Procedures for sponsoring maid in Dubai

Do you want to bring a Nanny or Maid to support your family in Dubai?  Have you been told it is a complex and long drawn process?  This document is intended to  guide you through the procedure for Maid's sponsorship.  Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department (DNRD) is authorised to provide necessary approvals for work and residence permit in Dubai.

Eligibility criteria for sponsoring maid in Dubai

Maid can be sponsored by head of the family, who has a valid  residence visa. Woman can also sponsor the maid if she is a working professional in the areas of engineering, medicine, teaching or similar backgrounds.   Other conditions set forth by DNRD are as follows 1. Sponsor should have a minimum salary of  AED 6000 Or AED 5000 if accommodation is provided by the company. 2.The sponsor should be married and living with family, 3.The maid should be a citizen of either Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Philippines or Sri Lanka. 4.Sponsor should not have any family relationship with the maid.

The application process

Please follow the below procedure to sponsor a maid in Dubai.

Step – 1: Arrange all necessary documents.  Before initiating visa application process, please ensure that all the required documents are available. Step – 2: Apply for entry permit.  This step detail the procedure to apply entry permit for the maid. Step – 3: Apply for health card.  This step will provide the details to obtain health card after maid’s arrival at Dubai. Step – 4: Apply for residence visa and domestic worker identity card.  The process ends with the issue of  residence visa and domestic worker identity card.

Cost: Overall Cost  for all these procedures will be around AED 6000 annually.  A refundable deposit of AED 2000 should be provided by sponsor.

Step 1: Arrange all necessary documents.

DNRD has mandated the following set of documents to be presented during the application of visa.

• Salary certificate of sponsor in Arabic (for government  employee) OR, labour contract of sponsor (for private employee)
• Tenancy agreement of the sponsor mentioning at least 2 bedrooms apartment
• Sponsor’s passport
• Copy of maid’s passport
• Four or more passport size photographs of maid
• Affidavit from embassy/consulate certifying that no family relationship exists between the sponsor and maid, if they belong to same nationality.

Step 2 : Applying for entry permit

As you would be aware, entry permit will allow maid to enter Dubai.  The entry permit application should be filed with DNRD by the sponsor in Dubai.

Application:  The application form costs AED 110  and can be bought  from an authorised typing agent. The typing charges may vary for different agents. An additional fees of AED 100 should be paid for urgent entry permit.

Submission:  Submit the required set of documents in the immigration section of DNRD along with a refundable deposit of AED 2000.  For non urgent visa  attach a courier sticker so that visa can be couriered to sponsor's address.  In case of urgent entry permit, the permit can be collected on the same day from the immigration section.

Travel: The maid should carry the original or copy of the entry permit while traveling.   If the maid is carrying copy of the entry permit, original should be left at DNATA desk at Dubai airport at least 3 hours before her arrival.

Step 3: Apply for  health card.

Maid’s resident visa should be applied with-in 30 days of her arrival.  Medical check-up and Fitness card is necessary for applying the Residence visa.

Health Check-up:  For applying fitness card, you can either go through an authorized typist or apply online.   The check up can be done at  any of the listed medical centres in Dubai .   Maid will be screened for HIV, pregnancy, Hepatitis B, Syphilis, TB & Leprosy. An additional cost of AED 50 charged for the Hepatitis B vaccination.   The standard check-up costs around AED 300, and the test results will be available in  5 – 7 working days. There are other options to get the results within 48 or 24 hrs. For more details of the packages please click here. Medical results will be send electronically to DNRD and a notification SMS will be send to the sponsor.

Step 4: Apply for residence visa and domestic worker identity card.

This is the final step which include submission of visa application and signing the labour contract which is valid for an year.  It is preferable for the maid to accompany the sponsor during this visit to DNRD for quick processing.

Application:  The residence visa application form costs AED 5100 (AED 5200 for urgent visa).  The application form is available with the authorised typing agents.

Submission: Submit the filled up application form at DNRD residency section, along with medical reports, maids original passport, stamped entry permit, deposit sticker and all documents mentioned in step 1.

Labour Contract: The sponsor should declare the proposed salary for the maid and it will be entered in unified labour contract. Three copies of the contract should be signed by both the parties.  The contract should be attested and countersigned by the DNRD officer. A separate copy of the contract will be provided to sponsor and the maid.

Visa and Domestic worker identity card:   Once the contract is signed, maid will be issued residence visa and domestic worker identity card.   The visa will be valid for 1 year.  In case of non urgent visa application, it will be couriered in a few days.

NOTE:

• Since 1st April 2007,  a unified labour contract is required to regulate the rights and the duties of the domestic worker. It specifically mention about vacation, air ticket fares, medical care to be provided for the maid.
• Embassy of each country has set a minimum salary and age for the maid. For example, the maid from India should be paid a minimum of AED 1100 and should be between 30 and 60 years. Minimum salary of Philippine, Srilankan , Indonesian, Bangladeshi maid are  1400, 825, 800, 750 AED respectively. Check with the embassy for latest updates.
• The refund amount of AED 2000 will be reimbursed when the maid is permanently leaving the country.
• To retain the maid beyond an year,  labour contract should be renewed annually.  Renewal process is similar to Steps 3 and 4.
• DNRD can approve more than one maid to a family , depending on the size of the family and the salary of the sponsor.
• Illegal hiring of maids, may result in penalty up to AED 70,000 ,  imprisonment for a month followed by deportation of employer.