Most Singapore work pass guides focus on the Employment Pass, S Pass or Work Permit for construction, manufacturing and marine workers. One category is routinely left out of that conversation even though hundreds of thousands of households rely on it every year: the Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker (MDW), commonly called a foreign domestic worker or FDW.
Hiring a helper sits entirely outside the Ministry of Manpower’s standard Dependency Ratio Ceiling and foreign worker levy framework that applies to sector-based Work Permits. The eligibility test is on the employer as much as on the worker, the levy structure is different, and there are two mandatory orientation courses, one for the employer and one for the helper, before the pass can even be issued.
This guide sets out who can hire a helper, what the employer must do before, during and after the application, the levy rates and concessions, and the practical compliance traps that catch first-time employers.
What the Work Permit for MDW Actually Is
The Work Permit for MDW is a separate work pass category from the general Work Permit used for construction, marine shipyard, process and manufacturing workers. It is governed by the same Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990, but the eligibility criteria, levy rates, security bond and orientation requirements are specific to domestic work.
There is no minimum qualifying salary for the helper. The pass is valid for up to two years, depending on the validity of the security bond, and is renewable. The employer, a sponsor, or an authorised employment agent can apply for it.
Who Counts as an Employer
Unlike an Employment Pass or S Pass, where the employer is a company, the employer of a helper is almost always an individual or a household. MOM assesses the person applying to hire, not a company’s hiring needs.
Employer Eligibility: The Criteria MOM Actually Checks
To hire a helper, an individual must:
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 21 years old and above |
| Not an undischarged bankrupt | MOM checks this against official records as part of the application |
| Mental capacity | Must be able to fully understand and discharge the responsibilities of an employer; a diagnosis such as Alzheimer’s, dementia or schizophrenia that impairs the ability to supervise a helper can be disqualifying |
| Financial ability | MOM considers whether the household can afford to hire, maintain and provide acceptable accommodation for a helper |
| Care-giving need | MOM also has regard to whether the household has young children, elderly family members or others who need care |
Lower-income employers or senior citizens who do not meet the standard financial criteria on their own may still qualify to hire a helper under the Joint-Income Scheme or the Sponsorship Scheme, where a family member or another person takes on co-responsibility for the Work Permit conditions.
First-Time Employers: The Employers’ Orientation Programme (EOP)
Anyone hiring a helper for the first time must complete the Employers’ Orientation Programme at least two working days before submitting the Work Permit application. The EOP is a three-hour programme, available in a classroom or online, that covers an employer’s role and responsibilities toward a helper.
Classroom EOP fees generally range from roughly S$35 to S$76 depending on the training provider and language, while the online version costs roughly S$29 to S$36. An employer who is unable to attend in person, for example due to a chronic medical condition, physical disability, being 60 years old and above with physical discomfort, or being a new or expectant mother, may apply to have a spouse, sponsor or representative attend on their behalf, subject to MOM’s approval and strict documentary retention requirements for at least three months.
Before the Helper Arrives: Security Bond and Insurance
Two things must be in place before a helper (other than a Malaysian national) can enter Singapore:
| Requirement | Key details |
|---|---|
| Security bond | S$5,000 per helper, bought as a banker’s or insurer’s guarantee. The employer cannot ask the helper to pay for it. Malaysian helpers are exempt. |
| Medical and personal accident insurance | Mandatory for every helper; can be bought together with the security bond as a package or separately |
The bank or insurer must notify MOM of the security bond details, a process that can take up to three working days, and the bond must be in effect by the time the helper arrives in Singapore. If it is not, immigration will refuse the helper entry and MOM cannot backdate the bond’s effective date to fix this, so the employer would have to send her home immediately. This single administrative step is the most common reason a helper’s arrival date has to be pushed back.
The security bond is discharged roughly one week after the Work Permit is cancelled and the helper has returned home, provided there has been no breach of the bond conditions. It can be forfeited if the employer or helper breaches Work Permit conditions, if salary is not paid on time, if the employer fails to repatriate the helper when required, or if the helper goes missing.
After Arrival: The Settling-In Programme and Medical Examination
A first-time helper, meaning someone who has never worked in Singapore as a helper before, must attend the one-day Settling-In Programme (SIP) within seven days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays. She cannot start work until she has completed it. The SIP covers adapting to life and work in Singapore, the conditions of employment, working safely, and relationship and stress management, and it is conducted in the helper’s own language.
The helper must also undergo a medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor within two weeks of arrival, and thereafter a six-monthly medical examination for as long as she remains on the Work Permit.
