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Filipino, Indonesian, Indian and Ethiopian domestic staff regularly travel to the UK with the families who employ them in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is a legitimate, well-established route — but it is a different visa from the one the family itself uses, with its own eligibility rules. This guide is written for employers as much as for workers.
The Overseas Domestic Worker visa, not a visitor visa
If your helper is coming to the UK to work for you during your visit — caring for your children, cooking, cleaning, driving — then they are working, not sightseeing. Putting them on a Standard Visitor Visa misrepresents the purpose of travel. The correct category is the Overseas Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa, which allows them to accompany you and continue working in your household for the duration of the visit (typically up to six months, with no extension in that capacity).
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Minimum employment period | Employed by you for at least 1 year before the application |
| Employer travelling | You must be travelling to the UK, and the worker travels with or to join you |
| Continuing employment | They work for you in the UK, in a private household, and leave with you |
| Age | Worker must be 18 or over |
| Terms of employment | Written terms, and pay at least the UK National Minimum Wage while in the UK |
The one-year rule catches people out
If you hired your nanny three months ago and want to take her to London this summer, she will not qualify for this route. The one-year prior-employment condition is strict and is checked against your contract and payment history. Plan around it — and if the worker genuinely is not coming to work but is a family friend travelling independently, that is a different (and far harder) case that must be presented honestly.
Documents the employer must provide
- Your passport, Emirates ID and UAE residence visa.
- Evidence you have employed the worker for at least one year — the MOHRE/Tadbeer contract, and salary transfer records or receipts.
- Written terms and conditions of employment for the UK, signed by both of you, confirming pay at or above the UK minimum wage, working hours, and accommodation.
- Your own UK travel evidence — flights, accommodation, and your own visa or ETA.
- A letter confirming you are travelling, the worker accompanies you, employment continues, and you cover all their costs.
Documents the worker provides
- Their passport (Philippine, Indonesian, Indian etc.) plus old passports.
- UAE residence visa and Emirates ID sponsored by you.
- Their copy of the employment contract and pay evidence.
- Biometrics at a VFS centre in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
Use our checklist generator to assemble the file and the cost calculator to budget the fees.
Worker protections you should know about
UK law gives Overseas Domestic Workers specific rights, and the Home Office takes them seriously. The worker must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage while in the UK, must be given their written terms, and must keep possession of their own passport at all times. Retaining a worker’s passport is unlawful and is treated as an indicator of exploitation. Employers who present a clean, compliant file — proper contract, proper pay, passport with the worker — get approved; those who do not attract scrutiny.
What if they are genuinely just visiting?
If your helper is taking their own holiday, at their own expense, and will not be working for you in the UK, then a Standard Visitor Visa is the right route — and it is judged like any other visitor application, on their finances and their ties to the UAE. See our guide on UK visas for Filipino citizens. Be honest about which situation applies; the two routes are not interchangeable.
How Visa Doctor helps
We prepare Overseas Domestic Worker applications for UAE families — confirming eligibility against the one-year rule, drafting compliant UK terms of employment, assembling the employer and worker files so they match, and booking VFS appointments together. See all our services or our UK visa page.
Frequently asked questions
Can my nanny come to the UK on a tourist visa?
Not if she will be working for you there. Working in your household requires the Overseas Domestic Worker visa. A Standard Visitor Visa is only correct if she is genuinely on her own holiday and not working.
How long must I have employed her first?
At least one year before the application, evidenced by the contract and salary records.
Do I have to pay UK minimum wage?
Yes. While in the UK the worker must be paid at least the UK National Minimum Wage, and this must be set out in written terms.
Can I hold her passport during the trip?
No. The worker must keep her own passport. Withholding it is unlawful and is treated as a sign of exploitation.
How long can she stay?
Generally up to six months, accompanying you, and she must leave when you do. This route does not lead to settlement.
UK immigration rules for domestic workers change and are strictly applied. This guide is general information; always confirm current requirements on the official UK government website, or contact our agents. Visa Doctor is a private service provider and does not issue visas.