Hiring a Domestic Helper in Singapore

The Ministry of Manpower charges employers a monthly levy. At the normal rate it is $300 a month for your first helper and $450 a month for each subsequent helper. Households that qualify for the levy concession pay $60 a month. If the helper does not complete a full calendar month, MOM charges a daily rate instead — $9.87, $14.80 and $1.98 respectively.

The concession is for households with a young child, an elderly family member, or a person with disabilities. Eligibility is assessed by MOM against its published criteria, so it is worth checking your household's situation directly with MOM before budgeting.

Employers must buy a $5,000 security bond for each helper. Malaysian helpers are exempt. It is a banker's or insurance guarantee to MOM, not a cash payment to an agency — and the cost cannot be passed on to the helper.

Two policies. Medical insurance of at least $60,000 a year covering inpatient care and day surgery, and personal accident insurance with a sum assured of at least $60,000 a year. Since 1 July 2023, claims above $15,000 are co-paid 75% by the insurer and 25% by the employer. You cannot pass the cost of either policy to your helper.

Every six months you must send your helper for a medical screening. It checks for pregnancy and infectious diseases including syphilis, HIV and tuberculosis. This one matters: her Work Permit can be revoked if she is not sent on time, so diarise it.

Your helper is entitled to one rest day a week. If she agrees, a weekly rest day can be worked and compensated with at least one day's wage on top of her salary. However, since 1 January 2023, at least one rest day a month must actually be taken and cannot be compensated away.

Singapore does not set a statutory minimum wage for domestic helpers. In practice, the helper's home country sets a minimum its nationals may accept, and those figures change from time to time. Whatever is agreed should be stated clearly in writing before she starts.

With direct hire you handle the Work Permit application, insurance, security bond, medical checks and repatriation logistics yourself. With an agency, a MOM-licensed employment agency handles the paperwork and sourcing on your behalf. Direct hire is usually cheaper; agency hire trades cost for administration and recourse if the match does not work out.

Every legitimate Singapore employment agency has a MOM licence number and appears on MOM's public Employment Agency Directory. Ask for the licence number and look it up. Ming Hwee's is 12C6072.

First-time employers are required to complete MOM's Employers' Orientation Programme (EOP) before the Work Permit application. First-time helpers attend the Settling-In Programme (SIP) shortly after arriving in Singapore.

Generally yes. English is an official language of the Philippines and is the medium of instruction across much of its school system, which is why Filipino helpers are often preferred by families who want the helper to speak English with children or elderly relatives. Fluency still varies by individual, so ask to speak with any candidate before deciding.

There is no single right answer; it depends on your household. Families often weigh language (English fluency, or a shared dialect with elderly relatives), cooking (halal requirements, or familiarity with particular cuisines), experience with infants or elderly care, and salary expectations, which differ by source country. Decide which of those matters most in your home first, then shortlist.

Yes, and you should. Most agencies arrange a video call with shortlisted candidates. Ask about her actual experience with the tasks your household needs — infant care, elderly care, cooking, pets — rather than relying only on a biodata sheet.