Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible to hire an MDW, you must:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Not be an undischarged bankrupt
• Have the mental capacity to understand and fulfill your responsibilities as an employer

Additionally, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will assess your financial capability to:

• Hire and maintain an MDW
• Provide acceptable accommodation

For more information, please visit: Employer requirements for hiring an MDW (mom.gov.sg)

As an employer, you do not have to pay Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for your helper. However, you must pay a monthly levy for her.

If your helper is a first-time MDW, the levy will begin on the 5th day of her arrival (including the arrival date). Otherwise, the levy will begin the next day after she arrives. The levy ends when the Work Permit is cancelled or expires.

To find out the latest levy rates, please visit: Paying levy for a migrant domestic worker (MDW) (mom.gov.sg)

The MDW need to pass a medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor within 2 weeks of her arrival in Singapore.

Her Work Permit will only be issued if she passes the medical examination. Otherwise, she will have to be sent home.

The medical examination screens the helper for 4 types of infectious disease (tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis and malaria) and checks if she is fit to work.

During your MDW’s employment, you must send her for a medical screening every six months.

Before your helper arrives in Singapore, you must buy medical insurance and personal accident insurance as part of your medical obligations to her.

Personal accident insurance with a minimum coverage of $60,000 for your helper.

This is to protect your helper and her family by providing a lump sum compensation if she suffers from permanent disability or passes away due to an accident. The compensation must be made payable to your helper or her beneficiaries.

As an MDW employer, you may be eligible for a concessionary rate if you live with a Singapore citizen who is:

• A child under 16
• An elderly person aged 67 or above
• A person with disabilities (PWD)

The concession is granted for one MDW per eligible person, up to a maximum of two MDWs per household.

For more information, please visit: Levy concession for a migrant domestic worker (MDW) (mom.gov.sg)

Employers must post a $5,000 security deposit (bond) for every helper employed to ensure proper care, timely payments, and repatriation. Breaches may result in bond forfeiture, unless caused by MDW’s actions (e.g., pregnancy). In absconding cases, 50% of the bond is forfeited if reasonable efforts were made to locate the MDW.

As an Employer, you are required to bear all cost of maintaining your MDW, this includes any medical costs necessary for her health.

The employer must buy a direct air ticket to the international airport in the helper’s home country, nearest to her hometown.

The employer must pay for the air ticket and it must include check-in luggage.

The departure date must be within 2 weeks of the cancellation of her work permit.

Cancel the maid’s work permit immediately to stop the levy payment. Subsequently, you have one month to locate and repatriate her, as failing to do so may result in forfeiture of the $5,000 security deposit.

According to MOM regulations, work permit holders, including maids, are prohibited from becoming pregnant or giving birth in Singapore unless they are legally married to Singapore citizens or permanent residents, and have obtained government permission.

Upon discovering the maid’s pregnancy, employers should inform MOM and proceed with terminating the helper’s contract. Subsequently, the maid’s work permit must be canceled, and the employer is responsible for purchasing an air ticket to repatriate her to her home country.

It’s important to comply with these requirements, as failure to do so may result in the forfeiture of the $5,000 security deposit.