Hiring a Foreign Domestic Worker Singapore is the most common — and most under-prepared-for — household decision that incoming expat families and dual-income Singapore households face. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) frames the relationship as a Work Permit for a Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW), with a defined employer-eligibility test, a monthly levy that swings from SGD 60 to SGD 450 depending on household composition, and a tightly-regulated suite of employer obligations covering salary, insurance, accommodation, rest day, and medical care. Get any one of these wrong and the consequences range from levy back-payment to full Work Permit cancellation.
This 2026 guide walks through the complete process for hiring a foreign domestic worker in Singapore: who can be an employer, how the Work Permit application sequence runs, what the standard versus concessionary levy structure looks like, the typical agency-fee economics, and the employer obligations that bind for the duration of the Work Permit. The numbers are stated as at May 2026 and should be re-validated against MOM at the point of application — these schemes are revised periodically.
For families relocating to Singapore from Hong Kong, Dubai, London, or further afield, the FDW route is often the difference between a workable lifestyle and an untenable one. We treat it accordingly — as a structural household decision, not a peripheral one — and we begin from the eligibility test before any agency conversation should start. For the wider relocation context, our relocating to Singapore family guide 2026 sets the FDW decision in the broader move planning.
Hiring a Foreign Domestic Worker Singapore: who can be an employer?
Per the MOM employer requirements, a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, or a holder of an Employment Pass, S Pass, Personalised Employment Pass, ONE Pass, or EntrePass, may employ a foreign domestic worker. Employers must be at least 21 years old, must not be an undischarged bankrupt, and must satisfy the financial-means test that MOM uses to assess whether the household can realistically sustain the cost of an MDW.
The financial-means test takes into account household income and the realistic total cost of MDW employment — salary, levy, food, accommodation, medical insurance, statutory medical cover, and home-leave arrangements. MOM does not publish a fixed monetary threshold, but as a working benchmark, dual-income households earning a combined monthly fixed-salary above SGD 6,000 to SGD 7,000 are typically inside the eligibility envelope, with single-income households and pass holders facing higher individual-income expectations. Pass holders who fall below the implicit threshold should not assume Work Permit approval.
For incoming families on Employment Passes, our complete Singapore Employment Pass guide 2026 sets out the EP qualifying salary tiers (SGD 5,600 most sectors; SGD 6,200 Financial Services). EP holders at the qualifying-salary floor often clear the FDW employer test once household allowances and family circumstances are factored in, but the assessment is case-by-case.
FDW Singapore work permit: the application sequence
The Work Permit application for an MDW runs through MOM’s online channel and typically completes within one to four weeks, depending on the candidate’s home country processing and any in-principle approval queries. The standard sequence has six stages.
Stage 1: Employer Orientation Programme (EOP)
First-time employers must complete the Employer Orientation Programme — a free online course administered by MOM — at least three working days before the Work Permit application is lodged. The EOP covers regulatory framework, employer responsibilities, and welfare obligations. It is mandatory; the application cannot proceed without proof of completion.
Stage 2: Choose direct hire or agency
The employer can either source the candidate directly (typically a returning helper from a personal network) or engage a MOM-licensed employment agency. Agency-route hires include candidate sourcing, biodata matching, interviews, and document handling. Direct hires save agency fees but require the employer to handle visa logistics and pre-deployment requirements independently.
Stage 3: Lodge the Work Permit application
The application is filed via the Work Permit Online (WPOL) portal. Required documents include the employer’s identity records, the candidate’s passport biographical page, a recent photograph, and the financial-means evidence the family is willing to make available. Where an agency is engaged, the agency files on the employer’s behalf with authority granted through a CorpPass / SingPass authorisation.
Stage 4: In-Principle Approval and Settling-In Programme
If MOM approves, an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter is issued. The candidate then enters Singapore. Within three working days of arrival, first-time MDWs from Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and other applicable source countries must complete the Settling-In Programme (SIP) — a one-day orientation covering safety, employment rights, and stress management — before the Work Permit is issued.
Stage 5: Medical examination and Work Permit issuance
The MDW must undergo a medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor within 14 days of arrival, with screening for tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis, malaria, and pregnancy. Once the medical clears, MOM issues the Work Permit. The card is delivered to the employer’s nominated address.
Stage 6: Six-monthly medical examinations
From issuance, the MDW must undergo a six-monthly medical examination for pregnancy and infectious diseases, paid for by the employer. The examination must be completed within the validity window or the Work Permit lapses.
