Do you have to pay your maid through WPS?

No, not if she is a housemaid or nanny. As of September 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) lists paying through the Wage Protection System (WPS) as optional for them, and for cooks, drivers and similar roles. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022, it is mandatory for five occupations, such as private tutors.

WPS is MOHRE's system for paying wages and tracking the payments. MOHRE sets out who it covers in its employer guide, on its WPS page and in Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022, its resolution on bringing certain domestic occupations under WPS. Separately, the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, sets pay rules that apply however you pay her.

This guide is for families who employ their helper themselves. If you use a recruitment office's package instead, the office may be the one paying her. Under MOHRE's operations manual for recruitment agencies, the agency sponsors the worker in the Temporary package and holds the worker's visa in the Flexible package, and in both it pays the worker's salary, legal entitlements and medical costs. Our guide to choosing between an agency and a direct hire explains the packages.

Is WPS mandatory for maids and nannies?

No. MOHRE makes it mandatory for five domestic occupations only, and lists it as optional for the rest, housemaids and nannies among them. Here is what each official source says:

Which domestic workers must be paid through WPS?

Only a helper employed in one of the five occupations in the table. The two documents word some titles differently. Setting the two lists side by side, we read the resolution's 'home care provider' as the employer guide's 'personal healthcare provider', because the other four titles match. We found no official page that pairs them, or that says what each occupation covers, so if you're unsure which one fits her job, ask MOHRE on 600 590000 before she starts.

If her occupation is on MOHRE's optional list, you can choose WPS or pay her another way, as long as you follow the Decree-Law's pay rules below. Our guides to choosing between a maid, nanny, caregiver or housekeeper and to care for an elderly parent at home explain how those roles differ.

How should you pay your maid if you don't use WPS?

The way the Domestic Workers Decree-Law expects every domestic worker to be paid: monthly, on time and with proof. As of September 2026, these steps follow its rules:

1. Agree the job and how you'll pay her before she signs. A domestic worker's contract must be on MOHRE's standard form and state, among other terms, the nature and place of the work and the worker's total pay and how it is paid. Our contract guide covers what it must include.
2. Start her pay from the right day. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, a domestic worker's wages are owed from the day the worker enters the UAE or changes status.
3. Pay her every month, in dirhams. Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022 defines the due date for a domestic worker's wages as the first day of the month after the pay period. A domestic worker's wages must be paid monthly in UAE dirhams, within 10 days of the due date.
4. Keep proof of every payment. Payment of a domestic worker's wages must be proven by a written receipt or another method MOHRE approves. We found no official page that lists the other methods MOHRE approves, or says whether paying through WPS is one of them. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, recruitment agencies must give families wage-receipt booklets.
5. Settle her dues on time when the contract expires. When a domestic worker's contract expires, the employer must pay the worker's dues within 10 days. Our final settlement guide covers what those dues include.

What happens if you pay late when WPS is mandatory?

MOHRE tracks the payment, and a long delay can get your MOHRE file suspended. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022, MOHRE sends payment reminders on the 2nd and 8th day after the due date for the domestic occupations where the Wage Protection System is mandatory.

For the domestic occupations where the Wage Protection System is mandatory, Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022 treats wages not paid within one month of the due date as late, and the employer's MOHRE file is suspended if wages are not paid through the system within two months. That month is when the resolution counts pay as late, not extra time to pay: the Decree-Law's deadline in step 3 above still applies. We found no official page that says what a suspended file means for you in practice.

The resolution's payment rules don't apply in some cases:

• Under Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022, the Wage Protection System's payment rules do not apply to a new domestic worker in the first 30 days of the contract, or to a worker who is party to a labour complaint and not working for the employer.
• Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, an employer must notify MOHRE within five days if a domestic worker abandons work. MOHRE's documents call this an absence report. Under Ministerial Resolution No. 675 of 2022, the Wage Protection System's payment rules do not apply to a domestic worker who has been reported absent.

These exemptions concern WPS's tracking of payments only. We found no official page that says whether the resolution's rules also apply when a family chooses WPS for a housemaid or nanny, or that sets out how a family registers a helper in WPS, so ask MOHRE on 600 590000 before you register.

Can you deduct money from your maid's salary?

Only within strict limits, whether or not you use WPS. The Domestic Workers Decree-Law sets them. A court-ordered debt can be deducted from a domestic worker's wage up to a quarter of the wage, and the repair cost of loss or damage the worker caused can be deducted only with the worker's consent, or with MOHRE's approval if the worker refuses, and never more than a quarter of the salary. We found no official page that allows any other deduction.

Charging her for costs is a separate rule in the same law. An employer may not charge a domestic worker any cost, directly or indirectly, unless the law, the regulations, MOHRE decisions or the approved contract allow it. Our employer's checklist to the domestic worker law covers your other duties.

What if you and your maid disagree about her pay?

If you can't settle it between you, it goes to MOHRE. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law as amended, a dispute between a domestic worker and an employer that cannot be settled amicably must go to MOHRE first. That is when your proof of each payment matters most, so keep it safe. MOHRE's call centre is on 600 590000.

How can MaidMatch help?

By helping you find her, and by connecting you with a visa partner if you'd like help with the paperwork. MaidMatch is a free platform for families: they can browse every profile at no cost, with no registration or subscription required. Families contact helpers directly on WhatsApp, through the Hire button on each profile.

Sponsorship is the employer's responsibility; families can manage the visa themselves or ask MaidMatch to connect them with its visa partners. MaidMatch's visa partner offers a two-year employment visa, with the visa, medical test, Emirates ID and insurance handled end to end. Ask the partner who sponsors her on that visa, and what that period covers.

On MaidMatch's partners page, the visa partner's offer lists 'WPS Salary Card' under 'Included in every visa'. The page doesn't say what the card involves or whether you have to use it, so ask the partner. MOHRE lists paying through WPS as optional for a housemaid or nanny. Our partners page shows the offer and the current price.

Most helpers listed on MaidMatch are already in the UAE and ready to work. Each helper lists her own salary range on her profile, and our salary guide shows what helpers ask for. Browse available helpers when you're ready.