Hiring a helper who is already in the UAE: the visa transfer, step by step

A helper who already lives in the UAE can move to your sponsorship from inside the country: MOHRE's permit service covers workers already here, and ICP changes her status. If another family employs her, the ILO's summary of UAE rules says the move needs their written consent; then her visa is cancelled, you apply, and her new residence follows.

MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, issues the work permit. ICP, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, handles residence and status changes: its general residence page describes the steps, and says that for domestic workers its service is provided through the Domestic Workers Package. The government's Work Bundle portal sends Dubai employers to the DubaiNow app for domestic-worker services, and links the other emirates to ICP's smart services. Where an official page doesn't answer a question, this guide says so and tells you who to ask.

Can you hire a helper who is already in the UAE?

Yes, if you meet MOHRE's conditions for a sponsor and she meets its conditions for a worker. MOHRE describes its new work permit service as one for employers who want to recruit a domestic worker from inside or outside the country.

When the worker is already inside the UAE, MOHRE asks for the worker's tourist visa, if they are on one, or for the cancellation of their previous visa. For a new domestic worker work permit, MOHRE requires that the worker does not already hold a valid work permit and has a passport valid for at least three months.

A domestic worker must be at least 18, and MOHRE applies an upper age limit of 60 for a new work permit. MOHRE can exempt a domestic worker who is already in the UAE from its upper age limit if their domestic-worker residence was cancelled no more than three months earlier.

On your side, the conditions are the same as for any sponsor. To sponsor a domestic worker, an expatriate resident needs a recent salary certificate showing a family income of at least AED 25,000. An expatriate sponsor must submit a marriage contract, the spouse's UAE residence visa and proof of housing (a tenancy contract or title deed). MOHRE doesn't say whether a single, divorced or widowed resident can sponsor, so if that applies to you, check with MOHRE on 600 590000 first. Our guide to who can sponsor a maid has more.

Does her current employer have to agree?

Yes, if her contract with them is still running. The ILO's May 2024 brief on UAE rules, citing Ministerial Resolution No. 674 of 2022, says a domestic worker's move to a new employer during the contract term needs the current employer's written consent.

Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, a domestic worker may move to a new employer if the contract's conditions are met and the original employer's rights are respected, following MOHRE's procedures.

So if she still works for another family, agree the move with them before anything is cancelled, and get their consent in writing. If her contract has already ended, this step may not apply; if you're unsure, ask MOHRE on 600 590000.

You can also take on a worker who is already in the UAE through a licensed recruitment office. Under MOHRE's operations manual for recruitment agencies, when a family takes on a worker who is already in the UAE through an agency, the worker's file must be free of fines, it moves to the family after probation, and from then on the family is liable for fines on it.

An absconding report is an employer's report to MOHRE that a worker has abandoned her job. Under MOHRE's operations manual for recruitment agencies, an agency may not offer or place workers who have absconding reports or who are sponsored by someone else.

How do you move her to your sponsorship, step by step?

If another family employs her now, consent comes first, then the cancellation of her old visa, then your permit application, then her change of status and residence. In detail, following MOHRE and ICP as of September 2026:

1. Check her status and documents. Ask what visa she holds and who sponsors her, and look at her passport and visa with her. She keeps them: the law doesn't let an employer hold a worker's documents. If she is on a tourist visa, MOHRE asks for that visa with your application.
2. Agree the move. If she is still under contract to another family, get their written consent and agree the dates.
3. If she holds another sponsor's visa, it is cancelled. MOHRE lists the cancellation among the documents for your application, and charges a cancellation fee (see the costs below). ICP's cancellation page says a domestic worker's residence is cancelled through MOHRE or the Domestic Work Bundle, including fee settlement and the cancellation of the residence and the linked Emirates ID.
4. Buy the domestic worker insurance policy. Before a work permit is issued, the employer must buy a domestic worker insurance policy that covers the worker's unpaid dues up to AED 20,000.
5. Apply for her work permit. Log in with UAE PASS and submit the request, with the required information and documents, on MOHRE's website or app, at a Tawseel centre or at a domestic worker service centre, then pay the fees.
6. Receive the permit. MOHRE's service card for a new domestic worker work permit states a processing time of 2 working days. MOHRE issues the permit once the request is complete and tells you if anything else is needed.
7. Arrange her health insurance. In Dubai and the northern emirates, you need the policy for her residence permit. For Abu Dhabi, see what MOHRE says in the costs section below.
8. Change her status. ICP's residence page lists a status adjustment fee (see the costs below). It says that for domestic workers its service is provided through the Domestic Workers Package, and its general steps end with the Emirates ID card, delivered by courier. We found no official page that says whether she needs a new medical test or biometrics, so ask MOHRE on 600 590000.
9. Pay her from the start. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, a domestic worker's wages are owed from the day the worker enters the UAE or changes status; for a helper already here, that is the day her status changes. A domestic worker's wages must be paid monthly in UAE dirhams, within 10 days of the due date.

