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Household Sponsorship

Maid Visa in Dubai

Sponsoring domestic help in Dubai is a regulated employment relationship, not a favour. Contract, insurance, salary route and visa all sit under specific rules. We keep you on the right side of them.

Sponsor a Domestic Worker Call +971 52 933 0454
Tadbeer Aligned The official MoHRE channel
Contract First Compliant employment terms
End to End Medical, EID and stamping

How do you sponsor a maid in Dubai?

A UAE resident sponsors a domestic worker as an employer under the domestic workers law. You must meet a minimum salary condition, issue a compliant employment contract through the official channel, then complete an entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics and residence stamping for the worker.

Maid Visa in Dubai at a glance
Legal basisThe UAE federal law on domestic workers, administered by MoHRE
Official channelTadbeer service centres
SponsorA UAE resident meeting the salary and accommodation conditions
Visa termTypically two years, renewable
Sponsor obligationsSalary, accommodation, medical insurance, and return ticket
What MSM handlesEligibility check, contract, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and stamping

Last updated 2 August 2026 · Reviewed by Mohammed Shareef A, Senior PRO Consultant, Dubai government liaison. Fees and timelines are set by the issuing authority and change without notice — confirm current figures before you budget.

Who is eligible to sponsor a domestic worker?

A UAE resident who meets the salary condition and can show suitable accommodation. The salary threshold is applied by GDRFA and is checked against your labour contract or salary certificate, not against what you say you earn.

The figure commonly applied in Dubai is AED 6,000 a month, or AED 5,000 where the sponsor provides accommodation. Thresholds are set by the authority and revised from time to time, so treat that as the starting point for a check rather than a guarantee.

  • Salary evidenced by an attested salary certificate or labour contract
  • Tenancy contract registered with Ejari showing suitable accommodation
  • Some categories of worker have additional conditions
  • Only one or two domestic workers may be sponsored by a household in most cases
Family reviewing sponsorship documents at a dining table in a Dubai apartment

What is Tadbeer and do you have to use it?

Tadbeer is the network of MoHRE-authorised service centres set up to regulate domestic worker recruitment. They handle the standard contract, orientation and, where you recruit through them, the placement itself.

Recruiting privately — a relative's former helper, someone already in the country — still means the employment relationship must be documented properly. The contract, the rights and the sponsor obligations do not change because the introduction was informal.

  • Standard contract terms set by MoHRE, not negotiable downwards
  • Orientation and dispute resolution routed through the centre
  • Private recruitment still requires a compliant contract
  • Medical insurance for the worker is the sponsor's obligation
Advisor explaining a domestic worker employment contract at a service centre counter

What rights does a domestic worker have?

More than many first-time sponsors expect, and they are not optional. The federal law provides for a weekly rest day, daily rest hours, annual paid leave, and payment of the agreed wage. It also prohibits the employer from holding the worker's passport.

That last point comes up often. Retaining a domestic worker's passport is not permitted, whatever the reasoning.

  • One paid rest day per week and defined daily rest
  • Thirty days of paid annual leave after a year of service
  • Wage paid as agreed in the contract
  • The worker keeps their own passport
Calendar and contract showing rest days and annual leave for a domestic worker

What happens when the employment ends?

The visa must be cancelled, and the sponsor is responsible for the return ticket unless the worker moves to a new sponsor. A transfer to another household is possible, and it is the cleaner route when both sides agree.

Cancelling late leaves the visa live against you. That matters, because you remain the sponsor of record.

  • Visa cancellation is the sponsor's responsibility, not the worker's
  • Repatriation ticket is the sponsor's cost, absent a transfer
  • Transfer to a new sponsor is possible with both parties' consent
  • End-of-service entitlements are set by the contract and the law
Passport and boarding pass on a table representing end-of-service repatriation

