Before moving home with a domestic worker, review three things separately: the employment or agency arrangement, the official records relevant to the case, and the practical work at the new address. A move can change the commute, accommodation, building access and household workload even when the family and worker remain the same. Record those changes before expecting the old routine to continue unchanged.
Identify
Separate address relocation from a change of employer or service.
Review records
Use the relevant official channels for the actual file.
Rewrite the scope
Update living arrangements, access, duties and schedule.
Handover
Close old access and orient the worker to the new home.
An original moving-house decision flow; the applicable official procedure follows the actual employer and file category.
Start with the named employer and the service agreement
Identify who employs the worker and which agreement records the household's service. A family-sponsored employment arrangement and a service supplied by an agency have different administrative contacts. Use the sponsorship responsibility guide to organise this first review.
Write down the old and new addresses, move date, intended duties and whether the legal employer is changing. Moving the family's home and changing the worker's employer are separate questions. Do not choose a cancellation or transfer route merely because the property address has changed; take the actual documents and proposed arrangement to the appropriate official service or authorised provider for review.
Review the address and permit records through the right channels
ICP provides Data Update for contact information including the address. Keep it separate from MOHRE's domestic-worker permit-details correction service, which addresses incorrect information registered in a visa application. That correction service is not a general moving-house procedure. These official records have different purposes; select the one that matches the actual issue in your file.
Use the channel and category attached to your own file. Prepare the existing contract and permit information, identity documents and the new-address evidence requested for the relevant service. Keep the application reference and outcome with the household file. Check the service's actual document list and charges when applying rather than borrowing a fee, deadline or sponsor rule from another family's case.
Use a moving-house responsibility checklist
| Area to review | Question for the household | Record to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Employment or agency service | Does the employer remain the same, and who handles the review? | Existing agreement and named contact |
| Official records | Which address, contact or permit information needs updating? | Relevant application reference and outcome |
| Live-in arrangement | Where will the worker stay during and after the move? | Agreed accommodation and meals arrangement |
| Live-out arrangement | Does the new location change the commute or arrival plan? | Written schedule and transport responsibilities |
| Building or community | What entry registration and moving-access rules apply? | New arrival route and authorised contact |
| Household tasks | Which rooms, appliances and priorities have changed? | Updated duty list and equipment instructions |
| Old-home closure | Which keys, cards and items must be returned? | Handover and return record |
This is an original planning checklist. It helps you organise decisions without implying that every listed action is a government requirement for every move.
Give moving-day work its own safe scope
Packing, ordinary household organisation and settling in are different from heavy lifting, electrical work, appliance installation or specialist cleaning. Explain which tasks you want considered and which belong to movers or other professionals. Do not turn the worker's normal duties into an unrestricted instruction to handle every box and contractor.
For a larger home, review travel between rooms, stairs, storage areas and the equipment needed. For a smaller home, decide which belongings and tasks remain priorities. Use the apartment and villa task-planning guide and update the written household duties instead of relying on the previous property's layout.
Orient the worker to the new home
Show the worker the entry route, work areas, appliance controls, product storage and private areas. Explain household contacts and how to report an access or maintenance problem. Arrange a realistic priority order for the first visits: urgent everyday needs first, then the rest of the settling-in list within the agreed scope and schedule.
Close the old-address access record and create the new one. Avoid leaving old keys or permissions in circulation simply because everyone is busy with the move. A short home-access handover makes the change easier to track.
Prepare the move brief for INAYA
Send the current arrangement, new emirate and area, proposed move date, live-in or live-out plan and the changes to duties or timing. Contact INAYA to review the service scope and administrative support for the actual case. Keep official application records, customer service documents and moving-day instructions together but clearly labelled, so each question reaches the correct person.
Customer questions and answers
Does moving to another emirate automatically mean changing the maid’s employer?
No. First identify whether the legal employer is actually changing. A household address move, an agency service change and a change of employer are separate matters to review against the documents.
Which official record should I update after moving?
Review the records attached to the actual arrangement. ICP's contact-data update covers address information. MOHRE's cited permit-details service concerns incorrect visa-application information, so it should not be treated as an automatic moving-house step.
Can the maid do all the heavy moving work?
Keep the worker’s duties, suitability and safety in view. Assign heavy lifting, installations and specialist work to the appropriate professionals, and record any agreed household packing or settling-in tasks separately.
What should I send INAYA before changing the service address?
Prepare the current service arrangement, new emirate and area, move date, accommodation or commute plan and any revised duties or schedule. Discuss the written changes before using the new routine.