The contract is MOHRE's standard form, in Arabic with a translation into a language she understands, and she gets a signed copy. This list condenses MOHRE's steps for a new permit: MOHRE's service page (opens in a new tab) has the full version, and our maid visa process guide covers each stage.

What does it cost to take on a helper already in the UAE?

We found no single published total. As of September 2026, the official pages publish these charges, among others:

• ICP's fee for a status adjustment (changing status inside the UAE) is AED 500.
• Cancelling a domestic worker's work permit or entry permit through MOHRE costs AED 65, or AED 85.75 in Dubai. No official page we found says who pays it.
• ICP charges foreign-resident sponsors AED 5,000 for each year of residence issued to a domestic worker, listed as a guarantee for the recruitment of domestic workers. ICP doesn't say whether it is refundable.
• The domestic worker insurance policy (step 4 above). Its premium isn't published on the official pages we checked.

ICP's fee list also has application, yearly issuance and smart-service fees and a deposit fee, and ICP charges separately for the Emirates ID. MOHRE's new permit page listed fee categories without amounts when we read it on 28 September 2026, and we found no official page that gives a fee for a transfer, so ask whoever handles your application, a domestic worker service centre or our visa partner, for an itemised quote before you pay.

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. Our partners page has the details and the current price, and our maid visa cost guide breaks down the government fees.

Health insurance is yours to arrange and pay for in Dubai and the northern emirates, under two different rules. In Dubai, employers must enrol their employees in health insurance, and sponsors must enrol the people they sponsor who have no employer cover; employers and sponsors pay the cost, may not charge it to the insured person, and must produce the policy when a residence permit is issued or renewed. In Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, health insurance for domestic workers has been mandatory since 1 January 2025, paid by the employer; the basic package costs AED 320 a year.

In Abu Dhabi, as in every emirate, the employer must pay for a domestic worker's medical care under the UAE health system or provide health insurance under the applicable health laws. MOHRE's renewal service says that in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, employers are required to provide adequate medical insurance to their domestic workers. Our health insurance guide has more on cover and cost.

Her salary is for the two of you to agree. The UAE sets no statutory minimum wage for domestic workers: any floor comes from her home country and applies only to contracts verified through that country's system (for a Filipina, see below). Each helper lists her own salary range on her profile.

When can she start working for you?

Only once she holds a MOHRE work permit for the job with you. Until then, the rules are strict:

• She may not start work on a visit or tourist visa.
• While another family sponsors her, she may not work for you. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, a domestic worker may not work for anyone other than their employer, except as its Executive Regulations or MOHRE decisions allow. We found no official page that lists those exceptions.
• Employing a domestic worker without a work permit for that job is punishable by a fine of AED 50,000 to AED 200,000.
• Helping a worker abandon her employer, or sheltering her to employ her illegally, is punishable with the same range of fines. MOHRE also warns that families who hire from unauthorised sources can be held liable for employing and illegally sheltering a worker who is in breach of the rules.

If a helper tells you she has her own visa, find out exactly what visa it is before you agree anything. Our guide to own-visa, visit-visa and part-time help explains what is legal, and our guide to checking references and documents shows what to look at.

What changes if she is Filipina?

Her next trip home needs planning. A Filipino worker needs an exit clearance, such as an Overseas Employment Certificate, to leave the Philippines. MWO Dubai is the Philippines' Migrant Workers Office in Dubai, and DMW is its Department of Migrant Workers.

MWO Dubai's page says DMW's Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) exemption for returning Filipino workers is only for a worker going back to the same employer, with the same company name or sponsor, jobsite and position, and that a worker whose details differ is redirected to set an appointment. Once she works for you, her employer has changed, so ask MWO Dubai what she needs before she books her trip.

On salary: For contract verification, MWO Dubai requires a Filipino domestic worker's contract to set a basic wage of at least AED 1,500 a month. MWO Dubai serves Dubai and the northern emirates; if you live in Abu Dhabi, check the requirements with the Philippine Embassy.

Our guide to hiring a Filipino helper covers the Philippine rules in more detail.

How can MaidMatch help?

By helping you find her, and by connecting you with a visa partner if you'd like help with the rest. Most helpers listed on MaidMatch are already in the UAE and ready to work. 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. Before you start the paperwork, ask each helper what visa she holds now and whether her current employer knows she wants to move.

Tap the WhatsApp button on this page if you would like us to connect you with our visa partner, or read how MaidMatch works first.