Maid Visa Costs for a UAE Business Owner: What You Pay and What Is Extra

In 2026, the one-off government fees to sponsor a domestic worker as a UAE business owner typically run between AED 5,000 and AED 7,500, paid across five separate transactions (ICP, 2026). That figure covers only the entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID, and visa stamping. It does not include the recruitment agency fee (AED 8,000 to AED 20,000), the worker's airfare (AED 800 to AED 2,500), or the annual health insurance premium (AED 600 to AED 1,200) that follows every year after. The realistic first-year all-in cost for a maid visa owner in Dubai sits between AED 32,000 and AED 49,000 once salary and all mandatory obligations are counted. The visa itself is valid for two years and governed by UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2017 on Domestic Workers. This guide breaks down every cost layer: the one-off fees, the recurring obligations, what your company license must look like before you can sponsor, and which expenses most founders discover only after the process has started.

What a Maid Visa for a UAE Business Owner Actually Covers

A maid visa for a UAE business owner is a two-year domestic worker residence visa that lets you sponsor a full-time housekeeper, nanny, or cook under your personal or company sponsorship. It is separate from your employee or investor visa and requires a minimum salary threshold and approved accommodation. As a maid visa owner in Dubai, you are the named individual sponsor, not your company.

Definition: Domestic Worker Visa vs. Employment Visa

The legal framework here is UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2017 on Domestic Workers, not the Labour Law that MOHRE administers for commercial employees. That distinction matters practically. A domestic worker visa falls under personal or household sponsorship, which means the worker lives in your home and their residency is tied to you as an individual, even if your own residency came through a free zone company license.

Domestic workers are not permitted to work for third parties or commercial entities. The visa scope is strictly household duties: cleaning, cooking, childcare, elderly care, and similar roles. Take a founder holding a Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone investor visa who sponsors a Filipino housekeeper. The sponsor on record with ICP is the individual founder, not the free zone company. The visa validity is two years, renewable, and the worker cannot be reassigned to any commercial activity during that period (u.ae, 2026).

Who Qualifies to Sponsor as a Business Owner

• You must hold a valid UAE residence visa. An investor visa, partner visa, or employment visa all qualify, provided it is active at the time of application.

• Your declared monthly income must meet the minimum threshold set by ICP. UNVERIFIED: <figure> AED/month. Confirm before publishing.

• You must provide a tenancy contract or title deed showing accommodation suitable for a live-in worker. A flexi-desk or serviced office address alone does not satisfy this requirement.

A founder on the 2 Visa Package at Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone who holds an active investor residency visa and a signed tenancy contract for a Dubai apartment meets both core prerequisites. The investor visa UAE is the gateway. Without it, the domestic worker application cannot begin.

Maid Visa Dubai Cost: One-Off Government Fees Itemised

The one-off government fees for a maid visa in Dubai cover the entry permit, status change or entry on mission, medical fitness test, Emirates ID, and visa stamping. Combined, these stages typically total AED 5,000 to AED 7,500 in 2026, paid across five separate transactions. The maid visa dubai cost that most people quote is only this portion.

The Five Fee Stages and What Each Covers

• Entry permit: Issued before the worker travels to the UAE. This is the first government payment and is submitted through the ICP portal.

• Status change fee: If the worker is already in the UAE on a visit visa, a separate ICP charge converts their visit status to a residence application. This replaces the entry permit step.

• Medical fitness test: Conducted at a DHA-approved centre. The worker must pass before the visa can proceed.

• Emirates ID issuance: Mandatory for all UAE residents. The biometric card is issued by ICP and carries its own fee.

• Visa stamping: The final step that places the residence stamp in the worker's passport and activates the two-year visa.

A housekeeper arriving from the Philippines on a new entry permit completes all five stages in sequence. A worker already on a 30-day visit visa skips the entry permit and moves directly to the status change fee, which can marginally reduce the total government spend.

Maid Visa Dubai Cost: One-Off vs. Recurring Fees at a Glance

What Is Deliberately Not in That Figure

• Recruitment agency fees: A licensed domestic worker agency in Dubai charges AED 8,000 to AED 20,000 as a placement fee. This is private commercial pricing and does not appear on any ICP or MOHRE fee schedule.

• Airfare: A one-way or return ticket from the worker's home country is your cost as sponsor, not a government charge.

• PRO or typing centre service fees: If you use a PRO services Dubai provider to handle the paperwork, their service fee is additional.

• Mandatory health insurance: An annual premium the sponsor must carry from day one, covered in the recurring costs section below.

A founder who budgets only AED 6,000 for a maid visa is typically surprised when the agency placement fee adds another AED 10,000 to AED 15,000 before the worker boards a flight. That gap is the single most common miscalculation I see among first-time domestic worker sponsors.

Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for a Maid Visa as a Dubai Business Owner

To apply for a maid visa as a Dubai business owner, confirm your residency and income eligibility, obtain an entry permit through ICP, arrange the worker's travel or status change, complete the medical test, register Emirates ID, and collect the stamped visa. The process runs 10 to 20 working days as a maid visa owner in Dubai under normal conditions.

