Reviewed by Stan, Head of Hiring Department, TLNT.aeA virtual assistant works remotely, often for fixed hours or a set of tasks. An in-house assistant sits in your office or travels with you and is employed directly by your company. Both can be right, for different businesses. This guide compares what each does well, what they cost, how confidentiality and tools differ, where the risks are and how to decide.
Talk to usThe difference is not only location. It is scope, availability and how much the person can act on your behalf.
| Virtual assistant | In-house assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | remote | your office, site or with you |
| Best tasks | diary, inbox, travel booking, research, scheduling posts | the same plus guests, originals, parcels, errands, meetings in person |
| Availability | agreed hours or tasks | full working day, flexible when needed |
| Orientation cost, AED per month | 3,000 - 8,000 | 5,000 - 14,000 for admin or owner's assistant, 12,000 - 30,000 for executive level |
Costs below are market estimates and orientation ranges. Compare the full cost of each option, not only the monthly number.
Whoever you choose, an assistant sees your email, calendar and often your finances and private life. Treat access as a decision, not a default.
Both options fail in predictable ways. Knowing them early makes the choice easier.
A simple rule of thumb, adjust it to your business.
TLNT is a hiring consultancy. We help you decide which format fits your tasks, define the job and the salary range as a market estimate, find and assess candidates for the in-house role with a practical skills assessment, and prepare the offer. You make the hiring decision and agree the terms with the candidate yourself; the person is employed directly by your company, the employer sponsors the visa and we give you a step-by-step checklist. For a remote arrangement, check the working status of the person with the relevant authority before you sign.
Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract. Consulting and CRM projects are priced after a free review.
The monthly number is often lower, as an orientation 3,500 - 8,000 AED against 5,000 - 14,000 AED for an in-house admin or owner's assistant, but the scope is narrower. Compare cost per useful hour and the full employment cost of an in-house role, including visa, insurance and gratuity provision.
Yes if you control access: use delegate access or a shared inbox, a password manager and two-step verification, and put confidentiality in writing. Keep bank approvals and signing with yourself. For a person who works remotely, check the arrangement before you sign.
Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract.
A free review in WhatsApp: we look at your numbers and tell you honestly what we would do.
Message on WhatsAppReviewed by Stan, Head of Hiring Department, TLNT.aeCite as: TLNT.ae, "Virtual or in-house assistant in Dubai cost, risks and which one fits", 2026, https://tlnt.ae/en/guides/virtual-vs-in-house-assistant-dubai/. Prepared by TLNT.ae, a hiring consultancy working in the UAE since 2022.