How to hire a maid in Singapore: MOM's steps, direct or through an agency

To hire a maid in Singapore, you check that you qualify as an employer, get her written consent, then apply to MOM for her Work Permit. You can do it yourself or through an employment agency. First-time employers attend a short MOM course before applying. Once MOM approves, you buy a security bond and insurance before she flies in.

How to hire a maid in Singapore, step by step

1. Check that you qualify. MOM says you must be 21 or older, not an undischarged bankrupt, and able to carry out an employer's duties. Married couples can combine their incomes.
2. Book the Employers' Orientation Programme if you've never employed a helper. MOM's rule is to finish it at least 2 working days before you apply. The online course costs $29 to $36.
3. Decide whether to hire directly or through an employment agency listed on MOM's EA Directory. MOM says hiring directly could cost less but takes more of your time.
4. Choose a new helper from overseas or a transfer helper already working here. A transfer needs her current employer's consent; our guide to transferring a helper has those steps.
5. Check that she meets MOM's rules: a woman aged 23 to below 50 when you apply, from an approved country, with at least 8 years of formal education. Then check her employment history on FDW eService with your Singpass.
6. Interview her, in person if you can or by video call. Our helper interview questions cover sleep, feeds and what to do in an emergency.
7. Agree the job in writing: salary, rest days, any placement loan and the notice period. MOM needs her written consent before you apply, and a signed contract counts.
8. Apply for her Work Permit on FDW eService. It costs $35 and takes about 1 week. Check that the approval letter matches her passport, then send it to her.
9. Before she flies, buy a $5,000 security bond (not needed for a Malaysian helper) and her medical and personal accident insurance. You pay for all of it; our helper insurance guide has MOM's minimums.
10. Work through the new helper arrival checklist from the day she lands. It turns MOM's deadlines for her course, medical check and permit card into dates.

Hiring directly or through an agency

MOM lets you apply on your own or through an agency. An agency can take on the search and much of the paperwork, and it charges a service fee for that. MOM's own hiring guide says hiring directly could be more affordable, but you do more of the work. Here's how the jobs split, from MOM's pages.

If you use an agency, look it up on MOM's EA Directory first. The directory shows each agency and the names and photos of its registered staff, so you can check the person you're dealing with. MOM suggests looking at its performance figures too, such as the retention rate.

Hiring directly needs a Singpass. Without one, MOM's online form takes around 3 weeks instead of 1, and agencies can't use that route. MOM also asks you to check with her embassy whether her country needs extra papers before she leaves, such as a visa or a government letter. For what each route costs, see our cost of a domestic helper guide.

Agree the job before you apply

Helpers aren't covered by the Employment Act, so the contract sets the terms. MOM's guideline is to sign one, and it says both of you must agree the terms. It lists what to cover: salary, placement loan, rest days per month, pay in lieu of a rest day, notice period, and pay in lieu of notice. Our rest day rules guide and salary advances and loans guide go deeper on two of these.

You might open the call like this: "Before I apply, can we go through the contract together? I'd like us both to agree the salary, your rest day and the notice period."

MOM won't take a verbal yes. It needs her written consent before you apply, in any format, and a signed contract counts. You'll also sign a safety agreement before she starts work; our window cleaning safety guide explains what it covers.

What an agency may charge, and the refund rule

MOM caps what an agency in Singapore can collect from your helper: no more than 1 month of her fixed monthly salary for each year of service, and 2 months' salary at most. Her approval letter shows her salary and the fees she paid the agency, so you can both check it.

For the fee you pay, MOM sets a refund rule. It covers contracts signed from 1 June 2022. If her job ends within the first six months, the agency must refund at least 50% of your service fee, as long as MOM's conditions are met. It has 14 working days from your written request or the permit cancellation, whichever is later. Agencies can't add their own conditions.

