Maid Sponsorship

What are the procedures to sponsor a Housemaid/Nanny in Dubai/UAE?

An expatriate can sponsor a housemaid if the following conditions are met:

Salary: Sponsor's monthly salary should not be less than Dh6,000 or Dh5,000 plus company provided accommodation.

Yearly Fees: Sponsor should pay Dh5440 as an annual fee at Immigration Department. Payment through Typing Centre. (every year to be repeated. Typing Charge extra).

Deposit: Dh2040 to be deposited at Immigration through typing centre (typing charge extra). This amount will be refunded after Maid's Visa cancellation and exit. If the application got rejected, you can refund this amount to your bank account without visiting Immigration office. Click here to go to refund page.

File opening charge: Dh210 should be paid through typing centre (typing charge extra). If you have paid file opening fee before, you can bring that sticker for scanning.

• The housemaid and the Sponsor/spouse should not be related
• The Sponsor should be a resident in the UAE living with his/her family

New rule effective from 20/03/2016

- All charges, including Deposits, Guarantees, Courier and file opening fees will be processed through typing centre at the time of application. Refund can be processed only to the sponsor’s Bank Account. IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of the Sponsor (applicant) is required.

- You need to visit the immigration (GDRFA) only if such SMS received. You will receive application status SMS about approval or modification. White colour Visa will be mailed to applicant's E-mail address after approval. If you need pink colour visa, you can visit any GDRFA Dubai branch after receiving approval SMS. No extra fee. Passengers from certain countries need pink colour visa for Emigration clearance.

New Entry Permit for Housemaid Sponsored by an Expatriate

STEPS TO FOLLOW
• Make No relation Certificate from your Consulate (This is applicable only if the Maid is from same nationality of the Sponsor). Click here for Indian Consulate Related procedures.

Take below mentioned original documents to authorized typing centre and submit application online. White colour Visa will be mailed to applicant's E-mail address after approval. If you need pink colour visa, you can visit any GDRFA Dubai branch after receiving approval SMS. No extra fee. Passengers from some countries need pink colour visa for Emigration clearance.

• Application Fee Dh2370 including Dh2000 deposit (Typing Charge extra).
If the sponsor is Investor/Partner, the application fee is: Dh2420 including Dh2000 deposit (Typing Charge extra).

• Maid's passport copy (colour) + one photograph with white background.

• Original passport of sponsor and spouse (for scanning).

• Original Emirates ID of sponsor.

• Original attested marriage Certificate of the sponsor.

• Original Labour Contract (green colour). You can get Labour Contract true copy print from Tas'heel Centre. Fees: Dh53.

• Original Salary Certificate, if the sponsor is a Government/Semi-government/Free zone Employee.

Investor: If the sponsor is an Investor/Partner: Original Court Agreement showing his shareholding, copy of the Trade License and Partners List (for LLC).

Tenancy Contract: Original Tenancy Contract consisting of minimum two bedrooms. It has to be attested through Ejari online system of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). If you are living out of Dubai, bring Municipality attested Tenancy Contract and Electricity bill.

• Original Electricity and Water Bill in the name of applicant or spouse.

Affidavit from the Consulate stating that the Maid is not related with the Sponsor and spouse. Separate Affidavit to be made for both Sponsor and spouse. (This is applicable only if the Maid is from same nationality of the Sponsor). Click here for Indian Consulate Related procedures.

• IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of the Sponsor (applicant).

• Maid's Salary Agreement will be sent to your mail along with her visa. You should mention her salary at the time of typing Entry Permit application.
• Correction in Maid's Salary: If you want to change the salary or made a mistake in salary amount, take the agreement to Immigration head office, Jafliya (Section 2). Counter staff will issue you a new agreement free of charge.

If the Maid is inside UAE on cancelled visa, Visit / Tourist Visa, Dh1230 to be paid extra for Status Change (Dh680 to issue visa inside the country and Dh550 for status amendment). In this case no need India, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka Consulate related procedures after get issued the visa. But No Relation Certificate from Consulate is must if the Maid is from same nationality of the Sponsor. This certificate is required by UAE Immigration Department at the time of applying for entry visa.
Special approval is required to get maid visa if she is inside country on Tourist Visa.
FINE Travel/Tourism Agency: It is heard that, fine is imposed on Travel/Tourism agency if any Tourist under their sponsorship, changed status to maid/servant visa.

After got visa issued, prepare Maid's Employment Contract from the concerned Consulate. (Eg: India, Sri Lanka) and send it to her home country for immigration clearance.

• Read more about eMigrate for Indian maids.

• Click here for the procedures of after entry

• Maid's Visa will be issued same day if the requirements are completed.

• Maximum age limit to apply for Maid Visa is 58 years old (varies case to case).

• Bachelors are not eligible to sponsor a Maid.

• If a family needs more than one maid, the DGDRFA reserves the right to decide depending on the size of the family, income levels, etc.

