Do you need to register your domestic worker under the UAE's Wage Protection System?

How the WPS ensures secure salary payments and steps employers must take to register

Last updated:
Zainab Husain, Features Writer
2 MIN READ
The Wage Protection System ensures salaries are paid on time and in the most efficient and convenient manner.
The Wage Protection System ensures salaries are paid on time and in the most efficient and convenient manner.
Shutterstock

Dubai: If you employ a domestic worker, you may be wondering whether registration under the Wage Protection System (WPS) is required. According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), the Wages Protection System for domestic workers is the official electronic platform for salary payments. It allows employers to pay wages through banks, exchange houses, and financial institutions that are authorised by the Central Bank of the UAE to offer wage payment services.

MOHRE states that the WPS for domestic workers strengthens contractual relationships between employers and workers, ensuring salaries are paid on time and in the most efficient and convenient manner.

Which professions are covered?

From 1 April, MOHRE began applying the Wages Protection System to five specific domestic worker professions:

  • Personal health care provider

  • Personal trainer

  • Private agriculture engineer

  • Personal tutor

  • Personal PRO (Public Relations Officer)

WPS enables employers to pay salaries through approved banks, exchange houses, and financial institutions, all authorised by the UAE Central Bank to facilitate wage transfers.

MOHRE has also defined 14 domestic worker professions that employers can decide whether to register them in the WPS, this includes housemaids, security guards, housekeepers, cooks, nanny/babysitter, farmer, gardener and personal driver.

How Are Wages Paid Through WPS?

MOHRE has outlined two approved methods for wage payments to domestic workers. Cash transfers through banks, exchange houses, or financial institutions authorised by the Central Bank and contracted by the employer. Electronic transfers via smart applications provided by authorised banks and financial institutions also contracted by the employer.

Why Use WPS to Pay Domestic Workers?

According to MOHRE, registering a domestic worker under the WPS offers the following benefits:

  • Protects the employer’s right by documenting the wage payment process.

  • Simplifies wage transfers from employer to worker.

  • Guarantees timely salary payments.

  • Promotes stable and transparent relationships between both parties.

One key feature is the secure transfer of wages directly into the domestic worker’s bank account, removing the need for cash payments. This not only provides a clear record of salary transactions but also ensures greater financial safety.

Domestic workers registered under the WPS will also receive a WPS card from UAE exchange houses. This card can be used to withdraw salaries via ATMs across the UAE and for in-store or online purchases.

How to Register a Domestic Worker Under WPS

To register a domestic worker, MOHRE advises that you have the following documents ready:

  • The employer’s Emirates ID

  • The domestic worker’s Emirates ID

  • Registration with one of the WPS agents authorised by the Central Bank of the UAE

Once you have the required documents, visit any approved bank, financial institution, or money exchange house to complete the registration process.

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