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Direct answer. A maid visa in Dubai is a domestic worker's residence that you obtain as the worker's employer. It is only legal through the system run by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). The governing law is Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, which replaced Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 and was amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023. You have three lawful routes to recruit a new worker. You can recruit through a MOHRE-licensed recruitment office (many people know the government-approved centres as Tadbeer) and become the worker's employer. You can ask the office to bring a worker you have already chosen by name, which the law calls direct recruitment. Or you can use temporary employment, where the office stays the employer and you are the beneficiary. Whichever you choose, MOHRE issues the work permit first. The worker then enters on a work entry visa. Residence is completed with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) or, in Dubai, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). You sign a two-year contract on the Ministry's form. Hiring a worker who is not authorised to work for you can cost AED 50,000 to AED 200,000.
This guide covers sponsorship: the routes, the sponsor's conditions, the steps, the contract, refunds and penalties. For the worker's day-to-day rights, read our guide to labour law for domestic workers in the UAE.
Legal routes to hire a domestic worker
The law allows recruitment and temporary employment only through offices licensed by MOHRE (Article 4(1)). Each route puts the legal relationship in a different place, so choose before you pay anyone.
| Route | Who is the employer and sponsor | Best fit | Refund if it fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruitment through a licensed office (mediation) | You. The worker is registered on your file; the office is not a party to the employment | A full-time, live-in worker for two years | Yes, by formula (see below) |
| Direct recruitment of a named worker | You. The office brings a worker you named, from outside its own list | You already know the worker you want | No recruitment-fee refund from the office |
| Temporary employment | The licensed office. You are the "beneficiary" | Short-term or flexible help without sponsoring | The office stays responsible for the worker |
| Transfer of a worker already in the UAE | You, as the new employer | Taking over a worker whose contract allows a move | Not a recruitment case; a cost-sharing rule may apply |
What "Tadbeer or direct sponsorship" means in law
People often ask whether to "go through Tadbeer" or "sponsor directly". In law, the question is who the employer is. Under mediation and direct recruitment you become the employer, so the worker's permit and residence sit on your file. Under temporary employment the licensed office is the employer (Article 14(1)). The worker lives where you say unless you and the office agree otherwise, and a Ministry-form contract between you and the office sets the terms (Article 9 of the Executive Regulations). Hiring someone informally, with no permit tied to you, is not one of the options.
Hiring a worker who is already in the UAE
A domestic worker may transfer to a new employer once the contract's conditions are met, under procedures set by the Minister (Article 21). If the worker was recruited by name and moves during the first contract, the new employer pays the original employer a pro-rated share of the recruitment cost plus the government fees paid. The two employers can agree otherwise (Article 6(7) of the Executive Regulations). Do not take on a worker who has left another household without a valid transfer. Helping a worker abandon their job, or sheltering them to exploit them or employ them without authorisation, carries the same AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 fine (Article 27(3)(f)).
Who can sponsor a maid: the sponsor's conditions
The law does not fix one salary figure in its text. Instead, the Council of Ministers, or whoever it delegates, sets the minimum salary or monthly income a foreign resident needs to recruit a domestic worker (Article 28(3)). The Executive Regulations delegate that power to the Minister (Article 17(2)). The Minister also sets any other conditions an employer must meet (Article 4(5)(a)). So the threshold can change by decision. Check the current figure with MOHRE or your residence authority before you sign with an office. The u.ae page on domestic helpers links MOHRE's domestic workers services.
Three other rules come straight from the law:
- The worker must be at least 18 (Article 4(3)).
- The job must be one of the 19 listed occupations, such as housekeeper, babysitter, cook, chauffeur, gardener, home caregiver, private tutor or personal assistant (Schedule 1 of the Executive Regulations).
- Your file must not be suspended. MOHRE can suspend an employer's file and refuse new recruitment permits. The grounds include a material breach, wages unpaid for more than two months, assault or a false absence report (Article 15 of the Executive Regulations).
