Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) (UAE)

A Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) in the UAE is a written contract between a private household employer and a domestic helper engaged to perform household support services such as cleaning, laundry, ironing, cooking, grocery shopping, and general home management. The Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) UAE governs the terms of the working relationship under the framework established by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers (the Domestic Workers Law) and the foundational obligations of the UAE Civil Code, Federal Law No. 5 of 1985.

Before Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 entered into force, domestic helpers in the United Arab Emirates worked under informal or minimally documented arrangements, with limited statutory protection. The 2022 Domestic Workers Law changed the landscape fundamentally. For the first time, household domestic workers — including cleaners, laundry assistants, household cooks, and general home helpers — were granted a comprehensive statutory framework covering rest hours under Article 13, annual leave under Article 14, sick leave under Article 15, and repatriation obligations under Article 20. MOHRE — the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — administers the law through its Domestic Workers Centre and the Tadbeer network of licensed domestic worker placement agencies.

The Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) is distinct from the standard Domestic Worker Contract used when applying for a work permit through MOHRE, but it serves a complementary function: it documents the agreed tasks, schedule, compensation, rest entitlements, and termination rights in one signed document that both the household employer and the helper can reference throughout the engagement. For helpers who are already in the UAE and are engaged informally for part-time cleaning or household support, the agreement records the key commercial terms and creates a paper trail that both parties can rely on if a dispute arises.

The UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985) provides the legal foundation for all contracts in the UAE. Article 125 of the Civil Code states that a contract is valid when offer and acceptance are exchanged and the subject-matter is lawful. Article 246 requires parties to perform their contractual obligations in good faith. These general principles apply to domestic helper arrangements in the same way they apply to any other service contract in the UAE.

The agreement is particularly important for expatriate households — who make up the majority of UAE residents in cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman — and for UAE national families employing helpers from the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and other labour-sending countries that have bilateral agreements with the UAE setting minimum standards for domestic worker deployments. A written agreement demonstrates compliance with those standards and provides the documentation needed by the helper's home-country embassy if a complaint arises. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and the Dubai Courts both maintain specialist domestic worker dispute panels that examine agreements when disputes reach litigation.

A UAE Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) is needed in every situation where a household employer in the United Arab Emirates engages a domestic helper for regular household tasks and wants a clear written record of the employment terms, compensation, and rights under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers.

The agreement is essential when engaging a live-in domestic helper. Live-in arrangements create a closer working relationship and greater personal proximity, which makes clear documentation of working hours, rest entitlements, and privacy expectations especially valuable. The agreement records the daily rest guarantee (at least 8 continuous hours under Article 13 of the Domestic Workers Law), the weekly rest day, and the annual leave entitlement, preventing the misunderstandings that frequently arise when helpers are expected to be available around the clock.

The agreement is also needed when engaging a part-time or live-out helper who visits the household on specified days — for example, three days per week for cleaning and laundry. Part-time arrangements are common across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, particularly in apartment buildings where space does not permit a live-in helper. For part-time helpers who are employed by multiple households, a written agreement with each employer clarifies the schedule and prevents disputes about payment when the helper's availability changes.

The agreement is needed when the household employer is sponsoring the helper's UAE residency visa. The sponsorship relationship creates additional legal obligations: the employer becomes responsible for the helper's visa costs, medical insurance (mandatory in Dubai under Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013 on Health Insurance and in Abu Dhabi under Federal Law No. 23 of 1999), and repatriation at the end of the contract. A written agreement records these obligations and prevents disputes at the end of the engagement.

Finally, the agreement is needed whenever a helper engaged informally seeks clarity about their entitlements. Workers from labour-sending countries that have bilateral agreements with the UAE — including the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka — are entitled to present a signed contract to their home-country embassy as evidence that their working conditions meet the minimum standards set by that bilateral agreement. A Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) that documents wages, rest, and leave provides that evidence.

A UAE Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) that complies with Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers and the UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985) should contain the following key elements. The forms-legal.com UAE Domestic Helper Agreement template includes each provision described below.

Party identification must include the employer's full name, Emirates ID number, and household address. The helper section must record the full name exactly as on the passport, nationality, and passport number. Emirates ID details are added once the helper's UAE residency visa is issued.

Scope of services defines the household tasks the helper is engaged to perform — cleaning, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, childcare assistance, or a combination. Clear task definition prevents scope creep and scope disputes. The agreement should allow reasonable variation by written mutual agreement while preventing the employer from unilaterally expanding the helper's duties.

Service duration states whether the engagement is fixed-term (typically one or two years, matching the residency visa period) or open-ended with notice-based termination. Most MOHRE-registered domestic worker arrangements are for two years, matching the standard UAE domestic worker visa. Shorter arrangements are common for part-time helpers.

Work schedule specifies the days per week and approximate daily hours. The UAE's standard household work week for live-in domestic workers is five to six days, with at least one full day of rest. The agreement must confirm at least 8 continuous hours of rest per 24-hour period under Article 13 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022.

Monthly compensation states the agreed monthly payment in AED, the payment method (bank transfer or cash), and the payment date. The agreement should note that the employer bears all costs of the work permit, residency visa, and health insurance.

Rest and leave provisions must comply with Articles 13, 14, and 15 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022: at least one paid rest day per week, 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per completed year of service, and 30 days of sick leave per year after three months of service (15 days full pay, 15 days half pay).

