Official MOHRE Price Caps & Recruitment Costs by Nationality
Factual legal caps for Package 1 hiring across the Philippines, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, and Nepal, plus government typing fees.
MOHRE Price Caps: Legal Protection Against Agency Overcharging
To eliminate predatory recruitment practices and standardize hiring costs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation established strict maximum legal fee caps for Package 1 overseas recruitment. Tadbeer centers are legally prohibited from charging any agency or recruitment fee higher than these ministerial ceilings. Any center attempting to bill additional unapproved agency charges is subject to licensing suspension and fines.
Official Ministerial Price Caps by Nationality (Package 1)
The maximum permissible recruitment costs charged by authorized centers vary by bilateral agreement and origin country: • Philippines: AED 12,000 – AED 14,000 • Indonesia: AED 14,000 – AED 15,000 • Sri Lanka: AED 9,000 • Ethiopia: AED 4,500 – AED 5,500 • Kenya & Uganda: AED 5,000 – AED 6,500 • Nepal & India: AED 8,000 – AED 9,500 These figures include overseas agency fees, embassy attestation costs, transit clearance, and initial processing.
Mandatory Government Processing Fees
In addition to recruitment agency fees, standard official government charges apply for personal sponsorship (Package 1): Entry permit application (approx. AED 350 - 450), status change if already in-country (AED 550 - 650), medical fitness examination (AED 320 standard or AED 700 VIP express), 2-year Emirates ID application (approx. AED 370), and residence permit issuance and stamping (approx. AED 450 - 550).
Mandatory Health Insurance and Monthly Salary Guidelines
Under UAE health authority regulations (DHA in Dubai, DoH in Abu Dhabi, and MOHAP in Northern Emirates), sponsors must provide basic health insurance coverage, typically ranging from AED 600 to AED 1,000 per year. Monthly salaries are paid via WPS and are governed by bilateral minimum wage protocols: Filipino domestic workers (minimum USD 400 / AED 1,500), Indonesian (approx. AED 1,200 - 1,500), Sri Lankan and Indian (approx. AED 1,100 - 1,300), and Ethiopian and African workers (approx. AED 1,000 - 1,200).
Beware of Illegal Unlicensed Black-Market Agencies
Hiring maids through social media brokers, unregistered WhatsApp numbers, or unlicensed offices is illegal in the UAE. Employing domestic workers on visit visas carries mandatory fines starting at AED 50,000 for employers, immediate deportation of the worker, and forfeiture of all recruitment guarantees. Always insist on verifying the center's official MOHRE license number.
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