Hiring foreign domestic workers in Singapore

As of the latest population statistics in June 2018, there are 250,100 foreign domestic workers in Singapore, with the majority of these workers coming from Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar. Foreign domestic workers are usually assigned to daily chores such as cleaning, cooking and looking after the children or the elderly of the household.

Eligibility

Foreign Domestic Workers

A foreign domestic worker needs to meet the age, nationality and education requirements in order to get a work permit. The worker needs to be a female between the age of 23 to 50 years old with at least 8 years of formal education. She has to come from an approved country or region such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan or Thailand. Additionally, the foreign domestic worker must not be related to the employer.

Employer

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will consider the applicant’s financial ability to hire, house and care for the domestic worker in an acceptable living environment. To hire a foreign domestic worker, the employer must either be a Singapore citizen or a holder of a long term visit pass. The employer must also be of 21 years old and above with a steady income and of sound mind. Individuals who are declared bankrupt at the time of application are not eligible to hire foreign domestic help. For applicants looking to hire more than one domestic helper, they must have 2 or more young children (below the age of 18) or a parent or parent-in-law over 60 years old living in the same household. On top of this, the applicant will be accessed on his financial ability to provide for the domestic helpers and to house them in acceptable living conditions.

Employers’ Orientation Programme (EOP)

All first-time applicants are required to attend the Employers' Orientation Programme. The EOP is a once-off 3-hour course that helps applicants understand their responsibilities as an employer of a foreign domestic worker. The EOP must be completed at least 2 working days before submitting the Work Permit application. Applicants can opt to take the course in person or online. There are two training providers in Singapore certified to carry out the programme. Upon completion of the programme, applicants will receive a certificate acknowledged by MOM.

Venue	Nearest MRT Station	Language	Fee (SGD)	Opening Hours	How to Register
Professional & Adult Continuing Education (PACE) Academy Address: Singapore Polytechnic, Room T1A12, Blk T1A, 500 Dover Road Singapore 139651	Dover (EW22)	English	$34.50	Every Friday, 6pm to 9pm	Online (Registration portal)
Nation Employment Pte Ltd Address: 135 Jurong Gateway Road, #05-317, Singapore 600135	Jurong East (EW24/NS1)	English or Mandarin (alternate weekly)	$30	Every Wednesday, 6pm to 9pm	Walk-in
Online	-	English	$46	-	Online (Registration portal)

Pre-arrival administrative procedures

Work permit application

For online applications (application portal), employers are required to provide their own personal particulars including their income details. Applicants are also required to provide the personal particulars of their family members. The helper's passport details are also required. A written consent from the domestic helper is also needed in order to protect the interest of both the employer and employee. The application fee for the work permit is SGD$30 and takes 1 week to process. From 1 April 2019 onwards, the application fee will be increased to SGD$35. If the application is approved, the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter (or the letter of notification for first-time helpers) will have to be printed.

For manual applications, applicants can submit the Work Permit application form (MOM application form) over the counter at any SingPost branch. The application form has to be supplemented with additional documents namely - copies of both the employers and employees passports/ travel documents, birth certificates/ identity cards, and supporting documents to verify the employer's income. Application fees will have to be paid on the spot. Manual applications take 3 weeks to process. The IPA letter (or the letter of notification for first-time helpers) will be mailed to the applicant. A copy of the IPA or letter of notification needs to be mailed to the foreign domestic helper as it is needed by the immigration customs.

Special schemes

Employers can also apply for the work permit under the Joint Income Scheme by combining income with another working family member (except for spouse) in the same household. Besides fulfilling all the basic requirements, applicants under this scheme must be the one receiving a higher salary compared to the other family member under the same application.

The Sponsorship Scheme allows senior citizens to apply for a Work Permit based on the income of up to 2 sponsors. To qualify for this scheme, applicant must be a Singapore Citizen or PR who is 60 years old and above. He or she must not be earning any income or staying with any working adults. The sponsors may be the applicant’s children or children’s spouse, grandchildren or grandchildren’s spouse or the applicant’s siblings.

Employers can select these schemes online when applying for the Work Permit.

Security Bond

The Security Bond is a binding pledge between the employer and the Singapore government. It is meant to protect the welfare of the foreign domestic help. Should the employer break the law or go against the conditions governing the employment of a foreign domestic worker, they will be fined up to SGD$5,000 by the Singapore government. Every employer has to purchase the bond, unless the foreign domestic worker hired is a Malaysian. Bonds usually take the form of an insurance or banker’s guarantee. The details of the security bond has to be sent to MOM before the domestic help arrives or she will be refused entry into Singapore.

The bond will be forfeited if the employer or foreign domestic worker violated any of the conditions of the Work Permit or security bond, if the helper’s salary was not paid on time or the employer failed to send her back when her Work Permit is no longer valid. The bond will be discharged only when the Work Permit has been cancelled by the employer, the helper has returned home and the employer did not breach any of the conditions of the security bond.