A Golden Residence holder may recruit domestic workers in line with their financial solvency (Article 3(2) of the Golden Residence provisions, "Rewards of Golden Residence Permit Holders", of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022). Our UAE Golden Visa guide covers that residence itself.
Step by step: from choosing a worker to residence
The order matters, because each authority relies on the step before it.
- Pick the route and a licensed office. Only MOHRE-licensed offices may recruit or place workers. An office can operate from premises or through digital channels (Article 1). The u.ae domestic helpers page links MOHRE's domestic workers services centres and its online platform.
- Sign the recruitment contract with the office. It uses the Ministry's form and covers the conditions you set for the worker, the work and pay, the costs, and the deadline for completing recruitment (Article 6(1)). If the office breaks those conditions, you can refuse the worker (Article 6(2)).
- The office prepares the worker abroad. Before recruitment, the office must have the worker medically examined, within 30 days before entry (Article 5(3)). It must check any required certificate of experience, for example for nursing or driving, except for a worker you named, where Article 4(5) of the Executive Regulations relieves the office of that check. It must show the worker the job offer matching your contract form and get their signature. Where MOHRE requires it, it must obtain a good-conduct certificate (Article 4(1) of the Executive Regulations).
- MOHRE issues the work permit. No domestic worker may work without a MOHRE permit (Article 12(8)). Residence for a domestic worker also needs a MOHRE permit first (Article 40(2) of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022).
- The worker enters on a work entry visa. This visa allows a 60-day stay from entry, during which residence is completed (Article 33 of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022).
- Sign the employment contract and give the worker a copy. It must be on MOHRE's form (Article 7(1)). The contract section below lists what it must say.
- Complete residence. u.ae describes this as the domestic worker's visa. The worker completes the medical fitness test and Emirates ID steps, and residence is issued by ICP or, for Dubai, GDRFA. Our guide to the UAE medical fitness test explains that test. Confirm the current steps and fees with ICP or GDRFA before you apply.
- Set up pay and medical cover. If MOHRE's WPS mechanism covers the worker's occupation, register them in the Wage Protection System. Failing to do so is fined AED 100 per worker (Schedule 2 of the Executive Regulations). Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022 brings only certain domestic professions under WPS, so confirm with MOHRE whether yours is one. You must also bear the worker's medical costs or provide health insurance (Article 11(5)). Our Wage Protection System guide explains how WPS works.
Wages are due from the date the worker enters the UAE or from the date their status is adjusted (Article 15(2)).
The employment contract: what it must say
The employment contract is signed between you and the worker, on MOHRE's form, and the worker keeps a copy. Article 7(2) lists the minimum contents:
| The contract must state | Legal anchor |
|---|---|
| Names of both parties, workplace and date signed | Article 7(2) |
| Type of work and start date | Article 7(2) |
| Total wage, basic wage and how pay is made | Article 7(2) |
| Leave, rest periods and any probation period | Article 7(2) |
| How the contract can end | Article 7(2) |
| A term of two years, renewable for the same period | Article 7(3) |
Four rules sit around the form:
- Probation is capped at six months from the start date (Article 8).
- Silence renews it. If both sides keep working after the two years end, the contract is treated as extended on the same terms (Article 7(3)).
- Language. The contract is in Arabic, with a version in a language the worker understands, and the Arabic prevails (Article 28(5)).
- Unlawful clauses are void. Any term that conflicts with the law is void unless it is more favourable to the worker (Article 28(4)).
