This guide is for housemaids, nannies, carers and drivers who already live and work in Oman. It explains how to look for a new job, how to change employer the legal way, and how to stay safe while you look.
It is based on Oman's regulation for domestic workers, Ministerial Decision (MD) 574/2025. The regulation started on 13 October 2025.
Who this guide is for
You can create a profile if all of these are true:
- You are 21 or older. Oman does not allow domestic workers under 21 (MD 574/2025, Article 6).
- You already live in Oman.
- You have a valid residence card.
If you live outside Oman, this website is not for you. Do not pay anyone who promises you a job in Oman.
You never pay to use OmanHousemaids. Your profile is free.
Your work licence and the one-employer rule
In Oman, a domestic worker must have a work licence before starting any job (Article 11). The licence is linked to one employer and one occupation, for example "housemaid", "nanny" or "private driver".
Article 9 of the regulation says the employer must not:
- let you work for another person, or work for yourself;
- employ a worker who is not licensed to them, or who lives in Oman without legal permission;
- give you a different occupation from the one on your licence.
In simple words: you may work only for the employer you are licensed to. You may not work for another household, even for a few hours or on your rest day.
A family that breaks these rules can be fined 50 to 500 Omani rials for each violation (Article 39). The Labour Law may also apply. Its penalties for a worker who works for someone other than their licensed employer include cancelling the work permit, deportation and a ban on entering Oman (Labour Law, Royal Decree 53/2023, Article 143). Experts do not agree yet on whether this part of the Labour Law covers domestic workers. The safest choice is to follow it.
So if a family offers you "extra work" while you are still licensed to someone else, say no. Wait until your licence has moved to them.
You never pay to get a job
Nobody should ask you for money to get a job. This is the law in Oman:
- Nobody, including a recruitment office, may take money from a worker in return for a job (Labour Law, Article 31).
- An employer may not take any money from you for bringing you to Oman, for employing you, or for moving you to a new employer (MD 574/2025, Article 7).
Be careful if anyone asks you for:
- a "registration fee" or "processing fee" for a job;
- money before they will agree to let you move to a new employer;
- part of your salary after you start;
- your passport, "to keep it safe".
Your employer may not keep your passport or personal documents unless you agree in writing (MD 574/2025, Article 5; Labour Law, Article 6). Read any paper carefully before you sign it.
Also be careful with online adverts that offer a worker for money. Selling a person, or offering to sell a person, for the purpose of exploitation is a human trafficking crime in Oman (Royal Decree 78/2025, Article 6).
If you think you, or someone you know, is a victim of trafficking, call the Royal Oman Police hotline on 800 77 444. In an emergency, call 9999.
Changing employer the legal way
Many families in Oman want to employ a worker who already lives here. The official process is called a "transfer of services". It works like this:
- Your new employer applies online through the Ministry of Labour service "Transfer of services of non-Omani manpower (individuals)", e-service 286.
- The request goes to your current employer, who can approve it or reject it.
- Your current employer pays any fees or fines they owe.
- Your new employer pays the fee of 5 Omani rials. You pay nothing.
- The Royal Oman Police confirm the change automatically.
Some important points:
- Give notice in time. If you or your employer do not want to renew your contract, the person who wants to stop must tell the other at least 2 months before the contract ends (Article 21). If you both continue after the end date, the contract continues on the same terms.
- Your final pay. When a move to a new employer is agreed, your employer must pay everything they owe you within 5 days of your last working day (Article 32).
- If your contract has ended. Since 1 January 2021, the Royal Oman Police rules allow a residence to move to a new employer when there is proof that the contract has ended or was terminated, and the new contract is approved (ROP Decision 157/2020). The Ministry of Labour's online service still sends the request to your current employer, and it is not clear how the 2021 rule works for domestic workers when the current employer does not approve. If your contract has ended and your employer does not respond, call the Ministry of Labour on 80077000 and ask what to do.
- Check with your embassy. Some embassies have their own rules when you change employer. For example, the Embassy of India's housemaid page (checked September 2026) says that when a housemaid moves to a new sponsor, the new employer must complete the eMigrate procedures. Ask your embassy before you start.
