Cancellation is its own checklist — not “reverse renewal”
Ending employment with a migrant domestic worker (MDW / FDW) is not the opposite click of a Work Permit renewal. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) expects you to cancel the Work Permit when she no longer works for you, settle outstanding employment issues, arrange a lawful exit (or a transfer), and discharge bond / stop levy on MOM’s timeline — then, if you still need help at home, start a new hiring path.
This page is an employer cancellation checklist: when to cancel, who files, what to prepare (docs and proof), soft bond and levy orientation, final salary and air-ticket framing (no dollar amounts), and what to do after cancel if you will hire again. It is not a fee table and not a substitute for MOM’s live cancel-a-Work-Permit page.
Use the linked hubs when you need depth on a neighbouring topic:
- Overseas leave / she will not return: When helpers do not return from overseas leave (unique #1)
- Keeping her — renewal calendar: Work Permit renewal timeline for MDWs (unique #20)
- Next hire — new WP apply spine: Work Permit application for domestic helpers — employer checklist (unique #19)
- Insurance + security bond basics: Insurance and security bond for domestic helpers — employer basics (unique #10)
- First-time journey: How to hire a domestic helper in Singapore
- Transfer vs overseas choice: Transfer maid vs new hire from overseas — which is right for you?
- Salary / cost framing (not a fee schedule): Maid salary and total cost in Singapore
- This article: end-to-end cancellation checklist and sequencing
Hard rule: do not invent cancellation fees, air-ticket prices, transit allowances, bond amounts, insurance premiums, levy rates, or salary figures from this article. Confirm live amounts on mom.gov.sg, with your airline / insurer / bank, and with your licensed employment agency (EA).
SmartMaid.com.sg is a search marketplace. You browse and shortlist biodata published by licensed agencies; SmartMaid is not a maid agency and does not cancel Work Permits, buy tickets, settle salary, or discharge bonds. See How Smart Maid Singapore differs from a maid agency.
Who does what on cancellation (employer / EA / MOM / platform)
| Party | Typical role on the cancellation path |
|---|---|
| You (employer of record) | Agree last day; settle outstanding employment issues (including salary); ensure a valid passport; discuss transit / ticket plan in writing before booking; cancel (or authorise EA); print / hand Special Pass if she is still in Singapore; ensure she leaves before Special Pass expiry; cut and discard the Work Permit card |
| Licensed EA | Often cancels on your behalf after you authorise them in FDW eService; coordinates repatriation logistics and paperwork — as service, not a transfer of your legal duties |
| MOM | Runs FDW eService cancel flow; issues Special Pass where applicable; sets levy-stop and bond-discharge rules; enforces overstaying consequences |
| SmartMaid | Lets you search and shortlist biodata for a next hire after a clean exit; does not file cancellations or act as your EA |
Soft MOM: who can cancel is typically the employer, sponsor, or employment agent. Confirm live wording on mom.gov.sg before you assume either path.
Agency relationship framing: Working with a maid agency in Singapore — what to expect (unique #9).
When to cancel (and when not to)
Soft MOM framing employers use (verify live):
| Situation | Soft orientation |
|---|---|
| She no longer works for you (contract end, early exit, mutual agreement) | Cancel the Work Permit. Soft MOM: within 1 week after the last day of work |
| She has left Singapore and will not return to work for you | Cancel within 1 week from her departure date. Keep travel proof. Deep playbook when leave turns into non-return: unique #1 |
| Work Permit has already expired | Soft MOM: you do not need to cancel an expired pass — but if she is still in Singapore, you need a lawful stay path (e.g. Special Pass request) so she does not overstay |
| You want another household to take her on | Consider transfer instead of cancel-and-repatriate. Soft MOM lists transfer (direct or via EA) as an alternative to cancellation |
| You still need household help but will not hire another MDW | Soft MOM notes part-time household services as a non-MDW option — outside this checklist |
Do not treat “we will decide later” as a plan while she remains without a lawful status. Overstaying fines and employing without a valid work pass are serious — soft MOM states both as offences / consequences to avoid.
If your real question is “should we renew instead?”, leave this page and use unique #20.
