Sooner or later, your helper’s passport will need renewing, and for many families that means learning the Philippine passport renewal Singapore process for the first time, or the equivalent at the Indonesian or Myanmar embassy. It is her document and her application, but the timing touches your household too: she needs a working day free for her appointment, MOM needs her new details, and if a trip home is coming up, an expired passport can derail it.
Your role is smaller than many employers assume, and more specific. You do not apply on her behalf, and you should never be holding her passport. What you can do is help her plan early, give her the time to attend, make sure the paperwork with MOM is updated afterwards, and agree in advance who pays for what.
Embassy procedures change without notice, so rather than repeat fees or timelines that may be out of date, we explain how each process works and link to the official pages. This guide covers when to start, how the Philippine and Indonesian embassies in Singapore handle renewals, what we could and could not confirm for Myanmar and Indian helpers, how to handle time off and costs, and how to update MOM once the new passport is in her hands.
Her passport stays with her, before and after renewal
Start with the rule that frames everything else. MOM’s position, set out in its answer on whether an employer can keep a worker’s passport, is that employers should not keep a helper’s passport or force her to hand it over. Under the Passports Act, it is an offence to keep or withhold a passport that is not yours, and MOM can debar employers who do not comply.
Keeping it “for safekeeping” is still the wrong arrangement. If she worries about losing it, give her a lockable drawer or small safe that she alone can open, in line with MOM’s suggestion of a secure locker she can access.
When your helper should start the renewal
MOM no longer ties a helper’s passport to the length of her Work Permit. Its page on renewing a Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker says you can renew her Work Permit even if her passport has expired or has less than two years’ validity. The same page adds two important caveats. You should make sure her passport is valid if she is travelling out of Singapore, and embassies may impose their own requirements on passport renewal.
In other words, an expiring passport will not block a Work Permit renewal, but it can stop her travelling. The Philippine Embassy in Singapore, in its advisory reminding Filipinos to check their passport validity, notes that many foreign governments require visitors to hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond their planned stay. The Indonesian Embassy’s renewal page treats a passport with less than six months’ validity, or without enough blank pages for travel, as a reason to replace it.
A sensible habit is to check the expiry date together at the start of each contract and whenever home leave is discussed. If expiry is within the next year, or a trip is planned, encourage her to book early.
The Philippine passport renewal Singapore process
For Filipino helpers, the Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore publishes its process on its official passport page. Renewals are booked through the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Global Online Appointment System, which the embassy links to at passport.gov.ph.
The embassy describes the steps as follows. After she completes the online form and confirms by email, she receives the application form and instructions to print. The embassy states that a confirmed appointment is strictly required and that no walk-ins will be processed. It also states that appointments are free and asks applicants to report anyone charging for slots. Pass that point on to your helper directly.
The embassy’s list of requirements for a standard adult renewal is:
- A screenshot or printout of the appointment confirmation email
- The completed application form sent by email
- Her current Philippine passport, with one photocopy of the data page
- Her valid Singapore pass, such as her Work Permit, with one photocopy
Additional requirements apply where a passport entry is being changed, such as a name. The embassy also accepts emailed requests for urgent renewals, for example when a pass renewal is pending, subject to approval and availability. Check fees, processing times and collection arrangements on the embassy’s page.
If you are new to employing a Filipino helper, our Filipino helper placement page explains how we prepare candidates and their documents before they start.
Indonesian maid passport renewal at KBRI Singapura
The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore, known as KBRI Singapura, sets out its process on its page of requirements for replacing an expired or full passport, last updated in January 2026 at the time we checked. The page is in Bahasa Indonesia, which your helper will read comfortably.
Indonesian maid passport renewal starts with registration. The embassy requires applicants to register for its public services at register.indonesianembassy.sg before attending. The general requirements it lists are:
- A fully completed PERDIM 11 application form, downloadable from the same page
- Her Singapore identity document, which for a helper is her Work Permit, with an A4 photocopy
- Her current passport, original and A4 photocopy
Three details are useful for employers. The embassy states that applicants can attend by themselves without being accompanied by their employer. It encourages applicants to handle their own application rather than going through intermediaries or agents. Applications will not be processed if documents are incomplete, if details on her Singapore pass and her old passport do not match, or if photocopies are unclear or altered.
The embassy also asks applicants to buy a SmartPac envelope from Singapore Post and hand it over at the photo and biometrics stage, together with a signed declaration, so the finished passport can be posted back. Payment is cashless. The page lists fees and a normal processing time, but as these can change, have her confirm them on the embassy’s page before she goes. Indonesian passport rules, including how long a passport issued abroad is valid, have changed more than once in recent years, so the embassy’s passport services page is the place to check the current position.
