Hiring a maid in Singapore can have a lot of benefits to a new or growing family. You don’t have to worry about doing household chores, cooking, or even taking care of the kids. Even if you’re a newly married couple without kids yet, it’s advantageous to have a maid help around so you can just focus on growing your career, having more time for networking and expanding your social circle.
If you’re planning to hire a maid in Singapore, you have to be aware of the costs so you know if hiring a maid will fit your budget. Typically, first-time employers will have to pay one-time payments plus monthly recurring ones such as Salary and FDW Levy.
So how much does it cost to hire a maid in Singapore? Continue reading below to understand the breakdown of the costs involved to hire a maid in Singapore.
We will break it down under these categories:
One-Time Payments
1. Agency Fee (Call 6735 3456 for more details)
It’s highly recommended that you go through a reliable maid agency like Universal Employment Agency Pte Ltd. Yes, you can do the hiring process on your own which is commonly known as direct hiring, but what a good maid agency does is connect you to foreign domestic workers (FDW) with the right skills and attitude based on your requirements.By trying to direct hire your own maid, you are limited by the choices you have to choose from and when the working relationship with your direct hire maid is faltering, you will have no one to turn to for advice.
By working with a reputable maid agency, they will be responsible for doing all of the paper work necessary and provide free counselling to your maid should there be friction in between the 2 years contract.
2. Documentation Fee (Call 6735 3456 for more details)
The documentation fee is for the paperwork / admin work our maid agency will perform on your behalf by submitting the Work Permit application to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). If you found your own maid through your own contact, then you don't have to pay us the agency fee, but just the documentation fee only if you wish to engage our service on completing the paperwork with the MOM on your behalf and the maid you are planning to hire is in Singapore. But if the maid is currently overseas, then the amount will be different, please contact us to get a more accurate quote for direct hiring of maid currently overseas.3. Settling-In Programme (SIP) Fee ($75)
Your domestic helper will have to attend a Settling-In Programme (SIP) which is a one day orientation for new FDWs. Its main purpose is to educate the maid on safety precautions she should be doing, as well as let her know what life is like in Singapore. Again, this programme is only for those who is a first-time maid in Singapore. You can click here to find out more.4. Work Permit Application and Work Permit Issuance ($70)
To apply for a Work Permit for your chosen maid, you will have to pay $35. Issuance of her Work Permit pass is also $35. It’s pretty straight forward.5. Maid Insurance (From $250)
The Ministry of Manpower has made it compulsory for Foreign Domestic Workers (FDW) to have a $60,000 per year in personal accident insurance coverage and hospitalisation coverage of at least S$15,000 per year. Depending on where you get your insurance from it could cost from $250 or more, depending on how comprehensive you want the insurance coverage to be for your FDW. Click here to read more about the requirements by the Ministry of Manpower on FDW's insurance .6. Security Bond ($5,000)
A security bond is another requirement that the Ministry of Manpower has mandated for every FDW you hire. According to their regulation, a bond serves as a binding promise to pay the government (up to $5,000) if you, the employer, were to break any law or conditions governing the employment of a FDW in Singapore.If you plan to employ two domestic helpers, then each one of them should have a security bond. Typically, bonds usually take the form of an insurance and it's part of the insurance package that you sign up for so that you do not need to cough out $5000 the Government in advance. The insurers guarantee to pay the government should you break the rules; then the insurers pursue you for the money. You must not ask your helper to pay for the bond.
7. Quarantine Fee (est. $2,900)
During this pandemic, there is an additional 1-time cost of approximately $2,900 quarantine fee payable to our Government for 21 days when the maid you selected arrives from overseas. And as announced back in May 2021, our borders are now closed and no maids from overseas will be allowed to fly in yet. Which has led to a surge in demand for transfer maids and that explains why many maid agencies in Singapore do not have any transfer maid currently. But our maid agency is lucky enough to have a pool of transfer maids for your selection.Monthly Payments
1. FDW Levy ($60 to $450 per month)
The first monthly payment that you should fulfill is the FDW levy. The Ministry of Manpower designed the levy as a pricing mechanism to control the number of domestic helpers in Singapore. The levy must be paid through the General Interbank Recurring Order (GIRO). For more information about the levy, read this.2. Monthly Salary (Call 6735 3456 for more details)
The average salary of a domestic helper working in Singapore will be dependent on her skills, her experiences, and which country she comes from.And for those employers who want an experienced maid who has worked in Singapore before but without the need to offer 4 days off, then hiring an ex-Singapore maid is considered a good option as they are more willing to negotiate on their days off versus a transfer maid.
In addition, you have to compensate your domestic helper for her days off if she agrees not to take them. The compensation depends on her salary. The calculation of the compensation per day off not taken is by using the formula of her salary divided by 26. So if her salary is $650, then you calculate it as $650 divided by 26 = $25 per day.
3. Daily Expenses (Varies for different household)
Having a domestic helper around is an added expense to your monthly budget. Because you have another adult in the house, you are expected to take care of her basic needs such as food, accommodation, toiletries and transportation.After going through the costs involved as stated above to hire a maid in Singapore, will you still go through with it?
If yes, always remember to go through a trustworthy maid agency to help make the hiring process efficient and successful. Contact us at 6735 3456 to hire a maid today!
Alternatively, you may also wish to first submit your requirements using our online form here and we will respond to you within 3 business days.
