Hiring a maid or nanny in the UAE: Tadbeer, agencies and costs

In the UAE you can hire domestic help legally in four ways: sponsor a worker yourself through a Tadbeer centre or another recruitment agency licensed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), sponsor a worker directly through MOHRE's channels, take a monthly package where the centre sponsors the worker, or book an hourly maid service from a licensed company.

As of November 2026, typical costs are:

• Sponsoring a live-in maid through an agency: a one-off package of roughly AED 8,000 to 18,000, depending on the emirate and the worker's nationality, plus a monthly salary that commonly ranges from AED 1,200 to 2,500.
• Monthly package, worker sponsored by the centre: commonly AED 2,500 to 5,000 a month, often with salary, visa and insurance included.
• Hourly maid services: commonly AED 35 to 55 an hour, with a minimum booking.

What you must not do is hire someone on a visit visa, someone sponsored by another employer, or someone who has left their sponsor. That is illegal for you as well as the worker, and the fines are heavy. This guide covers each route, the costs, the worker's rights and what to check before you sign.

Domestic work in the UAE is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on domestic workers, which came into force on 15 December 2022, and its implementing rules. Under the law, recruiting or temporarily supplying domestic workers is only allowed for businesses licensed by MOHRE.

1. Sponsor through Tadbeer or a licensed agency

The agency recruits a worker from abroad or finds one already in the UAE, and you become the sponsor on a two-year contract. The agency handles the paperwork, and you are covered by the guarantees in the law: a replacement or a refund in set cases during probation, and a partial refund in some cases after it. This is often called the traditional package.

2. Sponsor directly

You can recruit a worker yourself, for example someone recommended by a family you know, through MOHRE's digital channels with an approved employer undertaking. It can cost less, but MOHRE has said the agency guarantees do not apply to direct recruitment, so you carry the risk if it goes wrong.

3. A monthly or temporary package

The centre stays the sponsor and supplies a worker to you, live-in or live-out, for a monthly fee. You avoid the visa process and the up-front cost, and replacement is usually simpler. This suits families who are not sure about a two-year commitment, or who do not meet the conditions to sponsor.

4. Hourly or part-time help

For cleaning a few times a week, a licensed cleaning company or a centre's flexible package sends a worker employed and sponsored by the company. Our guide on hiring cleaners in Dubai explains this route in detail, and you can compare licensed cleaning companies.

Tadbeer is the name of the domestic worker service centres regulated by MOHRE. They recruit, train and place workers, and handle visas, medical tests and contracts. Alongside them, MOHRE licenses and inspects other domestic worker recruitment agencies. Both are legal routes. The test is whether the business holds a MOHRE licence for domestic worker recruitment, not the name on the door.

Most centres offer three kinds of package:

• Traditional: you sponsor the worker on a two-year live-in contract, with the probation guarantees described below.
• Temporary: the centre sponsors the worker and places them with you for a set period.
• Flexible: the centre sponsors the worker and you book by the hour, day, week or month.

MOHRE sets rules for recruitment fees, and prices vary by the worker's nationality, because sending countries have their own requirements. Ask the centre for its written price list, compare two or three centres, and ask exactly what is included: recruitment fee, entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID, insurance and the first ticket.

Before you pay, check the agency's licence on MOHRE's official channels, and confirm its trade licence too. If you sponsor directly, a PRO service can help with the paperwork, and our guide on what a PRO service does explains how.

These ranges are typical as of November 2026 and vary by emirate, centre and nationality. Use them to judge whether a quote is reasonable, not as official prices. MOHRE and the centres publish the current package prices.

Sponsoring through an agency (one-off)

• All-in package, including recruitment fee, entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and insurance: roughly AED 8,000 to 18,000. Dubai tends to sit at the upper end.
• Renewal after two years costs less, mainly government fees and insurance.

Monthly salary you pay a sponsored worker

• Maid salary in the UAE: commonly AED 1,200 to 2,500 a month for a live-in housemaid, depending on nationality, experience and duties. Some sending countries set their own minimum wage for their nationals, and agencies will tell you what applies.
• Nanny salary in Dubai: a live-in nanny placed through a domestic worker agency commonly earns AED 2,000 to 3,500. Nannies with formal childcare qualifications, often hired through specialist agencies, are paid far more, and some advertised roles reach AED 8,000 to 15,000 a month.

Monthly packages and hourly help

• Centre-sponsored monthly package: commonly AED 2,500 to 5,000 a month.
• Hourly maid service from a licensed company: commonly AED 35 to 55 an hour, with a 3- or 4-hour minimum.

Costs people forget

• Food, accommodation and medical care, which the employer must provide or cover.
• Annual leave pay and a return ticket home every two years.
• End-of-service gratuity at the end of the contract.

An offer far below these ranges is a warning sign, not a bargain. A licensed provider cannot pay a worker's salary, visa and insurance from a price that low.

