A domestic worker visa is the residence permit that lets a household employee — a nanny, housekeeper, cook or driver — live and work legally in your home in Dubai. As the employer you are the sponsor, which means the visa, the contract, the salary payments and the renewals are your responsibility. The process has several set stages: an entry permit, the worker’s arrival or status change, a medical fitness test, Emirates ID, and the residence visa with a registered work contract. None of it is especially difficult, but it helps to understand the whole picture before you start, so here is the plain-English version.
Who Can Sponsor and Who Can Be Sponsored
To sponsor a domestic worker you generally need to be a resident of the UAE meeting a minimum salary threshold set by the authorities — as a guide, sponsors are typically expected to earn around AED 24,000 to AED 25,000 per month, though lower thresholds have applied in some periods and categories, so always check the current requirement on the official portal before planning around a figure. Heads of household apply; in some cases both spouses’ income can be considered. The worker must meet age and nationality conditions that apply to domestic worker recruitment and must not be a close relative of the sponsor.
Domestic workers in the UAE are covered by a dedicated labour law that sets out working hours, weekly rest, annual leave, end-of-service entitlements and the requirement for a written contract. Hiring through a licensed Tadbeer centre or recruitment agency is the standard route for families bringing a worker from abroad, while direct hire applies when the worker is already in the country.
The Main Steps, in Order
- Entry permit: applied for by you as sponsor, allowing the worker to enter the UAE (or change status if already here) for the purpose of taking up the job.
- Medical fitness test: the worker attends an approved centre for screening, which for domestic workers includes additional tests beyond the standard set.
- Emirates ID and biometrics: fingerprints are taken and the ID application submitted.
- Work contract and residence visa: the standard contract is registered, setting salary, rest days and leave, and the residence is issued, typically for one or two years depending on the route and nationality arrangements.
- Health insurance: basic cover for the worker is the sponsor’s responsibility and is arranged alongside the visa.
What It Typically Costs
Costs depend heavily on whether you hire through an agency or directly. As a guide, agency packages for recruiting from abroad commonly run from around AED 8,000 to AED 18,000 or more depending on nationality and agency, covering recruitment and placement, while the government fees for the entry permit, medical, Emirates ID and visa themselves are typically in the low thousands of dirhams combined. Monthly salary is separate — agreed in the contract and paid through the official wage channels — and you should budget for food, accommodation, a flight home on leave and annual renewal costs. Treat all figures as estimates and confirm current government fees on the official portals, as they are revised from time to time.
- One-off: entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID, visa issuance, insurance.
- Possible one-off: agency recruitment fee if hiring from abroad.
- Ongoing: monthly salary, food and living costs, annual leave ticket, renewal fees.
Your Responsibilities as Sponsor
Sponsorship is a real commitment, not just paperwork. You must pay the agreed salary on time, respect the weekly rest day and working-hour limits, provide suitable accommodation and food, and keep the worker’s documents — the worker is entitled to hold their own passport. You are also responsible for renewing the visa before it expires and for the worker’s departure arrangements when employment ends, including cancelling the visa properly. Fines apply for employing someone on the wrong visa or letting a sponsored worker work for another household, so never “share” a worker informally with neighbours or relatives, however common the suggestion sounds.
Where to Get Help With the Process
If the sequence feels like a lot, you do not have to piece it together alone. Tadbeer centres exist specifically to handle domestic worker recruitment, visas and contracts under government supervision, and they will walk a first-time sponsor through the exact current requirements for their situation. Licensed typing centres can prepare the applications, and the official ICP and MOHRE channels publish the current rules and fees. Whichever route you use, insist on receipts and copies of every filing — good records make renewals and any future changes far simpler.
FAQ
Can a single person sponsor a domestic worker?
Eligibility depends on salary, housing and household circumstances under the current rules; many single residents do qualify, but check the official criteria or ask a Tadbeer centre to confirm your case before applying.
How long does the whole process take?
From entry permit to issued residence, typically two to four weeks once the worker is in the country, with the medical result and Emirates ID stages setting the pace.
Can my domestic worker travel with us on holiday?
That depends on the destination’s visa rules for the worker’s nationality — the UAE residence visa does not itself grant entry elsewhere, so check each destination in advance.
For more first-timer explainers on household and visa topics, visit DXB Talk and browse the Dubai category for clear, practical guides.
