How do we hire a nanny, maid or driver?
Many families in the UAE employ a nanny, housekeeper or driver. They are all domestic workers under UAE law, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) sets the rules on how you hire them and what you owe them.
In 30 seconds
- Hire only through a licensed agency or Tadbeer centre, or sponsor the worker yourself. Employing someone who isn’t on your visa or a licensed agency’s is against the law
- To sponsor directly, MOHRE asks for proof of family income of at least AED 25,000 a month
- Domestic workers are entitled to a paid day off each week, 30 days’ paid leave a year, a ticket home every 2 years, health cover and an end-of-service payment
Three ways to hire
MOHRE licenses private recruitment agencies, including Tadbeer centres, and offers three packages through them. Nannies, housekeepers, cooks, private drivers, gardeners and carers are among the 19 jobs that count as domestic work.
| Package | Whose visa | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Live-in, on your sponsorship | Yours. A 2-year contract, renewable | A full-time nanny or housekeeper who lives with you. If the agency can’t provide a suitable worker, you can ask for a replacement or your costs back during the 6-month probation |
| Agency sponsorship | The agency’s. A 2-year contract, renewable | Full-time help without sponsoring anyone yourself, or if your income is below MOHRE’s threshold. You pay the agency |
| Flexible | The agency’s | Help by the hour, day, week or month: cleaning, babysitting or cover while you find someone permanent |
Sponsoring a worker yourself
- MOHRE asks expat employers for a recent salary certificate and 3 months of bank statements showing family income of at least AED 25,000 a month
- You need your tenancy contract or title deed, as proof of housing
- The worker must be covered by health insurance on your file. You pay for it: it can’t be taken from their pay
- The worker must be at least 18
- Choose a licensed agency or Tadbeer centre, or find a worker who can legally transfer to you
- Apply for the work permit and sign the MOHRE contract. The agency or Tadbeer centre usually does this for you
- The worker has a medical test and gives fingerprints for the Emirates ID
- The residence visa is issued for 2 years
The contract
Every domestic worker has a standard MOHRE contract, signed by you and the worker. It sets out the job, the pay, rest days, leave and where the worker will live. Read it together, and keep a copy each.
- Probation can last up to 6 months
- The worker keeps their own passport and Emirates ID. The law doesn’t allow employers to hold them
- Agencies can’t charge the worker recruitment fees
- If you employ someone as a nanny, don’t ask them to do another job, such as driving, that isn’t in their contract
Pay and hours
There is no national minimum wage for domestic workers. You agree the salary in the contract, and pay it within 10 days of the date it’s due. Agencies can tell you the usual rates for each job and nationality, and some home countries set a minimum for their own citizens.
- One paid day off a week
- At least 12 hours’ rest a day, including 8 hours in a row
- A live-in worker needs a suitable room of their own and meals, or a food allowance
- Deductions from pay are only allowed in the cases the law sets out
Leave and insurance
| What the worker is entitled to | |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | 30 days’ paid leave a year. Leave not taken is paid when the contract ends |
| Ticket home | A return ticket once every 2 years, if they spend their leave at home |
| Sick leave | Up to 30 days a year: 15 on full pay, then 15 on half pay |
| Medical care | Health insurance, paid for by you. In Dubai, sponsors must insure the domestic workers they sponsor |
| End of service | 14 days’ basic pay for each year of service, once they’ve worked at least a year |
Check what your own health plan does and doesn’t cover in What should we check when our health insurance renews?
If it doesn’t work out
The law says when an agency must give you some or all of your money back. These include a worker who isn’t up to the job during probation, or who leaves without a lawful reason.
- In the first month, or if the worker turns out not to be medically fit, you’re refunded in full or given a replacement
- After that, the refund covers the part of the contract that’s left: the total cost divided by the contract’s months, times the months remaining
- The agency must pay within 2 weeks of the worker going back to it
- If you and your worker disagree about pay or leave, either of you can go to MOHRE
Drivers
A private driver is a domestic worker too, on the same contract and rights. They need a UAE driving licence, and your car insurance must cover them to drive. See Can I drive on my UK licence? for licences and insurance.
What to do next
- Decide which package suits you: your sponsorship, the agency’s or flexible
- Check the agency is licensed by MOHRE before you pay anything
- Read the MOHRE contract with your worker, and keep a copy each
Keep going
- MOHRE: new work permit for a domestic worker
- MOHRE: new employment contract for a domestic worker
- MOHRE: domestic workers guidance
- Federal Decree-Law 9 of 2022 (domestic workers)
- UAE Government portal: domestic workers
- Khaleej Times: three packages for hiring a domestic worker
- Khaleej Times: hiring domestic help, pay and weekly days off
- Gulf News: when agencies must refund fees
- Gulf News: duties of recruitment centres and employers
- Khaleej Times: the 19 domestic worker roles
- Gulf News: check part-time workers’ visas
- Dubai Health Insurance Corporation: FAQ