Employing domestic staff in the UAE means navigating two-year working visas, medical tests, Emirates ID processing and medical insurance. Most expats have no idea where to start.
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Morgan & Mallet (M&M) takes care of the entire visa, payroll and onboarding process for your household staff in Dubai, giving you one contact and zero government office visits.
What you get
One point of contact for everything: recruitment, visa, medical, medical insurance and payroll.
Staff legally onboarded in as little as seven working days.
Monthly payroll handled for you, including gratuity.
Covers all seven emirates via the supplier route, or Dubai direct hire.
No government office visits, no Arabic paperwork, no guesswork.
Full compliance with UAE labour law from day one.
For expats, high-net-worth families and private households relocating to or living in Dubai.
Talk to just one person and they will do everything for you.
– Cheska Juico, Visa and Payroll Coordinator, Morgan & Mallet Dubai
You Cannot just Hire
Someone in the UAE
Every domestic worker in the UAE must hold a two-year working visa sponsored by their employer – and arranging that falls entirely on you.
Before your new housekeeper walks through the door, someone must arrange medical exams, process medical insurance, book government appointments, get every form translated into Arabic and properly attested, and then upload documents to official portals.
That means multiple trips to government offices, understanding the skilled versus unskilled worker classification, and setting up compliant payroll. All while you are still settling into a new country.
Two Ways to get
your Staff Onboarded
Morgan & Mallet offers two types of payroll services in Dubai and the UAE. The right one depends on the role and how you want to structure employment.
Supplier route | Direct hire route | |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Housekeepers, nannies, cooks, drivers, gardeners, tutors etc. | Private chefs, estate managers, personal assistants and other specialist roles |
Sponsor on record | Visa partner | The client |
7 to 10 working days | Up to one month | |
Cost | From AED 8,500 + VAT | AED 16,900 to AED 23,400 |
AED 168 + 5% VAT processing fee
(includes gratuity) | Managed by the client | |
Gratuity included | Yes | Client’s responsibility |
Yes | Dubai only (currently) |
The price range on the direct hire route comes down to one thing: whether the UAE classifies the worker as skilled or unskilled.
That classification is based on formal qualifications, not years of experience. A cook with Michelin-starred kitchen experience but no culinary certificate may still be classified as unskilled.
One further note on Route B: if a candidate is already inside the UAE on a tourist visa, a change-of-status fee of 1,000 to 2,000 AED applies to convert that to a working visa.
Candidates hired from outside the UAE arrive on a working visa from the start, so this fee does not apply.
Who is Responsible
if Something Goes Wrong?
Under the supplier route, our visa partner is listed as the employer on the worker’s Emirates ID.
That means they carry the legal responsibility if the employee causes an issue under UAE law, not the client. For families who want that layer of protection, it is one of the strongest reasons to choose Route A.
Under the direct hire route, the client is the employer on record and takes on that responsibility directly. This is the trade-off for having the worker under your own name.
Ongoing Payroll Services
and Compliance Taken Care of
The service does not stop at the visa. Once your staff member is onboarded, salaries are paid on schedule, gratuity accrues from day one, and employment contracts are honoured in full.
UAE labour law is strict. Compliance is not optional, and enforcement is taken seriously. M&M keeps everything in order month after month so you do not have to think about it.
Not your Typical
Dubai Payroll Agency
Many Dubai agencies focus on speed and volume, dispatching whoever is available at short notice. M&M works in a different market.
We source the best household professionals for high-net-worth families who expect a higher standard.
We now offer end-to-end service across every stage:
- Candidate search and recruitment
- Visa processing and medical support
- Medical Insurance arrangement
- Payroll management
M&M is also in the process of obtaining its own visa sponsorship licence. Once in place, every part of the service moves fully in-house: one invoice, one relationship, no third-party involvement. Our offices span the US, UK and UAE.
Why we Started Offering Payroll Services in Dubai
We had prospects call us three times. Over the phone they asked, ‘Do you provide visa and payroll?’ When we said no, they said, ‘Okay, thank you, but I’m looking for the whole package.
– Cheska Juico
That question came up again and again. The supplier route had been running for two years, but for specialist roles like private chefs and estate managers there was no solution.
So in January 2026 M&M added the direct hire route. One enquiry now gets you a complete solution: candidate sourcing, recruitment, visa processing, medical support, medical insurance and payroll.
Ready to get Started?
Whether you need a housekeeper onboarded this week or a private chef placed under your own name, our Dubai office will walk you through every option and handle the paperwork. One call is all it takes.
Get in touch with our Dubai office
dubai@morganmallet.com | Arrange a consultation