Sending her home is a logistics plan — not “cancel and hope”
When a migrant domestic worker’s (MDW / FDW) contract ends and you will not renew or transfer her, your job is a planned send-home: agree the last day, settle outstanding issues, book a lawful exit, cancel the Work Permit on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) path, and keep a paper trail until she clears immigration and your security bond can discharge.
This page is an employer repatriation / send-home logistics guide for a known contract end in Singapore: notice and last-day planning, air tickets and transit agreements, cancel-Work-Permit orientation, bond soft framing, final salary orientation (no dollar amounts), the documents pack for exit, and who does what (you / licensed employment agency / MOM / SmartMaid). 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 neighbouring depth:
- Full cancel sequence / Special Pass / copyable checklist: Cancellation checklist for employers
- She went on overseas leave and will not return: When helpers do not return from overseas leave
- Keeping her — renewal calendar instead of send-home: Work Permit renewal timeline for MDWs
- Transfer her instead of sending home: Transfer maid vs new hire from overseas — which is right for you?
- First-time hire path (next helper): How to hire a domestic helper in Singapore
- This article: planned send-home logistics when the contract clock is ending
Hard rule: do not invent air-ticket prices, transit allowances, cancellation fees, 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 a maid search platform and does not buy tickets, cancel Work Permits, settle salary, or discharge bonds. See How Smart Maid Singapore differs from a maid agency.
Who does what on send-home (employer / EA / MOM / platform)
| Party | Typical role on the send-home path |
|---|---|
| You (employer of record) | Give clear notice of last day; settle outstanding employment issues (including salary); ensure a valid passport; agree transit / ticket plan in writing before booking; cancel (or authorise EA); print / hand Special Pass if she remains in Singapore; ensure she leaves before Special Pass expiry; cut and discard the Work Permit card |
| Licensed EA | Often coordinates repatriation logistics and may cancel on your behalf after you authorise them in FDW eService — 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 |
| Airline / home-country entry rules | Boarding (health / visa) and destination entry requirements — checked before you buy the ticket |
| SmartMaid | Lets you search and shortlist biodata for a next hire after a clean exit; does not book flights or act as your EA |
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.
Notice and last-day planning (before tickets)
Treat contract end as a calendar, not a surprise weekend.
- Decide the path early — send home vs renew vs transfer (transfer vs new guide). Indecision in the last week creates Special Pass stress and rushed tickets.
- Agree the last day of work in writing — date, what “last day” includes (hand-over of keys, phones, household accounts), and whether she stays in the household until flight day. MOM expects you to agree the last day before you cancel.
- Give practical notice — enough calendar days for passport checks, salary settlement, packing, and a ticket that meets MOM’s post-cancel departure window (see tickets section). Contract / EA placement terms may set longer notice than MOM’s cancel clocks — follow the stricter practical plan with your EA.
- Raise outstanding issues early — salary, unused rest-day compensation framing, belongings, phone numbers for family contact — so settlement is not argued at the airport kerb.
- If she is already overseas on leave and will not return — leave this planned-send-home page and use our guide When Your Domestic Helper Does Not Return From Overseas Leave; cancel timing and travel-proof rules differ.
Do not treat “we will decide after the last day” as a plan while she remains without a lawful stay path. MOM: overstaying fines and employing without a valid work pass are consequences to avoid.
Air tickets and transit — written agreement first
MOM’s send-home framing (verify live) puts discussion and written agreement before you buy:
| MOM expectation | What employers usually do |
|---|---|
| Transit arrangements | Connecting flights, layover hours, who meets her / how she moves between terminals |
| Transit allowance | What she needs to sustain herself during layover / connections — amount is case-specific; agree in writing with your EA; no $ invented here |
| Ticket with check-in luggage | MOM: employer buys an air ticket with check-in luggage and pays connecting transport costs to the international port of entry in her home country (or the region nearest her hometown) |
| Departure window | MOM sets a departure deadline after Work Permit cancellation; check the current timing on mom.gov.sg |
| Before booking checks | Airline boarding requirements (health / visa); home-country / region entry rules (embassy or MFA travel guides) so she is not denied boarding |
Practical ticket tips (still no prices)
- Book only after passport validity and name spelling match the passport.
