Nanny Services in Dubai: What Fair Pricing and Proper Vetting Actually Look Like

Expect to pay AED 1,800 to 3,000 a month for a live-in nanny from the Philippines or Indonesia hired on your own sponsorship, AED 3,500 to 5,000 for a European or Norland-trained nanny, and AED 4,000 to 6,500 a month all-in if an agency supplies her on its own visa and handles the paperwork. Hourly or live-out cover through a licensed agency runs AED 35 to 60 an hour, or roughly AED 150 to 250 for a full day. If a quote lands well outside these bands, ask why before you ask when she can start.

Why the range is so wide

Nationality, experience, and who holds the visa all move the number. A nanny sponsored directly by your family costs less month to month but requires you to cover her visa (AED 5,000 to 7,000 a year, including medical testing and Emirates ID), health insurance (AED 700 to 1,200 annually), an annual flight home, and end-of-service gratuity when the contract ends. An agency-supplied nanny costs more but the agency absorbs all of that, replaces her if she leaves, and usually offers a paid two-week trial. There is no wrong choice here, only a trade-off between lower monthly cost with more admin, and higher monthly cost with none.

Agency visa, your own sponsorship, or Tadbeer's Ajeer service

Since Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 came into force, domestic worker recruitment in the UAE runs through MOHRE-regulated Tadbeer centres, not informal agents. Any nanny agency operating in Dubai should be licensed by Dubai Economy and Tourism for the specific activity of domestic worker recruitment, and should be able to show you its Tadbeer accreditation on request. If an outfit can't produce a trade licence number you can verify, that's the end of the conversation, not the start of a negotiation.

There's a third route worth knowing about: Tadbeer's Ajeer service lets you hire a nanny for a fixed period, or even by the day, without sponsoring her yourself and without her being tied to a single agency's long-term visa. It suits families who need cover for a summer, a maternity gap, or a trial before committing to full sponsorship. Ajeer rates typically sit at AED 45 to 65 an hour or a flat day rate, invoiced monthly, with the worker's status and insurance already sorted through the centre.

The vetting questions that separate a professional from a risk

A CV and a smile tell you almost nothing. What actually matters is documentable: a police clearance certificate from her home country (or a Dubai Police good conduct certificate if she's already in the UAE), a valid Emirates ID or entry permit status you can check yourself, contactable references from at least two previous families, and a first aid or infant care certificate if you have a baby under one. Ask directly whether she has cared for children the same age as yours, what she'd do if a toddler had a febrile seizure, and how she'd handle a two-year-old refusing food for a full day. Vague or rehearsed answers are the tell, not the CV itself.

Ask the agency, too, what happens if the placement doesn't work out in the first month. A reputable one offers a replacement at no extra recruitment fee within a stated window, usually 30 to 90 days. If they hedge on this, they're not confident in their own vetting.

What a proper contract covers before anyone starts work

Under the domestic workers law, every nanny is entitled to a weekly rest day, 30 days of paid annual leave after one year of service, a maximum working day that allows for rest and sleep if live-in, and end-of-service gratuity. A written contract, in a language she understands, should specify:

• Monthly salary and whether it's paid in cash, transfer, or via WPS, plus the date it's paid each month
• Working hours, the weekly day off, and how overtime or evening babysitting beyond agreed hours is compensated
• Accommodation arrangements if live-in — her own room is standard expectation, not a sofa bed
• Who pays for her health insurance, annual flight home, and visa renewal costs
• Notice period on both sides, typically 30 days, and gratuity calculation if she leaves after a year or more

Keep a signed copy and keep her Emirates ID and passport details on file, though her passport should stay with her — retaining a worker's passport is illegal in the UAE regardless of who's sponsoring the visa.

Timing it right: school terms, summer flights, and trial periods

Demand for nannies spikes in September as families return from summer travel and school terms restart, which is also when agencies' better-vetted candidates get placed fastest. If you're searching in July or August, you'll find more availability but a thinner pool, since many established nannies take extended leave to visit family during the low season. Booking a trial period in June for a September start is a reasonable strategy if you're planning around a new baby or a job change.

A paid two-week trial, at the agency's standard day rate, is worth insisting on even with a strong recommendation. It's the only way to see how she manages your specific children, your home, and your routines before either side commits to a year-long contract.

Where nanny-sharing actually works

In villa communities with a high density of young families — Arabian Ranches, The Springs, The Meadows, Jumeirah Park, and increasingly Dubai Hills Estate — nanny-sharing between two households is common and can roughly halve the monthly cost for each family. It works best when the children are close in age, the two homes are a short drive apart, and both families agree in writing on the split of salary, visa costs, and who takes the lead on sick days or public holidays. Community WhatsApp groups and building or compound noticeboards are still the most reliable way to find a share, more so than general classifieds, because both families already have a shared point of reference in the neighbourhood.

Whichever route you take, the single biggest predictor of a placement that lasts is a documented process: a licensed agency or verified Tadbeer route, a written contract that matches what MOHRE requires, and a trial period you actually use to observe her with your children, not just to tick a box before the paperwork closes.