Domestic workers | The Official Portal of the UAE Government

Online services for domestic workers

The UAE Government provides specific services for the benefit of domestic workers. Services range from providing dedicated recruitment centres to offering online platform for raising queries and complaints. Find additional services for domestic workers on the websites of MoHRE and TAMM.

Regulations on the employment of domestic workers

Federal Decree Law No. 21 of 2023 Amending Certain Provisions of Federal Decree Law No.9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers regulates the recruitment and employment of domestic workers in the UAE. The law defines the responsibilities of both parties in a balanced manner, safeguards their rights and obligations, and ensures a suitable working environment in line with national legislation and international conventions ratified by the UAE. It prohibits the following:

the employment of anyone under the age of 18
discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion and nationality or disability
sexual harassment, whether verbal or physical
forced labour or any practice that constitutes human trafficking, in line with UAE’s laws and international treaties
exposure to physical harm
assignment of tasks that are not covered under the contract.
employing the worker in jobs outside the scope of this law without MoHRE’s approval.

Find Federal Decree Law No.9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers and Its Amendments (PDF, 380 KB)

Related resolutions on domestic workers:

Ministerial Resolution No. 674 of 2022 Regarding the Regulation of Labour Relations for Domestic Workers (PDF, 644 KB)
Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022 on the Coverage of Certain Domestic Work Professions Under the Wages Protection System (PDF, 644 KB)
Ministerial Resolution No. 676 of 2022 Regarding the Licensing and Regulation of Domestic Labour Recruitment Agencies (PDF, 645 KB)
Administrative Resolution No. 5 of 2024 Establishing the Operation Manual for Implementing Ministerial Resolution No. 676 of 2022 Concerning the Regulation of Domestic Labour Recruitment Agencies
Administrative Resolution No. 3 of 2024 on Issuing the Procedures Manual for the Implementation of Ministerial Resolution No. 676 of 2022 Concerning the Licensing and Regulation of Domestic Labour Recruitment Agencies

Who are domestic workers?

There are 19 occupations that fall within the scope of employment of domestic workers, namely:

housemaid
sailor
guard
shepherd
jockey
tamer
falcon care-taker
worker
housekeeper
cook
nanny/babysitter
farm worker/grower
gardener
personal trainer/coach
private tutor
home nurse
personal assistant
private agricultural engineer
personal/family driver.

Domestic workers services centres

Find a list of domestic workers services centres that are approved by MoHRE.

Entitlements of domestic workers

As per the Federal Decree-Law, domestic workers are entitled to the following:

payment of wages, as set out in the standard contract, within 10 days from due date
one day of paid rest per week
12 hours of rest per day, including at least 8 hours of consecutive rest
paid annual leave of no less than 30 days
a round-trip ticket home every 2 years
no more than 30 days of sick leaves per year
possession of their personal identification papers such as passports, IDs etc.

Obligations of domestic worker recruitment offices

Domestic worker recruitment offices must comply with the following obligations:

providing the worker with information regarding the type, nature of work and the wage before entering the country
proving that the worker is physically, psychologically and professionally fit
onducting the required medical examinations of the worker within no more than 30 days prior to his/her entry into the UAE
educating the worker about the customs and traditions of the UAE’s society
providing suitable housing and subsistence for workers, whether directly employed by the agency, recruited through the agency before transfer to the employer, or returned to the agency for any reason
treating the worker with respect and refraining from subjecting them to violence
making the worker aware of their rights and directing them to the proper channels in the event that their rights or freedom are violated
providing the employer with records of wage payment to the worker through any mechanism approved by the ministry to ensure workers are paid their wages through official channels
not to demand or receive any commission or financial reward from the workers in exchange for employment, whether before or after commencement of work.

Domestic worker recruitment contract

A contract must be concluded between the domestic worker recruitment office and the employer, which generally includes the employer’s requirements regarding the domestic worker, in addition to the fundamental rights and obligations of the employer toward the worker—particularly the type of work and the wage.

The contract also specifies financial commitments related to the worker’s relocation from their home country to the UAE, the service fees due to the agency, and the timeframe for completing the recruitment.

If the domestic worker recruitment office violates these conditions, the employer has the right to refuse to employ the domestic worker, and the agency must either provide a replacement worker or refund the recruitment fees, without prejudice to the employer’s right to claim compensation for damages arising from breach of contract.

Obligations of the employers

Employers must conclude a work contract with the domestic worker using the approved template and mechanisms of the ministry, and must provide a copy of the contract to the worker.

The employment contract must include:

the names of the parties
place of work
date of signing
starting date of work
type of work
duration of the contract
salary and basic wage
method of payment
entitled leaves
probation period (if any)
rest periods
conditions for termination, and
any additional clauses required by the nature of the work, as outlined in the ministry’s approved template.

Employers must abide with the terms of the employment contract. In addition to the contractual obligations, the employer must:

provide the facilities needed for the worker to perform their duties effectively
provide appropriate accommodation
provide appropriate meals and clothing
pay the worker’s wage in accordance with the contract
provide medical care or health insurance
treat the worker with respect and ensure their safety
refrain from requiring the worker to work for others except in accordance with the terms and conditions stipulated in the Implementing Regulations of the labour law and the decisions issued by the ministry
refrain from employing any worker without a valid work permit issued under the law
pay compensation for work injuries and occupational diseases
refrain from employing the worker in a profession different from the nature of their work except with their consent and provided that it is one of the professions mentioned in the Implementing Regulations of the labour law.
ensure the right of the worker to keep their own identification documents
pay the worker’s heirs, in the event of death during service, the wage for the month in which the worker died, in addition to any other entitlements
refrain from collecting any payments from the worker, directly or indirectly, except where expressly provided under the labour law, its Implementing Regulations, decisions issued by the ministry, or in the contract form approved by the ministry
notify the ministry of any breach of legislation committed by the worker and comply with the ministry’s decision on the matter
bear the expenses of returning the worker to their country in accordance with the provisions of the labour law and its Implementing Regulations
comply with any other obligations stated in the labour law or decided by its Implementing Regulations or decisions issued by the ministry.

Obligations of the domestic worker

Domestic workers are required to follow the obligations outlined in their employment contract, in addition to the following:

personally perform the agreed work under the employer’s direction and supervision, with due diligence
refrain from absenteeism without valid reason
respect the customs, traditions and public morals in the UAE’s community
comply with the employer's instructions regarding the agreed work, provided they do not contradict the contract, law, public order, morality, or expose the worker to risk or legal liability
safeguard the employer’s property, work tools and anything entrusted to them, by ensuring its proper care and by taking necessary measures for its preservation
respect the privacy of the workplace and refrain from disclosing confidential information obtained through work even after the employment ends
refrain from using work tools outside the workplace without the employer’s consent and store them in their designated locations
provide necessary aid and assistance in the event of disasters and hazards that threaten the workplace and its occupants.

onot undertake any work without a valid permit issued by the ministry and in accordance with its terms.

Settlement of disputes

In the event of a dispute between the employer and the domestic worker, either party may submit a labour complaint to the ministry. The ministry will attempt to resolve the complaint amicably within two weeks. If resolution is not possible, the matter will be referred to the competent court along with the ministry’s recommendation.

Under the Federal Decree-Law, domestic workers are exempt from litigation fees at all stages of the proceedings and cases involving them must be expedited.

Claims regarding rights arising from the law are inadmissible after three months from the date of termination of employment.