Before you cancel — docs, proof, and written agreements
Treat this as a pre-flight list. Soft MOM expects employers to:
- Agree the last day of work with your helper (in writing if possible — date, time, what “last day” includes).
- Settle outstanding employment issues she may raise, including salary payments. Orientation on salary framing (still no $ quoted here): maid salary and total cost.
- Ensure she has a valid passport for departure.
- Discuss and put in writing (before buying an air ticket) transit arrangements (connecting flights, layover hours) and the allowance needed to sustain her during transit — soft MOM lists this as an employer duty; amounts are case-specific, so confirm with your EA / airline, not from this article.
- Buy an air ticket with check-in luggage and pay connecting transport costs to the international port of entry in her home country (or the region nearest her hometown). Soft MOM: departure date must be within 2 weeks from Work Permit cancellation.
- Before booking, check airline boarding requirements (health / visa) and home-country / region entry rules (embassy or MFA travel guides) so she is not denied boarding.
Proof pack employers should keep
- Last-day agreement / resignation or mutual-termination notes
- Final salary settlement records (payslips, acknowledgements, bank transfer refs — no amounts invented here)
- Passport copy / validity check
- Written transit / ticket discussion
- E-ticket / itinerary with check-in luggage confirmation
- Cancellation confirmation from FDW eService
- Special Pass printout (if she remains in Singapore after cancel)
- Departure proof if she already left (boarding pass / departure itinerary) — especially for unique #1 overseas non-return cases
This page gives orientation on final salary and tickets. It is not a deep fee/ticket calculator and does not replace your EA’s settlement worksheet.
How to cancel (soft MOM sequence)
Soft MOM steps employers / authorised EAs follow:
- Log in to FDW eService and cancel the Work Permit. Soft MOM: cancellation is immediate.
- If she is still in Singapore: print the Special Pass and give it to her. The Special Pass allows her to stay until she leaves.
- She must show the Special Pass and a valid passport to immigration when leaving Singapore.
- Soft MOM: ensure she leaves Singapore before the Special Pass expires.
- Soft MOM: once cancelled, cut the Work Permit card in half and discard it to prevent misuse.
- Soft MOM: once cancelled, she cannot work, even while waiting to leave.
If she has already gone home and will not return, soft MOM still has you cancel via FDW eService and select the reason that matches “end employment / gone home and will not return” (confirm live dropdown wording). Pair with unique #1 for travel-proof and bond-discharge follow-up when leave became non-return.
Short extension fork: if you only need her for a short period beyond Work Permit expiry, soft MOM publishes a path to request a short Work Permit extension instead of rushing a cancel — verify live on mom.gov.sg / with your EA. That is adjacent to unique #20 late-renewal orientation, not a DIY grace period invented here.
Levy and security bond — soft orientation only
Levy
Soft MOM: levy is charged until 1 day before cancellation. Cancellation is how you stop the meter when employment has ended. Keep GIRO healthy until MOM’s stop rule applies; levy overview lives with your EA and mom.gov.sg — do not invent rates here.
Security bond
Soft MOM framing (verify live for your path):
- If she leaves after cancel on a Special Pass: bond is usually discharged about 1 week after departure, if all bond conditions are met.
- If she had already left Singapore and you cancel after: soft MOM describes discharge within about 2 weeks after MOM verifies she has left, if conditions are met.
- Bond product basics (what the bond is for, common pitfalls — still no invented $): unique #10.
If discharge is delayed after verified departure, soft MOM publishes channels for employers to request an update — ask your EA rather than guessing from forums.
Hard rule reminder: no bond amounts, forfeiture figures, or levy rates are quoted on this page.
Final salary and air ticket — orientation without dollar figures
Employers often conflate three different pots. Keep them separate:
| Topic | What this checklist asks you to do | Where to go deeper |
|---|---|---|
| Final salary / outstanding employment issues | Soft MOM: settle outstanding issues including salary before / as you cancel. Document acknowledgements | Salary & total cost — framing only; confirm contract + EA worksheet |
| Air ticket + check-in luggage + connecting transport | Soft MOM: employer buys ticket with check-in luggage; departure within 2 weeks of cancellation; written transit / allowance discussion first | Your EA + airline; no ticket prices invented here |
| Transit allowance | Soft MOM: discuss and agree in writing what she needs during layover / connections before you buy the ticket | Case-specific with EA — not a published fee from this article |
Do not “save” on luggage or connecting transport in ways that strand her mid-journey. Do not treat SmartMaid shortlists or forum anecdotes as MOM fee schedules.
