# Domestic Worker Visas from Dubai (Nanny, Maid & Driver)

Source: https://visadoctor.ae/domestic-worker-visa-dubai/
Last updated: 2026-09-23
Publisher: Visa Doctor FZC, licensed visa documentation agency in Dubai (SPC Free Zone licence 4417571.01)

★ Trusted UAE Visa Specialists · 4.9 on Google · Licensed (SPC Free Zone 4417571.01) · 40+ destinations

**In short:** Taking your **nanny, maid or driver** abroad with you is entirely legitimate, but they need their own visa, and these applications are scrutinised closely. The case is won on the **employer letter** and the employment evidence, not on the worker’s bank balance. We prepare both files together so they match.

## The service

UAE families regularly travel to Europe and the UK with household staff. Consulates look hard at these applications because the profile is one they associate with overstay risk, which means a weak or vague file gets refused, and a properly evidenced one gets approved. We handle the whole thing: the worker’s application, the employer’s supporting pack, and the alignment between them.

## Schengen vs the UK: two different routes

| Schengen (Europe) | United Kingdom |

**Route** | Type C short-stay visa, in the worker’s own name | **Overseas Domestic Worker** visa, not a visitor visa |

**Key condition** | Employer travelling on same dates; job continues after | Employed by you **at least 1 year** beforehand |

**Decides the case** | The employer letter | Contract, pay history, written UK terms |

Full detail: [Schengen visas for nannies and domestic workers](/schengen-visa-nannies-domestic-workers-dubai/) and [the UK employer’s guide](/uk-visa-filipino-nannies-domestic-workers-uae/).

## What we prepare

- The **employer letter**, written properly, salary, contract dates, confirmation that employment continues after the trip, matching travel dates, and who pays.
- The worker’s file: passport, Emirates ID, residence visa, MOHRE/Tadbeer contract, salary evidence, insurance.
- **Alignment** between the family’s application and the worker’s, same consulate, same flights, same hotels. Mismatches are a top refusal cause.
- Appointments booked together.
- For the UK: compliant **written terms of employment** at or above the UK minimum wage.

## Employers: what the law expects of you

The worker must keep **their own passport** at all times, retaining it is unlawful and is treated as an indicator of exploitation. In the UK they must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage while there, with written terms. We build files that are compliant on these points, because non-compliant ones attract exactly the scrutiny you want to avoid.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can my nanny travel on my visa?

No. She needs her own visa, applied for in her own name. Your documents support her application; they do not cover her.

### Does her small bank balance matter?

A modest balance is normal and expected. What matters is that you, the employer, clearly declare and evidence that you fund the trip.

### Can I take a helper I hired two months ago to the UK?

Not on the Overseas Domestic Worker route, it generally requires at least one year of prior employment with you.

### Can she come to the UK as a tourist instead?

Only if she is genuinely on her own holiday and will not be working for you there. If she works for you in the UK, the domestic worker route is the correct one.

## Talk to us today

Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable, and what the fastest legitimate route is.

Call us [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/971585095268?text=Hello%20Visa%20Doctor%2C%20I%20would%20like%20to%20enquire%20about%20a%20visa.) [Contact form](/contact-us/)

Domestic worker visa rules vary by country and change. Always confirm current requirements with the relevant consulate. Visa Doctor is a licensed private service provider, not a government authority, and does not issue visas.

## Sources and official references

Checked on 23 September 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you apply.

- [GOV.UK: Overseas Domestic Worker visa](https://www.gov.uk/overseas-domestic-worker-visa)
- [GOV.UK: Overseas Domestic Worker visa, eligibility](https://www.gov.uk/overseas-domestic-worker-visa/eligibility)
- [GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates)
- [European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Applying for a Schengen visa](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en)