Read two conditions before you sign. Tell the agency within a reasonable time before you cancel her permit, send her home or transfer her. And if the agency only did the paperwork and didn't match you with her, there's no refund. Her permit fees, settling-in course, medical check, flight here and placement loan aren't service fees either.

If you and the agency disagree, start with the dispute process it must tell you about. For a contract dispute, MOM points employers to mediation at the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore), then the Small Claims Tribunal.

A new helper or a transfer helper

A new helper comes from overseas once MOM approves her permit. A transfer helper already works here for another family. For a transfer, you apply with her current employer's written consent. MOM says the first steps must be done at least 30 days before her current permit expires.

MOM calls a transfer simpler. You check that her current employer has sent her for her medical check, then get the new permit issued. Don't let her start work for you until that permit is in your name.

Rules to know when you have a baby or young child

If a child under 7 in your home isn't fully vaccinated against measles, MOM requires your helper to have measles immunity. You declare this when her permit is issued, and MOM says you pay for any vaccination or blood test she needs.

Is your baby due within a month, or born in the last month? If you're the one hiring, MOM lets your spouse attend the orientation course for you. You then appoint your spouse online, and you can apply for the permit 1 working day after that's approved.

With a Singapore citizen child under 16 at home, you can get the $60 concession rate for the levy. For parents it starts from your child's date of birth. Our maid levy calculator works out your rate.

In an HDB flat or condo, plan where she'll sleep before you apply. MOM says you should give her a separate room, or else enough space and privacy. She must not sleep in the same room as a male adult or teenager.

Still deciding? Compare infant care, a helper and grandparents, or look at part-time help, which MOM itself suggests as an alternative. Once she's settled, our guide to raising a baby with a helper picks up from there.

When to call MOM

• Questions about her permit or your application: call MOM on 6438 5122, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, except public holidays. Outside those hours, MOM asks you to submit your query online.
• An agency asks your helper for more than MOM's cap: MOM says overcharged workers can contact it, and the information is kept strictly confidential.
• A dispute with the agency over your service agreement: use the agency's dispute process, then mediation, then the Small Claims Tribunals, as MOM advises.
• A disagreement with your helper: MOM says to try to resolve it with her first. The Centre for Domestic Employees advises both employers and helpers and offers mediation. Our guide to managing a domestic helper has ways to start that talk.
• You suspect a helper is being abused or ill-treated: MOM says to report it to the police, and to contact the police for anything life-threatening. Our family violence help guide lists other places to turn.

Frequently asked questions

How to hire a maid in Singapore for the first time?

Attend the Employers' Orientation Programme first, at least 2 working days before you apply. Then get her written consent and apply on FDW eService. Once MOM approves, buy the bond and insurance before she arrives.

Can I hire a helper without an agency?

Yes. MOM's FAQ says you can apply for a new helper's Work Permit, or renew one, through its eService with your Singpass. You do the search, the checks and the paperwork an agency would otherwise handle.

What do I need for a direct hire maid in Singapore?

For the application, MOM asks for her passport details, your family members' particulars and your income information. You also need her written consent and, as a first-time employer, the orientation course done. Check with her embassy whether her country needs extra papers.

How long does it take to hire a domestic helper step by step?

Here are MOM's times for each stage. The orientation course must be done at least 2 working days before you apply. The application takes about 1 week on FDW eService. Bond details take up to 3 working days to reach MOM, and you get her permit issued within 2 weeks of her arrival. Her embassy's requirements are separate, so check them early.

Can I get the agency fee back if it doesn't work out?

Part of it, under MOM's refund rule. If her job ends within the first six months, MOM's rule is that the agency refunds at least 50% of your service fee, when the conditions are met. You must tell the agency before you cancel her permit, and there's no refund if it only did the paperwork.

Can I hire a helper who is already in Singapore?

Yes, as a transfer. You apply with her current employer's written consent at least 30 days before her current permit expires. She starts working for you only once the new permit is issued in your name.