Choose a hiring route
Singapore employers can apply for a helper’s Work Permit directly or use a licensed employment agency. Compare who sources candidates, checks details, coordinates the process and provides the agreed placement support. Get the scope and costs in writing. Engaging an agency does not transfer your responsibilities as the helper’s employer.
Tell Apex whether you need a shortlist and what you want explained. Confirm the proposed scope and itemised terms.
Biodata is hosted on SearchMaid and may require a login. You can request a shortlist directly on WhatsApp.
By APEX Maids Agency Pte. Ltd. · MOM EA Licence 25C3180 · UEN 202547196H. Based in Jurong West and serving households across Singapore. Our website is apexmaids.sg and our phone is 8405 6661.
MOM confirms that employers can apply for a new helper’s Work Permit, or renew it, directly through its eService using Singpass without engaging an employment agency. Direct hiring means arranging the applicable steps yourself. Knowing a candidate may change how you find someone, but it does not settle the employment or permit requirements.
With an agency, agree which tasks the quotation covers. Sourcing, interviews, application assistance and after-placement support are separate items. Ask who handles each one and what you must still do. Neither “direct hire” nor “agency package” tells you the complete scope by itself.
| Task | Direct hiring | Using an agency |
|---|---|---|
| Find candidates | Arrange your own lawful search or referral. | Ask how the agency builds a shortlist for your household. |
| Check fit and history | Arrange the relevant records and interview. | Ask which details it checks and what remains your decision. |
| Permit and arrival steps | Follow the official route and arrange the applicable steps. | Get its agreed role, your actions and outstanding documents in writing. |
| Insurance and costs | Arrange the applicable cover and budget. | Check cover, exclusions and any arranging charges in the quotation. |
| A change of plan | Arrange the next steps yourself or seek the appropriate help. | Read the actual support, replacement and refund terms. |
| After placement | You remain responsible as the employer. | You remain responsible as the employer. |
Swipe sideways to read every column.
Check the current MOM application process for the candidate and arrangement. For an overseas candidate, confirm the applicable source-country documentation and departure requirements with the relevant authority too. Do not treat one approval as proof that every other requirement is complete.
Philippines-specific note: MOM permits direct Work Permit application, but this does not settle Philippine deployment rules. MWO states that deployment of domestic workers from the Philippines requires coordination with an appropriately licensed and accredited agency. See MWO's direct-hire answer and the contract verification guide. Source checked 20 October 2026.
For country-specific hiring arrangements, see what Apex handles for Indonesian and Filipino helpers.
A direct employer-to-employer transfer requires actions by the current and new employers. Transfers through an agency have a separate official route. Confirm which process applies before agreeing a handover date; a profile label is not permission to begin employment.
Compare any placement or arranging charges, government charges, insurance, relevant medical and travel arrangements, and recurring salary, levy and upkeep. Avoid comparing an agency’s headline fee with another route’s partial list. The amounts and items may depend on the candidate and household.
Use the cost guide and private worksheet to separate these categories. Ask what is excluded, when payments are due and which charges depend on events that may not happen. If you hire directly, record who will arrange each item and how you will confirm it is complete.
MOM’s employment rules make the employer responsible for the helper’s upkeep, including acceptable accommodation, adequate food and medical treatment. The agency’s agreed support does not make it the household’s employer in your place. Plan the duties, rest arrangements and household handover with either route.
Before choosing, settle five practical questions: do you already have a suitable candidate; who checks the records; who coordinates each applicable step; what is the complete written total; and what help or terms apply if the plan changes? A family comfortable arranging its own process may answer differently from a first-time employer seeking matching and coordination support. Neither route guarantees a successful match.
Apex helps households across Singapore shortlist live-in helpers and arrange interviews. Ask us to explain the proposed shortlist, applicable hiring route, itemised quotation and written support terms. This guide does not promise a separate paperwork-only or direct-hire package; confirm the proposed scope for your case. The hiring guide and agency checklist help you prepare that conversation.
Source check: 17 October 2026. MOM: hiring without an agency; Work Permit application; direct-transfer process; employment rules. Check the requirements that apply to your actual arrangement.
Compare who does each task, what you will pay and what happens if the plan changes.
Questions
MOM says employers can apply for a new helper’s Work Permit or renew it directly through its eService using Singpass. Complete all requirements that apply to the candidate and hiring arrangement.
No. You remain the employer. Agree what the agency handles while planning the upkeep, employment arrangements and Work Permit conditions that apply.
Compare the complete written costs for the same candidate and arrangement. Agency charges, government charges, insurance, medical and travel arrangements are different categories, and a headline figure may omit items.
Talk to us
Discuss your household requirements with Apex and ask which placement services apply to your situation. Confirm responsibilities, the itemised quotation and written terms before choosing.
