How to get a maid/nanny visa in Dubai?

If you are living in Dubai, maids are a full-time necessity. The process for getting a maid visa can seem complex but fortunately, the government of Dubai has streamlined it to make it as painless and simple as possible. However, you still need to do some visits to some government buildings, and it will take your valuable time if you decided to do it on your own. With the right documents in hand, like a valid passport, copies of your maid’s national ID card, and passport photos, you can initiate the application process at any of the numerous government-authorized agencies. Once all details have been considered, a maid visa should be issued in accordance with local regulations.

Step 1: Know the rules for a housemaid visa in UAE

Whether you are looking for a full-time nanny to look after the kids or just a housemaid to help around the house, these jobs are categorized as domestic help and are governed by the UAE Domestic Labour Law, set by the UAE Government.

When hiring a maid in Dubai, the sponsor will be responsible for providing other stipulated benefits such as:

Payment of wages within 10 days from the salary due date
One day of paid rest per week
12 hours of rest per day, including 8 hours of consecutive rest
30 days paid vacation per year
Medical insurance
30 days of medical leave per year
A round-trip ticket home every 2 years
Accommodation
Decent meals at the employer’s expense
Attire suitable for the job to be carried out, at the employer’s expense
Possession of their personal identification papers such as passports, IDs, etc.

STEP 2: DECIDE BETWEEN HIRING A HOUSEMAID VIA AN AGENCY OR HIRING ONE ON YOUR OWN

Another important step to bring you closer to answering the question of how to bring a maid/nanny to Dubai is making a decision on whether you want to complete the process on your own or hire an external agency to help. Both ways are fairly straightforward, however, each method has its own set of costs and duration, which must be taken into consideration.

One of the easiest ways to hire a nanny in Dubai is to use Tadbeer centers, which are government-approved service centers that help to hire domestic and household workers in Dubai and the rest of the UAE. They offer different packages that are specific to your needs. Here is a quick look at everything Tadbeer has to offer.

Tadbeer and other maid recruiting agencies offer a solution for hiring maids in Dubai. It is important to note that some of the agencies only apply for a tourist visa for the maid and as a sponsor, you would then need to re-apply for the maid’s residency visa yourself at an additional cost. To avoid this extra cost, you can opt to apply for a maid's UAE residence visa yourself while the agency handles the other procedures like booking flight tickets and drafting contracts.

If you have already identified a candidate you want to hire, the entire process can be done without an agency, but you will need to do most of the legwork yourself. This includes issuing the visa, booking the tickets, and facilitating any other formalities.

STEP 3: GET YOUR DOCUMENTS IN ORDER

Whether you are going forward with the hiring process via an agency or yourself, you will need to submit certain documents to fulfill the requirements for sponsoring a maid in Dubai. Here is a list of required documents to sponsor a nanny/housemaid in Dubai:

Documents required for sponsoring a housemaid in Dubai

When applying for a residency permit for the maid, the sponsor will need to submit the following documents to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA).

The visa application form typed through an authorized typing office
An affidavit from the embassy or consulate of non-relationship, if the maid is from the same country
Passport and visa copies of the sponsor and the maid
Passport photos of the sponsor and the maid
Three months' bank statement of the sponsor
Copy of the sponsor’s labor contract
Copy of the sponsor’s health insurance card
Copy of the sponsor’s tenancy contract of a minimum two-bedroom unit
Salary Certificate of the sponsor
Maid’s Medical Fitness Certificate from their country

Note: The above requirements can vary for sponsors who are UAE citizens or working in the government and private sector in the UAE. Make sure to refer to the GDRFA website for the latest information.

STEP 4: BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BRINGING THE MAID TO DUBAI

Once you’ve finalized your candidate and you have all the documents sorted out, you can initiate the process to get them to Dubai. It can be completed by visiting any of the Tasheel Centres in the UAE or the GDRFA website.

Here are the steps to issue a maid visa in Dubai. The sponsor will need to complete this process for sponsoring a maid in Dubai in the order given below.

Apply for the maid’s employment permit to enter the country
After the maid enters the UAE, the sponsor will need to obtain a Medical Fitness Report and register for the Emirates ID
Apply for the residence stamp on the maid’s passport
Issue the Domestic Worker Card for the sponsor and Emirates ID for the maid.

In order to apply for an employment permit, the sponsor will need to get an authorized typist to fill up the employment entry permit form. This form along with all the aforementioned documents must be submitted to the GDRFA. In this step, you will need to pay the non-refundable cost of a maid visa in Dubai or a stamping fee of and a refundable deposit which will be returned once the maid leaves the UAE. Other charges payable here include the typing fee.

Once you receive the approved permit, you can either send the original or a copy of that to your maid. If you have only sent the copy, you will need to deposit the original at DNATA Visa Desk at Dubai airport or at the DNRD counter. Following this, you can book tickets for the maid to enter the UAE.

Within 30 days of the maid entering the UAE, the sponsor will need to obtain a Medical Fitness Report for the maid from any other medical fitness center as well as register them for an Emirates ID. After receiving the medical fitness report and the stamped Emirates ID application, you can take these documents along with the residence visa application filled out by any authorized typist and head to any GDRFA branch. Make sure to carry all the other documents such as the stamped employment entry permit, maid’s original passport and photo, sponsor’s passport copy, deposit sticker, and a salary certificate/labor contract.

Over here, a contract will be drafted which has to be signed by both the sponsor and maid. After signing, a residence stamp valid for one year will then be placed in the maid’s passport. Then the officer will issue the ‘Domestic Worker Identity Card’ for the sponsor.

The final step to sponsoring a maid in Dubai will be to get the Emirates ID card which can be done through any authorized typist or any of the official government portals.

Once everything is complete, for the maid visa renewal you will need to submit an application for renewal along with the online medical request form, which can be issued using an authorized typist. As for the cancellation of a UAE maid's visa, it can either be done at the airport or in advance through GDRFA.

The process and cost of sponsoring a maid in Dubai can seem a bit daunting in the beginning but considering the busy life we lead here, having the extra help around the house is worth it.

However, working with agencies such as maids.cc you will be relieved from doing all of the above steps. Just go to https://www.maids.cc/visaservices/ and you will get your maid visa in one click.