Kenyan maids in Abu Dhabi
A helper recruited from Kenya goes through Kenya's steps as well as the UAE's, and Kenya's come before she travels. Kenya's labour department requires a Kenyan labour officer to attest the employment contract of a Kenyan going to work abroad before they travel; the documents include the foreign contract of service form (LD21) and a bond from the employer.
This page shows the Kenyan maids and nannies on MaidMatch who list Abu Dhabi among the cities they can work in, and the rules that apply. MaidMatch is a free platform for families: they can browse every profile at no cost, with no registration or subscription required.
Browse Kenyan helpers across the UAE or helpers who list Abu Dhabi.
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What does Kenya require when you recruit a Kenyan helper?
For a recruit from Kenya, Kenya's pages and the 2018 agreement, as reported, point to a licensed agency and a contract attested by a Kenyan labour officer before she travels. Khaleej Times reported on 26 April 2018, citing the WAM news agency, that the UAE and Kenya 'have signed a memorandum of understanding' on domestic employment, and that under the agreement 'only recruitment agencies that are private, registered and licensed in the country are allowed to present applications to recruit Kenyan domestic labour'.
As of September 2026, we found no Kenyan suspension of sending workers to the UAE since 2024, but confirm the current position with Kenya's labour ministry or its embassy before you recruit.
Kenya's State Department for Diaspora Affairs has an online tool that checks whether a private recruitment agency is currently licensed by Kenya's National Employment Authority (NEA). We found no official Kenyan page that says whether a family can hire directly, without an agency.
Kenya's attestation page covers the step before a worker travels. For a Kenyan helper who is already in the UAE, MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, covers the move through its permit service; ask Kenya's labour department or the Kenyan embassy what applies on Kenya's side. Our guide to hiring a Kenyan or Ugandan helper has the detail, and our guide to which nationalities can work as maids compares other countries.
What rules apply when you sponsor a maid in Abu Dhabi?
The federal rules for every domestic worker, and two official statements on her health insurance. The first is from MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, which issues her work permit: MOHRE's renewal service says that in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, employers are required to provide adequate medical insurance to their domestic workers.
The second is the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022. 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 doesn't say what adequate cover means, and we found no official page that gives the price of a plan for a domestic worker in Abu Dhabi, so ask insurers for written quotes. Our guide to maid health insurance compares all seven emirates.
Residence permits sit with ICP, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, and the government's portal shows where Abu Dhabi fits. 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.
Does Kenya set a minimum salary for maids in the UAE?
We found no official Kenyan minimum salary for domestic workers in the UAE. The UAE sets no statutory minimum wage for domestic workers: the Domestic Workers Decree-Law has no such provision, and the International Labour Organization said the same in May 2024.
Where a home country does set a floor, it covers only the contracts that country verifies. Each helper lists her own salary range on her profile, so compare what the Kenyan helpers here ask before you get in touch.
Good to know
- Khaleej Times reported on 26 April 2018, citing the WAM news agency, that the UAE and Kenya 'have signed a memorandum of understanding' on domestic employment, and that under the agreement 'only recruitment agencies that are private, registered and licensed in the country are allowed to present applications to recruit Kenyan domestic labour'. Source: Khaleej Times (WAM) · checked 30 Sep 2026
- Kenya's labour department requires a Kenyan labour officer to attest the employment contract of a Kenyan going to work abroad before they travel; the documents include the foreign contract of service form (LD21) and a bond from the employer. Source: State Department for Labour and Skills Development, Kenya · checked 29 Sep 2026
- Kenya's State Department for Diaspora Affairs has an online tool that checks whether a private recruitment agency is currently licensed by Kenya's National Employment Authority (NEA). Source: State Department for Diaspora Affairs, Kenya · checked 29 Sep 2026
- Kenya's labour ministry announced in September 2024 that Kenyan domestic workers' homecare management training would be combined with pre-departure training, cutting the total from 26 days to 14, and that domestic workers who had already completed a contract in a Gulf country would be exempt. Source: State Department for Labour and Skills Development, Kenya · checked 29 Sep 2026
- 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. Source: MOHRE · checked 28 Sep 2026
- MOHRE's renewal service says that in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, employers are required to provide adequate medical insurance to their domestic workers. Source: MOHRE · checked 29 Sep 2026
- 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. Source: Work in UAE (government Work Bundle portal) · checked 29 Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an agency to hire a Kenyan maid?
It's unclear for a worker recruited from Kenya. MOHRE's permit service lets you recruit without an office, but Khaleej Times reported on 26 April 2018, citing the WAM news agency, that the UAE and Kenya 'have signed a memorandum of understanding' on domestic employment, and that under the agreement 'only recruitment agencies that are private, registered and licensed in the country are allowed to present applications to recruit Kenyan domestic labour'. We found no Kenyan official page that lets a family skip the contract attestation, so ask Kenya's labour department first.
How do I check a Kenyan recruitment agency?
Use the Kenyan government's own check. Kenya's State Department for Diaspora Affairs has an online tool that checks whether a private recruitment agency is currently licensed by Kenya's National Employment Authority (NEA). Don't treat an agency missing from it as unlicensed without asking Kenya's National Employment Authority or labour department. In the UAE, check a recruitment office against MOHRE's list of approved domestic worker service centres.
Is health insurance mandatory for a maid in Abu Dhabi?
Yes. MOHRE's renewal service says that in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, employers are required to provide adequate medical insurance to their domestic workers. The federal Domestic Workers Decree-Law applies too. 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. We found no official page that gives the price of a plan in Abu Dhabi, so compare written quotes from insurers.
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