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Apply for a Work Permit for confinement nanny

You can apply for a Work Permit for a foreign confinement nanny either on your own or through an employment agency.

At a glance

When to apply

You can apply from 4 weeks before the expected date of delivery, up to 16 weeks after the birth of the child.

Beyond that, you should apply for a Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker instead.

Who can apply Employer or appointed employment agent (EA)
How much it costs $35 to apply
How long it takes Within 1 week, unless more information is required.
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Note:

  • Confinement nannies will get a Work Permit letter instead of a Work Permit card since the work duration is short.
  • The maximum validity of the Work Permit is 16 weeks starting from your child’s date of birth. If you apply after your child is born, the validity will be shorter.
  • At Singapore immigration, the nanny will be given a visit pass stamped on her passport. This allows her to stay in Singapore. If you are employing her beyond the expiry date of the visit pass, you need to extend her stay.
  • Salary received as a confinement nanny is taxable. For more details, refer to IRAS's website

Submit an application

Processing time: within 1 week. Some cases will take more time.

To submit an application:

  1. Get a written consent from the confinement nanny to apply for a Work Permit.
    Additional step for employment agencies: Please get the employer’s authorisation using our FDW eService before you can perform any transactions for them. For more details, you can refer to our FAQs and infographic.
  2. Log in to fill up the application.
  3. If you need the nanny to start work quickly, please indicate her start date during the Work Permit application. 
  4. Pay $35 for each application. You can pay by VISA, MasterCard or eNets Debit.
  5. Log in to check the status of your application after 1 week.

Note: You need to inform us of your nanny’s start date before she can work for you. If you didn’t do so during the Work Permit application, you can inform us using our FDW eService after approval.

Before your nanny arrives

Role Responsibilities
Employer Ensure that your nanny is fully vaccinated with WHO EUL vaccines to meet the vaccination requirements for work passes.
Confinement nanny
  • Print the in-principal approval (IPA) letter. She will need to show the IPA letter to the immigration officer upon arrival.
  • Ensure that she has been fully vaccinated with WHO EUL vaccines.
  • Ensure that she complies with the latest travel requirements.

After your nanny arrives

You need to send your confinement nanny to a local clinic to verify her overseas vaccination records.

If more time is needed for the vaccination records to be updated, you can log in to our FDW eService to extend your nanny’s in-principle approval. There is no extension of stay in Singapore as they can only start work after the Work Permit is issued.