For households and individuals wanting to sponsor a maid or private driver, the process is now highly regulated and digital, especially in Dubai, where the Domestic Worker Package on Dubai Now streamlines most steps. EGSH helps clients complete these procedures correctly, in line with MoHRE and GDRFA requirements.
Domestic workers are a special category with their own recruitment rules, contracts and protections that apply across the UAE, including Dubai. This article explains who can sponsor, which workers qualify, how to move from a work permit to residence, what Dubai’s digital journey looks like, and the main obligations and risks for employers.
Domestic Workers in Dubai: Legal Framework and Covered Occupations
Domestic workers in the UAE are regulated under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023. This framework applies across all emirates, so domestic worker visas in Dubai must meet federal and local procedures.
Domestic workers currently include 19 occupations: user/household servant, sailor, guard, shepherd, stableman, camel jockey or trainer, falconer, general worker, housemaid, cook, babysitter, farmer, gardener, private trainer, private teacher, home care provider, private representative (mandoub), private agricultural engineer, and private driver. Housemaids and private drivers are part of this regulated group, and recruitment, contracts, and work assignments must stay within these listed occupations.
Who Can Sponsor a Maid or Driver in Dubai? Employer Eligibility
MoHRE’s domestic workers portal confirms that UAE nationals, GCC nationals and residents in the UAE are eligible to apply for domestic worker work permits. In practice, this means that to sponsor a maid or driver in Dubai, the employer must already have lawful status in the UAE and be registered correctly with MoHRE.
For employer documentation, MoHRE’s “Issuance of a New Work Permit – Domestic Workers” service requires a valid passport for all employers. Resident or investor employers must hold a valid UAE residence permit, while citizen employers need an original, valid Emirates ID with their unified number. Additionally, employers must have an active insurance policy on file, and those in Dubai and Abu Dhabi must provide medical insurance cover for their domestic workers.
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Key Conditions for Domestic Workers: Age, Permits and Types of Contracts
On the worker side, the domestic helper visa process in Dubai is restricted to adults. MoHRE states that domestic workers must be at least 18 years old, and recruitment or employment of anyone under 18 is prohibited. There is a general upper age limit of 60 years for new domestic worker work permits, with an exemption only for workers already in the UAE whose domestic worker residence was cancelled within the previous 3 months.
For a Dubai domestic worker visa, the worker’s passport must be valid for at least three months. MoHRE requires a work permit for all domestic workers. Applications can be submitted online 24/7 or at service centres. Work permits usually last two years, and contracts can be full-time, part-time, temporary, flexible, remote, or job-sharing via MoHRE-approved templates.
Federal law and MoHRE decisions prohibit employing a domestic worker without a valid work permit or leaving them to work for others without regularising their status. Such breaches can lead to administrative measures, financial penalties and, in serious cases, criminal proceedings, affecting both the employer’s record and future ability to obtain permits.
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Step-by-Step: Obtaining a Domestic Worker Visa for a Maid or Driver in Dubai
To obtain a maid visa or a private driver visa in Dubai, employers must follow the MoHRE-driven process and use the GDRFA Domestic Worker Package for residence.
Start With a MoHRE-Licensed Domestic Worker Recruitment Agency
Only domestic worker recruitment agencies licensed by MoHRE may recruit or employ domestic workers; hiring or even temporarily employing workers via unlicensed intermediaries is prohibited. The recruitment-agency contract with the employer must specify the requested worker's qualifications, job type and wage, the costs of transferring the worker from their home country, the recruitment fees due, and a time limit for completion.
Licensed offices must also inform the worker in advance about the job type, workplace and wage; verify medical, psychological and professional fitness; arrange required medical tests within 30 days before entry; familiarise the worker with UAE customs; provide suitable accommodation and subsistence when workers stay at the office; avoid any violence; clarify complaint channels; ensure a wage-receipt mechanism; and not request or accept any commission or expenses from the worker in return for employment.
Apply for the Domestic Worker Work Permit via MoHRE
The first formal step in the domestic worker work permit process in Dubai is MoHRE’s “Issuance of a New Work Permit – Domestic Workers” service. This service is available to UAE nationals, GCC nationals, and residents who wish to recruit a domestic worker from inside or outside the UAE, and the MoHRE indicates a typical completion time of 2 working days.
A passport valid for at least 3 months is mandatory for the worker, along with compliance with age and other conditions. MoHRE distinguishes between fee schedules for “all emirates except Dubai” and “the Emirate of Dubai,” indicating Dubai-specific fees. Applications via the MoHRE website or app are free (excluding federal charges), and business centres may charge a capped commission.
