Searching for domestic help in the UAE usually means one of two things: you want to find and contact a housemaid, nanny, cook or carer, or you want to understand the visa and legal process before you commit to one. This page does both, and you can act on it directly — search candidates, message a match, and take the paperwork from there.
What counts as "domestic help" in the UAE
"Domestic help" covers anyone employed to work inside a private household rather than a business. In the UAE that includes:
- Housemaids and cleaners
- Nannies and babysitters
- Cooks
- Caregivers for elderly or disabled family members
- Drivers
- Gardeners and general helpers
How the work is structured varies as much as the role itself. Arrangements can be hourly, daily or monthly; live-in or live-out; full-time or part-time; flexible, weekends-only or weekdays-only. Contracts can be short (one to six months), medium-term (six to twelve months), long-term (one to two years), permanent or renewable, and a trial period is common before either side commits further. None of this is fixed by law or by a platform — it's a set of options a sponsor and a worker (or agency) choose between and agree in writing.
Ways to hire domestic help in the UAE
There are three broad routes into hiring, and they suit different households.
A recruitment agency manages candidates on your behalf and typically handles more of the process for you, for a fee it sets. A government-registered center follows a standardised process set by the relevant authority. An online platform — the route this page is built around — lets you search worker and agency profiles yourself and message a match directly.
On this platform, sponsors search listings created by self-registered workers and by licensed agencies, and contact whoever fits the brief straight from the listing — the first message can go out the moment you find a profile worth pursuing. Worker profiles, along with documents like passport, national ID, medical certificate, police clearance and experience letters, are checked before a profile goes live. Anything beyond that — background checks, skill assessment — sits with the agency managing that worker, if there is one.
The platform itself isn't a recruitment agency, doesn't employ anyone, and doesn't need a recruitment licence to make an introduction. It does partner only with licensed agencies across Ethiopia and the GCC, so if you're hiring through an agency listing here, that agency's licensing is worth confirming with them directly.
If you'd rather compare the agency route on its own terms, that's covered separately: hiring a maid in Dubai and maid agencies in Dubai.
Cost of hiring domestic help
There is no single number for "what domestic help costs in the UAE," because the total is built from several pieces, each set by a different party.
| Cost component | Who sets it | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Worker's salary or wage | Agreed directly between sponsor and worker (or agency) | Role, experience band, live-in vs live-out, hours agreed |
| Agency commission, if using an agency | The agency | Which agency, service level, contract length |
| Visa and work permit fees | UAE government authorities | Changes periodically — check official portals for the current figure |
| Medical fitness test | The approved medical centre used | Which centre, which package |
| Platform access, if you use one | The platform's own pricing | Depends on the plan chosen |
For this platform specifically: sponsors can search on a free limited plan (one job posting, ten candidate searches a month, three saved candidates), or move to paid access at AED 99 for a week or AED 199 a month on the Professional plan, discounted if paid annually. Workers never pay to register, be listed, or apply — an optional visibility boost exists (from AED 25.70 for seven days) but it's optional and can also be earned free by completing a profile.
Salary itself is a matter between you and the worker or agency — it moves with the role, the person's experience (recorded on profiles as no experience, 1–2 years, 3–5 years, 6–10 years, or 10+ years), and whether the arrangement is live-in or live-out, hourly or monthly. Agency commissions and government fees aren't figures this page — or any hiring platform — can quote as fixed, because they aren't set here. For a fuller breakdown of what typically goes into the total, see how much it costs to hire a maid and housemaid visa costs in the UAE.
Legal requirements and visa process
Once you've agreed terms with a worker or agency, the paperwork side follows the rules of the country where the work takes place. Broadly, that means an entry permit, a medical fitness test, an Emirates ID, and a residence visa tied to the sponsor, along with a work permit issued by the relevant labour authority. The details — timelines, fees, and exactly which documents are required — sit with the UAE's immigration and labour authorities, and those change from time to time, so it's worth checking their official guidance before you start rather than relying on any third-party summary, including this one.
On this platform, none of that paperwork is processed by the platform itself. Visas, work permits, medical certificates and travel are arranged by the agency or the sponsor, under the rules of the country concerned. What the platform does is get you to the right person to start that process with.
Hiring without full sponsorship
Not every household needs a full-time, live-in arrangement with a residence visa attached. Hourly, daily, or weekends-only cleaning help is a genuine alternative, and it's one of the arrangement types available through worker and agency listings here, not a separate product.
Whether hourly help suits your situation, and whether you need to sponsor a visa at all versus using a worker already sponsored by someone else or by an agency, depends on your own residence status and the rules set by the UAE's immigration authority. That's worth confirming directly with them or with the agency you're working with before you commit either way. If a lighter, non-live-in setup is what you're after, cleaning services is a useful next read, and you can start browsing candidates directly on /maids or go straight to hiring a housemaid in the UAE.
Ending the arrangement
What happens if a worker wants to leave, or a sponsor wants to end the arrangement, is set out in the employment terms the two sides agreed at the start — not by a platform, and not by a fixed script. Replacement arrangements, any guarantee period, and notice all fall under the labour law of the country where the work takes place, and are settled directly between sponsor and worker (or agency).
Visa cancellation follows the same principle: it's a step governed by the immigration rules of the country, and it's worth agreeing upfront — before the placement starts — who handles cancellation, what happens to any remaining contract period, and whether a replacement is offered. Settling this early avoids most of the disputes that come up later. For what the first weeks of a placement typically involve once someone starts, see first month in the Gulf.
FAQs
Can I sponsor domestic help without holding a UAE residence visa myself? This depends on your own visa and residence status, and on eligibility rules set by the UAE's immigration authority. Check current requirements with them, or with the agency handling the sponsorship, before assuming either way.
What's the real difference between an agency, a government centre, and a platform? An agency manages the process and candidates for you, for its own fee. A government-registered centre follows a standard official process. A platform lets you search and contact workers and agencies yourself, then agree terms directly — which is usually faster to start but puts more of the choosing in your hands.
What does domestic help actually cost, all in? It's the sum of the worker's agreed pay, any agency commission, government visa and permit fees, and a medical test fee — each set by a different party and none of them fixed. Budget for all four rather than looking for one number.
Is it legal to hire cleaning help without a full maid visa? Hourly and part-time arrangements are common and are one of the standard arrangement types offered by workers and agencies. Whether it fits your specific residence situation is worth confirming with the UAE's immigration authority.
What happens if the worker wants to leave, or I want to cancel? It's handled under the terms you agreed at the start and the labour law of the country where the work takes place — not by any platform. Agree replacement and notice terms before the placement begins, not after.
