filipino - Dh1,468