Practical Sequencing Table
| Stage | Who | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Employers’ Orientation Programme | First-time employer (or approved representative) | At least 2 working days before applying |
| Work Permit application and in-principle approval | Employer, sponsor or employment agent | Before the helper’s travel is booked |
| Security bond and insurance | Employer | Must take effect before the helper’s arrival |
| Settling-In Programme | First-time helper | Within 7 days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays |
| Medical examination | Helper | Within 2 weeks of arrival, then every 6 months |
| Work Permit issuance | MOM | On completion of the above, plus fingerprint registration if required |
The Levy: Rates and Concessions
Employers do not pay CPF contributions for a helper, but a monthly foreign worker levy applies instead. The levy for a first-time helper begins on the fifth day after arrival (including the arrival date itself); for any subsequent helper it begins the day after arrival.
| Levy type | Monthly rate | Daily rate |
|---|---|---|
| Normal (1st helper) | S$300 | S$9.87 |
| Normal (subsequent helpers) | S$450 | S$14.80 |
| Concessionary | S$60 | S$1.98 |
Levy is payable monthly by the 17th of the following month (or the next working day), and can be set up on GIRO or paid via PayNow QR. Missing payment for two consecutive months will see the Work Permit revoked the following month and the employer barred from applying for further Work Permits until the arrears are cleared.
The concessionary rate of S$60 is available where the household has an eligible person: a Singapore citizen child below 16, a Singapore citizen or permanent resident aged 67 or above (subject to conditions for a permanent resident), or a person certified as needing help with at least one activity of daily living. Concession is capped at one helper per eligible person and a maximum of two helpers per household. Households caring for someone who needs help with three or more activities of daily living may separately qualify for the Home Caregiving Grant of up to S$400 a month, administered by the Agency for Integrated Care.
Renewal, Transfer and Frequent Changes of Helpers
The Work Permit can be renewed before expiry, and a helper can be transferred to a new employer, including through an employment agency, subject to the new employer meeting all the eligibility criteria afresh. MOM separately monitors employers who change helpers frequently. An employer taking on a fourth helper within 12 months faces additional scrutiny and requirements, a safeguard designed to flag potential mistreatment or unstable working arrangements before they recur.
How This Differs From the Letter of Consent Route
It is worth being clear about what the Work Permit for MDW is not. Since 1 May 2021, a Dependant’s Pass holder who wants to take up employment generally cannot do so on a Letter of Consent and must hold their own work pass. That is a separate question from hiring a helper: the household doing the hiring applies for the Work Permit for MDW described in this guide, while the helper herself does not need, and does not hold, a Letter of Consent, Employment Pass or S Pass. Confusing the two pathways is a common mistake among new employers who have read about the Letter of Consent changes and assume the same mechanics apply to domestic helpers.
Common Compliance Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Why it happens |
|---|---|
| Booking the helper’s flight before the security bond is confirmed in effect | The bond notification can take up to 3 working days; if it is not active on arrival, entry will be refused |
| Missing the EOP deadline | The EOP must be completed at least 2 working days before the Work Permit application, not after |
| Assuming the SIP is optional | A first-time helper cannot legally start work until she has attended, and the window is only 7 days from arrival |
| Letting levy GIRO lapse | Two consecutive months of non-payment triggers automatic Work Permit revocation |
| Not updating household member records | Levy concession is not backdated automatically if the eligible person (child, elderly parent, PWD) is never added on the FDW eService |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a helper need to earn a minimum salary before a Work Permit will be approved?
No. Unlike the Employment Pass or S Pass, there is no minimum qualifying salary set by MOM for a helper.
Can a single person employ a helper?
Yes, subject to meeting the general employer eligibility criteria on age, financial ability and care-giving need.
Is the security bond required for every helper?
Yes, for every non-Malaysian helper. Malaysian helpers are exempt from the security bond requirement.
What happens if the helper is not sent for the Settling-In Programme in time?
She will not be allowed to start work, and the employer risks non-compliance with Work Permit conditions, which can also affect the security bond.
Can the levy concession apply to more than one helper?
Only if the household has more than one eligible person, up to a maximum of two concessionary helpers per household.
Does a company, rather than an individual, ever employ a helper?
In practice, the Work Permit for MDW is assessed against an individual employer’s eligibility, not a corporate entity, even where an employment agency handles the paperwork.
Where Raffles Corporate Services Fits In
Most of our clients come to us for company incorporation, corporate secretarial work and Employment Pass or S Pass applications for their staff. Increasingly, the same founders and executives relocating to Singapore on an Employment Pass, ONE Pass or Personalised Employment Pass, and bringing family on a Dependant’s Pass, also need to hire a helper for the first time and are unfamiliar with the EOP, security bond and SIP sequence described above.
If you are an employer sorting out your Work Permit obligations more broadly, or need help reconciling the foreign worker levy across different pass types, or engaging a licensed employment agency, our team can help you plan the administration around your household or company’s wider immigration and compliance needs.
For official guidance, always refer to MOM’s Work Permit for migrant domestic worker pages, which are updated from time to time, and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 on sso.agc.gov.sg.
The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services