Migrant domestic worker levy 2026: standard and concessionary rates
The MDW levy is paid monthly through GIRO, billed by MOM on the 17th of each month. The 2026 levy structure has three tiers.
| Tier | Monthly levy | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Concessionary rate | SGD 60 | Households with an eligible person — child under 16 (citizen), elderly 67+, or person with disabilities |
| Standard rate (first MDW) | SGD 300 | Households without a qualifying eligible person |
| Subsequent MDW | SGD 450 | Each MDW beyond the first; not eligible for the concessionary rate |
The levy concession is granted automatically when MOM’s records show an eligible person in the household — for example, a Singapore-citizen child under 16, or an elderly parent aged 67 or above sharing the residential address. Where the eligible person is a parent or grandparent, the employer must add them as a household member on the FDW eService for the concession to apply.
Levy concession is capped at one helper per eligible person, with a maximum of two helpers per household. A divorced parent retains levy concession for a child below 16 if the child is recognised as a dependant; the rules around split households are addressed in MOM’s published FAQs.
Foreign domestic worker Singapore cost: agency fees and total economics
Beyond levy, the four headline costs of hiring an MDW are agency fees, salary, insurance, and the deployment / placement fee. Approximate ranges as at 2026 are below.
| Cost element | Approximate range (SGD) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Agency placement fee | 2,000 – 3,500 | One-off |
| MDW monthly salary | 600 – 900 (varies by source country and experience) | Monthly |
| Levy | 60 (concession) or 300 (standard) | Monthly |
| Medical and personal-accident insurance | 300 – 500 | Annual |
| Six-monthly medical examination | 50 – 80 | Twice yearly |
| Security bond (waived if MDW is from a non-bond country) | 5,000 | One-off (refundable) |
The all-in monthly run-rate after the one-off agency fee, on a concession household, is typically in the SGD 750 to SGD 1,050 band — salary, levy, and insurance amortisation. On a standard-rate household, the monthly run-rate is closer to SGD 1,000 to SGD 1,300. For incoming families weighing the FDW decision against alternative care arrangements, our cost of living in Singapore for expats 2026 guide sets the FDW spend in the broader household-budget context.
Employer obligations during the Work Permit period
The Work Permit places ongoing obligations on the employer that go well beyond the initial application. The five most important are:
Salary. The employer must pay the MDW the agreed monthly salary in full, within seven days of the salary being due, and not lower than the amount declared to MOM. Salary deduction for any reason — including breakage, excessive use of utilities, or perceived under-performance — is not permitted unless MOM-authorised.
Rest day. The MDW is entitled to one rest day per week. If the rest day is forgone by mutual written consent, the employer must compensate at one day’s basic salary for the foregone rest day.
Accommodation. The employer must provide proper accommodation with adequate space, ventilation, basic amenities, and privacy. Accommodation in unsafe or overcrowded conditions is grounds for Work Permit revocation.
Medical care. The employer is responsible for the MDW’s medical and dental care, with mandatory medical insurance of at least SGD 60,000 per year for inpatient care and day surgery, plus personal-accident insurance of at least SGD 60,000 per year per Work Permit cycle.
Repatriation. When the Work Permit is cancelled or expires, the employer must repatriate the MDW to her home country at the employer’s cost. This obligation survives termination by either party.
When the Work Permit ends: cancellation and replacement
The Work Permit can end in several ways: completion of the agreed period, employer-initiated termination, MDW-initiated termination, or MOM revocation. In every case, the employer must cancel the Work Permit through MOM within seven days of the last working day, repatriate the MDW within two weeks of cancellation, and complete the post-termination administration including levy stop, insurance closure, and security-bond release.
Replacement hires follow the same six-stage application process described above, though existing employers do not need to repeat the EOP. For families considering long-term arrangements — including supplementing FDW care with elderly care for an ageing parent — our LTVP for parents of Singapore PRs and citizens guide sets out the parallel pass route for a parent moving to Singapore long-term.
Conclusion: plan the FDW decision as part of the relocation
Hiring a foreign domestic worker in Singapore is a structured employment relationship, not a domestic convenience. The MOM framework — financial-means test, levy structure, employer obligations, and Work Permit lifecycle — places the household in the role of a regulated employer for the duration of the Work Permit. Families that approach the decision as part of the broader relocation programme typically find the process orderly; families that treat it as an afterthought often find themselves remediating compliance gaps mid-cycle.
For incoming expat families planning a Singapore move where FDW employment is part of the household plan, our team at Singapore Employment Agency handles the work-pass strategy for the principals — Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass, ONE Pass, or Dependant’s Pass for spouse and children — and coordinates with Raffles Corporate Services on the broader relocation, banking, and household-setup workstream where a more integrated programme is needed.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency