For each domestic helper you employ in Singapore you owe the government two things: a monthly levy of $300 ($60 if your household qualifies for the concession), and a $5,000 security bond. The bond is a guarantee from a bank or an insurer, so you do not hand over $5,000 in cash. Both are set by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). MOM now calls a foreign domestic worker a “migrant domestic worker”; this guide says “helper”.
How much is the maid levy?
| Levy | Per month | Per day, for part of a month |
|---|---|---|
| First helper | $300 | $9.87 |
| Each further helper | $450 | $14.80 |
| Concessionary levy | $60 | $1.98 |
The daily rate applies only when she has not worked a full calendar month, for example in the month she arrives or leaves. It is the monthly rate × 12 ÷ 365, rounded up to the nearest cent.
The levy starts on the 5th day after a first-time helper arrives (counting the day she arrives) and on the day after arrival for other helpers. It stops when her Work Permit is cancelled or expires.
Who pays $60 instead of $300?
The concessionary levy is for households that need more help at home. You qualify if you live with any of these:
- A Singapore citizen child below 16. If you are the parent, it counts from the child’s birth date. If you are not the parent, from the day you add the child as a household member in MOM’s FDW eService.
- A Singapore citizen aged 67 or above: you, your spouse, or another person who has the same address on the NRIC and is listed as a household member in the eService.
- A permanent resident aged 67 or above, if you or your spouse is a Singapore citizen. The exact conditions depend on who the person is, so check MOM’s page.
- A person with a disability who needs help with at least one daily activity (washing, feeding, dressing, moving, toileting), certified by a Singapore-registered doctor. They must be a Singapore citizen, or a permanent resident with a citizen parent, spouse or child. You also apply through the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and receive a recommendation letter.
Each eligible person counts for one helper, and a household can have at most two helpers on the concession. A second concessionary helper needs two eligible persons.
For children and the elderly there is no separate application. Once the details are in the eService, the lower rate appears within your next two levy bills, backdated to when you completed the steps. If it does not, MOM has a short form to ask why, and replies within 2 working days.
A related support: if you hire a helper to care for a family member who needs permanent help with three or more daily activities, the Home Caregiving Grant of up to $400 a month may apply. Contact the Agency for Integrated Care for the criteria.
When is the levy due, and what if you pay late?
The levy for a month is due by the 17th of the following month (the next working day if that is a weekend or public holiday). MOM recommends GIRO, which deducts it on the due date. Keep enough money in the account by 6pm one working day before. If GIRO is not yet approved, you can pay with PayNow QR.
A late payment penalty applies. If you miss two months in a row, her Work Permit is revoked the next month, and you cannot apply for Work Permits.
What is the security bond?
The bond is your promise to the government that you and your helper will follow the Work Permit conditions. In practice you buy it from a bank or an insurer, which gives MOM a guarantee for $5,000. It is needed for each helper, except helpers from Malaysia.
You pay for it, not the helper. MOM does not allow the cost to be passed on to her.
Buy it before she arrives. The bond must be in effect on the day she lands. If it is not, immigration will not let her in, MOM cannot change the date for you, and you must send her home. You can buy it together with her medical and personal accident insurance, as a package or separately. Your bank or insurer needs up to 3 working days to send the details to MOM, and for a new helper her FIN is only assigned within 3 working days after approval, so start early.
When can the bond be forfeited?
MOM may forfeit it if:
- you or your helper break the Work Permit or bond conditions;
- you pay her salary late;
- you do not send her home when her Work Permit expires, is revoked or is cancelled;
- she goes missing.
You are not liable for her violations (for example, a pregnancy) if you can prove you told her the conditions and reported the violation as soon as you knew.
When do you get it back?
The bond is discharged only after her Work Permit is cancelled, she has returned home and no condition was broken. This usually happens about a week after she leaves Singapore, and MOM writes to you. When she transfers to another employer, it is discharged a week after she starts with the new employer.
What it means in practice
- Check the concession before anything else. The $240 a month saved is the largest single saving in the whole cost of a helper. See the full cost of hiring a helper.
- Set up GIRO so the levy is never late.
- Pay her salary on time. Late salary is one of the ways a bond is lost. Employer duties: salary, food, housing and medical care covers the rules.
Source: MOM, paying the levy, levy concession and security bond. Our FAQ answers the other cost questions, or ask us about your own household.
General information as of the date above. MOM's current rules and your own service agreement are what apply.