How to Apply for a Domestic Worker Visa in UAE

Sponsoring a domestic worker in the UAE, covering roles like housekeepers, nannies, drivers, and similar household staff across 19 recognized occupations, follows a distinct legal framework from standard employment visas, governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 and its subsequent amendments, with its own recruitment, contract, and protection requirements.

The process generally begins with the employer registering their intent to sponsor through MOHRE or an approved Tadbeer center, the government-approved recruitment channel for domestic workers, since direct hiring outside these official channels carries deportation risk for both the employer and worker. A standard employment offer needs to be signed by the prospective worker in their home country before departure, spelling out the nature of the work, wages, and rest periods, and this signed offer is then filed with MOHRE before a work permit is issued; once the worker arrives in the UAE, the offer is registered as a formal legal contract, and no changes can be made afterward unless they extend additional benefits to the worker.

Minimum age requirements apply strictly: hiring anyone under 18 for domestic work is prohibited under UAE law and carries significant fines, and this is treated as a serious compliance matter rather than a minor technicality. Beyond age, the framework mandates specific protections: retention of the worker's own personal documents and passport (employers cannot hold these), weekly rest periods, 30 days of paid annual leave, and payment of wages within 10 days of the due date. Medical examinations for the worker are also required within a defined window before entry into the UAE.

Disputes between an employer and a domestic worker follow a distinct resolution path from standard labour disputes: either party can file a complaint with MOHRE, which attempts amicable resolution within a set timeframe before referring unresolved matters to court, with domestic workers specifically exempted from litigation fees at every stage given their particular vulnerability in these employment relationships. Given how distinct this framework is from standard employment sponsorship, employers hiring domestic staff for the first time generally benefit from working through a Tadbeer center or an experienced PRO familiar with the domestic worker-specific process, rather than assuming it mirrors standard employment visa sponsorship.