Criteria for sponsoring a maid in Dubai

Last updated: February 2008

A maid’s visa can be obtained by the head of the family (called sponsor, and usually the male), whose salary is not less than AED 6000 a month or AED 5000 + accommodation. Bachelors are not eligible to sponsor a maid. You can only sponsor a maid from the following countries: India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Employment of domestic workers now requires work contract

A new unified contract (called employment agreement for domestic workers and sponsors) to regulate the rights and duties of domestic workers has been put into place from 1st April, 2007. The contract will be valid for one year with option to renew and governs vacation, air tickets, medical care and procedures, in case of breach of contract. See media update, media update.

The sponsor must provide the maid: Airfare to home country at least once every two years, decent living conditions in sponsor’s house or additional AED 500 for external housing. All 11 articles of the unified contract must be adhered to.

Country specific requirements

Do keep in mind that each country has its own regulations regarding minimum salary, age etc and you will have to check with the respective consulate embassy for these details. A maid from India or Philippines must be older than 30, but not over 60. Even recommended minimum salaries differ, with Indian maids to be paid from AED 1,100 onwards (see update), as advised by the Indian Embassy, while new regulations from the Philippines say the minimum salary should be AED 1,400. See update . As per the Sri Lankan embassy, the minimum salary for Sri Lankan maids is AED 825. See update.

Dubai.ae Tip: Maids from the sponsor’s country are subject to approval by DNRD. In addition, an affidavit from your country's embassy/consulate certifying that the maid is not related to you. If you need more than one maid for a large family, DNRD has the right to decide, but much will depend on sponsor’s salary and size of the family. Always carry copies and original documents, including labour contracts, salary certificates and passports. You may be asked to show your accommodation contract and are advised to carry this.

Documents Required for Residence Visa:Salary certificate of sponsor in Arabic (for government employee) OR, labour contract of sponsor (for private employee) and accommodation contract
Filled up application form from authorized typing office
Sponsor’s passport
Copy of maid’s passport
Passport photos of maid (minimum 3 required, though advisable to carry more)
Affidavit from embassy/consulate certifying non-relationship, if maid from same country
Also obtain a list of people that you are already sponsoring from DNRD (eg. wife, children, other maids, etc)

Steps: Apply in the following order:Residence Visa (employment permit to enter country)

Medical Check & Health Card (after maid enters)

Residence Stamp on Maid's Passport & Labour Card

Procedures: Go to authorized typist & get form filled up. Pay AED. 100 for application fee + separate typing fee (which varies from typist to typist). If urgent, pay additional AED 100 and mention to typist. Do keep in mind that an additional AED 10 is charged as knowledge fee for each transaction.

1. Go to Immigration & Naturalization Department & submit all documents after attaching Empost sticker for non-urgent visa. For urgent, wait for a few minutes and receive the employment entry permit. You will have to pay a refundable deposit of AED 5000/- along with the application. Please ensure that you collect the deposit receipt.
2. Empost will courier the visa to you within 2 working days, at the address listed on the sticker.
3. Send either original or copy to your maid. If only copy was sent, then deposit original at DNATA Visa Desk at Dubai airport, at least three hours before flight. Write flight number/date & time on reverse of original & get your copy stamped by DNATA as proof of their receipt of original.

Applying for a residence visa for your maid

1. After your maid arrives, you must apply for a residence permit and health card. This must be done within 30 days of your maid’s entry into the country. You will need to go to a typist, pay for either urgent or or non-urgent residence permit and submit to residency section.

2. After stamping, you need to take your maid for her medical test and health card (average cost AED 250, though waiting time differs from 12 hours to 36 hours for some government hospitals to receive the results - Iranian Hospital can give it to you in 12 hours for AED 400)

3. Take medical results to the typist and pay AED 5,200 (or 5,100 for non-urgent) to apply for residence visa.

4. Submit medical report with stamped employment permit, maid's original passport, sponsor's passport copy and a salary certificate/labour contract to residency section. It is preferable to take your maid with you. You must declare to the officer what salary you propose to pay your maid, and this will be entered into the contract. You will receive 4 printouts of the unified contract which has to be signed by both sponsor and maid. If your maid is with you, request her to sign. Go to the bank inside the visit visa section and purchase an AED 10 sticker for attestation, and re-submit copies of the contract to the officer, who will counter-sign all copies, attest one and return 2 copies to you. One is for the sponsor, the other for the maid to keep. A residence stamp valid for one year will then be placed in your maid's passport. You may have to return after 24 hours to collect the labour card.

4. To collect your deposit, take your AED 5,000 sticker receipt and the passport to Counter 17 (Deposit Refund Counter). Get it signed by the officer and present the sticker to the Commercial Bank of Dubai branch inside the Immigration office for refund of deposit.

For further enquiries, or clarifications, you can call DNRD on 04-3980000 or the toll-free Amer helpline