Migrant domestic worker eligibility
Migrant domestic workers (MDWs) need to meet the age, nationality/citizenship and education requirements to get a Work Permit.
Who is eligible
Helpers must meet these requirements to be eligible for a Work Permit:
| Sex | Female |
|---|---|
| Age |
|
| Source country or region | From an approved source country or region, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. |
| Education | Minimum 8 years of formal education with a recognised certificate. |
In addition, helpers must:
- Work at employers' NRIC-registered addresses.
- Attend the Settling-in Programme (SIP) if they are first-time helpers. We will inform employers if their helpers need to attend the SIP in the Work Permit in-principle approval (IPA) letter.
- Not be related to their employers.
- Not be in Singapore during the Work Permit application. Employers can only bring helpers into Singapore after they have received an IPA letter and bought a $5,000 security bond.
Note: This does not apply to Malaysian workers.
Criteria for first-time helpers
A first-time helper is one who has never worked in Singapore as a helper before. This includes a helper who:
- Doesn’t have an employment record as a helper with MOM’s Work Pass Division.
- Has an employment record as a helper with MOM but eventually did not work in Singapore.