You’ve finally settled in the UAE, your home is furnished, the kids are in school, and your property paperwork is in order. Now, you’re preparing for what many international families consider essential: hiring a trusted housekeeper, nanny, or private driver.
But here’s the part no one tells you clearly enough:
The laws changed. And what at times used to be a “casual arrangement” between households and helpers is now a legally regulated process with high standards and serious penalties.
Before you act on advice from your friend, WhatsApp group, or a “referral from someone who knows someone,” pause.
This is what you need to know.
2025 Update: Domestic Worker Rules Have Changed
As of July 2025, the amended UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 is fully in effect. The new law isn’t just about protecting workers, it’s about holding employers accountable. That includes you, even if you’ve hired staff before.
Let’s break it down:
You Can No Longer…
❌ Recruit staff privately and apply for their visa on your own;
❌ Bring in a worker via family referral and regularise their status later;
❌ Use an overseas agency that isn’t licensed by MOHRE.
If you do, you could face:
- Fines of up to AED 200,000
- Court disputes elevated to the Court of First Instance
- Loss of golden visa eligibility or other immigration consequences
- Reputational risk during audits or visa renewals
Even one missing insurance paper or an informal salary agreement can trigger issues with the authorities.
What the Law Now Requires
Here’s what every UAE-based employer must follow in 2025:
1. Use MOHRE-Approved Agencies Only
Only Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)-licensed centers can handle the recruitment, onboarding, and visa of domestic staff.
Even if you’ve already identified the perfect nanny or cook, you must go through an approved center to hire them legally.
2. Use the Standard MOHRE Contract
This contract must detail:
- Salary and payment terms
- Rest periods and days off
- Job responsibilities
- Living arrangements and benefits
3. Provide Legal Working & Living Conditions
- 12 hours of daily rest (8 consecutive hours of sleep)
- 1 full paid day off per week
- 30 days of paid annual leave
- Up to 30 days sick leave (first 15 days paid)
- Health insurance and safe accommodation
Still Using a Private Arrangement?
That used-to-work method of hiring a helper “through a friend” and applying for their visa quietly? That’s now legally risky, even if your intent is good.
If your domestic staff was hired before 2025, we strongly advise you review their status now. You might be unknowingly non-compliant.
Where Dawia Family Office Comes In
As a multi-family office supporting African families and international entrepreneurs in the UAE, we don’t recruit. But we make sure you stay 100% compliant and protected.
We help you:
- Liaise with MOHRE-approved recruitment centers
- Review employment contracts for legal accuracy and cultural clarity
- Align staff documentation with golden visa, property ownership, or family relocation plans
- Build checklists for onboarding and HR compliance
- Identify legal or immigration red flags before they become issues
Whether you’re relocating long-time staff or hiring in the UAE for the first time, we’ll help you get it right.
Don’t Wait Until It’s a Problem
If you’re about to hire, or already have staff in place, now is the time to review your arrangements. Audits are becoming more common. So are legal disputes.
Let us help you take a clean, strategic approach that protects your family, your visa, and your peace of mind.
📩 Book your private consultation here
Compliance, clarity, and care for every household decision that matters.
Dawia Family Office