- Prefer itineraries she can complete without undocumented overnight gaps.
- Keep e-ticket, baggage allowance confirmation, and written transit agreement in the same folder as settlement records.
- Do not “save” by stripping check-in luggage or skipping connecting transport in ways that strand her mid-journey.
Deep cancel mechanics (Special Pass print, card cut, levy stop) live on our guide Cancellation Checklist for Employers (MDW Work Permit). This section owns the ticket / transit logistics that #21 only orients.
Cancel the Work Permit — orientation (full checklist on #21)
When employment ends and she is going home, MOM expects you to cancel the Work Permit — typically within 1 week after the last day of work. Cancellation is usually immediate; levy charging stops according to MOM’s stated rule (generally one day before cancellation — verify live).
Send-home cancel sequence (MOM orientation)
- Settle outstanding employment issues (including salary) and lock the written transit / ticket plan.
- Log in to FDW eService and cancel (employer / sponsor / authorised EA).
- If she is still in Singapore: print the Special Pass and give it to her.
- She shows Special Pass + valid passport at immigration when leaving.
- Ensure she leaves before the Special Pass expires.
- MOM: once cancelled, cut the Work Permit card in half and discard it; she cannot work while waiting to leave.
Copyable cancel + exit checklist: our guide Cancellation Checklist for Employers (MDW Work Permit). Do not run a second DIY cancel playbook from forum anecdotes.
Transfer fork: MOM lists transferring her (direct or via EA) as an alternative to cancellation if another household will take her on — see transfer vs new hire. Sending home and transferring are different paths; pick one.
Renew fork: if you still want to keep her, do not cancel — use our guide Work Permit Renewal Timeline for MDWs.
Security bond — soft orientation only
After a planned send-home from Singapore on a Special Pass, MOM framing (verify live): the security 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 (more common on our guide When Your Domestic Helper Does Not Return From Overseas Leave non-return paths), MOM describes discharge within about 2 weeks after MOM verifies she has left, if conditions are met.
If discharge is delayed after verified departure, MOM publishes channels for employers to request an update — ask your EA rather than guessing from forums. Bond product basics (what the bond is for, common pitfalls — still ): Insurance and security bond for domestic helpers — employer basics.
Hard rule reminder: no bond amounts or forfeiture figures are quoted on this page.
Final salary orientation (no dollar amounts)
MOM: settle outstanding employment issues your helper may raise, including salary payments, as part of ending employment cleanly before / as you cancel.
Keep pots separate:
| Topic | Orientation on this page | Where to go deeper |
|---|---|---|
| Final salary / outstanding employment issues | Document what was paid and acknowledged; keep payslips / transfer refs | Maid salary and total cost in Singapore — framing only; confirm contract + EA worksheet |
| Air ticket + luggage + connecting transport | MOM employer duties above — no ticket prices here | Your EA + airline quote |
| Transit allowance | Written agreement before booking — case-specific amounts via EA | Not a published fee from this article |
Do not treat SmartMaid shortlists, WhatsApp groups, or old invoices as MOM fee schedules. Quote no salary figures here.
Documents pack for a clean exit
Employers who finish send-home calmly usually keep one folder (digital + paper):
Identity & status
- Passport copy + validity check
- Work Permit card (to be cut and discarded after cancel)
- Special Pass printout (if she remains in Singapore after cancel)
- FDW eService cancellation confirmation
Settlement & agreement
- Written last-day agreement / mutual end-of-contract notes
- Final salary settlement records (acknowledgements, bank refs — )
- Written transit arrangements + transit-allowance agreement (signed / chat-confirmed before booking)
Travel
- E-ticket / itinerary with check-in luggage confirmation
- Connecting-transport plan to home-country port of entry
- Airline boarding requirement checklist (health / visa)
- Home-country / region entry notes (embassy or MFA travel guide screenshots)
- Departure proof after she leaves (boarding pass / departure stamp notes) for bond-discharge follow-up
Next hire (optional)
- Shortlist notes if you will hire again — first-time path: first-time hire guide
Hand the cancel mechanics checklist to our guide Cancellation Checklist for Employers (MDW Work Permit); keep this pack focused on exit logistics.