The duties you sign up to
Signing makes you responsible for a set of legal minimums. They are the floor, not the ceiling:
| Duty | Rule |
|---|---|
| Pay | Monthly, in UAE dirhams, within 10 days of the due date (Article 15(1)) |
| Daily rest | At least 12 hours a day, including 8 consecutive hours (Article 9(2)) |
| Weekly rest | One paid day; if worked, a substitute day or a day's wage (Article 9(1)) |
| Annual leave | At least 30 days a year, paid before it is taken (Article 10(1)) |
| Ticket home | A return ticket once every two years if the worker travels home on leave (Article 10(4)) |
| Living needs | Suitable housing, meals and work clothes for a full-time worker (Article 11) |
| Documents | The worker keeps their own identification documents (Article 11(11)) |
Keeping the worker's identity documents yourself is a fined violation: AED 500 per worker (Schedule 2 of the Executive Regulations). The rights guide linked above covers the worker's side of these duties.
Fees, refunds and replacements
Nobody may charge the worker for getting the job. The office may not take any payment or expenses from the worker, before or after work starts (Article 5(2)). You may not take money from the worker either, except as the law allows (Article 11(13)). Any fee to bring the worker over is the office's own cost (Article 4(1)(g) of the Executive Regulations), except for a worker you named, where Article 4(5) relieves the office of that duty. Even then, nobody may charge the worker.
Offices must charge you within the service-package prices MOHRE approves, show those prices prominently, and contract through MOHRE's electronic systems. An office that breaks the price rule or contracts outside the system is fined AED 5,000 per case (Article 4(3)(b) and Schedule 2 of the Executive Regulations). Prices change, so ask the office to show you the approved package before you pay.
If the placement fails, Article 6 of the Executive Regulations sets out a refund:
| Situation | What you get back |
|---|---|
| The worker lacks competence or good conduct during probation, leaves outside the lawful cases, or the office's agreed conditions were not met | A share of the cost: total recruitment cost ÷ contract months × months remaining |
| Any of those cases in the worker's first month, or the worker proves physically unfit during probation | The full recruitment fee |
| The worker proves physically unfit during probation | Also the government fees you paid |
| The worker was recruited by name (direct recruitment) | No recruitment-fee refund from the office |
The office must pay within two weeks of the worker's return to it or of the absence report. Missing that deadline costs the office AED 2,000 per case (Schedule 2 of the Executive Regulations). The law also lets the office provide a substitute worker instead of a refund, under the Ministry's decisions (Article 5(9)).
What happens if you hire outside the system
Informal arrangements carry real fines. Article 27 sets the criminal penalties, and Schedule 2 of the Executive Regulations adds administrative fines that MOHRE imposes:
| Conduct | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Hiring a worker who is not authorised to work for you | Fine of AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 (Article 27(3)(a)) |
| Recruiting a worker and leaving them without work | Fine of AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 (Article 27(3)(b)) |
| Using a worker's permit for another purpose | Fine of AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 (Article 27(3)(c)) |
| Running unlicensed recruitment or temporary placement | Up to one year's imprisonment and/or AED 200,000 to AED 1,000,000 (Article 27(4)(a)) |
| Employing without a permit, or letting the worker work for others without following the rules | AED 5,000 per worker (administrative) |
| Filing a false absence report | AED 5,000 per worker (administrative) |
Fines under the law multiply by the number of workers involved, up to AED 10 million, and double on a repeat within a year (Article 27(7) and (8)).
Can your maid work for someone else?
Not freely. A worker may work for anyone other than the employer named in the contract only through MOHRE's procedures. A relative of yours up to the second degree is the exception, if the worker agrees (Article 11 of the Executive Regulations). If you need part-time or shared help, temporary employment through a licensed office is the simplest lawful route.
When the worker leaves, goes missing or wants to move
Endings have their own deadlines:
- Absence. If the worker stops coming to work without a legitimate reason, you must notify MOHRE within 5 days (Article 18(2)). Unexcused absence of 10 consecutive days, or 15 non-consecutive days in a contract year, ends the contract (Article 19(1)(g)). Read our guide to absconding reports in the UAE before you file one; a false report is fined.
- Final dues. Pay all of the worker's entitlements within 10 days of the contract ending (Article 19(2)).
