Confinement nanny arrival checklist: what to sort before she arrives

A confinement nanny arrival checklist has three parts: the paperwork MOM needs before she lands, the room and kitchen she works from, and the rules you agree on day one. This guide gives each as a tick-list you can print. Each item traces to MOM or to an agency's own page, read on 2 November 2026, and the rest is plain preparation you can adapt to your home.

Paperwork before she arrives

This part applies if you hire a Malaysian nanny on MOM's Work Permit for confinement nanny. A Singaporean or PR nanny does not need that permit. If an agency applies for you, ask it to confirm each item below. Our work permit guide has the full steps.

MOM's eligibility page prints a $15,000 insurance figure beside the $60,000 one. Use the $60,000 figure for new policies and ask your insurer to confirm. If your agency is new to you, look it up in MOM's directory first.

Who does what before she arrives

Everything in the permit rows comes from MOM's apply and eligibility pages. The agent column follows MOM's line that an appointed employment agent can apply, and that it must first get your authorisation. What a particular agent handles is for you to confirm in writing.

Her room and your kitchen

NannySOS tells families they must provide a live-in nanny's accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner. PEM says to give her a private or shared room free of male adults, so she can rest, sleep and change in private. Its page also says to stock the kitchen for the first days, with your spouse cooking confinement meals until she settles in.

The baby's sleep space

Set this up before she arrives, and show her on day one. HealthHub's advice for the first six months is that your baby sleeps in your room, not in your bed, on their back, in a cot with no blankets, pillows, bumpers or soft toys. If the cot goes into her room at night, the same rules apply there. PEM says whether she sleeps near the baby depends on you and your spouse, so decide before the first night. The hiring guide sets out the night-care options.

What to agree on day one

Agree these in the first hours and write them down, whether she comes through an agency or privately. PEM suggests discussing a household schedule and setting guidelines to suit your preferences. The list of what she does comes from the agency, so ask for it in writing.

These are household agreements, not medical advice. If your recovery or your baby's health worries you, speak to your doctor, polyclinic or hospital, and see our recovery after birth guide for warning signs.

What the paperwork and the room cost

Most of this checklist costs only time. The paid items are the levy, the permit fee, her insurance and her meals, and our confinement nanny cost calculator adds them to an agency's price. To weigh a nanny against a stay in a centre first, see our nanny vs centre comparison.

Frequently asked questions

What should I prepare before my confinement nanny arrives?

The permit paperwork if she is Malaysian, a room for her free of male adults as PEM advises, groceries for the first days, a safe sleep space for the baby, and a written list of duties and night arrangements.

When should I tell the agency my discharge date?

PEM's page tells families to inform it of their discharge date and wait for the nanny to arrive. Ask your own agency how much notice it wants, and tell MOM her start date before she begins work.

What does she need to bring to the airport or the checkpoint?

MOM says she should print the in-principle approval letter and show it to the immigration officer. She gets a visit pass stamped in her passport, and MOM issues a Work Permit letter in place of a card.

Does a confinement nanny sleep in the baby's room?

Only if you agree it. PEM says it depends on you and your spouse. HealthHub's advice that your baby sleeps in your room and not in your bed, in an empty cot, still applies.

Do I need this paperwork for a local nanny?

No permit paperwork. MOM's permit is for Malaysian confinement nannies. The room, kitchen and day-one agreements still apply.

Agencies and MOM update their pages, so check each rule on mom.gov.sg and with your agency before she arrives.