# The Real Cost of Hiring a Maid in the UAE (2026 Visa & Tadbeer Breakdown)

> What hiring a maid in the UAE actually costs in 2026: the one fee MOHRE publishes officially, the commonly-reported Tadbeer 2-year package ranges by nationality (AED 5,000 – 14,000), live salary medians from 1,800+ approved Rufy caregivers, end-of-service gratuity under Decree-Law 9/2022, and three first-year worked examples from AED 41,500 to AED 56,500.

_Author: Safae Fikri · Published: 2026-06-18 · 10 min read · Source: https://www.rufy.ae/blog/real-cost-of-hiring-a-maid-uae-2026_

The honest answer to "how much does a maid visa cost in the UAE in 2026" is: it depends, and most of the figures floating around online aren't from MOHRE. There's exactly one fee MOHRE publishes officially for domestic-worker hires, the AED 100 work permit. Everything else (Tadbeer recruitment package, medical, Emirates ID, mandatory health insurance) is set by individual service centres or has no published tariff at all.

This breakdown is built to be honest about that gap. We separate what's officially published from what's commonly reported, anchor the salary line to live Rufy marketplace data, and walk through three first-year worked examples you can drop into your own spreadsheet.

---

## What's officially published by MOHRE

Two anchors, that's it:

The [MOHRE work permit fee](https://www.mohre.gov.ae/en/services/issuance-of-a-new-work-permit-domestic-workers-2022.aspx) is AED 100 per issuance, reduced from AED 200 in the 2019 fee revision and still in force in 2026.

UAE [Federal Decree-Law 9/2022](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/employment-in-the-private-sector/domestic-helpers) governs the contract, including the worker's right to end-of-service gratuity (14 days' wages per year of service, capped at 6 months total), one return ticket per contract end, weekly rest day, and minimum 12 hours' continuous daily rest. These are not fees, they're obligations on you as the sponsor.

Everything below is a market estimate, useful for budgeting, not authoritative. Get a written itemised quote from a licensed Tadbeer centre before committing.

---

## The Tadbeer 2-year package: commonly-reported range

Licensed Tadbeer centres bundle the worker's recruitment, flight, visa, medical, Emirates ID and insurance into a 2-year package quoted by nationality. The range published by news outlets like [Khaleej Times](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/legal/private-sponsorship-vs-agencies-what-it-really-takes-to-hire-a-maid-in-the-uae) sits roughly at:

| Nationality | Reported package (AED) | Notes |

| --- | --- | --- |

| African (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia) | 5,000 – 7,500 | Lower end; supply-rich pools |

| Indian / Sri Lankan | 6,500 – 9,500 | Mid range |

| Bangladeshi / Nepali | 7,500 – 10,500 | Mid range |

| Indonesian | 9,000 – 12,000 | Upper mid |

| Filipino | 11,000 – 14,000 | Top end; English fluency + DMW signal |

*Commonly-reported Tadbeer 2-year package range by nationality (2026, secondary-source, not MOHRE-confirmed)*

Two things to verify before you accept any quote:

- Ask for the itemised line breakdown. A package that covers "everything" should be able to show you the entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, residency, recruitment fee and worker's flight as separate lines. If they can't, something's hidden.
- Ask whether the AED 100 MOHRE work permit, the Dubai basic health insurance, and the 2-year Emirates ID are included. These are non-negotiable government costs; centres sometimes leave them out of the headline number.

---

## The line items inside a Tadbeer 2-year package

A typical package bundles roughly the following items. Individual figures vary by centre and emirate; treat these as planning ranges, not regulator figures.

| Line item | Typical AED | Status |

| --- | --- | --- |

| MOHRE work permit | 100 | Officially published |

| Entry permit | 300 – 500 | Estimate |

| Medical fitness test (DHA / DoH) | 300 – 1,000 | Tier dependent |

| Emirates ID (2-year) | 375 | Standard |

| Residency visa stamping | 375 – 600 | Estimate |

| Dubai basic health insurance (annual) | 700 – 1,200 | Mandatory in Dubai from Jan 1, 2025 |

| Domestic-worker contract registration | 100 – 200 | Estimate |

| Recruitment / sourcing fee | Varies by nationality | See nationality table above |

| Worker's flight to UAE | 1,200 – 2,500 | Origin-dependent |

| Refundable bank guarantee | 2,000 (held) | Sponsor-type dependent; refunded on exit |

| Tadbeer admin / service fee | 500 – 1,500 | Centre dependent |

*Typical Tadbeer 2-year package line items (planning estimates, 2026)*

The bank guarantee is held, not consumed, you get it back when the worker exits the country at contract end. Treat it as a cash-flow item, not a cost.

