Choose according to the tasks, not the job label. Help with companionship and everyday household routines is different from professional clinical care. A domestic-worker permit, residence visa or a profile describing someone as a caregiver does not establish that they are licensed to practise nursing.
UAE domestic-worker law preserves occupation-specific professional licensing requirements. MOHAP separately licenses nursing and medical professionals through its healthcare licensing process. Check the regulator and licence relevant to the professional's actual role and place of practice. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 4 MOHAP: licensing nursing and medical professionals, PDF p. 1
Describe the support required before selecting a person
Make a task list with the person receiving support, the family and, where medical needs exist, their treating healthcare professional. Divide ordinary support from tasks requiring clinical assessment or a professional care plan.
| Support question | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Companionship and routine assistance | Communication, consent, household duties and appropriate experience |
| Assistance involving movement or personal care | The person's needs, safe methods and the worker's evidenced competence |
| Medication, wounds or medical equipment | The treating professional's directions, required professional scope and an appropriately licensed provider |
| Changes in a person's health | Who contacts the healthcare professional and what escalation plan the family has |
This is a planning distinction, not a legal authorisation for a caregiver to perform any clinical procedure. A family should not infer competence from a general role name.
Verify a claimed professional qualification
If nursing care is required, ask for the professional's identity, licence category, validity and authorised practice arrangements. Verify those through the relevant health authority or licensed healthcare provider. A course certificate or overseas job history is not the same as a current UAE professional licence.
The domestic-worker regulation addresses agency checks of relevant professional certificates, with limited direct named recruitment exceptions in Article 4(5). Those exceptions do not remove required professional licensing. The rules do not prove that INAYA or another agency has checked a specific individual's clinical credentials or offers a licensed nursing service. Cabinet Resolution 106/2022, Article 4
Do not confuse a permit category with clinical authorisation
MOHRE's domestic-worker wage-protection resolution includes a home-care-provider occupation among five mandatory categories. Inclusion in that wage-payment classification does not turn every person called a caregiver into a licensed nurse, or define the clinical procedures they can perform. Examine both employment permission and professional licensing separately. Ministerial Resolution 675/2022, Articles 2–4, Arabic PDF pp. 2–3 Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 4
Likewise, possessing residence permission does not establish permission to work for a particular household. The worker must hold valid work permission and comply with its conditions. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 12
Build a workable household support plan
Agree who gives instructions, what the support worker may do, what they should refer to a professional and how privacy and dignity will be respected. Plan cover during rest and leave rather than expecting continuous availability.
For a domestic worker, the statutory minimum includes twelve hours of daily rest, with eight consecutive hours, and a paid weekly rest day. The employer must provide safe arrangements; instructions must not breach the contract or expose the worker to danger. Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 9 Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 11 Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 12
Hypothetical example: A family needs companionship for an older relative and separate professional wound care. It can arrange ordinary support and licensed clinical care as distinct roles, with a clear handover. The support duties and clinical responsibilities are agreed separately.
Before buying a service, ask the provider to identify the exact duties and legal model in writing. Contact INAYA to confirm the support available for your case and the evidence for any claimed qualification. Do not assume that a domestic-worker package includes clinical nursing.