Cancel vs transfer vs renew — pick one path
| If you intend to… | Soft orientation |
|---|---|
| End employment and send her home | This checklist: settle → cancel → Special Pass / departure → bond discharge → card cut |
| Transfer her to another employer | Soft MOM alternative to cancellation. Coordinate handover dates and docs with incoming employer / EA — do not let status lapse mid-transfer. Framing: transfer vs new hire |
| Keep her longer | Do not cancel. Use unique #20 renewal timeline (letter window, insurance package, online renew) |
| She is overseas and will not return | Cancel on the overseas non-return clock + keep travel proof — unique #1, then this page for the cancel mechanics |
Indecision between renew / transfer / cancel belongs on a calendar before the last week of work — unique #20 owns that fork; this page executes cancel.
After cancel — next hire path
Once the Work Permit is cancelled and exit / transfer is clean:
- Close the file — Special Pass exit confirmed (or transfer completed), card destroyed, salary settlement acknowledged, bond-discharge tracking noted with your EA (#10).
- Decide the next profile type — transfer helper already in Singapore vs new / overseas hire: transfer vs new.
- Shortlist on SmartMaid — browse published biodata; filter transfer or skills / nationality as needed: search maids · transfer maids. Marketplace ≠ agency.
- Hand the next WP to a licensed EA — new applications follow unique #19 (eligibility, EOP, docs, insurance/bond, GIRO, IPA, arrival medical, SIP hooks). First-time employers: first-time hire guide.
- Do not assume a cancelled helper can “help for a few more days” after cancel — soft MOM: she cannot work once the Work Permit is cancelled.
Copyable employer cancellation checklist
Decide
- [ ] Written decision: cancel + repatriate or transfer out or renew instead (#20)
- [ ] Last day of work agreed with helper
- [ ] EA told which path; FDW eService authorisation confirmed if they will cancel
- [ ] If overseas non-return: travel proof retained; follow #1 timing
Settle and prepare (before / as you cancel)
- [ ] Outstanding employment issues raised by helper addressed, including salary (documented)
- [ ] Passport validity checked
- [ ] Written agreement on transit arrangements and transit allowance (amounts via EA — not from this article)
- [ ] Air ticket with check-in luggage booked; connecting transport covered; departure within 2 weeks of cancellation (soft MOM)
- [ ] Airline boarding + home-country entry requirements checked
- [ ] Proof pack folder started (settlement records, itinerary, chats)
Cancel and exit
- [ ] Work Permit cancelled in FDW eService (employer / sponsor / authorised EA)
- [ ] Soft MOM: cancellation immediate; levy stop rule noted (1 day before cancellation)
- [ ] Special Pass printed and given to helper if she is still in Singapore
- [ ] Helper briefed: Special Pass + passport at immigration; no work after cancel
- [ ] She leaves before Special Pass expiry
- [ ] Work Permit card cut in half and discarded
- [ ] Bond-discharge follow-up diarised with EA (#10)
Next hire (only if you still need an MDW)
- [ ] Shortlist on search / transfer search
- [ ] Licensed EA engaged for new WP apply spine (#19)
- [ ] First-time path reviewed if you are new to hiring: first-time guide
- [ ] SmartMaid used only for biodata search — platform ≠ cancellations desk
FAQ
Is cancellation the same as not renewing?
No. Not renewing is a decision on unique #20. Cancellation is the MOM action that ends the Work Permit when she no longer works for you (or has left and will not return).
Who can cancel the Work Permit?
Soft MOM: employer, sponsor, or employment agent via FDW eService. Confirm live wording.
How fast is cancellation?
Soft MOM: immediate. Levy charging stops according to MOM’s stated rule (generally one day before cancellation — verify live).
What if she is still in Singapore after I cancel?