---

## Monthly salary by nationality (live marketplace data)

Once the visa is issued, the recurring cost is the monthly cash salary. These figures come from approved + publicly browseable Rufy caregivers in the UAE as of June 2026, the same data that powers the Salary Index tool.

| Nationality | Sample (n) | p25 (AED) | Median (AED) | p75 (AED) |

| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

| Filipino | 1,062 | 3,000 | 3,500 | 4,000 |

| Sri Lankan | 41 | 3,000 | 3,500 | 3,800 |

| Cameroonian | 31 | 2,900 | 3,500 | 4,000 |

| Indonesian | 12 | 3,150 | 3,500 | 3,625 |

| Ugandan | 325 | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,500 |

| Kenyan | 236 | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,500 |

| Ethiopian | 37 | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,500 |

| Zimbabwean | 25 | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,500 |

| Indian | 11 | 2,750 | 3,000 | 3,650 |

| Ghanaian | 40 | 2,500 | 2,900 | 3,500 |

*UAE monthly maid salary by nationality, Rufy marketplace medians (2026)*

Two patterns matter for budgeting. First, Filipino availability is huge in the UAE (n=1,062, by far the largest pool), which translates to faster matching but a stickier AED 3,500 median. Second, the African medians sit a consistent AED 500/month below Filipino, that's a real AED 6,000 saving over a 12-month period if your role doesn't specifically need DMW-accredited training.

For your exact city + experience + nationality, use the [UAE salary index](/tools/salary-index), it returns live p25 / median / p75 from the same data.

---

## The hidden costs that show up in year two

Three line items most families discover late, after the first package has been quoted.

### End-of-service gratuity

Under [Federal Decree-Law 9/2022](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/employment-in-the-private-sector/domestic-helpers) your domestic worker is entitled to 14 days' wages per year of service as end-of-service gratuity, capped at 6 months' total wages. For a maid earning AED 3,000/month, that's roughly AED 1,400 per year of service, set aside about AED 120 per month so the bill at the end of the contract isn't a surprise.

### Return ticket home

You're legally required to cover the worker's return ticket at contract end (and traditionally one round-trip during longer contracts). Budget AED 1,500 – 3,000 round-trip depending on origin and season. Manila tickets in December run higher; Addis Ababa or Dhaka in shoulder season is cheaper.

### Contract renewal or replacement

If the contract renews at 2 years, expect a renewal package roughly AED 3,500 – 6,000 (visa stamping, new Emirates ID, refreshed medical, new insurance year). If the worker exits early and you replace via a new Tadbeer hire, the full package starts again. Most families set aside 10–15% of the original Tadbeer package as a replacement contingency.

---

## Three first-year worked examples

Plug-and-play numbers. Replace the salary line and recruitment estimate with your actual quoted figures before committing.

### Example A, Filipino maid via Tadbeer (2-year package)

| Line item | AED |

| --- | --- |

| Tadbeer 2-year package (mid range) | 12,000 |

| Refundable bank guarantee (held, not consumed) | (2,000) |

| 12 months salary at AED 3,500 | 42,000 |

| Dubai basic health insurance, year 2 (paid year 1 inside package) | 0 |

| Gratuity reserve, year 1 | 1,400 |

| Ticket reserve (1-year share) | 1,000 |

| Year-1 all-in (excluding refundable guarantee) | ~56,400 |

*Year-1 all-in: Filipino maid, Tadbeer 2-year route*

### Example B, Ugandan / Kenyan maid via Tadbeer

| Line item | AED |

| --- | --- |

| Tadbeer 2-year package (mid range) | 6,500 |

| Refundable bank guarantee (held, not consumed) | (2,000) |

| 12 months salary at AED 3,000 | 36,000 |

| Gratuity reserve, year 1 | 1,200 |

| Ticket reserve (1-year share) | 900 |

| Year-1 all-in (excluding refundable guarantee) | ~44,600 |

*Year-1 all-in: African nationality maid, Tadbeer 2-year route*

### Example C, Direct private sponsorship via Rufy (Kenyan, transferable)

| Line item | AED |

| --- | --- |

| No Tadbeer recruitment fee | 0 |

| Rufy platform access | 245 |

| MOHRE work permit + entry permit | 400 |

| Medical fitness + Emirates ID + residency | 1,300 |

| Dubai basic health insurance, year 1 | 1,000 |

| Contract registration + service admin | 500 |

| 12 months salary at AED 3,000 | 36,000 |

| Gratuity reserve, year 1 | 1,200 |

| Ticket reserve (1-year share) | 900 |

| Year-1 all-in | ~41,545 |

*Year-1 all-in: direct private sponsorship of a transferable Kenyan candidate*

Direct private sponsorship of a transferable candidate runs roughly AED 3,000 less than the Tadbeer African-nationality route and AED 15,000 less than the Tadbeer Filipino route. The trade-off: you handle paperwork yourself (or via Rufy) instead of paying the Tadbeer centre to do it. See [our route-comparison article](/blog/tadbeer-vs-private-sponsorship-vs-monthly-maid-uae) for when each route makes sense.

---

## Three ways to spend less without cutting corners

1. Hire a transferable candidate already in the UAE. Saves the worker's flight (AED 1,500 – 2,500), shortens processing to 2–3 weeks instead of 4–8, and avoids the source-country admin lines inside the Tadbeer recruitment fee.
2. Match nationality to role, not to the agency's premium pitch. If your role doesn't specifically need DMW-accredited Filipino training, the African-nationality pools offer the same level of care competence at a consistent AED 500/month lower median.
3. Get three written quotes, and ask each centre to itemise the line items above. Quotes that lump everything into one number hide the AED 100 work permit (which you pay regardless) and the bank guarantee (which you get back). Both should be visible.

