How does the maid visa process work in Dubai?

Which authorities are involved in a Dubai maid visa?

Several authorities share the Dubai maid visa process, as of November 2026. GDRFA Dubai's announcement of the Domestic Worker Package names MOHRE, GDRFA Dubai, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Insurance Authority and two digital government bodies. The domestic workers law requires the worker to hold a work permit issued by MOHRE (Article 12), and the announcement says DHA provides the medical fitness exam within the package. The DubaiNow app is the single channel that brings these services together.

Who can sponsor a maid in Dubai?

The sponsor is the employer: under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, an employer is any natural person, or a licensed recruitment office, that hires a domestic worker. Article 28 of the law says the Cabinet, or whoever it delegates, sets the minimum monthly salary or income a foreign resident must have to recruit or employ a domestic worker, and Article 17 of the Executive Regulations (Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022) authorises the Minister to set it. The current figure could not be confirmed on an official page, so ask MOHRE or a MOHRE-approved domestic workers services centre before you apply.

The worker must be at least 18 years old (Article 4 of the law). MOHRE can also suspend an employer's file, which blocks new recruitment permits, for reasons listed in Article 15 of the Executive Regulations, such as not paying the agreed wage for more than two months or falsely reporting a worker as absent.

What are the steps in the maid visa process?

GDRFA Dubai describes four steps for the Domestic Worker Package in the DubaiNow app, as of November 2026:

1. Fill in the package's unified form, entering the domestic worker's details and providing identity and passport information.
2. Sign the employment contract electronically in the app.
3. The worker takes the medical exam, and the results are sent through the app.
4. The Emirates ID and residence permit are issued.

If a licensed office recruits the worker from abroad, the office must arrange a medical examination no more than 30 days before the worker enters the UAE (Article 5 of the law). That pre-travel check is separate from the medical fitness exam in step 3.

What documents do you need for a maid visa?

GDRFA Dubai says the Domestic Worker Package needs 4 documents instead of the previous 10, and that the form asks for the worker's details and identity and passport information. The announcement does not list the four documents. Check the exact list in the DubaiNow app or with MOHRE before you start.

How long does the maid visa take?

GDRFA Dubai says processing through the Domestic Worker Package takes about five days, down from 30, with two visits instead of eight. That figure is the authority's own estimate from the package's launch in 2024.

How much does a maid visa cost?

As of November 2026, no official page that could be reached lists the full government fees for a domestic worker residence permit in Dubai. Article 29 of the law says the Cabinet sets the fees, and GDRFA Dubai says the package cuts transaction costs by AED 400 compared with the previous process, without giving the total. Check the current fees in the DubaiNow app or with MOHRE.

How long does a maid visa last, and how is it renewed?

Under Article 7 of the law, the employment contract for a domestic worker is for two years and can be renewed for the same period; if both sides keep working after it ends, it continues on the same terms. The Domestic Worker Package covers renewing and cancelling domestic worker residence permits as well as issuing them. The pages checked do not state the validity of the residence permit itself, so confirm it with GDRFA Dubai or MOHRE.

What do you owe the worker once the visa is issued?

The employment contract must be on MOHRE's approved form, and you must give the worker a copy (Article 7 of the law). As of November 2026, the law requires you to:

• pay the monthly wage in UAE dirhams within 10 days of its due date, starting from the date the worker enters the UAE or their status is adjusted;
• cover the worker's medical treatment under the health system in force or provide health insurance as the law requires;
• let the worker keep their own passport and identity documents;
• give one paid rest day a week, at least 12 hours of rest a day including 8 in a row, and at least 30 days of paid annual leave a year.

The pages checked do not say whether Dubai sets a specific health insurance product for domestic workers; ask the Dubai Health Authority or your insurer.

What happens if the worker leaves or the visa ends?

If a domestic worker is absent without a valid reason, you must tell MOHRE within five days (Article 18 of the law). A worker whose work permit is cancelled or has expired must adjust their status or leave the UAE (Article 14 of the Executive Regulations). A worker can also transfer to a new employer under Article 21 of the law, following MOHRE's procedures.