How to Sponsor a Maid in Dubai 2026: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Can You Sponsor a Maid in Dubai? Eligibility Explained

• Sponsor income threshold. AED 25,000 per month salary, evidenced by a current salary certificate. Some family-status sponsors qualify at AED 20,000 per month if company-provided housing is part of the package. Golden Visa holders and Emirati citizens have their own income framework and are generally treated with more flexibility.
• Accommodation. The sponsor must have a residence that can house the domestic worker: a two-bedroom apartment or larger, or a villa, evidenced by a current Ejari-registered tenancy contract or title deed. Studios and one-bedrooms generally do not clear this requirement.
• Marital status. A married sponsor is the typical profile. Single sponsors can qualify but face additional scrutiny, and some GDRFA offices apply a higher discretionary threshold.
• Family composition. Households with children, elderly dependents, or a working couple clear the sponsorship review most cleanly. Not a formal criterion, but shapes how discretionary questions are handled.
• Worker-side eligibility. The domestic worker must be aged 18 to 60, must clear the UAE medical fitness test (HIV, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, syphilis, and pregnancy screening for female workers), must not have prior UAE visa violations or deportation orders, and must come from an approved source country under the current bilateral agreements framework.
• Golden Visa holders. More flexibility on income framework. Residency duration comfortably covers any 2-year maid visa. Income threshold often verified through investment or business documentation rather than a salary certificate.

Maid Sponsorship: What the Sponsor Commits To

• Salary payment through WPS. MOHRE requires domestic worker salaries to be paid through the Wage Protection System via a WPS-linked account. Cash payments outside WPS violate the framework and can trigger MOHRE penalties.
• Health insurance. The sponsor must provide health insurance covering the domestic worker throughout the visa duration. Basic policies start around AED 400 to AED 600 per year for a 1-year plan, AED 800 to AED 1,200 for a 2-year plan.
• Accommodation and food. The sponsor provides suitable accommodation inside the sponsor's residence. Live-out arrangements require a separate agreement structure.
• Weekly rest, daily rest, annual leave. One full rest day per week, twelve hours of daily rest (eight continuous), 30 days of annual leave per year. Not waivable.
• Repatriation ticket. The sponsor is responsible for the cost of the worker's return travel at the end of the visa. A formal obligation, not a courtesy.
• Cancellation on proper terms. If the arrangement ends before the visa expires, the sponsor must cancel through GDRFA within the framework's timeframe. Improper cancellation creates a MOHRE record that can affect future applications.

For the full statutory picture, see what the law requires of sponsors.

Documents You Need to Sponsor a Maid

Sponsor documents (originals plus photocopies)

• Sponsor's passport (at least six months validity)
• Sponsor's UAE residence visa or Emirates ID
• Sponsor's spouse's passport and residence visa (if married)
• Salary certificate from employer, dated within the last three months, showing AED 25,000+
• Employment contract or attested job offer (for salary verification)
• Ejari-registered tenancy contract for the sponsor's residence
• DEWA bill (some GDRFA offices request this as evidence of active occupancy)
• Marriage certificate, attested if issued outside the UAE
• Birth certificates for any dependent children on the sponsor's visa

Worker documents (originals plus photocopies)

• Worker's passport (at least six months validity from date of visa stamping)
• Worker's passport-size photos (typically six copies, white background)
• Educational or vocational certificates where the worker holds them
• Prior UAE visa cancellation paper (if previously employed in the UAE)
• Attested employment contract per the Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 template
• Medical fitness clearance certificate (obtained after arrival in the UAE)

Step-by-Step: The Full Sponsorship Process

1. Confirm sponsor eligibility. Verify the AED 25,000 salary threshold, Ejari-registered accommodation, and marital status framework before spending money on any subsequent step.
2. Choose the sponsorship route. Direct (sponsor handles paperwork through PRO or GDRFA in person), Tadbeer center (bundles typing, insurance, contract attestation into an end-to-end package), or agency (handles sourcing and often visa processing as a bundled service).
3. Source the maid. Direct referral, Tadbeer center roster, agency placement, or a direct-hire platform like ChooseMaid where the sponsor browses verified profiles and contacts workers directly.
4. Draft and attest the employment contract. Follows the Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 template, specifying wage, working hours, weekly rest, annual leave, and duration (1-year or 2-year). Typed at an approved typing center or through Tadbeer, then attested.
5. Apply for the entry permit at GDRFA. Through GDRFA's online portal, the Amer service center, or a PRO service. Approval typically 3 to 5 working days. Cost AED 1,050 to AED 1,200.
6. Worker travels to the UAE (if from outside). With the entry permit in hand. If already in the UAE on a visit visa or transferring from another sponsor, the change-of-status step happens instead.
7. Medical fitness test. Within 30 days after arrival at an approved DHA or DHCA facility. AED 320 to AED 500. Results typically ready within 24 to 72 hours.
8. Emirates ID enrollment. Fingerprints and biometrics at an approved center. AED 100 to AED 170 for 1-year, AED 200 to AED 270 for 2-year.
9. Health insurance purchase. Mandatory. Basic policies start AED 400 to AED 600 for 1-year, AED 800 to AED 1,200 for 2-year. Insurance certificate required before residency stamping.
10. Residency visa stamping. Visa stamped in the worker's passport at GDRFA. AED 500 to AED 600 for 1-year, AED 700 to AED 850 for 2-year. This step formally makes the worker a UAE resident under the sponsor's household.
11. MOHRE work permit issuance. AED 100 total (AED 50 federal + AED 50 service). The work permit and residence visa together authorize the worker to live and work legally.
12. Emirates ID collection. Card delivered to the sponsor's address or collected from a pickup point. Onboarding complete.