- Ticket home. If you end the contract for a reason that is not the worker's fault, you provide the return ticket and pay any other dues (Article 20(2)). Our repatriation ticket guide covers who pays in other cases.
- The worker's right to leave. A worker can leave, keeping their rights, two weeks after notifying MOHRE that the wage was cut or the contract was breached, if you do not fix it. A worker who is assaulted can leave at once (Article 10 of the Executive Regulations).
If there is a dispute
Disputes go to MOHRE before any court. The Ministry tries to settle the matter. It can decide claims up to AED 50,000 itself, and either side can take that decision to the court of first instance within 15 working days (Article 23). Claims under the law cannot be heard more than 3 months after the work relationship ends, and workers pay no court fees (Article 26).
Checklist before you sign
- The office holds a current MOHRE licence, and you know which route you are buying.
- You meet the current income threshold set by decision, confirmed with MOHRE or your residence authority.
- The recruitment contract is on the Ministry's form and names the worker's conditions and the delivery deadline.
- The price matches a MOHRE-approved package, and nothing is being charged to the worker.
- You understand whether the refund formula applies; it does not for a worker recruited by name.
- The employment contract is on MOHRE's form, in Arabic and a language the worker reads, and the worker has a copy.
- Pay will run through WPS where it applies, or another traceable method, and medical cover is arranged.
When to get legal help
Most sponsorships are paperwork. A lawyer helps when something goes wrong. An office may refuse a refund it owes, or a claim may follow a worker's departure. An absence report may be disputed, or a MOHRE decision may need to go to court within its 15-working-day window. You can find an immigration lawyer on LEXAI and contact them directly. You can also ask the LEXAI legal AI assistant a first question, or read the full text of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 and its Executive Regulations.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Thresholds, fees and procedures are set by MOHRE, ICP and GDRFA and can change, so confirm them with the relevant authority or a licensed UAE lawyer before you act.
Last updated 21 October 2026
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Mohammad Salah Shoaib is the Founder and CEO of Al Fahad Legal Consulting, a UAE-based legal consultancy providing comprehensive legal support to individuals, entrepreneurs, and companies across a wide range of complex legal matters. With more than 18 years of legal experience in the UAE and Egypt, Mohammad has developed extensive practical expertise in civil and commercial litigation, criminal matters, employment disputes, real estate and tenancy cases, family and personal status matters, debt recovery, arbitration, corporate advisory, and immigration-related issues, including travel bans, administrative deportation, and police and prosecution procedures. He has practised in the UAE legal sector since 2011 and is a licensed member of the Egyptian Bar Association. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Faculty of Law at Tanta University in 2008. His professional experience includes advising and representing individuals, investors, business owners, and local and international companies in sensitive and high-value disputes. As Senior Legal Advisor and litigation specialist, Mohammad is recognised for providing clear, commercially focused, and practical legal guidance. He works closely with clients from the initial assessment of their legal position through negotiation, dispute resolution, litigation support, and enforcement, coordinating where necessary with licensed advocates and relevant authorities across the UAE. Al Fahad Legal Consulting handles matters before the UAE courts, Dubai Rental Disputes Center, labour authorities, police departments, public prosecution, immigration authorities, arbitration centres, and other judicial and administrative bodies. The firm’s approach combines detailed legal analysis, strategic case management, responsive communication, and a strong commitment to protecting its clients’ rights and commercial interests. Mohammad and Al Fahad Legal Consulting are also active members of leading UAE legal platforms and professional networks, including LegalAdviceME - now operating as Attory - and Emirates Legal Network. Through these platforms, Mohammad has provided preliminary legal guidance to a diverse international client base and has established a strong reputation for professional, reliable, and solution-oriented legal support. In addition to the firm’s UAE operations, Mohammad maintains a legal practice in Alexandria, Egypt, under the name Mr. Lawyer, enabling the firm to assist clients whose legal or commercial interests extend between the UAE and Egypt
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