Frequently Asked Questions

Yaya is completely free to browse. Families can message up to four helpers at no cost during their free trial. After that, you can continue with a weekly, monthly, or two-month plan. All payments go toward your subscription — helpers never pay Yaya.

You can message up to four helpers, watch video greetings, and explore full profiles. When ready, upgrade securely via Apple Pay or Google Pay — no hidden fees, just simple access to hundreds of active helpers.

You pay Yaya only for your subscription. Salary and benefits are agreed directly between you and the helper, ensuring full transparency and fairness.

Yes. If you’re trialling or interviewing, you can pause your job post so new applications stop, while keeping your subscription active to resume anytime.

No. Yaya is not an agency and doesn’t sponsor helpers directly. Under UAE law, families must sponsor domestic workers. Our partner Maids.cc can handle sponsorship on your behalf, providing a legal, effortless process.

Families must apply for a domestic-worker visa. Through our partner Maids.cc, you get AED 250 off your helper’s visa. Unlike private sponsorship — which needs a salary certificate (minimum AED 25,000), tenancy contract or title deed, marriage certificate, and an immigration file — Maids.cc only requires your and the helper’s passports. Everything is done over WhatsApp, with the visa ready in around eight days and no office visits.

Private sponsorship costs ~AED 7,000 in the first year and ~AED 9,000 annually thereafter, plus a refundable AED 2,000 deposit. You must provide a salary certificate (min. AED 25,000), tenancy or title deed, marriage certificate, immigration file, and Emirates ID. You’re legally responsible if the helper absconds, and you’ll visit a Tadbeer Centre multiple times.

Agency sponsorship via Maids.cc costs AED 8,250 for a two-year visa plus AED 165 per month admin fee. The agency handles visa processing, medical fitness, Emirates ID, and health insurance — and assumes legal responsibility. It’s the most convenient, compliant option for busy families.

No. It’s not permitted under UAE law. Yaya strongly recommends moving helpers on “own-visa” arrangements onto either your private sponsorship or an agency sponsorship to comply with government regulations.

Private sponsorship typically requires your Emirates ID, tenancy or title deed, marriage certificate, salary certificate, and the helper’s passport. Using Maids.cc requires only your and the helper’s passports.

Live-in helpers are provided accommodation as part of the job. Meals and other allowances are usually negotiated in the salary package or agreed separately for live-out roles.

Every helper is screened by our onboarding team, and only a percentage are approved. While Yaya verifies basic details, families must always conduct their own due diligence — interview thoroughly, confirm references, and verify experience before hiring.

Yaya monitors login and activity data to ensure visibility of only active helpers. Profiles with no activity are flagged and removed automatically, so you always see genuine, available candidates.

Yaya lists nannies, nanny/maids, nanny/caregivers, maids, cooks, and drivers. We also feature specialists for prenatal, postnatal, wellness, and child-development support.

Helpers typically list expected salaries between AED 2,000 and 5,000 per month depending on role and experience. Payments go directly to the helper; Yaya takes no commission.

You can chat securely in-app, call, or connect via WhatsApp. Many helpers are working during the day, so responses might take time.

Yes, if your settings allow. Helpers can apply to your jobs inside the app, but Yaya never shares your contact details externally for privacy.

Yes. Families often shortlist several helpers before deciding. Multiple interviews help you compare experience and expectations effectively.

We have many families hiring daily. The best option is to check the app frequently and use the “last active” time on profiles as a good indicator of availability. We also proactively deactivate inactive profiles based on activity.

Families’ contact details are never shared publicly. If a family chooses, helpers can apply directly to their job posts, but all communication remains inside the Yaya app.

Many helpers include references from previous employers. Yaya doesn’t verify these directly but lists them clearly so families can easily cross-check with prior employers before hiring.

Yes. Yaya maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination or misconduct. We promote equality and inclusion across all users and investigate any reported issues immediately.

Yes. All helpers must pass mandatory UAE government medical tests, including infectious-disease screening and fitness checks, before receiving their visa.

No. Yaya is a mobile platform — not an agency — that connects families directly with verified helpers. There are no placement fees or commissions, and payments are handled securely through Apple Pay and Google Pay for trust and convenience.

Use our smart filters to narrow your search by role, experience, languages, live-in/live-out, and more. Read profiles carefully, watch video greetings, and message early. Friendly, clear messages get faster replies and help you find a match quickly.

Yes. Yaya currently operates in the UAE and Bahrain, with plans to expand across the GCC.

Yaya is mobile-first and customer-centric with live-agent support seven days a week. We verify profiles, proactively deactivate inactive helpers, and offer secure in-app messaging, video greetings, and powerful filters — all without agency markups. Payments go through trusted Apple and Google systems.