UAE Domestic Worker Visa 2026: Requirements, Cost and How to Apply
A UAE domestic worker visa lets a household legally employ a worker such as a housemaid, nanny, cook or private driver. This guide covers household employment only. For other visa types, see our UAE visa guide.
What Is a Domestic Worker Visa in the UAE?
It is not one document. Two approvals are involved:
- A work permit and employment contract from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), applied for by the household that will employ the worker.
- A residence permit and Emirates ID from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).
The employer is the individual or household, not a company. Company hiring follows a different process, covered in our guide to the standard employment visa process. People also search for this as a “maid visa” or “domestic helper visa”. The legal basis is Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023.
Who Can Sponsor a Domestic Worker in the UAE?
According to MOHRE’s work permit service, the employer must be one of the following:
- A UAE citizen with a valid ID card
- A GCC national, resident or investor with a valid original ID card
- An expatriate resident or investor with a valid residence permit
Expatriate employers must pass an income test: a recent salary certificate confirming family income of at least AED 25,000. An investor or employer can instead show a bank statement for the previous three months with monthly income of at least AED 25,000. MOHRE also asks for proof of marital status (marriage contract and the spouse’s resident visa) and proof of housing (lease or title deed).
An employer taking on more than five domestic workers must give a written explanation for the additional worker.
Which Domestic Worker Occupations Are Eligible?
The law covers 19 occupations, per the official u.ae list: housemaid, sailor, guard, shepherd, jockey, tamer, falcon care-taker, worker, housekeeper, cook, nanny/babysitter, farm worker/grower, gardener, personal trainer/coach, private tutor, home nurse, personal assistant, private agricultural engineer, and personal/family driver.
The worker cannot be given tasks outside the contract, and employing someone in a job outside this law requires MOHRE approval.
UAE Domestic Worker Visa Requirements
MOHRE lists these conditions for the worker and the file:
- Age: at least 18. The upper limit is 60, with an exemption for a worker already in the UAE whose previous domestic residence visa was cancelled within the last three months.
- Passport: valid for at least three months.
- No existing work permit: the worker must not hold a valid work permit.
- Medical fitness: a valid medical fitness result is needed at the contract stage. To check the result, see our UAE visa medical test result guide.
- Health insurance: a valid policy must be on the employer’s file. MOHRE’s contract pages name Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but nationwide cover for domestic workers has applied since January 2025. In July 2026 MOHRE issued a guide, reported by WAM, confirming that permits are not issued or renewed until a valid policy is verified. As reported, the employer bears the full cost and cover must last for the whole permit period.
Documents Required for a UAE Domestic Worker Visa
Employer
| Document | Applies to |
| Valid passport copy (with unified number page for citizens) | All employers |
| Valid original ID card | Citizens, GCC residents/investors, diplomats |
| Salary certificate or three-month bank statement | Expatriate employers |
| Marriage contract and spouse’s resident visa | Expatriate employers/investors |
| Lease contract or title deed | Expatriate employers/investors |
Domestic worker
| Document | Notes |
| Passport copy | Valid for at least three months |
| Colour photograph | Permit and contract |
| Medical insurance copy | Employment contract |
| Medical report | Residence stage (ICP) |
Conditional
| Document | When needed |
| Worker’s tourist visa and cancellation of previous visa | Worker is inside the UAE |
| Written explanation | More than five domestic workers |
| Worker’s previous Emirates ID (both sides) | Contract renewal |
How to Apply for a UAE Domestic Worker Visa
MOHRE, ICP and u.ae do not publish button-by-button navigation, so this guide gives the sequence only.
- Check eligibility against the sponsor and worker conditions above.
- Choose how to recruit the worker: through a licensed agency, directly from abroad, or by hiring a worker already in the UAE. The next section covers the first two.
- Apply for the MOHRE work permit (“new entry permit”) through a MOHRE service centre, the website, the mobile app or Tawseel. Federal fees are paid at this stage.
- Sign the MOHRE employment contract, which MOHRE issues through a separate service.
- Complete the residency stage. Since October 2025, MOHRE’s domestic worker services run on the Work in UAE platform (workinuae.ae) with ICP and health authorities. MOHRE says users fill in a standard form, enter the worker’s identification and passport details, e-sign the contract, arrange the medical examination, and receive the Emirates ID and residency visa. For background on residence permits in general, see our UAE residence visa guide.
Deadline: ICP says a worker who enters the UAE must complete residency procedures within 60 days of entry. Delay fines apply, and overstay is fined at AED 50 per day.
Permit validity: MOHRE’s new-permit page gives one year for residents, two years for UAE and GCC citizens, and one to two years (optional) for diplomats and Golden Visa holders. MOHRE’s contract pages show two years. Confirm the validity of your own application before you pay.
MOHRE and Tadbeer: Where Should You Apply?
The name. Tadbeer is the name under which domestic worker centres were launched, and most people still search for it. Current official pages say “domestic workers services centres”, and u.ae points to MOHRE’s list of approved centres.
Is a centre mandatory? No. In August 2026, MOHRE set out two routes, as reported by Khaleej Times:
- Licensed agency: a contract with the office gives you the guarantees in the Domestic Workers Law. Per u.ae, if the office breaches the contract, you may refuse the worker and the office must provide a replacement or refund the fees. As reported, refunds are due within two weeks in some cases.
- Direct recruitment from abroad: you submit a MOHRE-approved undertaking accepting full responsibility, and the Law’s recruitment guarantees do not apply. The work permit is still applied for through MOHRE.