Agency role vs SmartMaid
| Need | Who usually helps |
|---|---|
| Ticket booking, transit plan, cancel filing, settlement worksheet | Licensed EA (and you as employer of record) |
| MOM rules, Special Pass, levy stop, bond discharge | MOM via FDW eService + published guidance |
| Browsing biodata for a replacement after she leaves | SmartMaid search marketplace |
SmartMaid does not replace your EA for repatriation. After a clean exit, shortlist on search maids · transfer maids, then let a licensed EA run the next Work Permit path. Platform-vs-agency explainer: How Smart Maid Singapore differs from a maid agency.
Planned send-home vs #21 cancel vs #1 non-return vs #20 renew
| Situation | Primary page |
|---|---|
| Contract ending; you will send her home — notice, tickets, docs, exit logistics | This article |
| You need the full cancel / Special Pass / levy / next-hire checklist | Our guide Cancellation Checklist for Employers (MDW Work Permit) |
| She went on overseas leave and will not return | Our guide When Your Domestic Helper Does Not Return From Overseas Leave |
| You want to keep her and renew | Our guide Work Permit Renewal Timeline for MDWs |
| Another employer will take her on | Transfer path — transfer vs new |
Copyable employer send-home logistics checklist
Decide and notice
- [ ] Written decision: send home (not renew #20, not transfer)
- [ ] Last day of work agreed in writing
- [ ] Practical notice given for passport, packing, settlement, and ticket lead time
- [ ] EA told the send-home path; FDW eService authorisation confirmed if they will cancel
Settle and book (before / as you cancel)
- [ ] Outstanding employment issues addressed, including salary (documented — no $ from this article)
- [ ] Passport validity checked; name matches ticket
- [ ] Written agreement on transit arrangements and transit allowance before buying the ticket
- [ ] Air ticket with check-in luggage booked; connecting transport covered
- [ ] MOM: departure within 2 weeks of Work Permit cancellation
- [ ] Airline boarding + home-country entry requirements checked
- [ ] Documents pack folder started
Cancel and exit
- [ ] Work Permit cancelled in FDW eService (detail checklist on #21)
- [ ] Special Pass printed and given 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
After she leaves (only if you still need an MDW)
- [ ] Shortlist on search / transfer search
- [ ] Licensed EA engaged for next hire; first-time path if needed: first-time guide
- [ ] SmartMaid used only for biodata search — platform ≠ repatriation desk
FAQ
Is sending her home the same as the cancellation checklist?
Related, not identical. Our guide Cancellation Checklist for Employers (MDW Work Permit) owns the full cancel / Special Pass / levy / next-hire checklist. This page owns planned repatriation logistics (notice, tickets, transit writing, exit docs) when the contract ends.
How much notice do I need?
MOM’s cancel clocks (e.g. within 1 week after last day of work; departure within 2 weeks of cancellation) are compliance windows, not a full household notice plan. Give practical notice for passport, settlement, and ticket checks; follow any longer terms in your contract / EA placement agreement.
Who buys the air ticket?
MOM framing: the employer buys a ticket with check-in luggage and covers connecting transport to the home-country port of entry (or nearest region). Confirm live wording and any EA service arrangements — no ticket prices here.
What if I want to renew instead?
Do not cancel. Use our guide Work Permit Renewal Timeline for MDWs.
What if she is overseas and will not return?
Use our guide When Your Domestic Helper Does Not Return From Overseas Leave for the non-return playbook and travel-proof rules; then #21 for cancel mechanics.
Can I transfer her instead of sending her home?
Often yes if another employer will take her on — MOM lists transfer as an alternative to cancellation. See transfer vs new.
Does SmartMaid arrange repatriation?
SmartMaid is a smart maid search platform. A licensed EA (and you as employer) handle tickets, cancel filing, and settlement.
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 in writing and list outstanding salary / employment issues to settle.
- Lock a written transit plan and ticket (check-in luggage; departure within MOM’s post-cancel window) with your EA — before you rush cancel.
- Cancel via FDW eService; handle Special Pass / card destruction; track bond discharge — detail on our guide Cancellation Checklist for Employers (MDW Work Permit).
- If you need a replacement, shortlist on search maids · transfer maids, then let a licensed EA and (if new to hiring) the first-time hire guide run the next path.
- 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.
