UAE Domestic Worker Hiring: MOHRE Rules, Costs, and Safer Family Steps

Direct answer: To hire a domestic worker in the UAE, define the job and wage clearly, use an approved MOHRE channel or licensed domestic-worker service centre, and make sure the signed contract matches the offer. The UAE domestic-worker rules cover wages, rest, leave, accommodation, food, medical care, documents, recruitment offices, complaints, and the employer's duty to treat the worker with dignity.

This guide is for families in Dubai and the wider UAE comparing domestic-worker options, and for workers checking whether a proposed arrangement is genuine. It explains the practical steps without pretending that one article can replace an individual MOHRE decision or legal advice.

What counts as domestic work in the UAE?

The UAE domestic-worker framework covers more than one job title. The official government guide lists occupations including housemaid, housekeeper, cook, nanny or babysitter, home nurse, gardener, private tutor, personal assistant, and personal or family driver. The legal obligations follow the real job and contract. A label in a WhatsApp message does not decide them.

That matters when a family says it wants a "maid" but actually expects childcare, elder support, cooking, driving, pet care, and daily cleaning. Those are different responsibilities. Put the actual work in the offer and contract so the worker can decide whether the role is suitable and the family can budget honestly.

Use a separate professional or licensed care arrangement when the household needs clinical nursing, medical treatment, or specialist care beyond a domestic worker's agreed duties. A domestic worker can support ordinary household routines, but the job title should not be used to hide medical responsibilities or unsafe work.

The hiring process in plain language

The process usually has four parts. The exact channel, documents, and fees can vary by the worker's nationality, the employer's status, and the emirate, so confirm the live requirements before paying.

| Step | What the family should do | What to keep | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | 1. Define the role | Write duties, household size, children or older adults, live-in arrangement, start date, and wage | A dated role brief | | 2. Choose a regulated channel | Use an approved domestic-worker service centre or official MOHRE process | Office name, licence details, written service agreement | | 3. Review the offer | Give the worker a clear offer that matches the job, wage, workplace, and contract terms | Signed offer and receipts | | 4. Sign and process the contract | Use the approved contract and complete the required permit, health, insurance, and identity steps | Signed contract and application records |

The family should not treat an agency's promise as the contract. The worker should see the offer before travelling or starting, and both sides should receive a copy of the final agreement.

The official UAE government guide says a contract must be concluded between the domestic-worker recruitment office and the employer, and that it generally covers the employer's requirements and the worker's basic rights and obligations, including the type of work and wage. Start at the UAE official jobs portal.

The legal baseline is the Federal Decree-Law on Domestic Workers and its implementing regulations. Use the UAE laws and safety portal and UAE information and services portal to reach the current official law and service links when a requirement affects the contract, rest, recruitment office, or ending of the relationship.

Budget for the whole arrangement

There is no single reliable internet price for a UAE domestic worker. The total depends on the worker's role, nationality, experience, whether the worker is already in the UAE, the emirate, the recruitment channel, the permit and health process, insurance or guarantee requirements, accommodation, food, transport, and any lawful service fee. A page promising one universal "maid cost" is leaving out the facts that change the bill.

Ask the approved service centre for a written breakdown that separates the worker's wage from recruitment and government charges. Ask which charges are refundable, when a refund is due, and what happens if the worker returns, does not start, or the employer ends the arrangement. Keep the quotation, receipts, offer, and signed contract together.

The UAE also has a worker-protection insurance or guarantee system. The official government portal explains that workers and domestic workers are covered by a protection scheme and that the applicable option should be confirmed during the permit process. Confirm the current option through the UAE official portal before budgeting from it.

Do not treat a refundable guarantee, a permit fee, or a service-centre charge as the worker's salary. Put the wage in the contract, pay it through an approved or traceable method, and never ask the worker to repay an unexplained recruitment charge.

What must be clear in the offer and contract

The contract should be specific enough that a third person can understand the arrangement. At minimum, check these items:

1. The names and identities of the employer and worker.
2. The workplace and the address where the worker will live, if live-in.
3. The type of work, such as housekeeper, nanny, cook, home nurse, or driver.
4. The contract period and start date.
5. The wage, basic wage where applicable, payment date, and payment method.
6. Probation terms, if probation is used lawfully.
7. Daily rest periods, weekly rest day, and annual leave.
8. Food, clothing, accommodation, medical care, and transport arrangements.
9. The process for ending the contract and resolving a disagreement.
10. Any special requirement that changes the risk of the job, such as driving or caring for a person with mobility needs.

Do not sign a blank contract or accept a document that differs from the offer. If the worker receives one job offer in the home country and a different document in the UAE, pause the process and ask the relevant authority or licensed centre to explain the difference.

Rest, leave, and payment

The UAE government states that domestic workers are entitled to wages set out in the standard contract, one paid rest day per week, 12 hours of rest per day including at least eight consecutive hours, and paid annual leave of at least 30 days. The same guidance also describes a return ticket home every two years under the applicable rules.

These are not optional extras that a family can trade away in exchange for a lower salary. A family may need to plan a substitute for the weekly rest day, but it should not quietly turn a paid rest day into an unlimited workday. If the worker works on a rest day, the applicable rules should be followed rather than replaced with an informal promise.