Packages: Gulf News reports that MOHRE offers three packages: Traditional (the worker is under your sponsorship for two years), Temporary (under the centre’s sponsorship on a two-year contract) and Flexible (under the centre’s sponsorship, working hourly, daily or monthly). Check which package you sign and who the legal employer is.
UAE Domestic Worker Visa Cost
No official source gives a single total, and this guide does not either. Charges come from different bodies.
| Charge | What is published | Status |
| MOHRE service charge | Free through MOHRE website and app; only federal charges apply | Verified |
| Business-centre commission | Capped at AED 72 | Verified |
| Work permit federal fee | Varies by emirate (Dubai listed separately), employer type and duration. Check the live MOHRE page | Not reproduced |
| ICP residence application | AED 100 | Verified |
| ICP residence issuance | AED 100 per year | Verified |
| ICP smart service fee | AED 100 | Verified |
| ICP financial security deposit fee | AED 20 | Verified |
| ICP recruitment guarantee (foreign resident sponsors) | AED 5,000 per year, per ICP’s residence service page. The page does not say whether it is refundable | Verified; confirm before relying on it |
| ICP status adjustment (worker already in the UAE) | AED 500 | Verified |
| MOHRE contract cancellation | AED 65 (all emirates except Dubai). Dubai: AED 85.75 in country, AED 185.75 outside | Verified |
| Insurance and medical test | Insurance is paid by the employer; no official premium or test price published | Varies |
| Agency or centre fees | Set by your contract with the office | Commercial |
MOHRE’s listed fees exclude tax and collection charges, and Dubai residence fees are set separately by GDRFA. Treat agency quotes as their own prices, not government fees.
UAE Domestic Worker Visa Processing Time
| Service | Completion time |
| MOHRE new work permit | 2 working days |
| MOHRE new employment contract | 1 working day |
| MOHRE contract renewal | 1 working day |
| MOHRE contract cancellation | 1 working day |
| ICP residence permit issuance | 2 days |
These are each authority’s own processing stage only. They exclude the worker’s travel, the medical test and your own document preparation. No official end-to-end figure is published, so treat any “full visa in X days” claim as unverified.
How to Check Domestic Worker Visa Application Status
| What you are checking | Channel |
| MOHRE permit or contract application | MOHRE inquiry services on the website, the MOHRE smart app, the call centre (600590000) or the chatbot |
| Residence application or visa validity | ICP Smart Services for most emirates, or GDRFA Dubai for Dubai-issued files. You normally need your reference or file number |
If you applied through Work in UAE, start there, because it received your application. For general tracking steps, see our UAE visa application status check guide.
Domestic Worker Employment Contract
The employer and worker must sign MOHRE’s approved contract template, and the worker gets a copy. The template covers the parties, type of work, duration, wage, leave and rest, probation and termination terms. Worker entitlements are set by law and listed on u.ae.
MOHRE’s contract pages list several contract types (full time, part time, temporary, flexible, remote and job sharing), while the new-permit page lists full-time employment only. Confirm which applies to you.
For the visa file, MOHRE’s new contract service requires a valid employer passport, ID and residence permit, a worker passport valid for three months, and a valid medical fitness result.
Renewal and Cancellation of a Domestic Worker Visa
Renewal: MOHRE’s renewal service requires that the worker is inside the UAE, an Emirates ID renewal application has been made, a valid medical fitness result is held, and a medical insurance policy is in place. Renewing the residency itself is a service on Work in UAE.
Cancellation: MOHRE’s cancellation service covers workers inside or outside the country and is listed at one working day. The residency visa is cancelled through Work in UAE. By law the employer bears the cost of returning the worker home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a single or unmarried person sponsor a domestic worker?
MOHRE’s document list asks expatriate employers for a marriage contract and the spouse’s resident visa as proof of marital status. The page does not state a ban on unmarried sponsors. Restrictions for single applicants are claimed on commercial sites without an official source, so confirm your case with MOHRE before you apply.
Does my spouse’s income count toward the AED 25,000 requirement?
MOHRE’s wording is “family income”, but it does not explain how joint income is assessed. The proof it lists is a salary certificate or a three-month bank statement. Confirm with MOHRE how a combined household income is treated before you pay any fees.
Are Golden Visa holders treated differently?
MOHRE’s permit page gives Golden Visa holders an optional permit validity of one to two years. No income exemption or higher worker limit for Golden Visa holders appears on the official pages reviewed.
Can I hire a domestic worker who is already in the UAE?
Yes. For a worker inside the UAE, MOHRE’s document list adds the worker’s tourist visa and the cancellation of any previous visa. ICP also charges a separate status adjustment fee, shown in the cost table.
Can I deduct visa or recruitment costs from my worker’s salary?
Per u.ae, the employer may not collect payments from the worker except as the law or the approved contract allows, and recruitment offices may not take a commission from the worker. Check with MOHRE before making any deduction.
Can I keep my domestic worker’s passport?
No. u.ae says the worker has the right to keep their own passport and identity documents.
What should I do if my worker leaves without notice?
MOHRE lists separate services for reporting a domestic worker’s absence and for withdrawing that report. Complaints and queries go through MOHRE’s dedicated domestic worker platform, listed on u.ae, and the contract is ended through the cancellation service above. The conditions of the absence-report service were not reviewed, so check the service page.
NOTE: GulfVisaGuide.com is an independent site, not a government website. Fees, requirements and platforms change, so check the linked official pages before you apply.
