For many households, domestic workers or maids are an indispensable part of the family. In addition to taking care of the home and children, they perform many other essential household chores; they are often considered honorary family members. So, why might you require a maid visa in Dubai?
Before hiring a maid or any type of domestic household workers, however, it is crucial to ensure that you have the proper documentation for residency and foreigners affairs. For instance, you will require a maid’s passport for domestic and household workers. It is also integral to know all about maid visa sponsorship, a stamped employment entry permit and the online medical request form when applying for your maid’s visa.
When you settle in Dubai, this means obtaining a maid visa that allows you to sponsor your maid or nanny. Applying for and getting a maid visa in Dubai sometimes becomes an overwhelming task if you don’t follow all the steps correctly.
This article will guide you through obtaining a maids visa Dubai (your maid’s passport) including the required documents, costs, and eligibility criteria so your maid in Dubai will be legal under the UAE domestic labour law.
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What is a Maid Visa in Dubai?
A maid visa in Dubai is a visa that allows UAE residents to sponsor their domestic workers. This visa is also called a housemaid visa or a nanny visa Dubai.
The maid visa in Dubai is valid for two years, and the sponsor must renew the visa every year to keep the same maid employed. The employer also needs to cancel the visa after a specific time, usually after four years. The maid must leave the UAE for at least six months before reapplying for a new visa.
Benefits of Having A Maid In Dubai?
There are many benefits of having a maid in Dubai. First and foremost, it can significantly free up your time. If you have young children, a maid can help care for them while you are at work or attending to household chores. More specifically, here are some of the reasons for you to consider a nanny visa in Dubai.
- Affordable: Hiring a maid directly in Dubai would be very costly, as you must comply with the local minimum wage rates. However, if you hire someone from one of the countries where the minimum wage is considerably lower, you can get a better value for money.
- Good relationship: Having a good relationship with your maid will be more like having a family member around the house. This is especially beneficial if you have young children, as the maid will be able to form a close bond with them. Maids Visa Dubai will help you maintain consistency in your household tasks.
- More time for work: If you have a full-time job, having a maid can give you more time to focus on work and your career. You won’t have to worry about coming home to a messy house or having to cook dinner after a long day at work.
- Legally allowed: In Dubai, it is perfectly legal to hire domestic workers as long as you have the proper documentation and have completed the visa application properly. This visa also allows you to sponsor your maid’s family, which is a bonus.
- Job creation: By hiring a maid, you are helping to create jobs in Dubai. This is especially important during an economic recession when jobs are scarce.
- Childcare: Taking care of a child is an overwhelming task. If you have young children, a maid can greatly help you take care of them while you are away or at home attending work.
When you have a maid for several months, they will form a strong bond with you and your family.
Eligibility Criteria for Maids Visa Dubai
When hiring a maid or nanny from abroad, there are specific requirements to be fulfilled by the maid and the employer. Compliance with those requirements and eligibility criteria helps avoid any undesired situation for the maid, employer, and the authority.
The eligibility requirements are as follows:
Eligibility for a Maid Visa for the Sponsor or Employer
When an employer or sponsor applies for a nanny visa Dubai, the authority carefully evaluates several factors related to the financial stability, solvency, and residence of the sponsor.
- Residence: The sponsor for the housemaid visa must hold a valid UAE residence visa. Emirati nationals and foreigners with a Green visa or Business visa can apply for a maid visa, given that they hold a valid residence permit for the sponsorship period.
- Salary or income: The sponsor has to provide proof of finance showing that they are financially capable as a household to hire a maid. The sponsor has to meet a certain minimum monthly income threshold to meet the eligibility requirement.
The government of UAE periodically reviews the monthly income threshold, which is currently AED 6,000 per month. If the employer receives accommodation from their employer, the minimum income requirement becomes slightly less, which is AED 5,000. The recommended monthly amount for either case is at least AED 10,000 or more.
- Financial stability: In addition to showing proof of finances, the sponsor must also submit proof of financial stability. Typically, they should have full-time employment with any governmental agencies or reputed private companies.
Business persons can also apply, showing their financial statements and transaction records for the recent three to six months.
- Accommodation: The sponsor has to provide adequate accommodation for the maid, meaning that the sponsor should have a separate room for the maid in their residence. The authority also requires that your owned or leased residence have at least two bedrooms.
Once the employer confirms that they fulfil or exceed all the regulatory requirements for hiring a maid in Dubai, it’s time to check out the eligibility criteria for the maid.
Eligibility for the Maid
The maid you will be hiring must also fulfil specific requirements. These are the eligibility requirements for a maid visa in Dubai.
- Country of citizenship: The authorities of Dubai and the UAE have signed MoU or memorandum of understanding contracts with the governments of a few countries. The MoUs are Government-to-Government or G2G agreements. You can only hire a maid if they are citizens of one of those countries.
- Minimum salary: G2G agreements with the Dubai authorities also specify the minimum salary the employer must pay to the maid. The minimum salary threshold varies depending on the nationality of the maid.
- Age: G2G agreements also specify the maid’s age, which the employer needs to comply with.
The table below compiles the nationality, minimum wage, and age limit of the maid:
| Eligible Countries | Minimum Wage/month | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | AED 750 | 18 or more |
| India | AED 1,100 | 18 or more |
| Indonesia | AED 800 | 18 or more |
| Philippines | AED 1,400 | 30 or more, up to 60 |
| Sri Lanka | AED 825 | 18 or more |
It’s essential to note that the salaries mentioned above are the minimum wage requirement you have to pay to comply with the legal bodies. It does not imply that you will always find a maid within the minimum wage.
