In the UAE, domestic workers have their own law: Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, with its implementing regulation, Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022. Together they set how a domestic worker is hired, what the contract must say, rest, leave and pay, and the penalties.
This guide covers who the law applies to, how hiring a domestic worker in the UAE works (recruitment agencies, Tadbeer centres, the MOHRE work permit and the contract), the worker's rights, and what's prohibited.
Who the UAE domestic workers law covers
The law applies to the occupations listed in its implementing regulation (art. 3, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022). The regulation lists 19, among them housekeeper, babysitter, gardener, private tutor, home caregiver, chauffeur, private trainer and falconer (Schedule 1, Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022).
No one under 18 may be recruited or employed (art. 4.3). MOHRE also sets an age limit of 60 for work permits, with a limited exemption for some workers already in the country.
The law sets minimum rights: anything more favourable to the worker in another law or in the contract still applies (art. 28).
How to hire a domestic worker in the UAE
- Choose how to recruit. A family can apply to MOHRE itself, or use a licensed recruitment agency or a Tadbeer centre: a MOHRE-licensed service centre that recruits domestic workers for families and helps with residence steps such as identity and health procedures. Businesses that recruit or place domestic workers need a Ministry licence (art. 4.1); an agency that places a worker with a family is the employer (art. 14).
- If you use an agency: the recruitment contract. You and the agency sign a Ministry-approved recruitment contract (art. 6.1). The agency can't charge the worker any fees or costs, and must arrange a medical examination within 30 days before the worker enters the UAE (arts. 5.2 and 5.3).
- The employment contract. On the Ministry-approved form, with a copy for the worker, it sets the wage and how it's paid, leave, probation, rest and termination, among other things, and runs for two years, renewable (art. 7). MOHRE's contract service needs both signatures, a valid medical fitness result and, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, adequate medical insurance.
- The work permit for a domestic worker. MOHRE's work permit service, for workers recruited from inside or outside the country, asks for the employer's valid passport plus an ID card (citizens) or residence permit (residents), a worker aged 18 or over with a passport valid for at least three months, and adequate insurance on the employer's file. It gives the processing time as 2 working days.
- Residence. MOHRE lists the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security as a related service on both its work permit and contract pages.
- Probation. It can last up to six months (art. 8). If you use an agency and, during probation, the worker isn't competent or of good conduct, or leaves outside the permitted cases, the agency refunds the recruitment cost divided by the contract months, times the months left, or all of it in the first month or if the worker is found medically unfit, within two weeks. There's no refund for a worker recruited by name or by direct recruitment (art. 6, Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022).
Domestic worker rights in the UAE: rest, leave and pay
| Right | What the law says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Daily rest | At least 12 hours a day, including at least 8 in a row | 9.2 |
| Weekly rest | One paid rest day a week; if worked, another day off or a day's pay | 9.1 |
| Annual leave | At least 30 days a year, paid before it starts; 2 days a month for service between six months and a year; can be split into two periods | 10.1 |
| Ticket home | A return ticket home for leave once every two years | 10.4 |
| Unused leave | Paid in cash at the last wage when the contract ends | 10.5 |
| Sick leave | Up to 30 days a contract year with a medical report from an approved health authority; the first 15 on full pay, the next 15 on half pay | 10.6 |
| Pay | Monthly, in UAE dirhams, within 10 days of the due date, with proof of payment | 15.1, 15.2 |
| Housing, food, health | Suitable accommodation; meals and work clothing for full-time workers unless agreed otherwise; medical costs or health insurance | 11.2, 11.3, 11.5 |
| Documents | The worker keeps their own official documents | 11.11 |
| End of contract | All dues paid within 10 days; a ticket home if the family ends the contract for reasons not attributable to the worker | 19, 20.2 |
The decree doesn't set a minimum wage: the wage is one of the terms the contract must state (art. 7.2).
Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022 made MOHRE's Wage Protection System mandatory from 1 April 2023 for private agricultural engineers, private messengers, home care providers, private tutors and private trainers, and voluntary for other domestic workers from 1 January 2023. Check MOHRE for any later change.
The decree leaves the gratuity rules to a Cabinet decision (art. 22). The implementing regulation doesn't set them, and we found no such decision on the UAE's official legislation portal as at 28 October 2026. Check the current position with MOHRE before agreeing the contract.
What families must not do
Discrimination, sexual harassment, forced labour and human trafficking are prohibited (art. 4.4). A family can't take money from the worker unless the law allows it, keep the worker's official documents, make them work for others except as the rules allow, or assign a different job without consent (art. 11).
Employing a domestic worker who isn't authorised to work for you, or recruiting someone under 18, carries a fine of AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 (art. 27.3). Fines multiply by the number of workers affected, up to AED 10 million (art. 27.7).
If there's a dispute
Since 1 January 2024 (Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023, which replaced art. 23), disputes not settled amicably go to MOHRE, which tries to settle them. For claims of up to AED 50,000, or where a party ignores an amicable settlement decision, MOHRE issues a final, enforceable decision; either side can challenge it in court within 15 working days, which suspends enforcement. Other claims go to court.
Workers' claims are exempt from court fees (art. 26). The procedure has been amended more than once since 2022, so check MOHRE's current process.
What private household staff are paid at the top end
The decree doesn't set a minimum wage. At the top end, one international household staffing agency's 2025/26 report puts gross annual pay in the UAE at AED 216,000 to AED 300,000 for nannies, AED 180,000 to AED 300,000 for governesses and AED 360,000 to AED 480,000 for estate managers.
These are placements with very high-net-worth households, not a guide to what a maid or nanny in Dubai is typically paid. See what governesses and nannies earn and our guide to estate manager jobs.
Looking for your next role in a private household?
Working in private households and looking for your next role? Join the HouseHoldTalent network. It's free, and every application is individually reviewed. See how introductions work.
FAQ
What is Tadbeer?
MOHRE-licensed service centres that recruit domestic workers for families and help with residence steps. Families can also apply to MOHRE directly; businesses that recruit or place domestic workers need a Ministry licence (art. 4.1).
How many hours can a domestic worker work in the UAE?
The law sets rest, not hours: at least 12 hours of rest a day, including 8 in a row, and a paid weekly rest day (art. 9).
Do domestic workers in the UAE get annual leave and a ticket home?
Yes: at least 30 days a year, paid before it starts, and a return ticket home once every two years (art. 10).
Is there a minimum wage for domestic workers in the UAE?
The decree doesn't set one. The wage is agreed in the contract and paid in dirhams within 10 days of the due date (arts. 7.2 and 15).
Last reviewed: 28 October 2026. Rules as at 28 October 2026, from Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 as amended, Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022 and MOHRE's service pages. The English texts are unofficial translations; the Arabic text prevails. This isn't legal advice.
