Criteria for sponsoring a maid or nanny in Dubai

Last updated: November 2009

A maid's visa can be obtained by the head of the family (called sponsor, and usually the male), whose salary is not less than AED 6000 a month or AED 5000 + accommodation. Bachelors are not eligible to sponsor a maid. You can only sponsor a maid from the following countries: India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Steps: Apply in the following order:
Residence Visa (employment permit to enter country)
Medical Check & Health Card (after maid enters)
Residence Stamp on Maid's Passport & Labour Card

Documents Required for Residence Visa:
Salary certificate of sponsor in Arabic (for government  employee) OR, labour contract of sponsor (for private employee) and accommodation contract showing minimum 2 bedroom apartment.
Typed application form from authorized typing office
Sponsor’s passport
Copy of maid’s passport
Passport photos of maid (minimum 3 required)
Affidavit from embassy/consulate certifying non-relationship, if maid from same country

Procedures:
1. Go to authorized typist & get form filled up. Pay AED 110 + separate typing fee (which varies from typist to typist). If urgent, pay additional AED 100.  
2. Go to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai  & submit all documents after attaching Empost sticker for non-urgent visa. For urgent, wait for a few minutes and receive the employment entry permit.  You will have to pay a refundable deposit of AED 2000/- along with the application.  (The deposit was reduced from AED 5000 to AED 2,000. See news update)
3. Send either original visa or copy to your maid. If only copy was sent, then deposit original at DNATA Visa Desk at Dubai airport or at DNRD counter.

Applying for a residence visa for your maid

1. Apply for a residence permit and health card within 30 days of the arrival of your maid's entry into the country. Visit an authorized typist & pay for either urgent or non-urgent form & submit to DNRD counter.
2. After stamping, take your maid for a medical test and health card (average cost AED 250, though waiting time differs from 24 hours to 36 hours for most government hospitals. Iranian Hospital can give it to you in 12 hours for AED 400)
3. Take medical results to the typist and pay AED 5,200 (or 5,100 for non-urgent) to apply for residence visa.
4. Submit medical report with stamped employment permit, maid's original passport, sponsor's passport copy and a salary certificate/labour contract to residency section. It is preferable to take your maid with you to save time. You must declare to the officer what salary you propose to pay your maid, as this will be entered into the contract.  You will receive 4 printouts of the unified contract which has to be signed by both sponsor and maid. If your maid is with you, request her to sign. Go to the bank counter inside the visit visa section and purchase an AED 10 sticker for attestation, and re-submit copies of the contract to the officer, who will counter-sign and return 2 copies to you. (One is for the sponsor, the other for the maid to keep.) A residence stamp valid for one year will then be placed in your maid's passport.
4. You may have to return after 24 hours to collect the labour card.
5. Your deposit of AED 2,000 will only be refunded when you housemaid permanently leaves the country.

Additional Notes:
Employment of domestic workers requires work contract
A new unified contract (called employment agreement for domestic workers and sponsors) to regulate the rights and duties of domestic workers was put in place from 1st April, 2007. The contract is valid for one year with options to renew and governs vacation, air tickets, medical care and procedures, in case of breach of contract. See media update, media update.

Country specific requirements for minimum wages
Do keep in mind that each country has its own regulations regarding minimum salary, age etc and you will have to check with the respective consulate embassy for these details. A maid from India or Philippines must be older than 30, but not over 60. Even recommended minimum salaries differ, with Indian maids to be paid from AED 1,100 onwards (see update), as advised by the Indian Embassy, while new regulations from the Philippines say the minimum salary should be AED 1,400. See update . As per the Sri Lankan embassy, the minimum salary for Sri Lankan maids is AED 825. See update. The minimum salary for Indonesian maids is AED 800 and from Bangladesh, it is AED 750. See update Please note that these are minimum recommendations from governments, but there's nothing stopping you from paying more than the minimum wage.

DNRD Approval
Maids from the sponsor’s country are subject to approval by DNRD. In addition, an affidavit from your country's embassy/consulate certifying that the maid is not related to you. If you need more than one maid for a large family, DNRD has the right to decide, but much will depend on sponsor’s salary and size of the family. Always carry copies and original documents, including labour contracts, salary certificates and passports. You may be asked to show your accommodation contract and are advised to carry this. Illegal hiring of maids, without DNRD approval may result in fines of upto AED 70,000 as well as imprisonment for one month followed by deportation of employer.  

Renewal of Maid's Visa
This needs to be done annually. Go to an authorized typist & get online medical request form issued (free) and application for renewal (ordinary AED 5080 or urgent 5180). Take your maid to Al Baraha Hospital or Al Muhaisnah Clinic for medical check-up. (Fee approximately AED 730). Collect medical report usually after 24 hours.

Submit renewal application, along with medical fitness to any DNRD branch, which will issue you with 4 printouts of the unified contract that you and your maid have to sign (advisable to take your maid, to get immediate signature). If your renewal application was ordinary, your maid's visa & labour card will be sent to you by Empost, while urgent application can get the renewal done in a few minutes.  

Related Topics from Gulf News
Procedure for reporting in case your maid runs away
Creating a bank account for maids

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Even as Dubai eGovernment strives to ease your life in Dubai, we cannot guarantee 100 % that the information provided on these pages is accurate and up-to-date, since all information and procedures are subject to change and revision by the concerned authorities.