Maid Agencies in Singapore
Guide and tips to hiring a maid in Singapore
by Business Listings EditorPhoto credit: Canstockphoto
The process of hiring a domestic worker in Singapore involves paperwork and procedures laid down by the Ministry of Power (MOM). You can either apply for their work permit personally, or through a maid agency.
You can hire a maid, if you are a/an:
- Singaporean citizen
- Permanent Resident
- Employment pass holder
- Dependent pass holder
*Foreigners on a short-term visit are not allowed to employ a domestic worker
MOM Guidelines
The maid must be/have:
- Between 23 to 50 years old upon first entering Singapore, and can only work until 60 years old
- Eight years minimum formal education
- From an approved country or territory
- Pass a MOM-stipulated test, and attend a Safety Awareness Course within three working days of arrival prior to issuance of a work permit
- Security deposit/Banker’s Insurance Guarantee from the Work Pass Division and a Personal Accident Insurance – all expenses shouldered by the employer
Fees and Payments
Excluding the monthly wages and applicable agency fees, employers are required to pay the following:
- Administrative fee – for every work permit application received
- Government levy – for current rates, check the MOM website
- Medical Insurance
- Personal Accident Insurance
- Medical Examination
- Airline ticket
- Additional performance bond (for Filipinos only)
- Bond for their embassy – for non-Malaysians only
- Settling-in programme – for first time workers only
- Employer’s Orientation Programme (EOP) – for first time employers
Hire on your own
To hire a maid on your own, you should expect to do the following steps:
- Attend the Employer’s Orientation Program, if you are hiring for the first time
- Look for a prospect and come to an agreement with employment terms
- Apply for a work permit. If approved, you should receive an in-principle approval letter or a notification letter (for first time maids)
- Place the security bond
- Buy personal accident and medical insurance
- Mail the in-principle approval letter/notification letter and an airline ticket to your domestic helper
- Book for her settling-in programme (SIP) training course, if it’s her first time to work in Singapore
- Within three days of her arrival in Singapore, she must attend the SIP course
- Within 14 days of her arrival, she must undergo the medical examination
- Request from MOM online to issue the work permit
- Within one month of your maid’s arrival in Singapore, you should make your first monthly levy payment
Hire through an agency
You can consult and engage an employment agency to help you hire a maid. For a fee, the employment agency will do all the necessary paperwork, and provide other value-added services to help you in the process of hiring a maid.
Hiring through an employment agency is not only a convenient approach, but they can also guarantee a transfer or a replacement of a maid in case you encounter a problem with the one you hired. They can also assist you in bringing in a domestic helper from overseas.
Are you looking to hire a maid, but don't have the time to go through all the steps by yourself? Leave the legwork to the experts. Contact a maid agency in Singapore and let them source a good domestic helper for you.