Families can read the same process from their side in our guide Hiring a housemaid who is already in Oman. You can share it with a new employer.
Do not simply stop going to work
If you are absent without an acceptable reason for more than 3 days in a row, your employer may end your contract without end-of-service pay (Article 35).
After more than 7 days in a row, if your employer cannot contact you, they can register a "work abandonment" report with the Ministry of Labour (e-service 254). A report like this can stop you from working or changing employer. It can also lead to deportation and a ban on entering Oman (Ministerial Decision 270/2018).
If a report is registered against you and you have a good reason, you can object for free through Ministry of Labour e-service 233. It takes one to two weeks. The rules give you 60 days to object, so act quickly. The service is free, but if the Ministry finds that the report was correct and your objection had no good reason, you can be fined 400 to 800 Omani rials (MD 270/2018, Article 19). Get advice first.
Some serious problems, like not being paid for more than 2 months, do allow you to end your contract early and keep your rights. Read Your rights as a domestic worker in Oman before you decide anything.
Where to look for work
There is no single job board for domestic work in Oman. Most workers use more than one of these:
- OmanHousemaids. Create a free profile. Families browse profiles and contact you directly. Every profile is listed by the worker. Nobody else, including an employer or an office, may create a profile about you. You can also read jobs posted by families on our pages for housemaid jobs, caregiver jobs and house driver jobs.
- People you know. Tell families you have worked for, and your friends, that you are looking for work. A reference from a past employer helps.
- Licensed recruitment offices. Offices must have a licence from the Ministry of Labour. An office may not take money from you in return for a job (Labour Law, Article 31).
- Community groups and online adverts. These can help. But check each advert carefully. Never send money or copies of your documents to someone you do not know.
The rules are the same everywhere. You pay nothing. You work only for the employer you are licensed to. And every new job must go through the Ministry of Labour.
What a new job must include
Before you accept a new job, check that it follows the basic rules in MD 574/2025. These rules are the minimum. A contract can give you better terms, but never worse ones (Article 3).
- A written contract. It must be in Arabic, or in another language with an Arabic copy. There are two copies, one for you (Article 19). It must state your job, your place of work, your hours and rest, and your monthly salary and pay date.
- Your approval. Your employer registers the contract with the Ministry of Labour (e-service 305). The service asks you, the worker, to approve it. Read it before you approve.
- Probation. A trial period, called probation, can be up to 15 days. During probation, either side can end the contract with 7 days' notice (Article 20).
- Hours and rest. MD 574/2025 caps the working day at 12 hours with at least 8 hours' rest; how breaks count is a question for legal counsel (Article 22). You get at least one paid rest day every week (Article 23).
- Leave. At least 21 days of paid annual leave each year (Article 25), and up to 30 days of paid sick leave a year with a medical certificate (Article 24).
- Pay on time. Your salary must be paid within 7 days of the pay date in your contract (Article 27).
- Food, room and health insurance. Your employer must give you food, a suitable room and health insurance (Articles 13, 14 and 16). If you live outside your employer's home, they must give you free transport to and from work (Article 15).
What about salary? Oman has no minimum wage for migrant workers. Your salary is what you and your employer agree and write in the contract. Some embassies set a minimum salary for contracts they approve, so ask your embassy.
Making a clear profile
Families look at many profiles. A clear, honest profile helps them understand your work.
- Say which work you do: housemaid, nanny, carer or driver. You can choose more than one.
- Describe your experience. Say how many years. Say the ages of children you cared for, or the kind of daily help you gave an older person.
- Carers: describe the daily care and support you give. Do not call yourself a nurse unless you are a qualified nurse.
- Add your skills: for example cooking, cleaning, laundry, first aid, and the languages you speak.
- Drivers: say which driving licence you hold and how long you have driven in Oman.
- Say where you live in Oman, for example Muscat, Sohar or Salalah. Say if you want to live in or live out.
- Say when you can start. If you know the date your current contract ends, add it.
- Keep private things private. Only include details about your work.
When you are ready, create your free profile with the button below. It takes a few minutes. You never pay to use OmanHousemaids.