Pay through an official or traceable channel and keep records. The UAE government says approved mechanisms can be used to ensure wages are paid and recorded. A simple monthly record should show the date, amount, method, and the period covered. If a worker says the wage is late or incomplete, do not retaliate or take documents. Review the contract and use the official complaint route.

The wage is only one part of the cost of hiring. Families should budget for the regulated service, permit and health requirements, insurance or guarantee arrangements, transport, suitable accommodation, food, and the costs of complying with leave and return-travel obligations. Ask the approved centre for a written breakdown instead of trusting an online calculator or social-media price.

Accommodation, food, and dignity at home

The employer must provide suitable accommodation and proper food under the domestic-worker framework. Before the worker accepts the job, show or describe the sleeping space, explain who lives in the home, and identify whether the worker will share a room. A family should not present a private room in an interview and provide a different arrangement on arrival.

The worker is also entitled to retain personal identification documents such as a passport and identity card. The family can keep copies for legitimate administrative purposes, but should not use document retention to control movement or prevent the worker from leaving a dangerous situation.

Treat privacy as a practical rule. Do not install cameras in a sleeping area or bathroom. Do not publish the worker's name, passport, photo, phone number, or personal story online without a clear and lawful reason and consent. The household's children also need privacy. A written family rule about phones, photos, visitors, and private rooms protects everyone.

Recruitment offices and safe agency checks

The UAE government says families should use approved domestic-worker service centres. The MOHRE framework gives recruitment offices responsibilities around explaining the job, checking relevant qualifications and health requirements, showing the worker the matching job offer, and handling the recruitment relationship through approved processes.

Before paying an office, ask for its legal name, location, approval status, written service agreement, fee breakdown, refund terms, and complaint channel. The family should receive receipts. The worker should know the wage, job, workplace, and conditions before travelling or starting. If the office refuses to disclose those basics, stop.

Watch for these warning signs:

• a recruiter asks the worker to pay an unexplained job fee;
• the family is told to hire a person before the contract is shown;
• the office promises a guaranteed nationality, salary, or approval outcome;
• the worker's job changes after arrival;
• the office asks for a passport and will not explain when it will be returned;
• the family is told to use an unlicensed social-media intermediary;
• the refund or replacement promise exists only in a voice note.

The UAE government has warned about domestic-worker recruitment offices and directs families to official channels. Treat a social-media account as an advertisement, not proof of approval.

Special care for Filipino helpers

If a family is considering a Filipino domestic worker, keep the UAE hiring rules and Philippine deployment requirements separate. A worker may need Philippine-side documentation, an approved recruitment path, and consular or migrant-worker assistance in addition to the UAE permit steps. Do not assume that a UAE offer alone proves that the worker can depart the Philippines or that the employer can complete every step directly.

Families should verify the Philippine recruitment partner through the Department of Migrant Workers when an agency is involved. Workers should keep copies of their offer, contract, receipts, passport details, and emergency contacts. Never sign a blank page, never accept a lower wage than the agreed offer without understanding why, and never allow a recruiter to hide the identity of the actual employer.

Complaints, abuse, and contract problems

A disagreement over chores is different from withheld wages, violence, forced work, document retention, threats, or unsafe accommodation. The latter are safety and legal issues. The worker should use MOHRE channels, the official complaint process, police or emergency services when there is immediate danger, and consular or migrant-worker support when appropriate.

The family should also use formal channels when a recruitment office fails to deliver its written service, refuses a documented refund, or sends a worker whose actual circumstances materially differ from the agreement. Do not try to resolve an agency dispute by withholding the worker's wage or documents.

Keep a copy of the contract, wage records, service agreement, medical and insurance paperwork, and messages that change the arrangement. Good records help both sides explain what happened without relying on memory.

A family hiring checklist

Before the worker starts, confirm:

• the role and daily duties are written clearly;
• the wage and payment method match the offer and contract;
• the workplace and sleeping arrangement are known;
• the weekly rest day and annual leave are understood;
• food, clothing, medical care, transport, and return travel are addressed;
• the service centre or recruitment office is approved;
• the worker has a copy of the offer and contract;
• the family knows how to contact MOHRE if there is a problem;
• no one is being asked to surrender an original identity document;
• childcare, driving, home nursing, and other higher-risk duties have been discussed honestly.

Families can use Helpers' family guides to define the role, review how Helpers approaches identity and reference checks, and learn how the UAE market route fits the wider Helpers service. When the terms are clear, create a family account and keep the final offer aligned with the contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first step to hire a domestic worker in the UAE?

Start with a licensed domestic-worker recruitment service or the approved MOHRE channel, define the job and wage in the offer, and make sure the final contract matches what the family and worker agreed.

How much rest is a domestic worker entitled to in the UAE?

The UAE government states that domestic workers are entitled to 12 hours of rest per day, including at least eight consecutive hours, and one paid rest day each week.

Can an employer keep a domestic worker's passport in the UAE?

The domestic-worker rights guidance says the worker is entitled to keep personal identification documents such as a passport and identity card. Families should not take or retain these documents as a condition of employment.

What should be written in a UAE domestic-worker contract?

The contract should identify the parties, workplace, start date, job type, contract period, wage and payment method, leave, probation if any, rest periods, and the conditions for ending the contract.

How can a family avoid an unlicensed domestic-worker agency?

Use an approved MOHRE domestic-worker service centre, confirm the office through official government channels, ask for a written service agreement and receipts, and do not rely only on a social-media account or an informal referral.