Soft MOM: print and give her the Special Pass; she must leave before it expires; she cannot work while waiting.
What if she already left Singapore and will not return?
Cancel within soft MOM’s 1 week from departure window, keep travel proof, and follow unique #1 for the non-return playbook and bond-discharge follow-up.
Can I transfer instead of cancelling?
Often yes — soft MOM lists transfer (direct or via EA) as an alternative when another employer will take her on. Coordinate dates so status does not lapse.
Does SmartMaid cancel Work Permits?
No. SmartMaid is a biodata search marketplace. A licensed EA (or you / the sponsor, where MOM allows) cancels via MOM channels.
Where do ticket prices, salary amounts, and bond figures appear?
On your contract, EA worksheet, airline quote, insurer / bank, and mom.gov.sg — cancel MDW Work Permit. This article quotes no dollar amounts.
Next steps
- Agree the last day of work in writing and list outstanding salary / employment issues to settle.
- Decide cancel + repatriate vs transfer vs renew (#20) — then execute only one path.
- If cancelling: prepare passport, written transit plan, and ticket timing (departure within soft MOM’s post-cancel window) with your EA.
- Cancel in FDW eService; handle Special Pass / card destruction; track bond discharge (#10).
- If you need a replacement, shortlist on search maids · transfer maids, then let a licensed EA run unique #19.
- Confirm live steps on mom.gov.sg — cancel MDW Work Permit.
*This article is general employer guidance only. Work Permit cancellation windows, Special Pass rules, levy stop dates, security bond discharge timing, repatriation and air-ticket duties, transfer alternatives, overstaying consequences, and fees can change. Confirm current requirements with your licensed employment agency and on mom.gov.sg. No cancellation fees, ticket prices, transit allowances, bond amounts, premiums, levy rates, or salary figures are quoted here.*
## What changed vs live
- Replaced thin end-of-employment twin boilerplate (shared A4-style renew/6ME/levy + cancel + transfer blurbs + Soft CTA; cancellation in H1 only) with a full employer Work Permit cancellation checklist playbook.
- Added sections for who does what, when to cancel (vs expired / transfer / renew), pre-cancel docs & proof, soft MOM cancel sequence + Special Pass, levy/bond soft orientation, final salary & ticket orientation without $, cancel vs transfer vs renew fork, after-cancel next-hire path, copyable checklist, and FAQ.
- Linked unique #1 overseas non-return, #19 WP application (next hire), #20 renewal (keep path), #10 insurance/bond, #9 agency relationship, first-time hire, transfer vs new, salary framing, platform-vs-agency, search / transfer-search CTAs, and soft MOM cancel URL. No invented $.
- Kept SERP intent distinct from unique #1 (overseas non-return emergency), #19 (new-hire WP checklist), #20 (renewal calendar): this page owns cancel → settle → exit → next hire.
- Fallback `employer-giro-failures-and-work-permit-impact` skipped (301 → salary).
## Suggested next unique #22 candidate
`sending-an-mdw-home-when-contract-ends` — HTTP 200; natural repatriation / send-home logistics deep-dive that this #21 checklist only orients (ticket timing, Special Pass exit, home-country entry checks) without duplicating the full cancel sequence. Soft MOM; no invented $ tickets.
Alt: `starting-a-fresh-search-after-employment-ends` — HTTP 200; post-cancel search restart playbook complementary to this page’s “next hire path” and SmartMaid transfer/search CTAs. Or `replacing-a-helper-mid-contract-process-overview` — HTTP 200; mid-contract replace spine bridging cancel (#21) and new apply (#19).
Avoid for #22: A4 twins still on the 301→#20 list (`6me-scheduling-before-permit-expiry`, `insurance-renewal-before-work-permit-lapse`, `final-salary-settlement-…`, `rehiring-after-a-previous-mdw-left-early`, `transferring-out-a-helper-you-cannot-retain`), rework of this cancellation hub / #20 renewal / #19 WP apply / #1 overseas non-return / #10 insurance, `employer-giro-failures-and-work-permit-impact` (301→salary), A6 hiring-compliance twins, and skill×angle or nationality interview clones.
