Maid, nanny, caregiver or housekeeper: which helper does your family need?

It depends on what you need help with most. A maid keeps the home running and can help with the children. A nanny focuses on your children, a housekeeper on keeping the home clean and organised, and a caregiver on an elderly parent. One helper can combine roles if you agree the duties before she starts.

As of September 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) lists housemaids, nannies, cooks and housekeepers among the domestic occupations in its employer guide, and one law covers them all: Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on domestic workers. We found no official page that sets out what each one does, so the duties in this guide are the ones MaidMatch describes for each role (for caregivers, the specialisation helpers list on MaidMatch). What counts in the end is the job you agree with her and write into her contract.

What is the difference between a maid and a nanny?

A maid's main job is your home, and a nanny's main job is your children. The two overlap: MaidMatch's description of a live-in maid includes support with children and their routines, and a live-out maid can help with childcare by shift.

A nanny's day is built around the children. MaidMatch's nanny page lists infant and child supervision, feeding and hygiene, planning activities and routines, and school preparation and child safety. When you compare nannies, it suggests looking for childcare experience, basic first-aid knowledge and strong references from other families.

A nanny usually makes sense when your children need someone focused on them for most of the day, such as a baby or toddler at home. A maid may be enough when the children are at school or nursery for much of the day and the home is the bigger job.

For a newborn, look for experience with babies. MaidMatch's newborn care page covers infant feeding, safe sleep routines, hygiene and nappy changing, and guidance for new parents. Our guide to support for a newborn compares a maternity nurse, a night nanny and a live-in nanny.

What is the difference between a maid and a housekeeper?

A housekeeper concentrates on the home itself, while a maid's day usually mixes housework with basic cooking and help with the children. MaidMatch describes housekeepers as keeping a home clean, organised and consistent, and as suited to homes that need structured upkeep.

Its housekeeper page lists deep and routine cleaning, wardrobe and linen management, pantry and kitchen organisation, and hygiene standards around the home. When you compare housekeepers, it suggests looking for attention to detail, organisation, hygiene standards and experience with a home of a similar size.

A housekeeper suits a home that needs structured upkeep, or one where keeping things in order is most of the work. If you also want meals cooked or help with the children, a maid is usually the more flexible choice.

What is the difference between a maid and a caregiver?

A caregiver's main job is looking after a person, such as an elderly parent, while a maid's is mainly the home. On MaidMatch, caregiving is a specialisation that helpers can list, called Elderly parent at home, and you can filter for it or start from the elderly care page.

What she needs to do depends on your parent, so ask each helper what care she has given before and match it to your parent's day. For a child with special needs, MaidMatch has a separate filter for helpers who list that as a specialisation.

Can one helper be your maid and your nanny?

Yes, if she agrees and the job is clear from the start. MaidMatch's own description of a live-in maid already mixes housework with support for the children's routines.

Agree the mix before she starts, and make sure her contract reflects it. Two rules in the Decree-Law explain why:

• 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.
• An employer may not give a domestic worker a different kind of work from the contracted job unless the worker explicitly agrees and the new job is one of the listed domestic occupations.

Whatever the mix, the Decree-Law protects her rest:

• A domestic worker is entitled to one paid day off a week.
• A domestic worker is entitled to at least 12 hours of rest a day, of which at least 8 must be consecutive.

Plan her day so the housework and the childcare fit around those hours. Our guide to days off and working hours has the detail.

Do the rules differ between a maid, a nanny and a caregiver?

One law covers domestic workers, but the occupation she is hired for can change how you pay her. Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 covers every domestic occupation MOHRE lists, from housemaids and nannies to private tutors and personal PROs (private messengers).

As of September 2026, MOHRE's employer guide splits those occupations in two when it comes to paying salaries through the Wage Protection System (WPS). Paying a domestic worker through the Wage Protection System is mandatory for private trainers, private tutors, personal healthcare providers, personal PROs and private agricultural engineers, and optional for housemaids, nannies, cooks, drivers, housekeepers, gardeners, security guards and similar roles.

We found no official page that says which occupation covers a helper who mainly looks after an elderly parent. Since the occupation decides whether WPS is optional or mandatory, ask MOHRE on 600 590000 which one fits before you apply. Our guide to paying through WPS has more on how it works.

How do you decide which helper you need?

Start from the work, not the job title. In order:

1. List the work. Write down what needs doing on a normal day and in a normal week: cleaning, laundry, cooking, getting children ready for school, a baby's feeds or an elderly parent's routine.
2. Find the main job. Whatever takes up most of her day decides the role you hire for. Everything else is extra, to agree with her up front.
3. Decide live-in or live-out. Our guide to live-in and live-out helpers compares the cost, the rules and which suits which family.
4. Look for the right experience. For children, the ages she has looked after; for an elderly parent, the care she has given; for a large home, the size of home she has kept. Skills and experience tell you far more than nationality, as our guide to choosing a helper explains.
5. Interview for the role. Ask about each task on your list, and use our interview questions to compare helpers fairly.
6. Put the duties in writing. Make sure her contract states the job you agreed, and keep a copy of any duty list you share with her.
7. Check how hiring works. Our guide to hiring a maid in the UAE covers the legal routes, sponsorship and costs.

How can MaidMatch help?

By letting you compare helpers for each role before you contact anyone. MaidMatch is a free platform for families: they can browse every profile at no cost, with no registration or subscription required. Most helpers listed on MaidMatch are already in the UAE and ready to work.

On the helpers page you can narrow the list to helpers with experience of babies under 2, a particular cooking style, or a specialisation such as an elderly parent at home or a child with special needs. Each helper lists her own salary range on her profile. Families contact helpers directly on WhatsApp, through the Hire button on each profile.