How MSM processes a maid visa in Dubai

  1. Eligibility checkWe test the salary and accommodation conditions against your actual documents before anything is filed. This is where most applications either become simple or stop.
  2. ContractA compliant domestic worker contract through the official channel, with the agreed wage, rest days and leave stated.
  3. Entry permitFiled with GDRFA. If the worker is already in the country, we assess whether a status change is possible instead.
  4. Medical and Emirates IDMedical fitness test at an approved centre and Emirates ID biometrics, scheduled together where possible.
  5. InsuranceMedical cover arranged, which is a sponsor obligation and a condition of the visa.
  6. StampingResidence visa issued and the Emirates ID tracked to delivery.
Under the UAE domestic workers law. Confirm current thresholds with GDRFA and MoHRE.
ObligationWho bears itNotes
Residence visa and permit costsSponsorCannot be recovered from the worker
Medical insuranceSponsorRequired for the visa
Accommodation and foodSponsorOr a stated allowance in the contract
Weekly rest daySponsorOne paid day per week
Annual leaveSponsor30 days paid after a year of service
Return ticket at end of serviceSponsorUnless the worker transfers to a new sponsor
The mistake we see most: Sponsoring someone who is already in the country on another sponsor's visa without cancelling that visa first. Two live sponsorships cannot exist for one person. The previous visa has to be cancelled and the grace period respected, and skipping that step creates overstay exposure for the worker and a compliance problem for you.
MSM tip: Get the salary certificate attested before you start, not when GDRFA asks for it. It is the single document that decides whether you are eligible, and an unattested one buys you a rejection and a re-file.

What documents do you need?

Documents to sponsor a domestic worker

Sponsor's passport, Emirates ID and residence visa copy
Attested salary certificate or registered labour contract
Ejari tenancy contract for the residence
Worker's passport copy, valid at least six months
Worker's passport-size photograph to immigration specification
Signed domestic worker employment contract
Medical insurance policy for the worker
Previous visa cancellation paper, where the worker is already in the UAE

If the sponsor is a woman, or the household arrangement is unusual, additional approval may be required. Tell us the full picture at the outset rather than at the counter.

Family Visa

Sponsor a spouse, children or parents on a residence visa.

UAE Visa Change

In-country status change where the worker is already in the UAE.

Medical & Occupational Typing

Medical fitness test typing and health card filing.

Go deeper

Specific situations we handle under this service, each covered in full.

Domestic Staff

Family Driver Visa

Sponsoring a personal or family driver in Dubai.

Deposit Recovery

Maid Visa Deposit Refund

Recovering the refundable deposit paid when sponsoring a domestic worker.

Renewal

Maid Visa Renewal

Renewing a domestic worker visa in Dubai before it expires.

Regulated Centres

Tadbeer Maid Visa

The Tadbeer route for domestic worker sponsorship in Dubai.

Read next: Family visa salary requirements in Dubai · The Dubai medical fitness test explained · UAE residence visa types and who qualifies

Sources

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

What salary do I need to sponsor a maid in Dubai?
GDRFA applies a minimum sponsor salary. In Dubai it is commonly stated as AED 6,000 a month, or AED 5,000 where the sponsor provides accommodation. Thresholds are set by the authority and revised, so have your salary certificate checked before you commit to a recruitment.
Can I hire a maid who is already in the UAE?
Yes, but her existing visa must be cancelled first and the transfer done properly. Two sponsors cannot hold one person's residence at the same time, and skipping the cancellation creates overstay exposure for the worker.
Am I allowed to keep my domestic worker's passport?
No. The UAE domestic workers law does not permit an employer to retain the worker's passport. It stays with the worker.
Who pays for the maid's visa and medical?
The sponsor. Recruitment, visa, medical fitness test, Emirates ID and medical insurance are the employer's costs and cannot be deducted from the worker's wage.
How long is a maid visa valid?
Typically two years, renewable, in line with other private-sector residence visas. Renewal follows the same medical and Emirates ID steps as the original application.
What if the arrangement does not work out?
The visa is cancelled or transferred to a new sponsor. If it is cancelled, the sponsor is responsible for the return ticket. Doing it formally protects both sides; leaving the visa live protects neither.

Sponsoring domestic help in Dubai?

Send us your salary certificate and Ejari. We will confirm eligibility before you commit to a recruitment.

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Sponsor a Domestic Worker

Eligibility comes down to your salary and accommodation. We check both first, so nobody is recruited before the visa is possible.

Hotline: +971 52 933 0454

Email: info@msmdoc.com

Office: Deira, Dubai — serving all seven emirates.

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