UAE domestic worker visa: How to hire a maid or nanny, costs and requirements

If you’ve been wishing you could clone yourself so you could get through your to-do list, there’s another, more practical way to go about it. Hire a maid or a nanny by applying for a domestic worker visa in the UAE.

It’s an easy, streamlined process, thanks to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), made possible through Tadbeer centres that are located all around the emirates.

We break down everything you need to know about hiring a domestic worker in the UAE:

Who is a domestic worker?

Anyone who is hired to work for a family is referred to as a domestic worker.

The UAE safeguards the rights and obligations of domestic workers with its Domestic Labour Law, which ensures that workers are aware of the terms of their contract, the nature of work, the workplace, the remuneration, and the period of daily and weekly rest, as set out by executive regulations. Every domestic worker must consent to these provisions before crossing their national borders.

The country’s Domestic Labour Law applies to 19 occupations:

• Housemaid/servant

• Sailor

• Guard

• Shepherd

• Jockey

• Tamer

• Falcon caretaker

• Worker

• Housekeeper

• Cook

• Nanny/babysitter

• Farm worker/grower

• Gardener

• Personal trainer/coach

• Private tutor

• Home nurse

• Personal assistant

• Private agricultural engineer

• Personal/family driver

The rights of domestic workers

The UAE’s Domestic Labour Law defines the responsibilities of both the employer and domestic worker in a balanced manner, and ensures a suitable working environment in line with national legislation and international conventions ratified by the UAE. It prohibits the following:

• The employment of anyone under the age of 18
• Discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion and nationality or disability
• Sexual harassment, whether verbal or physical
• Forced labour or any practice that constitutes human trafficking, in line with UAE’s laws and international treaties
• Exposure to physical harm
• Assignment of tasks that are not covered under the contract
• Employing the worker in jobs outside the scope of this law without MOHRE’s approval

Moreover, as per the Federal Decree Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers and Its Amendments, domestic workers are entitled to the following:

• Payment of wages, as set out in the standard contract, within 10 days from due date
• One day of paid rest per week
• 12 hours of rest per day, including at least eight hours of consecutive rest
• Paid annual leave of no less than 30 days
• A round-trip ticket home every two years
• No more than 30 days of sick leaves per year
• Possession of their personal identification papers such as passports, IDs etc.

How do I hire a domestic worker?

In order to start the recruitment and visa application process, you will need to visit a Tadbeer centre. These are MOHRE-authorised service centres, with 136 branches around the emirates that offer complete services related to hiring foreign domestic workers.

Tadbeer centres manage all key aspects, like opening a sponsor file, managing a change of visa status (if the domestic worker is in the country), conducting a medical fitness test and registering an Emirates ID.

To find a Tadbeer centre that’s close to your location, follow these steps:

• Visit MOHRE’s website: mohre.gov.ae.
• Next, click on ‘Services’ and then head to Approved Service Centres.
• Finally, select ‘Domestic Workers Service Centres’ to locate one that’s convenient to visit.

Visa application process

The visa application process can take between two to four weeks.

According to Tadbeer centre’s website, expatriate residents can apply for a one-year domestic worker visa, while Emiratis, GCC nationals, and golden visa holders can apply for two-year visas for their household help.

You will need to follow several steps to apply for a domestic worker visa, however, the process is simple and straightforward.

Step 1: Check your eligibility

The UAE has legislated a number of prerequisites for people looking to hire domestic workers:

• Minimum salary requirement: If you are an expat sponsor, you will need to have a minimum monthly salary of Dh25,000. This can be a combined household income.

The minimum salary may reduce if you require help for a medical necessity. However, since salary thresholds are subject to change, it’s best to confirm with a Tadbeer centre before applying.

• Accommodation: UAE law also directs employers to provide domestic workers with appropriate accommodation, meals and clothing. This means you are responsible for accommodation cost and ensuring adequate living standards for the domestic worker, no matter whether they are residing in your home or off-site.
• Health insurance: Sponsors are responsible for providing health insurance for domestic staff, and the plan must meet minimum coverage requirements. In Dubai, this mandate is enforced by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and in the capital, it is regulated by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi.

Once you know you can meet these prerequisites, you can move on to the next step.

Step 2: Gather your documents

This crucial step sets the pace for the entire application process. Ensure all your documents are in order, otherwise you may end up facing unnecessary delays.

Here are the documents you will need to start your application:

• Sponsor’s passport and residence visa copy
• Sponsor’s Emirates ID
• Ejari or registered tenancy contract
• Salary certificate or labour contract
• Bank statement (most recent six months)

Step 3: Pay all fees and obtain an entry permit

Visit a Tadbeer centre near you, and submit all your documents. The Tadbeer centre will start the process by applying for the worker’s visa and bringing them to the UAE (if they are abroad) via an entry permit. If the domestic worker is already in the UAE, they are permitted to transfer their visa without exiting, via a visa status change application. Tadbeer centres facilitate this process, as well.

In terms of fees, Tadbeer centres offer various packages to suit different family needs and budgets. The fee also depends on the emirate you’re applying in, the nationality of the domestic worker, the contract type (one- or two-year), and the worker’s experience.

Costs can range from Dh2,500 for a basic visa service to Dh7,000 for a full package. The full Tadbeer package includes: a two-year MOHRE employment visa, Emirates ID, medical fitness test, health insurance, MOHRE labour contract, orientation training and airport pick-up. Some centres also include uniforms and initial supplies.

Step 4: Pass a medical fitness test

Once the domestic worker arrives in the UAE, he/she will need to undergo a medical fitness test at a Tadbeer centre. As per UAE Domestic Labour Law, all domestic and household workers must be approved as fit to work before a residence visa is issued. Every applicant undergoes blood tests, with an additional chest X-ray for pulmonary tuberculosis, when applying for a new residence visa.

For certain occupations with a higher risk of disease transmission or close personal contact, applicants may be subject to further testing beyond the core panel of tests. Domestic workers fall in this category, and must undergo an additional test for syphilis. Female domestic workers must also test negative for pregnancy.

There are also additional immunisation requirements. A Hepatitis B vaccination is obligatory for

nannies, housekeepers and comparable domestic categories, and this vaccination cost is added to the medical fitness fee.

Tadbeer centres manage the typing of the application, as well as the medical test itself. Once issued, the medical fitness certificate is valid for 90 days.

Step 5: Apply for Emirates ID

If the domestic worker is applying for a visa for the first time, they must complete their biometric scan and register for their Emirates ID at a Tadbeer centre. Biometrics for new applicants must be completed within 10 days of applying for an Emirates ID, otherwise the application is considered invalid.

Step 6: Sign the contract

Once the Emirates ID application has been submitted, and the domestic worker’s ‘Fit to work’ certificate has been issued, both parties can sign and submit the labour contract. The contract goes to MOHRE for verification, and this process also triggers the activation of the mandatory health insurance policy for the domestic worker.

Step 7: Get the visa stamped

The final step in applying for a residence visa for a domestic worker is when the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) stamps the new residence visa in their passport.