Conclude the Employment Contract and Start Residence Procedures
Once the work permit step is underway, employers must use the “Issuance of a new Employment contract – Domestic worker” service, which links the domestic worker's employment contract in Dubai with residence procedures. Log-in is typically via UAE Pass or similar credentials, after which the employer completes the electronic application.
Required documents include a copy of the employer’s passport (with a unified number page for citizen employers), a copy of the domestic worker’s passport, a coloured photo of the worker, evidence of medical insurance, and the domestic worker employment contract in MoHRE’s standard form, signed by both parties. The system then forwards the application electronically to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) for verification. Any missing information is reported back to the customer, and approvals or rejections are issued via SMS and email.
Complete Medical Exam, Emirates ID and Residence in Dubai
In Dubai, most remaining steps for the Dubai domestic worker residence permit are bundled into GDRFA Dubai’s “Domestic Worker Package” on the Dubai Now app, developed with MoHRE, Dubai Digital, ICP, Dubai Health and the Insurance Authority. Through a single unified form, the employer enters the domestic worker’s details and identity/passport data, and both parties can electronically sign the employment contract.
The worker completes the required medical examination, with results sent directly through the system, and once all conditions are met, Emirates ID and residence permit issuance are processed within the same digital journey. This replaces multiple separate visits and channels with a single integrated path for issuing, renewing, or cancelling domestic worker residence, as well as handling medical and digital identity formalities.
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Dubai Now “Domestic Worker Package”: What Is Different for Dubai Sponsors?
For Dubai-based sponsors, the Dubai Now Domestic Worker Package significantly changes how domestic worker visa procedures are executed. According to GDRFA Dubai, the package consolidates what used to be 4 separate service channels into one app, reducing the number of process steps from 12 to 4 and the number of required in-person visits from 8 to 2.
The same source indicates that processing time has been shortened from around 30 days to about 5 days, the required documents have been reduced from 10 to 4, and overall transaction costs have been reduced by approximately AED 400. The underlying legal rules remain federal and identical to those in other emirates, but Dubai’s implementation provides a uniquely streamlined digital experience for issuing, renewing and cancelling domestic worker residence permits.
Rights and Duties: What Dubai Employers Must Provide to Domestic Workers
Employers must provide all tools and supplies necessary for the agreed work, suitable accommodation, adequate food, appropriate clothing and either medical treatment or compliant health insurance. Employers must also treat domestic workers well, preserving their dignity and bodily safety, and may not expose them to tasks likely to cause physical harm.
The employment contract, which must use MoHRE’s approved standard form, must specify the parties’ names, workplace, contract date and start date, the occupation and job type, contract duration, wage and basic wage, wage payment method, allowed leave and rest periods, any probation, termination grounds and any other conditions contained in the authorised template.
Workers are entitled to the agreed wage, which must be paid within 10 days of its due date; at least one paid weekly rest day; and no less than 12 hours of daily rest, including at least 8 consecutive hours. They also have a right to at least 30 days of paid annual leave per year and up to 30 days of sick leave, and employers must bear compensation for work-related injuries and occupational diseases.
Workers may not be employed in tasks that fall outside the recognised domestic helper occupations without prior MoHRE approval, and employers cannot unilaterally change the worker’s occupation from that stated in the contract unless the worker consents and the new role remains within the legally listed occupations.
| Aspect | Employer obligation / restriction | Worker right / entitlement | Legal basis (summary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wage and payment | Pay agreed wage within 10 days of due date | Receive wage on time as per contract | Domestic workers law and unified contract |
| Rest and leave | Schedule work to allow weekly rest and daily/annual leave | At least 1 paid weekly rest day; 12 hours daily rest; 30 days’ annual leave; 30 days’ sick leave | u.ae domestic helpers guidance |
| Accommodation and subsistence | Provide suitable housing, adequate food, appropriate clothing | Live and work in safe, decent conditions | Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 |
| Medical and insurance | Provide medical treatment or health insurance; in Dubai, adequate medical insurance is mandatory | Access to healthcare in line with law and policy | MoHRE work-permit conditions and domestic workers law |
| Work scope | Do not assign tasks outside listed occupations without approval and consent | Perform only agreed occupation, unless lawfully changed | Domestic workers law and implementing regulations |
Compliance, Enforcement and Risks of Informal Arrangements
Domestic workers have the right to keep their own identity and travel documents, including passports and identity cards, and employers must guarantee this right. Employers are also prohibited from charging workers any sums or commissions in exchange for employment, unless explicitly permitted by law or the approved contract template, and they may not employ domestic workers in other households except under MoHRE-approved conditions and procedures.