Insurance

Employers need to purchase medical insurance with a coverage of at least SGD$15,000 per year for inpatient care and day surgery during the helper’s stay in Singapore. If the Work Permit is applied or renewed from 1 October 2017 onwards, a Personal accident insurance with a coverage of at least SGD$60,000 per year has to be bought for the helper. This insurance must cover sudden, unforeseen and unexpected incidents resulting in permanent disability or death. All compensations must be made payable to the helper or her beneficiaries.

Settling-In Programme (SIP)

Employers have to send a first-time foreign domestic worker for the Settling-In Programme (SIP) within 3 days of her arrival in Singapore. This is a 1-day orientation programme to educate the workers on safety precautions and living in Singapore. The course will be conducted in the helper’s native language and the SGD$75 course fee will be borne by the employer. The employer should register the foreign domestic help for the SIP before her arrival. Registration for the course at various locations can be made on the MOM website (MOM registration portal).

The foreign domestic worker should complete her SIP course within the first 3 working days of her arrival.

Post-arrival administrative procedures

Medical Examination

The foreign domestic worker has to be sent for a medical examination within 2 weeks of her arrival in Singapore. The doctor must be registered in Singapore. The medical examination form (MOM medical form) should brought along on the day of doctor's appointment. If the individual is infected with tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis or malaria, she will be sent home as she is unfit for work. Employers must submit the completed medical examination form when requesting for the issuance of the Work Permit.

Work Permit issuance

Employers should accessed the MOM online service (online service portal) to request for the Work Permit to be issued. The address to which the card will be delivered must be provided. Employers can also nominate up to 3 authorised recipients to receive the card, provided that the details of their personal information have been submitted. An online payment of SGD$30 (SGD$35 if request is made after 1 April 2019) must be made before the printing of the Temporary Work Permit.

The Temporary Work Permit is valid for 1 month from the date of issue and it must be given to the foreign domestic worker as it allows her to work, stay, travel in and out of Singapore while waiting for the official Work Permit card to be delivered. The Work Permit card will be delivered 4 working days after the verification of registration documents. The Temporary Work Permit will also state whether the foreign domestic worker is required to register her fingerprints and photo at the MOM Service Centre. If it is required, registration must be done within 1 week of issuing the Work Permit. An online booking (MOM appointment booking portal) must be made before the actual day of the appointment.

During employment

During the foreign domestic worker’s stay in Singapore, the employer will be responsible for her general well-being. Any breaching of rules may result in legal penalties or revocation of the Work Permit.

Payments

The domestic help must be paid every month, and her salary should not be lower than what the employer declared to MOM. With effect from 1 May 2017, all Filipino foreign domestic workers working Singapore must be paid a minimum of SGD$570 monthly. The Indonesian government also requires domestic help from Indonesia to be paid at least SGD$550 per month. Employers are encouraged to transfer the salary directly into their local bank account. Cash payments are also allowed but employers are required to keep a record of the salary payments. With effect from 1 January 2019, employers are no longer allowed to safe-keep their domestic help’s money, bank book or card even if she requests for it.

Employers are also required to pay a monthly levy through GIRO. The foreign worker levy is a pricing mechanism that regulates the number of foreign workers in Singapore. The levy will begin on the 5th day of arrival for first-time foreign domestic workers and the following day of arrival for non first-timers. Employers who are under the normal levy scheme will have to pay a monthly rate of SGD$265, while those eligible for levy concession will pay SGD$60. Employers who live with a Singaporean citizen child or grandchild who is under the age of 16 will be eligible to apply for the concession rate under the Young child or grandchild scheme. Individuals who are aged 65 or above, or live with an elderly member, can qualify for the Aged person scheme under the concession rate. However, with effect from 1 April 2019, the qualifying age for the Aged person scheme will be raised to 67 years old, in light of the improving life expectancy and health in Singapore. If the employer has a family member who needs permanent help in at least 1 daily activity (showering, feeding etc), he can apply for the Persons With Disabilities scheme through Singapore Silver Pages (official website). All other applications should be made through MOM’s online service (MOM levy service portal).

Welfare

Employers are also required to provide the foreign domestic help with daily necessities such as 3 meals per day, basic amenities and a room with adequate shelter and privacy, even if she is sharing the room with someone else.

All helpers are also entitled to a weekly rest day if her Work Permit was issued or renewed after 1 January 2013. If the domestic help agrees to work on her rest day, she must be compensated with 1 day’s worth of salary. Additionally, a foreign domestic worker must be sent for the Six-monthly medical examination (6ME) and the cost will be borne by the employer. It includes a pregnancy and syphilis test which occurs every 6 months, and a HIV and tuberculosis test every 2 years.