How hiring a helper in Singapore actually works

Step 1 — Check you are eligible to employ

MOM sets conditions on who may employ a foreign domestic worker, covering age, financial capability and ability to be responsible for her wellbeing. There are also rules about who may live in the household. The criteria are published by the Ministry of Manpower and do change, so confirm the current position rather than relying on what a friend was told two years ago. Tell us your household and we will check it with you before anything else happens.

Step 2 — Brief, shortlist and biodata

You describe the household: who lives there, ages, what needs doing, whether anyone needs care, languages spoken, pets. We shortlist against that and send each candidate's full biodata and, for helpers already in Singapore, her MOM employment history printed unedited from Work Permit Online. Read the history properly — how long each placement lasted tells you more than the profile does.

Step 3 — Interview and decide

You interview the candidates you like by video call. Ask specifics rather than generalities: what she cooked and for whom, which ages she cared for, what she did when a previous charge was difficult. Nothing is submitted to MOM until you have chosen.

Step 4 — Work permit application and IPA

We apply for the work permit on your behalf, with your written authorisation. Approval is issued as an In-Principle Approval, the document that lets her travel. If she is overseas, her copy of the IPA must be sent to her before she departs — you are entitled to insist on that, and a good agency does it without being asked.

Step 5 — Security bond, insurance and medical

Before she starts you will need a security bond (a banker's or insurer's guarantee, required for non-Malaysian helpers), medical and personal accident insurance meeting MOM's minimum coverage, and a medical examination. We arrange these and itemise every cost in writing. What each of these actually costs is covered on the costs page.

Step 6 — Arrival, settling-in and work permit issuance

She travels, and we meet her. A first-time helper attends the Settling-in Programme, a MOM course covering safety, living in Singapore and her rights and responsibilities. The work permit is issued after the requirements are met. First-time employers complete the Employer's Orientation Programme — do it early rather than discovering it is outstanding on the week she is due to arrive.

Step 7 — What you are responsible for afterwards

• Salary paid on time, in full, with a record of payment.
• Adequate food and accommodation, and acceptable rest.
• A weekly rest day, or compensation in lieu if agreed in writing.
• Medical care and insurance kept current for the duration.
• Safety — including the rules restricting work at height, which apply whether or not she is willing.
• The levy, paid monthly for as long as the work permit is active.

How long the whole thing takes

A transfer helper already in Singapore is usually a matter of weeks, because there is no travel and often no repeat medical or settling-in. A helper coming from overseas takes longer — deployment queues in the source country, travel and the full arrival sequence. If timing matters, say so at the brief; it changes which candidates make sense. See transfer versus hiring from overseas.

Where agencies cut corners

Applying for a permit before you have decided. Retyping the employment history instead of giving you the MOM printout. Leaving fees out of the written agreement and adding them later. Skimming over replacement and refund terms. Each of those is checkable before you pay — the seven checks covers what to ask.