Vetted household staff · United Arab Emirates
The vocabulary
Most of these words are first met halfway through the process, in a document somebody is asking you to sign. Here is what they mean, before you get to that moment.
Tadbeer
The MOHRE-licensed service centres that are the only bodies permitted to recruit and place domestic workers in the UAE.
MOHRE
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — the federal body that regulates employment in the UAE, including domestic work.
Sponsorship
The legal relationship under which a UAE resident holds the residence visa of the person they employ at home.
Transferable visa
A residence visa that can be moved to a new sponsor without the holder leaving the country.
Cancelled visa
Her previous residence visa has been ended, and she is inside the UAE on a limited grace period.
Visit visa
A tourist or visit entry permit. It does not permit work, and employing someone on one is not lawful.
Domestic worker contract
The standard MOHRE contract that governs the arrangement — wage, hours, rest, leave and end of service.
End-of-service gratuity
A payment owed when the arrangement ends, calculated from length of service and final wage.
WPS (Wage Protection System)
The federal system through which wages are paid electronically so that payment is recorded and verifiable.
Probation
An initial period during which either side can end the arrangement on shorter notice.
Maid's room
A separate staff room, common in UAE villas and larger apartments, usually with its own bathroom.
Live-in
She lives in your home, in her own room, and works to agreed hours.
Live-out
She has her own accommodation and travels to your home for agreed hours.
Replacement guarantee
A commitment that if an arrangement ends within a stated period, a replacement is found without a second coordination fee.
This is general information, not legal advice, and the rules change. Confirm anything you intend to act on with a licensed Tadbeer centre or with MOHRE.