Kenyan maids and nannies in the UAE
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.
You'll find the Kenyan maids and nannies on MaidMatch below, with Kenya's rules and their sources. 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.
15 helpers available now
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What helpers on MaidMatch ask
AED 2,500 a month
Most ask AED 2,250 to AED 2,750 a month
Based on 15 asking salaries on MaidMatch
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.
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.
Does a Kenyan helper need training before she travels?
A new recruit from Kenya may. 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. We couldn't confirm that this is unchanged in 2026, so ask the agency or Kenya's labour department before you plan her travel.
How do you find out which languages a Kenyan helper speaks?
Her languages are a question for her, not for her passport: ask which she speaks and how well, and check on a WhatsApp video call. Under the Domestic Workers Decree-Law, a domestic worker's contract must be in Arabic with a translation into a language the worker understands, and if the two versions conflict, the Arabic prevails.
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
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.
Can I hire a Kenyan helper who is already in the UAE?
Yes, on the UAE side: MOHRE's permit service covers workers already in 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. Kenya's attestation page covers the step before a worker travels, so ask Kenya's labour department or the Kenyan embassy whether anything applies on Kenya's side.
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