Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring a Maid in the UAE

It depends on how you hire. Through a Tadbeer centre the placement fee depends on the maid’s nationality: around AED 4,000 for an African maid, rising to about AED 16,000 for Filipino and Indonesian maids. That fee covers the agent’s fee, the travel ticket to the UAE and the medical tests done in her home country.

Hiring a maid who is already in the UAE through MaidFinder works differently: you pay one fixed access package (from AED 350), there is no commission per hire, and the salary is agreed directly with the maid. See our access packages, or compare the options in our guides on maid costs in Dubai and direct hire vs Tadbeer packages.

Typical maid salaries in the UAE range between AED 2,000 and AED 3,500 a month, depending on nationality, experience and skills.

Maids brought from their home country have a minimum wage set by their embassy, for example AED 1,500 for a Filipino maid and AED 1,200 for an Indian maid. Experienced maids who are already in the UAE ask for a salary that varies with experience: a Filipino maid usually asks between AED 1,800 and 2,500, and extra skills such as newborn care or a certificate can take it above AED 2,500.

Beyond the salary, plan for the visa and Emirates ID if the maid does not already have a visa (a 2-year Tadbeer visa starts from AED 6,999 + monthly fees, see maid visa cost), medical insurance, and accommodation and meals if she lives in.

A trial day is optional and its cost is agreed privately, commonly around AED 150 to 250 a day.

Yes. A maid needs a valid UAE residence visa to work for you. Some maids already hold their own visa; if she does not, you sponsor a new one, usually through a Tadbeer centre. Our maid visa cost guide explains the process and the price.

The exact list is set by the authorities and your Tadbeer centre and can change, so always confirm the current requirements with them before you start. In general you need to be a UAE resident with your own valid ID and residence details, together with the maid’s passport and photo, a medical fitness test and health insurance.

The employer does. You can sponsor a maid in Dubai in two ways: through your own personal sponsorship, or via a licensed intermediary such as Excellence Center Tadbeer.

With personal sponsorship you go through a Tadbeer centre, submit all the required documents and carry out the official procedures yourself. This can be more expensive and you carry full responsibility for the paperwork. Through Excellence Center the whole process is handled for you, including documentation, visa approval and follow-up.

The UAE’s legal framework for domestic workers is intended to regulate the working relationship and to set out the duties and rights of each party fairly. The employer is expected to look after the worker and give her the information she needs to do her job.

For a full-time worker this includes meals and suitable clothing for work, paying the agreed salary as set out in the employment agreement, and covering medical care under the country’s health system or providing health insurance. Time off and working hours are set by the same rules and by your contract.

Start with a trusted source. MaidFinder is an online platform that connects families with verified maids who are already in the UAE. You can browse real profiles, filter by nationality, experience and skills, and contact maids directly without an intermediary.

Whether you are looking in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or another emirate, you can compare Filipino, African, Asian and other nationalities in one place. Browse profiles, or let Aya, our AI matching assistant, shortlist for you.

Yes. You can hire directly without an agency in between: contact the maid, agree the salary and any trial terms with her, and process a visa through a Tadbeer centre if she does not already have one. The other route is to hire through a Tadbeer centre, which brings a maid from abroad for a placement fee.

Check the details on the profile, her experience and references, her visa status and her availability. On MaidFinder our HR team validates a maid’s documents before her CV goes online, but it is still a good idea to ask for originals at the interview.

Ask about her experience and previous employers, the tasks she is comfortable with (cooking, childcare, elderly care, pets), the hours she can work, her languages, and what she expects from the job. Our interview guide has a ready checklist and sample questions.

A trial day is optional and arranged directly between you and the maid. The cost is usually agreed privately (commonly around AED 150 to 250 a day), and the duties, hours and expectations should be clarified in advance. If she is not suitable you can carry on contacting other maids.

Shortlist three to five profiles by experience, skills, nationality, availability and expected salary, then ask each of them the same questions so the answers are easy to compare. Save your favourites on MaidFinder to keep the shortlist in one place.

A live-in maid lives in your home, so you provide accommodation and meals, and works the agreed hours. A live-out maid lives elsewhere and comes to work, which suits part-time or hourly help. On MaidFinder you can find live-in and live-out maids, full-time and part-time.

Typically cleaning, laundry and cooking, and in many homes childcare or elderly care. Agree the duties before she starts. If you mainly need childcare, read maid or nanny: how to choose and understanding the role of housemaids.

Directly between you and the maid, ideally in writing: the salary and payment date, working hours, days off, trial terms and annual leave. As the employer you are expected to pay on time, provide a safe working environment and medical insurance, and respect the agreed hours.

If you hired through a Tadbeer centre, ask about its replacement or refund policy: Tadbeer will usually replace the maid or refund you if she does not work out. If you found her on MaidFinder, you can keep contacting other maids while your access package is active.

Yes. You are not locked into one choice. With a MaidFinder access packages you can contact several maids and keep searching until you find the right fit, without penalties or pressure.

Start with a clear conversation about expectations and duties, ideally in writing. If it still does not work, end the arrangement according to your contract and the visa rules, and look for a replacement. Our team is happy to guide you: contact us.