Kenyan maids in Umm Al Quwain
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 Umm Al Quwain 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 Umm Al Quwain.
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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 to a domestic worker in Umm Al Quwain?
Federal rules that apply across the UAE, plus the northern emirates' health insurance scheme, which MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, sets out. Its page on the scheme states the rule: 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.
ICP, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, is the federal body behind her residence permit. 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. Our guide to maid health insurance puts Umm Al Quwain's rule next to the other emirates'.
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 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. Source: MOHRE · checked 29 Sep 2026
- MOHRE's basic health insurance package for the northern emirates has co-payments of 20% for inpatient care, capped at AED 500 a visit and AED 1,000 a year, and 25% for outpatient care, up to AED 100 a visit; it covers pre-existing chronic diseases without a waiting period, but not pregnancy, childbirth or dental care. Source: MOHRE · checked 29 Sep 2026
- 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. Source: MOHRE · checked 28 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.
Does a maid's basic health insurance in Umm Al Quwain cover pregnancy?
No. MOHRE's basic health insurance package for the northern emirates has co-payments of 20% for inpatient care, capped at AED 500 a visit and AED 1,000 a year, and 25% for outpatient care, up to AED 100 a visit; it covers pre-existing chronic diseases without a waiting period, but not pregnancy, childbirth or dental care. If she may need cover the basic package leaves out, ask insurers what other plans they offer, and get the terms in writing.
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