Last updated
A maid visa renewal in Dubai goes through MOHRE, which renews the domestic worker's employment contract in 1 working day. Before you file, the worker needs a valid medical fitness result, a medical insurance policy and an Emirates ID renewal application, and she must be inside the UAE. MOHRE's page lists AED 5,335.75 for a resident employer in Dubai, before tax and collection charges.
What MOHRE needs before it renews
MOHRE calls the service "Renewal of a Domestic Worker's Employment Contract". Its conditions are short, and each one can hold up a housemaid visa renewal in Dubai if you leave it late:
- Your own passport is valid.
- The worker has a medical insurance policy. MOHRE says employers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi must provide adequate cover.
- The worker is inside the UAE on the day you apply.
- An Emirates ID renewal application has been submitted for her.
- She holds a valid medical fitness result.
- Her passport has at least 3 months left.
The renewal page does not repeat the salary certificate and three months of bank statements that a first permit needs. Those belong to the new hire, covered on our maid visa in Dubai page.
Documents for the renewal
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Colour photo of the worker | Recent, plain background |
| Copy of the worker's passport | At least 3 months valid |
| Employer's original Emirates ID | Your own card, valid |
| Copy of the medical insurance | Policy in force for the worker |
| Employment contract | Signed by both of you |
| Copy of the previous Emirates ID | Both sides of her old card |
| Medical fitness result | Valid, from a Dubai Health center |
Source: MOHRE renewal service page, checked .
If her passport is close to expiry, renew it at her embassy first. A new passport number then has to match across MOHRE, the insurance and the Emirates ID application, so do it before anything else is filed.
What the renewal costs
MOHRE publishes its renewal fees by emirate and by type of employer. For Dubai:
| Employer type in Dubai | MOHRE fee |
|---|---|
| UAE or GCC citizen, or diplomat, two years | AED 385.75 |
| Resident employer | AED 5,335.75 |
| Investor employer | AED 5,385.75 |
Source: MOHRE renewal service page, checked . The listed fees exclude tax and collection charges, and the page does not say how many years the resident and investor rows cover. MOHRE's permit rules give a resident sponsor a 1-year permit, so plan on renewing every year.
A business service center may add a commission, which MOHRE caps at AED 72. On the MOHRE website and app, the service itself carries no charge beyond the federal fees.
The other lines on the bill:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Medical fitness test, normal 24 hours | AED 270 |
| Pregnancy test for domestic workers | AED 50 |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year of residence plus AED 100 smart fee |
| Medical insurance for the worker | AED 700 to AED 1,500 a year |
Sources: Dubai Administrative Resolution No. 66 of for the medical, ICP Emirates ID service page, and published price lists of Dubai typing centers, PRO firms and free zones for insurance, checked .
What families usually pay in total
Published price lists of Dubai typing centers, PRO firms and free zones, checked , give these renewal totals. They do not say whether a total covers one year or two, so ask:
- Full-service renewal: about AED 5,000 to AED 7,000.
- A general renewal budget in one guide: AED 4,000 to AED 6,000.
The same lists also show "lean" renewals at about AED 2,000 to AED 3,000. Do not plan on that. It is below MOHRE's own AED 5,335.75 for a resident employer, so a quote at that level either leaves the MOHRE fee out or is for a different kind of employer, such as a UAE national, who pays AED 385.75. For a resident family, the honest floor is the MOHRE fee plus medical, insurance and Emirates ID. Ask every provider for a line-by-line list and check that the MOHRE amount is inside it.
When to start the renewal
Work back from the residence expiry date. The medical test result comes in 24 hours on the normal service, the insurance needs a policy number, and the Emirates ID application must be in before MOHRE will act. Two to three weeks of slack is sensible, more if her passport also needs renewing.
Watch her travel plans. Because MOHRE requires the worker to be inside the UAE, an annual leave trip that runs past the expiry date can leave you without a way to renew. Her right to 30 days of leave a year and a return ticket every 2 years still applies, so plan the dates together.
If the date slips, ICP charges an overstay fine of AED 50 per day once the grace period ends. Our overstay fine guide explains how the grace periods differ by category. A late Emirates ID adds AED 20 per day after 30 days, capped at AED 1,000.
The medical test on renewal
Every renewal needs a fresh fitness result. Domestic workers take the pregnancy test as well, at AED 50 on top of the AED 270 normal service. Faster options are AED 700 for VIP in 6 hours or Smart Salem, and AED 1,020 for VIP in 2 hours. The full fee table and center list are on our medical test for a Dubai visa page.
Where you can file it
MOHRE accepts the renewal at its service centers, on its website, in its app with UAE Pass, and through Tawseel. Domestic workers centers, still called Tadbeer by most people, also handle renewals; our Tadbeer center list shows where they are. Tasheel centers deal with company labour files, not household staff.
MOHRE has also announced domestic worker residence renewals and medical booking on the Work in UAE platform (workinuae.ae). Its announcement does not say which emirates are covered, so check the platform before you rely on it for a Dubai file.
Track the request on MOHRE's inquiry service under the domestic worker options. MOHRE also sends a notice when the request is complete.
Common reasons a renewal stalls
- Worker abroad. The service needs her inside the UAE.
- Insurance lapsed. No valid policy, no renewal.
- Old medical result. It must still be valid on the day you file.
- Emirates ID not applied for. MOHRE checks for the renewal application.
- Contract not signed by both sides. Get her signature before you upload.
- Short passport. Less than 3 months left stops the file.
If you are not renewing
If the worker is leaving your household, cancel instead of letting the visa run out. Cancelling closes your file properly, so a new sponsor can take her on. Our visa cancellation in Dubai page covers the steps. Hiring someone new instead means a new permit and the income checks again. For a nanny the renewal works the same way: see nanny visa in Dubai.
Doing it yourself
A renewal with clean documents is a fair job to do alone. Book the medical, renew the insurance, apply for the Emirates ID and file the contract renewal in the MOHRE app. You save the center commission. The usual time sinks are a lapsed insurance policy and a passport that needs renewing first. For the Emirates ID side, our Emirates ID renewal guide lists the ICP fees and timing.
Handing over the maid's renewal
Send the worker's passport copy, her photo, her old Emirates ID, your own Emirates ID and the visa expiry date. The partner team checks the dates and her passport validity first, then books the medical and pregnancy test, arranges the insurance and the Emirates ID application, and types and submits the MOHRE renewal. Renewals stall on a lapsed policy, an old medical result or a worker who is abroad on the day, so each step is timed around her travel plans. You skip the center visit and the app. You see one total price first, with the MOHRE fee and the service charge on separate lines.