Wages of Maids

• Currently, maids can be obtained only from India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Ethiopia, each of which has its own stipulations for minimum wages, age and other working conditions.
For example, Indian maids command a minimum salary of Dh1,100. A prepaid mobile phone with SIM card should be given to the housemaid upon arrival. The sponsor is required to sign an employment contract attested by the Notary Public, Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read more

The rate for Filipina is Dh1460 ($400), Sri Lankan Dh825, Indonesian Dh800, Nepali Dh900 and Bangladeshi Dh750. To sponsor a Nepalese Maid, the employer also needs a Police Clearance Certificate. Read more

Medical, Bio-Metric & Entry Visa from India: If the maid is in India, some applicants will get visa approval reference number only from Immigration. Using this reference number maid has to complete pre-arrival Medical from GAMCA and approach UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram or Embassy in Delhi for bio-metric capture and Entry Visa stamping in the passport. read more

Medical from Home Country: Maids from Ethiopia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are required to take a medical fitness test in their home countries before applying for the visa. Read more

Refundable Deposit at Embassy/Consulate: India: Dh9200, Nepal: Dh5000, Sri Lanka: Dh3675. Philippine, Bangladesh, and Indonesian missions do not require security deposits.

Affidavit / No relation Certificate from Indian Consulate
• If the sponsor is an Indian, Affidavit can be made from Indian Consulate/ Embassy. Required documents: 1. Passport copy of Sponsor, Spouse and Maid. 2. Original passports of Sponsor and Spouse. 3. Affidavit Form can be collected from Consulate and filled by hand. 4. Fees Dh60. Attested Affidavit will be delivered the same time. Indian Consulate Timing: Sunday to Thursday 8am-12noon. Location: Bur Dubai, Karama, near Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NOTE: Dh50,000 is what you may have to cough up in fines for hiring an illegal maid.

• To prepare your Maid Visa application, Call:

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Dos and don’ts to avoid trouble with maids
• Give the maid a true picture of what to expect before she comes to work for you. Make her understand she is not coming for a holiday abroad

• Choose a maid who does not have an ailing husband or small kids back home. They may have genuine concerns and can easily become homesick

• Wait for a month before you stamp the visa on the passport. That gives you enough time to study her behaviour and commitment to work.

• Don’t let your housemaid go out unaccompanied for a long period of time. You are inviting trouble.

• Always keep monthly salary slips and make your maid signs on them on their pay day. You may need to show proof at the embassy (GN).

Dubai Immigration Help Line No. 800 5111

Public can register complaints with the Department by calling 04-7074878 or 04-7074889.
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Special rules in Abu Dhabi for Maid sponsorship
• You cannot apply for Maid Visa from your own nationality. Maid on Abu Dhabi visa will cost the equivalent of her annual salary. The minimum monthly salary should be according to the criteria set by the country where the maid comes from.
Indian: Dh1100, Filipina: Dh1469 ($400), Sri Lankan: Dh825, Indonesian: Dh800, Nepali: Dh900 and Bangladeshi: Dh750. That means the visa stamping fee for an Indian maid is Dh14000 for one year. This amount to be repeated every year. Apart from this, you have to complete formalities of concerned embassy/consulate. For Indian maid, you have to deposit Dh9200 at Indian embassy/consulate. For Nepali maid, you should deposit Dh5000. These amounts are refundable after cancellation of maid visa.

• Sponsor's salary should not be less than Dh10,000 plus executive profession.
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Special rules in Sharjah for Maid sponsorship
• To sponsor a Maid on a Sharjah visa will cost the equivalent of her annual salary. The minimum monthly salary which you could declare is Dh700. It's going to cost at least Dh8,400 per year whereas in Dubai it is Dh5000 per year. This amount to be repeated every year plus other expenses like normal visa fee, Medical, Emirates ID.
• Sponsor's salary should not be less than Dh10,000 plus executive profession.

• Sharjah Immigration Address: South of King Faisal Street (take SZR to Sharjah, exit on King Faisal Street, then turn right when you see the big mosque. Go one major block and it is on the corner - turn left and then an immediate right into the district). Tel. No.: 06 572 67 77. Click here for other immigration branch address.
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Special rules in Ras Al Khaimah for Maid sponsorship

• To sponsor a Maid on a Ras Al Khaimah visa will cost the equivalent of her annual salary. The minimum monthly salary which you could declare is Dh800. This amount to be repeated every year plus other expenses like normal visa fee, Medical, Emirates ID.
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Hiring an Absconding Maid

The person who hires an absconding maid faces a Dh50,000 fine as per Article 34 of the Foreigners' Entry and Residency Law, or otherwise faces a maximum jail term of six months. Absconding maids will be jailed and deported." (The employer will be fined Dh100,000 if he/she hires two such absconders.
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If the sponsor is an Indian Resident, more procedures to be completed from Indian Consulate/Embassy for immigration clearance. read more