Step 1: Confirm Your Sponsorship Eligibility

• Verify your UAE residence visa is active. It must remain valid throughout the entire application.

• Confirm your declared income meets the ICP minimum threshold. UNVERIFIED: <figure> AED/month. Confirm before publishing.

• Prepare your tenancy contract or title deed. ICP requires proof of accommodation with a private room or space for the worker. A flexi-desk address does not qualify.

• Gather your passport copy, Emirates ID, and residence visa page. These are required at every subsequent stage.

Step 2: Apply for the Entry Permit via ICP

• Submit the domestic worker entry permit application through the ICP smart portal or a registered typing centre.

• Specify the worker's nationality, role (housekeeper, nanny, cook, driver, etc.), and passport details.

• The entry permit is valid for 60 days from issue, giving the worker time to travel and begin the residency process.

Step 3: Complete Medical, Emirates ID, and Stamping

• Book the medical fitness test at a DHA-approved centre once the worker arrives or the status change is approved. Results typically return within 24 to 48 hours.

• Submit the Emirates ID biometric registration. The card is mailed within 5 to 7 working days.

• Proceed to visa stamping at an ICP service centre after the Emirates ID application is in process. This activates the two-year residence visa.

• Total end-to-end timeline: 10 to 20 working days under normal conditions.

Is the maid visa application different for free zone founders?

No. The application process through ICP is identical regardless of whether your residency came from a free zone, mainland, or employment visa. The only difference is the prerequisite: free zone founders must confirm their investor visa is stamped before starting, since the license alone does not trigger sponsorship rights.

Recurring Costs That Continue After the Visa Is Issued

After a maid visa is issued, recurring costs include the annual health insurance premium, the worker's monthly salary, and renewal fees every two years. Sponsors must also pay an end-of-service gratuity after one year of continuous service under UAE Domestic Workers Law. The maid visa dubai cost does not end at stamping.

Mandatory Health Insurance and Salary Obligations

UAE law requires the sponsor to provide health insurance for the domestic worker from the first day of employment. This is not optional. Basic domestic worker health insurance plans in Dubai start at approximately AED 600 to AED 1,200 per year, depending on coverage tier. The cheapest plans often carry inpatient exclusions that create out-of-pocket costs later, so it is worth reviewing the policy terms before committing.

The worker's monthly salary is privately negotiated but must not fall below the amount stated in the standard domestic worker contract registered with MOHRE. A founder paying a housekeeper AED 1,500 per month, adding an annual health insurance premium of roughly AED 900, brings the annual direct employment cost to approximately AED 18,900 before any bonuses or air ticket allowance.

• Health insurance: AED 600 to AED 1,200 per year (basic plans)

• End-of-service gratuity: due after 1 full year of continuous service

• Gratuity rate: 14 days of wage per year of service for the first five years

Renewal Fees Every Two Years

• The domestic worker visa must be renewed every two years. Renewal fees mirror the original stamping and Emirates ID costs.

• A medical fitness test is required again at renewal.

• If the worker returns home between contracts, a new entry permit fee applies on re-entry, effectively restarting the government fee cycle.

• Renewal fees approximate the original one-off range: AED 5,000 to AED 7,500.

How Your Company License Affects Your Maid Visa Eligibility

Your company license affects maid visa eligibility because it determines whether you hold a qualifying UAE residence visa. A free zone license with an investor or partner visa allocation gives you a valid residence visa. Without an active UAE residency, you cannot sponsor a domestic worker regardless of business ownership. This is the critical link between a maid visa company in Dubai and your personal sponsorship rights as a maid visa owner in Dubai.

How a Free Zone License Gives You Sponsorship Rights

A free zone trade license alone does not give you a UAE residence visa. It is the visa allocation attached to a 1 Visa or 2 Visa package that triggers your personal residency. At Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone, three package tiers are available:

• 0 Visa Package: AED 12,500, includes the license, Articles of Association, share register, flexi-desk space, and lease agreement, but no visa allocation. You would need UAE residency through another route before sponsoring a domestic worker.

• 1 Visa Package: AED 16,350, adds an investor or partner visa allocation and establishment card on top of the standard package contents. This is the residency pathway that qualifies you to sponsor a domestic worker.

• 2 Visa Package: AED 18,200, includes up to two visa allocations (the maximum available), plus all standard package contents and the establishment card.

A solo founder choosing the 1 Visa Package at Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone receives one investor visa allocation. Once that visa is stamped and the founder signs an apartment tenancy contract, they meet the two core prerequisites for domestic worker sponsorship. You can check the business setup cost in Dubai to model the full company formation outlay before committing.

What the License Alone Cannot Do

• A trade license does not sponsor a domestic worker. Only a person holding a valid UAE residence visa can be the named sponsor.

• If you are running your business remotely without activating UAE residency, the maid visa process cannot begin.

• License issuance at Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone takes 1 business day. Residency activation (entry permit through stamping) takes an additional 10 to 20 working days.

• Choosing the right visa package at company formation avoids a

References

1. ICP

2. MOHRE

3. u.ae

4. DHA