Procedure to Hire a Housemaid in Saudi Arabia
Housemaid for the house chores is required by many expatriates who are working in Saudi Arabia. There are several options available to them to hire a full-time housemaid or a part-time housemaid. Obviously, you don’t need full-time housemaid if you have a small family.
In that case, you can contact freelance housemaids from websites like expatriates.com or different facebook groups and hire them on per hour or per day basis. However, it is important to mention it here that it is illegal. You can only employ a housemaid under your sponsorship.[irp]
I will be explaining the procedure and some rules in this article to hire and bring a housemaid in Saudi Arabia. If you are selecting a housemaid, I think this article can also be very useful for you “Factors to consider when Selecting a Housemaid in Saudi Arabia”
An expatriate is allowed to hire a housemaid in Saudi Arabia if his Iqama is suitable. Definition of suitable Iqama is full of conflicts since there is no list available at any government website detailing about the professions who are eligible to hire housemaids in Saudi Arabia.
However, we have compiled a list of professions in Saudi Arabia who are eligible to hire housemaids. This list is not comprehensive but still, gives an idea about the eligibility of hiring housewife in Saudi Arabia. You can check your profession in this list. “List of Professions eligible for Family Visa in Saudi Arabia”
However, people with the profession of businessmen are also allowed to hire housemaids in Saudi Arabia. There is no need to have any suitable Iqama for the Saudi national. Saudi national can apply for housemaids just because of his nationality.
The applicant for the housemaid’s visa must be married if he is a male. There is no condition for marriage for a woman.
One Saudi family is entitled to 5 domestic visas while expatriate families and Saudis married to expatriates are allowed to have 2 domestic visas.
In order to obtain first housemaid visa, you must have a minimum salary of SR 10,000 per month and bank balance of SR 35,000 kept for at least 6 months.
In order to obtain second housemaid visa, you must have a minimum salary of SR 18,000 per month and bank balance of SR 120,000 kept for at least 6 months.
In order to obtain 3rd and 4th housemaid visa, you must have a minimum salary of SR 30,000 per month and bank balance of SR 250,000 kept for at least 6 months.
In order to obtain 5th housemaid visa, you must have a minimum bank balance of SR 500,000 kept for at least 6 months. Source: Arab News
Procedure to Hire Housemaid in Saudi Arabia: There many agencies in Saudi Arabia providing services arranging visas of housemaids from different countries. In order to hire housemaid legally in Saudi Arabia, you must have to contact one of those agencies.
I don’t have any comprehensive list of agencies providing such services in Saudi Arabia but you can get to know about it from your personal contacts. However, self-prepared list of some companies in the region of Dammam, Jubail and Yanbu is given in this link.
Even you can contact them since housemaid is allowed to work anywhere in the Kingdom even if her visa was arranged from some other city. “List of Housemaid Agencies in Saudi Arabia” You need to contact any agency in this regard and agree on the terms and conditions.
Normally agencies charge around SR 10,000/- to hire the housemaid and bring her here in Saudi Arabia. The agency will organize the visa, airline ticket, iqama, however, it is the client who is the sponsor and is responsible for the maid when she moves to the Kingdom. This process can take from 3 to 6 months.
The applicant of the housemaid visa will have to provide his requirements to the housemaid provider agency. Requirements can be about the Age, Nationality, Religion, and Language etc. The agency will require the information like a number of family members, the number of pets and children from the applicant so that it can be communicated to the housemaid.
The agency will ask the applicant to agree to the working conditions and terms of the contract. You will have to agree on the number of working hours, salary, and other living conditions.
Please keep in mind that there are laws regarding domestic workers and one should read them before applying for the housemaid in Saudi Arabia. You can read them in this link “Domestic Workers’ Laws in Saudi Arabia”.
You will have to agree on the minimum conditions provided in this link. Employers used to pay SR 1,260 per month for housemaid services, which has since risen to SR 1,580. Some agencies even insist that employers pay close to SR 46,000 in salaries and admin costs in full in advance while signing a two-year contract.
Procedure to Arrange Visa for Housemaid: The agency will guide you about this procedure once you have contracted with them. I am providing this information to ease up the process. You will have to visit Maktab Al-Istiqdam and fill the form along with other requirements.
After successful submission of the required documents, the office will confirm the visa at the same time. Following documents need to be attached with the application form;
Introduction letter from the sponsor stating Iqama profession, term of employment and salary of the employee
A statement in blank paper stating the need to have a housemaid
- Iqama Copy
- Copy of the Passport
- Two Photos
- Bank Statement of 6 months
When permission from Maktab Al-Istiqdam has been received to hire a housemaid in Saudi Arabia, you need to pay SR 2,300/- for the housemaid’s visa. It takes around two weeks to issue visa once the payment has been made.
Your agent will help you in making this payment. You should agree with the agent in the beginning about the responsibility of this amount. Generally, agencies pay this amount themselves and charge a lump sum amount from you.
Once visas are issued, applicants must visit the Musaned website and search for service providers to contact on the phone or visit in person, where they can sign a contract and pay 25 percent of the recruitment fee agreed upon between both parties.
If there is a delay over two months, applicants can visit the labor office or contact 18811 to file complaints.
According to the Labor Ministry’s website, the fee of SR 2,000 is waived for people with special needs, but this concession has not taken effect yet.
/ Source: lifeinsaudiarabia
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