Confidentiality and data protection clauses require the helper to maintain household confidentiality and handle personal data of household members in compliance with Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data.

Termination provisions should mirror the Article 17 and Article 18 grounds in Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 and specify the agreed notice period for voluntary termination by either party.

Repatriation confirms that the employer will bear the cost of the return air ticket at the end of the contract or on early termination (other than for gross misconduct under Article 18 of the Domestic Workers Law).

Filling in the UAE Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) requires both the employer and the helper to review each section carefully before signing. The employer should have the helper's passport details and any bilateral-agreement salary floor applicable to the helper's nationality before completing the template.

Start with the agreement date and the agreed start date for services. The service duration should match the term of the helper's UAE residency visa if the employer is sponsoring the visa — typically two years for a standard domestic worker engagement — or reflect the actual agreed period for a part-time or informal arrangement.

Complete the employer section with the full name as on the Emirates ID, the Emirates ID number in the standard format 784-YYYY-XXXXXXX-X, and the household address including apartment or villa number, district, and emirate.

Fill in the helper's full name as on the passport, nationality as stated on the passport, and passport number. If the helper has already been issued a UAE residency visa, note the visa number and expiry date in an addendum for record-keeping purposes.

In the services and compensation section, select the agreed household tasks from the list or describe them specifically if the template options do not fully cover the agreed scope. Select the work schedule that reflects the actual agreed days per week. Enter the monthly compensation in AED. Check the applicable bilateral-agreement minimum if the helper is from a country with a labour deployment agreement with the UAE — for example, the Philippines' POEA requirements, the Indonesia BNPTKI standard, or India's bilateral standards — and ensure the stated salary meets or exceeds that floor.

In the rest, leave, and termination section, confirm the weekly rest day, review the statutory leave entitlements (which apply by law and cannot be contracted out), and agree the notice period for voluntary termination. Thirty days is standard; shorter periods may be appropriate for part-time engagements.

Both parties should sign two originals. The employer retains one copy with the visa documentation. The helper retains the other. If the agreement is signed at a Tadbeer centre or through a licensed domestic worker agency, the centre may retain a third copy for its records.

Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) UAE — Legal Requirements. The primary statute governing this agreement is Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, which entered into force in 2023 and for the first time gave household domestic workers in the UAE a comprehensive statutory framework. The foundational contract law principles are set out in the UAE Civil Code, Federal Law No. 5 of 1985, particularly Articles 125, 246, and the general obligations provisions of Part Two.

Article 13 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 mandates at least 8 continuous hours of rest per 24-hour period and at least one fully paid weekly rest day. Any contractual provision purporting to waive these minimums is void under UAE law. Article 14 grants a minimum of 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year of continuous service (accruing at two days per month in the first year). Article 15 provides 30 days of sick leave per year after three months of service, with 15 days at full pay and 15 days at half pay.

Article 17 sets out the grounds on which the helper may terminate without notice and still retain all entitlements, including non-payment of wages for more than two months and physical or sexual assault. Article 18 sets out the grounds for the employer to terminate without notice, including theft, assault on a household member, and serious breach of household confidentiality. Article 20 requires the employer to bear the cost of the return air ticket at the end of the contract or on early termination other than under Article 18.

Health insurance is mandatory for domestic workers in Dubai under Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013 on Health Insurance and in Abu Dhabi under Federal Law No. 23 of 1999. The employer as sponsor must procure and maintain the helper's health insurance policy for the duration of the engagement.

Personal data collected about household members by the helper must be handled in compliance with Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data. Disputes are handled through MOHRE's Domestic Workers Centre and, if unresolved, by the Dubai Courts or Abu Dhabi Judicial Department specialist domestic worker panels.

UAE Domestic Helper Agreement — Common Mistakes. Employers and helpers in the United Arab Emirates frequently make the following errors when entering into domestic helper arrangements, which generate complaints to MOHRE's Domestic Workers Centre and the specialist domestic worker panels of the Dubai Courts and the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

1. Operating without any written agreement. Many household employers in the UAE engage helpers on a purely verbal or informal basis, relying on custom and goodwill. When a dispute arises over wages, tasks, or termination, the absence of a written agreement leaves both parties without documentary evidence of what was agreed. A signed Domestic Helper Agreement (Personal) resolves this risk.

2. Failing to confirm the correct rest provisions. Article 13 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 requires at least 8 continuous hours of rest per 24-hour period and one paid rest day per week. Agreements that omit or contradict these provisions are void in those respects, and the statutory minima apply regardless.

3. Paying below the bilateral-agreement minimum salary. Where the helper is from a country with a bilateral labour deployment agreement with the UAE — such as the Philippines, Indonesia, or India — the home country's overseas worker authority sets a minimum salary floor. Paying below this floor may result in a complaint to the helper's home-country embassy and creates an unenforceable agreement under the bilateral framework.

4. Failing to register the work permit. An employer who uses a domestic helper in the UAE without a valid work permit and residency visa exposes both the employer and the helper to penalties under the UAE's residency law. The written agreement does not replace the mandatory MOHRE permit and visa process.

5. Omitting the repatriation obligation. Article 20 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 makes the return air ticket the employer's responsibility at the end of the contract or on early termination (except for Article 18 gross misconduct). Failing to state this in the agreement does not eliminate the obligation but leads to disputes at termination.

6. Withholding the helper's passport. Retaining a domestic helper's passport against their will is illegal under UAE law and may constitute a trafficking offence under Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on Combating Human Trafficking.