An undischarged bankrupt cannot hire a migrant domestic worker. MOM lists three basic employer requirements: you must be 21 or older, you must not be an undischarged bankrupt, and you must have the mental capacity to understand and carry out your duties as an employer. MOM also looks at your care-giving needs and your financial ability to hire and support a helper, so money problems short of bankruptcy can still matter.
What MOM's employer requirements say
- Be 21 years old and above.
- Not be an undischarged bankrupt.
- Have the mental capacity to fully understand and discharge your responsibilities as an employer.
MOM also considers care-giving needs, such as young children or elderly family members, and your financial ability to hire, maintain and house the helper. Source: Employer requirements for hiring an MDW.
If you are an undischarged bankrupt
You cannot be the employer on the Work Permit. If your household still needs help, look at who else could legally be the employer and meets the requirements, or at the options MOM lists for families without a helper: a cleaning service, extended family, childcare or elderly day-care.
Married couples can combine incomes when applying, and MOM has special schemes for some low-income employers and seniors living alone. See Apply for a Work Permit and Apply under a special scheme.
Unpaid levy is a separate block
Money trouble can also stop transactions without bankruptcy. MOM says that if you do not pay levy in full and on time, you will not be allowed to apply for Work Permits, and missing two consecutive months gets the current permit revoked. To lift the block, pay all outstanding levy, then check the next working day that the payment shows. Source: Paying levy for an MDW.
If an existing employer becomes bankrupt
MOM's published requirements are written for hiring. They do not set out a separate procedure for a current employer who becomes bankrupt. Ask MOM directly about your case, and make sure salary and levy are still paid on time while it is resolved, because unpaid salary is a ground for forfeiting the security bond.
Related guides
- Work Permit application: employer checklist
- Can employers with medical conditions hire an MDW?
- Employer penalties for late levy payments
This is a practical guide, not MOM. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position on mom.gov.sg before you act. Last reviewed: 11 October 2026.