Many factors, such as work experience, expertise, skills, communication, language, and education, may play a role in determining the actual wage. Also, market conditions and factors substantially affect the wage rate. Typically, the average wage of a maid in Dubai varies between AED 1,500 to AED 3,500, depending on those factors.
Labour Contract Requirements
Once the employer and maid meet the eligibility criteria, the authority will ensure that the labour contract you have with the maid is also compliant with the rules. Here are some requirements you must specify and meet in the labour contract in order to obtain your maid visa in Dubai.
- Payment period: The employer must agree to clear the maid’s monthly wages within ten days from the due date, as mentioned in the labour agreement.
- Hours of employment: The labour contract requires you to mention the work hours per day, which can be 12 hours maximum.
- Paid rest hours: The employer must also agree to allow the maid 12 hours of rest per day which includes at least 8 hours of continuous resting time.
- Paid day off: The labour contract should also mention the paid weekly day off, which needs to be at least one day every week. In addition, the employer must also allow the maid 30 days of paid days off for medical reasons every year.
- Yearly vacation: The labour contract specifies that the maid will get 30 consecutive days of paid annual vacation. It’s up to the maid to decide whether they will travel back to their home country or reside in the UAE during their annual vacation.
- Air ticket: The employer must provide round air tickets to the maid’s home country every two years.
- Meal and accommodation: The employer also needs to agree on the following requirements related to meals and accommodation.
- Adequate meals every day
- Separate room for taking rest
- Work attire or uniform
- Health insurance: The sponsor also has to arrange for health insurance for the maid. The health insurance should be from a reputable company and cover all medical expenses for the maid.
- Paper processing: According to the labour contract requirements, the employer must also bear all the costs and fees related to documentation and maids visa Dubai application processing, which includes passports, government IDs, and photographs.
- Additional clauses: There are some additional clauses in a standard labour contract in Dubai, which you must comply with.
- No connection to human trafficking
- No physical or psychological abuse to the maid
- No task assignment outside signed the work agreement
- No discrimination based on the maid’s race, colour, or political affiliation
- No sexual harassment
Documents Required for A Maids Visa Dubai
Based on the requirements mentioned above and eligibility criteria, here is the list of documents you will need to submit with your housemaid visa application.
- Completed application form provided by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs – Dubai (GDRFAD). The authority also requires you to fill out the form from an authorised service centre with their official stamp.
- Documents from the sponsor or employer
- Copy of passport for self and spouse
- Copy of attested marriage certificate
- Attested copy of Resident’s Ejari or lease agreement (minimum two-bedroom apartment)
- Emirates ID
- Bank statement for recent 3-6 months
- Labour contract from own employer
- Salary certificate from own employer
- Copy of residence visa
- Documents from the maid
- Copy of maid’s passport
- Three photographs
- No-objection document from the country of residence
After preparing the documents, you can go ahead with the visa application process.
How to Apply For A Maid Visa in Dubai
The GDRFAD accepts the application for a maid visa in Dubai from interested sponsors and processes it.
Once you submit the application for a maid visa in Dubai, and pay all the required fees, the authority will evaluate all the papers and approve the entry permit if you and the maid meet all the regulatory requirements.
Your maid can then travel to Dubai with the approved entry permit. Upon arrival, the maid must undergo a few medical tests within 30 days and take the biometric for a stamped residence visa of the UAE.
Medical Tests and Health Insurance
The medical tests ideally include HIV, TB, Leprosy, Pregnancy, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. You will need to purchase health insurance for the maid. You may also arrange for your maid to get a few vaccines for diseases like Hepatitis B and the applicable booster doses. Always have the vaccine documentation available because you will need to submit it during the maid visa renewal process.
Completing the Application Process for a Maid Visa in Dubai
After having the health insurance, you can complete the remaining maid visa application process from the GDRFAD.
First, you can apply for an appointment at the e-token system from their website and visit their physical office at a specific time, preferably along with the maid. The officer will check the labour contract and approve it upon evaluation.
You can then submit the maid’s passport for a stamped residence visa and Domestic Worker Identity Card. You will receive both documents by courier to your given address.
How Much Does It Cost to Get A Maid Visa in Dubai?
The full maid visa Dubai application process will cost you approximately AED 14,000 to AED 18,000, depending on your circumstances, including a refundable deposit of AED 2,000. Some of the costs include:
- Application fees (approximately AED 6,000)
- Typing centre fees
- Health insurance
- Biometric fees
- Diagnostic tests fees
- Attestation fees
- Labour contract preparation
- Visa stamping fees
- Emirates ID and Worker ID application fees
- Applicable renewal and cancellation fees
Summary: Maid Visa in Dubai
Hiring a maid is a big decision for a household. Not only do you need to make sure that you can afford to pay for their salary and visa, but you also need to be sure that you are comfortable with having someone live in your home.
If you decide to hire a maid, getting a maid visa in Dubai is not as complicated as it may seem. Just follow all the steps and requirements, and you should have your maid visa in no time. Virtuzone provides end-to-end professional support for you to complete the maid visa application process as smoothly and correctly as possible.