---

To estimate your specific case, run the figures through the [UAE maid cost calculator](/tools/maid-cost-calculator). For salary specifics by nationality and city, the [UAE salary index](/tools/salary-index) returns live medians from the same data. And the [complete Tadbeer hiring guide](/blog/how-to-hire-a-maid-or-nanny-uae-tadbeer) walks through eligibility, the 19 worker categories, the WPS rules, and the legal contract obligations.

Or skip the Tadbeer middle step before paying anything: [**browse vetted maids and nannies in the UAE**](/browse) on Rufy. Every profile is approved and publicly viewable, so you can shortlist three candidates before any centre starts charging you a recruitment fee.

---

## Browse the UAE caregivers

The first-year examples above give you a budget, these pages give you the actual candidates that match it. Each listing shows the worker's stated salary preference, current emirate, and whether they're open to sponsorship transfer (which skips the Tadbeer recruitment-fee line entirely).

### By city

- **Dubai: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-dubai) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-dubai) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-dubai) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-dubai)
- **Abu Dhabi: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-abu-dhabi) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-abu-dhabi) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-abu-dhabi) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-abu-dhabi)
- **Sharjah: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-sharjah) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-sharjah) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-sharjah) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-sharjah)
- **Ajman: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-ajman) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-ajman) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-ajman) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-ajman)
- **Fujairah: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-fujairah) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-fujairah) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-fujairah) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-fujairah)
- **Ras Al Khaimah: **[maids](/hire/maids-in-ras-al-khaimah) · [nannies](/hire/nannies-in-ras-al-khaimah) · [elder-care workers](/hire/elderly-care-in-ras-al-khaimah) · [drivers](/hire/drivers-in-ras-al-khaimah)

### By nationality

- **Filipino nannies: **[Dubai](/hire/filipino-nannies-in-dubai) · [Abu Dhabi](/hire/filipino-nannies-in-abu-dhabi)
- **Filipino maids: **[Dubai](/hire/filipino-maids-in-dubai)
- **Kenyan nannies: **[Dubai](/hire/kenyan-nannies-in-dubai)
- **Ethiopian maids: **[Dubai](/hire/ethiopian-maids-in-dubai)
- **Indonesian maids: **[Dubai](/hire/indonesian-maids-in-dubai)
- **Sri Lankan housemaids: **[Dubai](/hire/sri-lankan-housemaids-in-dubai)
- **Indian drivers: **[Dubai](/hire/indian-drivers-in-dubai)

### All caregivers in the UAE

- **By service: **[maids](/browse?service=maid) · [nannies](/browse?service=nanny) · [elder-care workers](/browse?service=elderCare) · [drivers](/browse?service=driver)
- **By nationality: **[Filipino](/browse?nationality=PH) · [Kenyan](/browse?nationality=KE) · [Ugandan](/browse?nationality=UG) · [Sri Lankan](/browse?nationality=LK)

Not sure where to start? [Talk to Rufy AI](/ai) — three quick questions and you'll see real, approved caregivers that match your household, plus the right tool (salary index, contract generator, recruitment offices) for your case. Free, no signup needed to try.

## FAQ

### What's a realistic first-year budget for a maid in the UAE?

Roughly AED 41,500 to AED 56,500 depending on nationality and route. Direct private sponsorship of a transferable Kenyan candidate starts near AED 41,500. Tadbeer 2-year package for an African nationality runs around AED 44,500. Tadbeer 2-year package for a Filipino sits closer to AED 56,500. All figures exclude the refundable bank guarantee, which you get back at contract end.

### Why aren't MOHRE's domestic-worker fees fully published?

MOHRE publishes the AED 100 work permit fee and the contract framework via Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, but delegates the recruitment + medical + insurance + Emirates ID bundle pricing to licensed Tadbeer centres and DHA/DOH partners. That's why Tadbeer quotes vary between centres and why getting three written quotes is worth the time.

### Is the AED 2,000 bank guarantee a cost or a deposit?

It's a refundable deposit held by the bank or MOHRE, not a fee you lose. The amount is returned when the worker exits the UAE at contract end. Treat it as a cash-flow line, not a cost, it shouldn't sit inside your year-1 "all-in" total.

### How is end-of-service gratuity calculated in 2026?

Under Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, your domestic worker is entitled to 14 days' wages per completed year of service, capped at 6 months' total wages. For a maid earning AED 3,000/month, that's roughly AED 1,400 per year of service. Fund a monthly reserve (~AED 120) rather than paying it from a single end-of-contract cash hit.

### Is the Dubai basic health insurance scheme mandatory across all UAE in 2026?

The Basic Health Insurance Scheme via the DubaiCare Network became mandatory in Dubai from January 1, 2025, as a prerequisite for issuing or renewing domestic-worker residency. Abu Dhabi already has its own health-insurance mandate through DOH. The other emirates have varying requirements, confirm with your Tadbeer centre or the local health authority before issuing or renewing the visa.