How to Hire a Maid in Singapore: A First-Time Employer Guide

First hire, clear path

How to hire a domestic helper in Singapore: a first-time employer guide is a practical sequence: confirm you can hire, write the job brief, shortlist, interview, then complete the hire through a licensed employment agency (EA) under Ministry of Manpower (MOM) rules. If you are wondering how to hire a maid in Singapore for the first time, the eight steps below take you from "should we get a maid?" to her first week at home. Official reference: MOM Work Permit for migrant domestic workers.

SmartMaid.com.sg is a smart maid search platform: you find a maid online by browsing biodata published by licensed agencies, then enquire with the agency named on each profile. See how SmartMaid works with maid agencies.

Step 1 — Confirm eligibility and household readiness

Start with the criteria to hire a maid in Singapore. According to MOM's employer requirements, the employer should be 21 or older, not an undischarged bankrupt, and able to understand and carry out an employer's responsibilities. MOM also considers your caregiving needs and your financial ability to support a helper in acceptable accommodation. First-time employers attend the Employer Orientation Programme (EOP) before the Work Permit application.

• Check the current MOM employer criteria for your household
• Agree a budget with your co-employer using maid salary and total cost in Singapore; get fees only from written agency quotes and check the levy on mom.gov.sg
• Decide the care load: infant, elderly, cooking or general housework
• Plan the helper's room, rest day and privacy

If a medical condition in the household might affect eligibility, ask your agency or MOM directly rather than relying on forums.

Step 2 — Choose transfer vs overseas-new

There are two main ways of getting a maid in Singapore. A transfer helper already works here and is changing employer: you can usually meet her in person and she may start sooner. A new hire from overseas is recruited from her home country: the pool is wider, but documents, training and travel take longer. Choose based on your calendar and how much time you can give to training. Compare the two in transfer vs overseas new hire; if a transfer fits, follow hire a transfer maid in Singapore. Many first-time employers shortlist from both and decide after the interviews.

Step 3 — Write a one-page job brief

A one-page brief keeps the whole family aligned and makes every agency conversation faster. Write it before you browse, so profiles are judged against your needs rather than first impressions.

• Daily duties and must-haves (for example "cooks lunch and dinner for five", "helps Grandpa with walking and bathing")
• The language level needed for safety, especially with children or elderly family
• Rest-day arrangement (MOM gives helpers a weekly rest day; any work on a rest day should be agreed with her in writing and compensated)
• Home type, pets and anything unusual about the household
• Hard no's, and your preferred start date

Both decision-makers sign off before browsing.

Step 4 — Search and shortlist

Browse maid biodata and filter by skills, experience and transfer status. Read each profile in full: work history, the countries she worked in, the duties she did and any agency notes. Save three to five favourites with a short note on why each fits your brief; see shortlist before you interview. Filter on skills and experience first, and treat nationality as a starting filter rather than a ranking.

When you enquire, mention the household members she will look after, the main duties and your target start date. The agency can then confirm whether she is still available and suggest similar profiles if she has already been hired.

Step 5 — Interview with a scorecard

Use the same questions and a simple 1–5 score for every candidate, so you compare fairly. Most agencies can arrange a video call for overseas helpers and a face-to-face or video meeting for transfers.

• Duty walk-through: ask her to describe a normal day in her last job
• Language check: ask her to repeat back an instruction in her own words
• Rest-day and phone expectations
• Why she is available now, and for transfers, her expected release date
• Her questions for you, which often tell you a lot

Interview a small set, not twenty maybes (how many to interview).