Total end-to-end: 10 to 15 working days. WPS registration and salary account setup happen in parallel with the later steps.

GDRFA deposit: AED 2,000 to AED 2,500 held for the visa duration. Not a cost — returns to the sponsor on proper cancellation.

How Long Does Maid Sponsorship Take?

Common delay causes: medical fitness flagged for follow-up (adds 3 to 10 days), salary certificate not accepted (adds 3 to 5 days), Ejari expired, contract attestation delays from source country embassy (adds 5 to 15 days), prior visa cancellation paper missing from the worker's previous sponsor.

What It Costs to Sponsor a Maid

Approximately AED 3,270 to AED 4,320 for a 1-year visa and AED 3,970 to AED 5,270 for a 2-year visa, plus a refundable GDRFA deposit of AED 2,000 to AED 2,500. Fees current for Q3 2026. For the complete cost picture including 1-year vs 2-year math, see the full cost breakdown and the 1-year versus 2-year decision guide.

Beyond the visa cost, ongoing monthly cost is the worker's salary (AED 1,500 to AED 3,500 live-in, AED 2,500 to AED 4,500 live-out depending on nationality and experience), food and accommodation for live-in, and annual insurance renewals.

Sponsoring Directly vs Through Tadbeer or an Agency

• Direct sponsorship (independent). Lowest-cost path (AED 300 to AED 500 saved on Tadbeer service fees) but requires familiarity with the process and time to attend appointments. Best for sponsors who have done this before or who have a trusted PRO relationship.
• Tadbeer center. MOHRE-licensed one-stop-shop bundling typing, contract attestation, medical fitness coordination, insurance, residency stamping, and optionally worker sourcing. Standalone visa processing runs AED 500 to AED 1,000 above direct processing. Full-service packages (Tadbeer as employer) run AED 3,500 to AED 5,500/month.
• Agency. Handles worker sourcing and often visa processing as a bundled service. Placement fees AED 3,000 to AED 5,000 on top of visa costs. Sometimes the agency remains the employer rather than the family.
• ChooseMaid. Direct-hire platform: AED 195/month subscription with no placement fee gives contact access to verified maid profiles. The sponsor then hires the worker directly and processes the visa independently or through a Tadbeer center. Not a Tadbeer center and not an agency.

For a deeper look at the Tadbeer route, see how Tadbeer works.

What If You Do Not Meet the Income Requirement?

• Wait until you meet the threshold. For sponsors close to AED 25,000, waiting six to twelve months for a salary review is often the cleanest option. Applications submitted just below the threshold are typically rejected outright.
• Hire without direct sponsorship. Hourly cleaning services from licensed companies, babysitting on an as-needed basis, or Tadbeer center arrangements where the center is the employer and the family is the client. See options if you cannot sponsor.
• Household salary aggregation. In some circumstances, a two-earner household can qualify where the primary earner is close to the threshold and the spouse's income creates a household total that clears it. Not a formal rule but applied at some GDRFA offices with the right documentation.

Common Sponsorship Mistakes

• Attempting to sponsor without the income threshold met. Waiting or exploring alternative routes beats a rejected application.
• Ejari expired at the time of application. GDRFA rejects applications with a lapsed Ejari. Renew before starting.
• Salary certificate more than three months old. Get a fresh certificate dated within the last month before applying.
• Cash-payment intention. Confirm WPS registration for the domestic worker salary before finalizing. Cash payments outside WPS create MOHRE issues.
• Prior visa cancellation not properly closed for the worker. Verify the prior cancellation paper is in hand before starting. Missing this blocks the entire submission.
• Skipping the medical fitness test window. The 30-day window from arrival matters. Missing it invalidates the entry permit and forces a restart.
• Insurance purchased after residency stamping. Insurance must be active before stamping. Buying it after creates a gap GDRFA can reject.
• Wrong contract template. The domestic worker contract template under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 is specific. Using a generic labor law contract creates an invalid file.
• No plan for accommodation on arrival. The worker needs a designated space from day one, not a temporary arrangement.
• Assuming the visa transfers automatically at renewal. Every renewal requires a fresh application, medical fitness, and insurance renewal. Nothing renews automatically.

Ready to Sponsor?

Sponsoring a maid in Dubai is a linear process once the eligibility box is checked. Twelve steps, ten to fifteen working days, roughly AED 3,270 to AED 5,270 in real costs depending on visa duration. The next step is finding the right person.

Find a Verified Maid to Sponsor

Related: Maid visa services · Full maid visa cost breakdown · 1-year vs 2-year visa · Visa renewal process · Nanny visa · What is Tadbeer? · What the law requires of sponsors · Options if you cannot sponsor