If you are asking how to sponsor a maid visa in Dubai, the process follows the same broad steps in every emirate, whether an agency handles it for you or you apply directly.

1. Check that you are eligible. Residency authorities set conditions for sponsors, such as income, family status and housing. In Dubai, the income needed for private sponsorship has been reported as AED 25,000 a month, so check the current rule with the residency authority or your agency. If you do not qualify, a centre-sponsored monthly package is the legal alternative.
2. Choose the worker and sign the contract. The contract is the standard domestic worker contract, recorded with MOHRE.
3. Apply for the entry permit, or a change of status if the worker is already in the UAE.
4. Medical fitness test at an approved centre after the worker arrives.
5. Emirates ID biometrics and health insurance.
6. Residence visa issued, linked to you as the sponsor.

You can apply through official government channels, use a licensed agency, or ask a typing centre to submit the applications for you. Our guide to typing centres, Tasheel and Amer explains what they can and cannot do. Keep copies of every receipt and the signed contract.

The domestic worker law sets out rights that apply whichever route you use. The main ones are:

• Weekly rest: one paid day off a week. If the worker agrees to work on it, they are owed another day off or pay for it.
• Daily rest: at least 12 hours of rest a day, including at least 8 consecutive hours.
• Annual leave: at least 30 days of paid leave a year, and a return ticket home once every two years, paid by the employer.
• Sick leave: up to 30 days a year with a medical report, the first 15 on full pay and the next 15 on half pay.
• Identity documents: the worker has the right to keep their own passport and ID. Holding them against the worker's will is not allowed.
• No recruitment fees from the worker: agencies and employers may not charge the worker for recruitment or deduct those costs from wages.
• Medical care: the employer covers treatment or provides suitable health insurance, plus suitable accommodation and food.
• Wages: paid on time, through MOHRE's approved channels such as the Wage Protection System.
• Probation: up to six months.

Before you sign, read the contract and check that it states the job, the wage, the start date, the duration, the probation period, the rest day, leave and who pays for what. Make sure the worker has read it in a language they understand, and that you each keep a signed copy.

If a placement fails during probation for reasons the law covers, such as the worker leaving without a valid reason or being medically unfit, a licensed agency must replace the worker or refund you. These guarantees do not apply to direct recruitment.

Under the domestic worker law, employing a domestic worker without a work permit, or helping a worker leave their employer and sheltering or employing them illegally, can bring a fine of AED 50,000 to 200,000. The worker also faces fines, detention and deportation.

The same risk applies to the cash-in-hand cleaner who offers to come every week, or the "agency" on social media that supplies workers with no paperwork. You have no recourse if something is broken or stolen, the worker has no insurance if they are injured in your home, and you may be fined.

If you want part-time help, the legal route is a licensed company or a centre's flexible package. If you want someone you already know to work for you, sponsor them properly or ask a centre to take them on.

A nanny in Dubai looks after your children, so the checks go further than they do for a housemaid.

• References: speak to at least one previous family directly, not just a written letter. Ask how long she worked there, the children's ages and why she left.
• Experience by age: caring for a newborn is different from caring for a school-age child. Ask about the ages she has cared for and for how long.
• Interview with the children present: watch how she talks to them and how they respond.
• Paid trial: a short trial period, agreed with the agency, tells you more than any interview. Probation under the contract gives you time too.
• First aid: ask whether she holds a paediatric first aid certificate. If not, consider paying for a course. It protects your children and helps her.
• Clear duties: agree in writing whether the role includes cooking, cleaning or driving the children. A nanny who is also the full-time housemaid has less time for the children.
• Language and routines: agree the language she speaks with the children, screen time, food rules and what she should do in an emergency.

The same law and the same rights apply to nannies as to other domestic workers, including the weekly rest day.

Red flags with an agency or a worker:

• The agency cannot show a MOHRE licence for domestic worker recruitment.
• The price is far below other centres, or the agency asks for cash with no receipt.
• You are offered a worker "available now" with no visa in your name or the centre's.
• The agency suggests keeping the worker's passport "for safety".
• The agency or worker mentions fees the worker paid to get the job. That is not allowed under the law.
• No written contract, or a contract that differs from what was agreed.

Checklist

1. Decide on the route: sponsor, monthly package or hourly help.
2. Check the agency's MOHRE licence and trade licence.
3. Get a written price list and compare two or three centres.
4. Confirm what is included: visa, medical, Emirates ID, insurance and ticket.
5. Check references, and run a trial for a nanny.
6. Read the contract with the worker, and keep signed copies.
7. Set up salary payment through approved channels from the first month.
8. Plan the weekly rest day, annual leave and medical cover.
9. Keep every receipt and the guarantee terms.

If you need a deep clean before a new helper starts, see our guide to deep cleaning and sofa cleaning in Dubai. When you are ready, compare licence-checked maid and nanny agencies and request free quotes, or start with maid and nanny services in Dubai.