Step 6 — Choose the EA process, then the helper

Enquire through the agency on the listing. For how to compare agencies calmly, read choosing a maid agency with confidence. Before you commit:

• Confirm the agency's licence on MOM's EA Directory
• Ask for an itemised written quote: service fee, insurance, security bond, medical and Settling-in Programme
• Ask about replacement and refund terms if the match does not work out
• Read the key contract clauses (Standard Employment Contract for MDWs: Key Clauses to Read)
• Understand the insurance and security bond (MDW security bond guide)

Step 7 — Work Pass and arrival / start

Your agency submits the Work Permit application with your details. For a new hire, MOM issues an in-principle approval (IPA) letter; before she arrives, the security bond and the required medical and personal accident insurance must be in place, and she has a medical examination after arrival. First-time helpers attend the Settling-in Programme. For a transfer, the agency coordinates the handover date with her current employer. Keep copies of the IPA, contract, insurance and bond documents in one employment file (Employer Record-Keeping for MDW Employment Files). Your agency will confirm the steps that apply to your case.

Step 8 — Onboard in week one

The first week sets the tone for the whole contract. Keep instructions short, show rather than tell, and expect questions.

• Day-one orientation: her room, house rules, emergency numbers
• Stove, chemicals and childproofing, as relevant
• Food preferences and the rest-day arrangement in writing
• A short check-in at the end of each day in week one, then weekly

For depth, see first two weeks with a new domestic helper.

If you are hiring for childcare or elderly care

Care roles need a sharper brief and a more careful interview than general housework.

• Infant and young children: look for hands-on experience with the same age group, and ask how she handled feeding, bathing and night wakings in her last job. Browse infant care maids and check the biodata for the ages of children she cared for.
• Elderly family members: describe the level of help needed (walking, transfers, bathing, dementia care) and ask for specific examples from her experience. Browse elderly care maids. Households with an elderly Singapore citizen aged 67 or above, or a Singapore citizen child below 16, may qualify for the lower levy; see the levy concession guide.
• Training: ask the agency whether caregiving training is available, and plan to show her your family's routines yourself in the first weeks.

Common first-timer mistakes

• Skipping the brief. Without it, families interview on charm and discover the skills gap later.
• Comparing quotes that are not like for like. One agency may bundle insurance and SIP; another may charge them separately.
• Leaving the rest day vague. Put the arrangement in writing from day one.
• Overloading week one. Teach the most important routines first and add the rest over the month.

MOM rules and safety

Confirm current rules on mom.gov.sg. Emergency: 995 / 999.

First-timer checklist

• [ ] Eligibility checked
• [ ] Brief written
• [ ] Path chosen (transfer/overseas)
• [ ] Shortlist + interviews done
• [ ] Licensed EA + contract + insurance/bond
• [ ] Work Pass steps followed
• [ ] Week-one onboarding planned

Scripts

To the agency: We're first-time employers hiring for [duties]. Please explain the timeline, send an itemised written quote, and offer interview slots for these biodata.

To your co-employer: Let's make an offer only after we've both watched the interview and read the contract.

FAQ

How long does it take to employ a maid in Singapore?

A transfer is usually quicker because she is already here; an overseas new hire takes longer because of documents and travel. Your agency can give an estimate for your case.

Do first-time employers need to attend a course?

First-time employers attend the Employer Orientation Programme (EOP) before applying for the Work Permit. Your agency can confirm whether it applies to you.

Can I find a maid online?

Yes. On SmartMaid you browse biodata published by licensed agencies, shortlist favourites and enquire with the agency on each profile.

What are the criteria to hire a maid in Singapore?

MOM looks for employers aged 21 or older who are not undischarged bankrupts and can carry out an employer's duties, and considers caregiving needs and financial ability.

What costs should I expect?

Salary, the monthly levy, insurance, the security bond, the agency fee and one-time items. See the maid cost in Singapore overview.

Who handles the paperwork?

The licensed agency prepares the Work Permit application and related documents with you.

Bottom line

How to hire a domestic helper in Singapore (first time): brief → search/shortlist → interview → licensed EA/Work Pass → onboard. Use SmartMaid to discover biodata; use a licensed agency for the hiring steps under MOM rules.

Related employer guides: MDW levy and concession · salary and total cost · Work Permit checklist.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Employment rules change — confirm current requirements on mom.gov.sg.