How to hire a nanny in Dubai
Hiring directly is straightforward once you know the order things happen in. Here is the whole process, from your first search to her first morning with your children.
1
Search and shortlist
Filter by emirate, live-in or live-out, experience and language. Save the profiles that suit your household.
2
Send interview requests
Choose a date, a time slot and how you want to meet.
3
Meet and check
She confirms within 48 hours. Meet her, watch how she is with your children, and call her previous employer.
4
Hire and finish the paperwork
Agree the terms and the weekly day off with her, then complete the visa, medical and contract steps.
What we do and what you do
Plenty of platforms stay vague about this. We would rather you knew exactly where our work stops and yours begins.
MyPoppin does
- Reviews each profile before it goes live
- Checks the passport and Emirates ID copy on file
- Records which references and certificates were submitted
- Passes your interview request on and confirms the time
- Removes listings that are inactive or incomplete
The family does
- Interviews her and decides whether she suits your children
- Calls previous employers and takes up references
- Checks original documents and current visa status
- Arranges the medical test and any background checks
- Issues a written contract and completes sponsorship
We are a listing platform, not a recruitment agency
MyPoppin.com does not employ, supply or place domestic workers, and we do not process visas. Employment is a direct arrangement between your family and the candidate, and it must follow the domestic worker regulations that apply in your emirate.
The visa and contract steps in order
- Confirm her current visa. A transferable employment visa can often be moved to your sponsorship. A cancelled or visit visa usually means a fresh application.
- Apply through a Tadbeer centre or typing centre. They handle the entry permit or transfer, and they will tell you which documents to bring.
- Complete the medical fitness test. This is required before the residence visa is issued. Do not let anyone start work before it is done.
- Get the Emirates ID and residence stamping. Biometrics are taken at the same stage in most cases.
- Sign a written contract. Working hours, weekly day off, annual leave, air ticket and end of service terms all go in writing, signed by both sides.
- Arrange health insurance. Cover is mandatory for domestic workers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Rules and fees change and vary by emirate. Confirm the current requirements with your Tadbeer centre before you promise anyone a start date.
Questions about the process
Are the nannies verified?
We check identity documents, which means the passport and the Emirates ID copy on file, and we record which references and certificates each candidate has given us. Everything else on a profile comes from her. Taking up those references, confirming her visa and medical status, and running any background checks stay with you as the employer, and our safe hiring checklist walks through each step.
Do I speak to the nanny directly?
Yes. Once an interview is confirmed you talk to her yourself. No message is passed through a third party, and the terms of the role are settled between your family and her.
Can I interview more than one nanny?
Yes, and most families do. Save as many profiles as you like and send an interview request to each one. Three or four conversations is normal before anyone decides.
Who arranges the visa?
You do, as the sponsoring family, under the UAE domestic worker rules. If she already holds a transferable employment visa, a transfer is usually quicker than a fresh application. We can point you to the right Tadbeer centre or typing centre, but we do not process visas ourselves.
How quickly can a nanny start?
It depends on her visa. Someone on a cancelled visa or a visit visa can often start within two to three weeks. If she is finishing a contract with another family, expect a month of notice, and a visa transfer usually adds two to four weeks on top of that.
What happens if it does not work out?
Because you hire directly, the agreement sits between your family and the nanny. Your plan lets you come back to the platform and interview other candidates at any point while it is active.
Can nannies list themselves on the site?
Yes, and it costs them nothing. Candidates build their own profile, add their work history and upload documents. We review every profile before it goes live and remove listings that go quiet.
What should I ask in the first interview?
Ask her to describe a normal day with a child the same age as yours, how she handles a difficult moment, and why she is leaving her current family. Then ask to speak to that family yourself.