Live-in domestic help · Dubai
Sponsor a Maid Yourself, or Through Excellence Center Tadbeer
A live-in, sponsored maid always goes through a licensed Tadbeer centre — the question is who becomes her legal sponsor. Elite Maids' live-in placements are handled by Excellence Center Tadbeer, our own MOHRE-licensed Tadbeer centre, so you can either sponsor her yourself or let Excellence Center Tadbeer carry the sponsorship for you.
The one number that decides it
✓ MOHRE-licensed · Al Quoz, Dubai
Route A · Personal sponsorship
You sponsor a live-in maid yourself
- Salary certificate showing at least AED 25,000/month
- Valid tenancy contract or proof of home ownership
- Pay the AED 7,850 + VAT Tadbeer visa fee
- Pay her salary directly every month via WPS
- You are the sponsor of record for the 2-year contract
Right if you comfortably clear the income threshold and want to be her direct, named sponsor.
Route B · Excellence Center Tadbeer
Excellence Center Tadbeer sponsors her for you
- No personal income threshold — Excellence Center is the sponsor
- Documents from you: Emirates ID, passport copy, address
- From AED 2,500/month, or AED 7,850 + VAT for the 2-year visa
- Her salary paid monthly via WPS once the visa is issued
- Doesn't work out? She returns to Excellence Center for reassignment
Right if you don't meet the income threshold, or would rather not be the named sponsor.
Figures above are Excellence Center Tadbeer’s published terms as of September 2026 (visa fees, salary minimums and admin fees are reviewed periodically) — confirm the current numbers when you enquire. Want flexible, unsponsored help instead — a maid or nanny by the hour or the day, with no visa involved? See house cleaning or the nanny service.
After she arrives
Who carries what once she's working for you
The sponsor of record is legally responsible for the worker for the length of the contract — that responsibility is what actually moves between the two routes.
On personal sponsorship, you handle
- Visa renewal and cancellation
- Reporting an absconding worker to MOHRE
- Contract disputes and compensation claims
- End-of-service payout and her return ticket
- Finding and processing a replacement yourself
Under Excellence Center Tadbeer, they handle
- Visa renewal and cancellation
- MOHRE contract and ongoing compliance
- Monthly salary transfer via WPS and unemployment insurance
- Reassignment if the placement doesn't work out
- One month's notice covers a clean cancellation
Who processes it
Excellence Center Tadbeer is Elite Maids' own licensed centre
Excellence Center Tadbeer is a MOHRE-licensed Tadbeer service centre — an official public-private partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, authorised to process maid visas, residency, medical tests, Emirates ID and MOHRE employment contracts for domestic workers in Dubai. When an Elite Maids customer wants a live-in, sponsored maid rather than an hourly or full-day booking, this is the centre that handles it, under the same ownership.
That is different from Elite Maids’ own hourly and nanny bookings, where Elite Maids employs the staff on its own company visa and sends them to you by the hour or the day — no sponsorship, no income threshold, nothing in your name. Sponsoring a live-in worker is a bigger commitment: a 2-year MOHRE contract, a named sponsor, and ongoing obligations for however long she works for you. If that is not what you are looking for, our hourly maid service and nanny service cover the rest.
Which route fits
A quick way to place yourself
Most families who call already know which of these describes them.
You clear AED 25,000/month and want to be her named sponsor
Personal sponsorship — bring a salary certificate and tenancy proof, and Excellence Center Tadbeer processes the visa.
You don't meet the income threshold
Excellence Center Tadbeer sponsorship removes the income test entirely — the centre is the legal sponsor, not you.
You'd rather not carry renewals, cancellations and disputes yourself
Excellence Center Tadbeer stays the sponsor of record and handles compliance for the length of the contract.
A previous sponsored maid didn't work out
If Excellence Center originally sourced and sponsored her, she returns to them for reassignment at no cancellation fee.
You want help now, not a 2-year commitment
Book an hourly maid or a nanny instead — no sponsorship, no visa, no minimum term.