MoHRE has shown active enforcement of these rules. In one action, it blocked the files of 153 employers whose domestic workers were found working for others, imposed financial penalties, barred those employers from obtaining new domestic worker permits and referred them to the Public Prosecution, where fines of up to AED 50,000 are possible under the domestic workers law.
MoHRE has also revoked the licences of domestic worker recruitment agencies that breached their obligations, fined licensed offices for failures such as failing to refund recruitment fees within 2 weeks, and, together with TDRA and local authorities, shut down unlicensed offices and 77 social media accounts advertising illegal domestic worker recruitment.
Using unlicensed providers or employing domestic workers informally increases the risk of penalties and deprives employers of protections available when dealing with MoHRE-licensed agencies, including contractual rights to replacements or refunds if recruitment conditions are not met. Disputes that cannot be settled amicably are first referred to MoHRE for mediation and, if unresolved, to the competent court with a MoHRE memorandum. Domestic workers are exempt from court fees at all stages, but claims must be brought within three months from the end of the employment relationship.
FAQ
What are the domestic worker visa requirements in Dubai for maids and drivers?
To obtain a maid visa or driver visa in Dubai, the employer must be a UAE national, a GCC national, or a resident with a valid passport and, for residents, a valid UAE residence permit. The worker must be a recognised domestic helper occupation (such as housemaid or private driver), aged 18–60, have a passport valid for at least 3 months, and be covered by adequate medical insurance. A MoHRE domestic worker work permit and a signed MoHRE-standard employment contract are mandatory before residence, and an Emirates ID are arranged through ICP and GDRFA Dubai.
How to sponsor a maid in Dubai as a resident?
A resident who wishes to sponsor a maid in Dubai must first engage a MoHRE-licensed domestic worker recruitment agency, then apply through MoHRE for a two-year domestic worker work permit using the approved service. After the permit and contract are processed and linked to ICP, the resident completes the medical test, Emirates ID and residence permit steps, which in Dubai are typically handled via the Dubai Now Domestic Worker Package. Throughout, the resident must ensure insurance coverage, suitable accommodation, and compliance with working conditions.
What is the age limit for domestic workers in the UAE, including maids and drivers?
MoHRE specifies that domestic workers must be at least 18 years old, and recruiting or employing anyone under this age is prohibited. The general maximum age for new domestic worker work permits is 60 years, with a limited exemption only for a worker who is already inside the UAE and whose previous domestic worker residence was cancelled within the last three months. Recruitment agencies are obliged to verify medical and professional fitness, in addition to these age limits.
What is the difference between a MoHRE domestic worker work permit and the Dubai residence visa?
The MoHRE domestic worker work permit authorises the employment relationship under labour regulations and is usually valid for two years, tied to the approved domestic worker employment contract in Dubai. The residence visa and Emirates ID, issued via ICP and GDRFA Dubai, allow the worker to reside lawfully in the UAE and are obtained after or alongside the work-permit process, especially through the Dubai Now Domestic Worker Package. Both elements are required for a fully compliant domestic worker visa arrangement in Dubai.
What is the processing time for a domestic worker's work permit in Dubai?
MoHRE’s “Issuance of a New Work Permit – Domestic Workers” service indicates a typical completion duration of two working days once a complete application is submitted. In Dubai, GDRFA reports that the overall Domestic Worker Package, which includes residence and Emirates ID, reduces total processing time from about 30 days to around 5 days. Actual timelines can vary if documentation is incomplete or if additional verification is required by MoHRE or ICP.
What are the penalties for illegal domestic worker hiring in the UAE?
Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 and related MoHRE decisions prohibit employing domestic workers without a work permit or allowing them to work for others without regularising their status. MoHRE has blocked the files of employers whose domestic workers were found working elsewhere, imposed financial penalties, banned them from new domestic worker permits and referred them to the Public Prosecution, where fines up to AED 50,000 may apply. Employers dealing with unlicensed recruitment offices or informal brokers also risk losing contractual protections, licence actions (for businesses), and additional administrative or criminal sanctions.
Explained by
Amira Ali Al Hammadi
Labour & Tasheel Services Consultant at EGSH
Amira Ali Al Hammadi is a specialised service provider with nine years of experience delivering MOHRE-related Labour and Tasheel services. Her professional expertise covers establishment and employee procedures, including renewals, cancellations, amendments, fine payments, employment contracts, and compliance support for companies of all sizes.
This article is intended to provide general information based on official UAE sources, and does not constitute personalised legal advice. Before acting, applicants should verify the current rules and fees directly with the relevant authority or an authorised service centre.