Families considering an Indonesian helper for the first time can read more on our Indonesian helper placement page.
Myanmar and Mizoram helpers: check the official source
We could not verify the Myanmar Embassy in Singapore’s current passport procedure on an official source, so we are not describing its booking system, documents, fees or timelines. Your helper should contact the embassy directly or check its official channels, start early, and be cautious about procedures passed along second hand.
Families considering a Myanmar helper can read more on our Myanmar helper placement page.
Helpers from Mizoram are Indian nationals, so their passport matters are handled through the High Commission of India in Singapore. Again, the High Commission’s own website is the place to confirm how to apply and what to bring.
Time off, travel and who pays
We could not find a MOM rule that specifically says who pays for a helper’s passport renewal. It is best treated as a matter for your employment contract, agreed openly before it comes up. What matters is that it is agreed in writing and that nothing is deducted from her salary without her clear agreement.
Time off is where employers can make the biggest difference. Her appointment is likely to fall during the week; KBRI Singapura’s page, for example, lists morning hours for submitting applications. Our recommendation is to treat the appointment as part of her working time rather than asking her to use a rest day. A rest day is meant for rest, not for errands that also keep the household’s arrangements in order.
Help her prepare photocopies in advance, since KBRI Singapura, for one, states that it does not provide photocopying services. Where getting to the embassy is difficult, Femme5 offers helper transport, including embassy runs.
After the new passport arrives: update MOM
Once she has her new passport, MOM needs to know. MOM’s page on how to notify MOM of changes for a migrant domestic worker lists her passport details among the updates employers must report, and says the passport number and expiry date can be updated through the FDW eService.
Other details are updated through a separate request with supporting documents, such as the passport’s personal particulars page. After MOM emails to confirm the update, she can use the automated immigration lanes four working days later.
MOM also states that it must have a record of her most up to date passport, and asks for a scan of its personal particulars page at Work Permit renewal.
Related guides: Hiring a Mizoram Helper in Singapore: 2026 Employer Guide and Filipino vs Indonesian Maid (and Myanmar): Which Suits You?.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my helper’s passport after she renews it?
No. MOM’s position is that employers should not keep a helper’s passport or force her to hand it over, and withholding a passport that is not yours is an offence under the Passports Act. MOM can also debar employers who do not comply. If she wants it kept safe, give her a lockable drawer or small safe in her own space that only she can open.
Does her Work Permit expire when her passport expires?
No. MOM states that a helper’s passport is no longer tied to her Work Permit duration, and that you can renew her Work Permit even if her passport has expired or has less than two years’ validity. However, she needs a valid passport to travel out of Singapore, and many countries require at least six months’ validity on arrival. Once she renews, update her passport number and expiry date with MOM through the FDW eService.
Does she have to use her rest day for the embassy appointment?
Her appointment is likely to fall on a working day, depending on the slots the embassy offers. We recommend treating it as working time rather than asking her to use her rest day. Whatever you decide, agree it with her in advance, and remember that MOM requires at least one rest day a month that cannot be compensated away.
Who pays for a helper’s passport renewal in Singapore?
We could not find a MOM rule that sets this. It is a matter for the employment contract and mutual agreement. Agree it in writing beforehand, and do not deduct any amount from her salary without her clear consent.
Conclusion
Passport renewal is her application, not yours, but a well organised employer makes it far easier. Check the expiry date together early, especially before any planned travel. Point her to the official embassy page for her nationality, whether that is the Philippine Embassy’s online appointment system or KBRI Singapura’s registration and SmartPac process, and encourage her to deal with the embassy directly rather than through paid intermediaries.
Give her time to attend, ideally as working time, agree who pays, and update her details with MOM through the FDW eService once the new passport arrives. Throughout, the passport stays with her.
Embassy procedures change more often than most rules in this area, so treat this guide as a starting point and confirm current requirements on the relevant embassy’s website and on the MOM website before acting.
If you would like help planning around your helper’s passport renewal, or want to talk about transport for her embassy appointment, our consultants are happy to help. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your household’s needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like. A short conversation now tends to prevent a longer one later.
The Femme5 Team
Maid placement specialists, Femme5 Maid Agency
Our consultants work with Singaporean and expatriate families on helper matching, contracts and MOM compliance, and we verify the regulatory guidance in our articles directly against the Ministry of Manpower’s published requirements.