You already have a candidate in mind
Excellence Center Tadbeer can process the visa on a worker you've sourced yourself — ask about the direct-recruitment route.
Pricing
What each route costs
Published by Excellence Center Tadbeer; visa fees, admin fees and salary minimums are reviewed periodically, so confirm the current figures when you call.
| Personal sponsorship — visa fee | One-time, 2-year validity. Requires a salary certificate ≥ AED 25,000/month and tenancy proof. You pay her salary directly. | AED 7,850 + VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Excellence Center Tadbeer — monthly package | No income threshold. Excellence Center is the sponsor; salary and admin bundled monthly. | From AED 2,500 / month |
| Excellence Center Tadbeer — visa package | One-time, 2-year validity, Excellence Center as sponsor. Her salary is paid monthly via WPS after issuance. | AED 7,850 + VAT |
| Domestic worker's salary (via WPS) | Filipino nationality from AED 1,500/month; other nationalities from AED 900/month. Anything above the minimum can be paid directly. | From AED 900 / month |
| Flexible alternative — no sponsorship | Hourly maid or full-time live-out nanny, employed by Elite Maids, no visa in your name. | From AED 24 / hour |
All routes go through the same MOHRE medical test, Emirates ID and employment contract. VAT applies to the visa fee. Salary is paid on top of any package or admin fee, via WPS.
Questions
Sponsorship, explained
For hourly and nanny bookings — no sponsorship involved — see the nanny service page.
Is Elite Maids a Tadbeer centre?
Live-in, sponsored maid placements through Elite Maids are processed by Excellence Center Tadbeer, our own MOHRE-licensed Tadbeer centre. Elite Maids' hourly and nanny bookings are a separate, unsponsored service — no Tadbeer process involved there at all.
What income do I need to sponsor a maid myself?
Personal sponsorship needs a salary certificate showing at least AED 25,000 a month, plus a valid tenancy contract or proof of home ownership. If you don't clear that, Excellence Center Tadbeer sponsorship removes the income test — the centre becomes the legal sponsor instead of you.
What does the AED 7,850 visa fee cover?
The entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID, mandatory insurance and the MOHRE employment contract for a 2-year visa — the same fee applies whether you are the sponsor or Excellence Center Tadbeer is, since it is the cost of processing the visa itself, plus VAT.
Who pays the maid's salary, and how much?
Salary is paid monthly via the Wage Protection System regardless of sponsor: from AED 1,500 a month for Filipino nationals, from AED 900 for other nationalities. Under personal sponsorship you pay her directly; under Excellence Center Tadbeer sponsorship it is transferred as part of the monthly package or admin fee.
What happens if the placement doesn't work out?
If Excellence Center Tadbeer originally sourced and sponsored her and she stays in the UAE, she returns to the centre for reassignment at no cancellation fee. If you sourced her yourself and only asked Excellence Center to process the visa, a AED 300 cancellation fee applies. Personal sponsorship cancellations are handled directly with a Tadbeer centre and are not automatically covered by a replacement.
Am I still responsible for anything under Excellence Center Tadbeer sponsorship?
One thing carries over either way: any outstanding fines linked to the worker's immigration file are the client's responsibility to settle before the process continues. Renewal, day-to-day compliance and reassignment sit with Excellence Center as the sponsor.
Can I switch from personal sponsorship to Excellence Center Tadbeer, or the other way round?
Yes, this is handled case by case — call or WhatsApp Excellence Center Tadbeer and they will confirm what changes on your specific contract.
I don't want a live-in worker at all — what are my options?
Book an hourly maid from AED 24 an hour, or a nanny by the hour, the day or full-time live-out from AED 3,000 a month. Neither needs any visa, sponsorship or minimum-income test — see house cleaning or the nanny service.
Talk to Excellence Center Tadbeer
Call or WhatsApp for an eligibility check, current visa fees and salary minimums, or to start either sponsorship route. Based in Al Quoz, serving Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.