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To sponsor a maid in Dubai as an expat resident, MOHRE asks for a family income of at least AED 25,000 a month, shown with a salary certificate and three months of bank statements. You sign MOHRE's standard contract and insure her. ICP lists a domestic worker guarantee of AED 5,000. The work permit takes 2 working days and lasts 1 year.
MOHRE regulates this visa, not the general labour system. A housemaid is one of 19 domestic worker jobs on u.ae, next to cooks, nannies, family drivers, gardeners, home nurses and private tutors.
The AED 25,000 income rule, and the AED 6,000 myth
MOHRE's page for a new domestic worker permit sets the bar for expat sponsors: monthly family income of AED 25,000 or more. You prove it two ways. A salary certificate, and bank statements for the last three months showing that income coming in.
You will see AED 6,000 on some private websites, and other sites say AED 5,000 or AED 10,000. None of those figures is on the MOHRE page we read on . If a provider tells you a lower salary is fine, ask them to show you the official line. Family visas use a different salary test, explained on our family visa salary requirement page. Do not mix the two.
Who can be your maid
- Aged 18 to 60. A worker already in the UAE whose previous domestic worker residence was cancelled in the last 3 months is exempt from the upper limit.
- Passport valid for at least 3 months.
- No valid work permit with anyone else.
If you want a sixth domestic worker or more, MOHRE asks for a written explanation for each extra person.
Two ways to hire: a licensed centre or your own sponsorship
Through a domestic worker service centre. MOHRE licenses these centres. They used to carry the Tadbeer name, and many people still call them that. The centre finds a worker, handles the paperwork and offers packages. Some packages keep the centre as sponsor for a period. MOHRE's package rules were only visible to us as a summary of an official resolution, so ask the centre in writing which package you are buying and who the sponsor is.
Your own sponsorship. You have already found the worker, perhaps one leaving another family. You apply as her sponsor from the start. You carry every fee and the guarantee yourself, but you choose the person.
Under u.ae rules, agencies may not take recruitment fees from the worker. If an agency breaks its contract with you, it owes you a replacement or a refund of the recruitment fee.
Official fee lines
| What you pay | Amount |
|---|---|
| ICP application | AED 100 |
| ICP residence issuance | AED 100 per year |
| ICP smart service | AED 100 |
| Status adjustment, worker inside the UAE | AED 500 |
| Financial deposit fee | AED 20 |
| Domestic worker guarantee | AED 5,000 |
| Medical fitness test, Dubai, 24 hours | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart fee |
| MOHRE work permit fee | Not readable on the MOHRE page |
Source: ICP issuing residency and Emirates ID service pages, checked ; Dubai Administrative Resolution No. 66 for the medical. Domestic workers also take a pregnancy test as part of the medical, at an added charge. MOHRE's page shows fee rows but no amounts in the text we could read, so we do not print a MOHRE figure.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai agencies and cost guides publish about AED 6,000 to AED 25,000 for a maid visa or a full agency package (published prices and guides of 3 Dubai firms, checked ). The low end is the visa alone. The high end bundles recruitment, training, insurance and a flight. Her salary is never included. Our maid visa cost page breaks the range down.
The MOHRE contract and her insurance
Every domestic worker signs MOHRE's standard contract. It must state both parties, the workplace, start and end dates, the type of work, salary and how it is paid, leave, probation, rest and how the contract ends. She keeps a copy.
The contract needs a valid medical fitness result, and MOHRE states 1 working day once both of you sign. The same page says employers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi must provide adequate medical insurance. Details on cover are on health insurance for a residence visa.
Documents checklist
From MOHRE's list for an expat sponsor:
- Your passport and valid UAE residence
- Your Emirates ID
- Marriage contract and your spouse's visa, if you are married
- Tenancy contract or title deed
- Salary certificate
- Bank statement for the last 3 months
- Her passport copy and a colour photo
- If she is in the UAE: her tourist visa and the cancellation of any previous visa
Processing time
MOHRE states 2 working days for the work permit and 1 working day for the contract. ICP gives 2 days for issuing the residence. The medical adds a day on the 24-hour service. Once she enters on her permit, residence steps must be done within 60 days. In practice, finding the right worker takes longer than the paperwork.
Why maid visa applications stall
- Bank statements show less than AED 25,000 coming in each month, even if your package is higher on paper.
- Her passport has under 3 months left.
- She still holds a work permit with a previous sponsor.
- The medical result is not valid when the contract is filed.
- No insurance policy on your file.
- She starts working on a visit visa before the permit is out. That is illegal work, and you are the one exposed.
Once she is working, if she leaves without notice, see our guide to an absconding case in the UAE before you act.
Her rights under u.ae rules
Salary within 10 days of the due date. One paid rest day a week. At least 30 days of leave a year. A return ticket home every 2 years. She keeps her own passport and ID. These rules apply to every household, whatever the route.
If you hold a golden visa, the same domestic worker process applies. See domestic workers on a golden visa.
How it works with us
Send us her passport copy, your residence details and a line on your income on WhatsApp, or fill in the form on this page. A visa adviser checks your papers against the MOHRE list first, because the income proof is where most files fail. You get one total price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. The team prepares the permit request, books her medical, follows the contract and the residence through, and tells you when her Emirates ID is ready. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, not MOHRE, GDRFA or ICP. Those authorities decide the application.
Government fees are not returned by the authorities if a permit is refused. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing which part of our total, if any, comes back after a refusal.
Official sources
- MOHRE new work permit for domestic workers: income rule, age, documents, permit term, 2 working days
- MOHRE new domestic worker contract: contract, insurance duty, 1 working day
- u.ae domestic helpers: occupations, contract terms, worker rights, agency rules
- ICP issuing residency: fee lines and the AED 5,000 guarantee
- MOHRE domestic workers services centres: licensed centre search
MOHRE pages checked , ICP and u.ae pages . Fees change, so confirm on MOHRE or ICP before you pay.
