If you are hiring a helper who is already working in Singapore, one of the first questions is what the maid agency transfer fee will be, and why it rarely matches the figure a friend paid last year. This guide explains what an agency fee for a transfer usually covers, how it differs from the fee for a helper coming in from overseas, what the Ministry of Manpower caps and what it leaves to the market, and how to compare quotes properly.
We will not quote a “typical” price. Agency fees are not set by MOM, they change with demand, and agencies bundle them very differently, so a headline number tells you little on its own.
What MOM does regulate is more useful than any average: a cap on what agencies can charge the helper, a refund rule if the placement ends early, and a written service agreement setting out the fees.
What a maid agency transfer fee actually pays for
A transfer helper is already in Singapore on a Work Permit. There is no sourcing in her home country and no flight in, but there is still matching, interviewing, paperwork and handover.
MOM’s recommended service agreement between employers and employment agencies is a good map of what a fee can include, because agencies are expected to list each part. It separates three layers:
- The service fee. This is what the agency charges you for its own work: shortlisting, arranging interviews, checking her employment history and handling the application.
- Administrative costs. The template lists items such as documentation and Work Permit application and collection, the medical examination for the permit, the premium for the security bond and personal accident insurance, counselling, and the Settling-in Programme where it applies.
- The placement fee. This is the fee charged on the helper herself, plus any personal loan she took on overseas. The template asks whether you agree to pay it on her behalf and recover it from her under the employment contract.
The template also states there should be no hidden or other costs beyond those listed. If an agency quotes one round number, ask which layers it includes.
Transfer hires versus new overseas hires: where the cost differs
The structure is the same, so the difference usually comes down to which line items apply.
Items that may not apply to a transfer
The Settling-in Programme is required only for first-time helpers, so a helper who has already worked in Singapore will normally not need it again. There is no inbound air ticket. If your quote still lists these, ask why.
Items that apply either way
Government fees apply to every new Work Permit. MOM’s page on applying for a Work Permit lists a $35 application fee and a $35 issuance fee. You will also need a $5,000 security bond, medical insurance with an annual claim limit of at least $60,000, and personal accident insurance with a sum assured of at least $60,000. The levy is $300 a month for your first helper, or $60 at the concessionary rate if your household qualifies. Some agencies collect these for you, so check each appears only once.
The placement fee on her side
A transfer helper may still owe placement fees or a loan. Anything you are asked to advance should be shown as a separate line.
Our guide to maid agency fees in Singapore walks through each item, and our explainer on the MOM transfer process shows where each cost falls in the timeline.
What MOM caps: fees charged to the helper
MOM does not cap what an agency charges you as the employer. It does cap what an agency can charge the helper. In a 2024 reply on employment agencies, MOM said agencies may only charge workers up to one month of their fixed monthly salary for each year of service, capped at two months’ salary. Agencies also must not collect fees upfront before a placement has been secured, and must give itemised receipts.
If a placement fee on her side looks larger than two months of her salary, ask for the breakdown: MOM’s service agreement template lists the agency’s fee charged on the helper, which is subject to the cap, separately from any personal loan she took on overseas. A helper carrying heavy debt into a new job is under real pressure, so knowing what she owes is part of starting fairly.
The same reply says agencies must refund the helper half of her fees if her employment is terminated within six months, separately from the employer refund below.
The refund rule if the placement ends early
For service agreements signed on or after 1 June 2022, MOM’s page on the refund of EA service fees says the agency must refund at least 50% of the service fees you paid if the helper’s employment ends within the first six months and the other conditions are met. It covers the original helper and up to two replacements, each ending within six months.
Some points about how it works:
- What counts as service fees. MOM defines them as all fees you paid the agency, except local requirements such as Work Permit fees, medicals and one-way tickets, home-country requirements, third-party training you asked for, and the helper’s placement loan.
- When no refund is due. The agency only did administrative work with no matching; you breached the law or committed an offence against the helper; you did not tell the agency within a reasonable time before cancelling, repatriating or transferring her; or she was hired as a caregiver, this is stated in the agreement, and care is no longer needed.
- No home-made conditions. MOM states that agencies cannot set their own terms that employers must meet to qualify.
- Timing. The refund is due within 14 working days of your written request or the permit cancellation, whichever is later.
The exclusions MOM lists do not mention transfer placements, so a matched transfer hire appears to be covered in the same way as an overseas hire. Still, ask the agency to confirm before you pay. If things do go wrong early, our guide to the helper replacement process explains the steps.
If you are the employer releasing a helper for transfer
If your helper is moving on and you ask an agency to find her a new employer, MOM’s page on transferring a helper through an employment agency sets out the process. She must agree to the transfer, you authorise the agency through FDW eService, and the Work Permit is cancelled for transfer so the agency takes over responsibility for her.
From that point the agency bears her upkeep, including accommodation, food and medical treatment, keeps medical insurance of at least $60,000, and pays her ticket home if she is not placed before her Special Pass expires. MOM says the Special Pass is issued with up to 30 days’ validity. Whether an agency charges you for taking over is a commercial matter, so ask first and record the agreement in writing as MOM advises.
For a direct transfer to an employer you have found yourself, the MOM transfer process needs no agency at all. You approve the new employer’s consent request in FDW eService and keep paying levy until her new permit is issued.
How to compare transfer fee quotes properly
Two quotes with the same total can be very different deals. Use the same questions for each.
- Ask for the fee schedule in writing. Agencies must sign a written service agreement with you. Ask for the services and fees schedule before you commit and check that the service fee, administrative costs and placement fee are separated.
- Check what is double counted. Government fees, insurance and the bond should appear once, whether you pay them directly or through the agency.
- Ask what is refundable and when. Note how much counts as service fees under MOM’s refund rule.
- Read the replacement terms. How many replacements, within what period, and at what cost are set in the agreement, not by MOM. Ask for them to be filled in, not left blank.
- Look at what the helper is being asked to pay. Check that the placement fee is itemised and that you understand any loan she is repaying.
- Check the agency itself. MOM’s employment agency directory lists licensed agencies with their placement volume and retention rate.
- Know the dispute route. MOM’s guidance on resolving disputes with an agency says agencies must disclose their dispute resolution mechanism, and the Small Claims Tribunals are an option if mediation fails.
A low transfer maid agency fee is only good value if the matching behind it is sound. Our guide on choosing the right transfer maid for your household covers the interview side.
Hiring a transfer helper without an agency
MOM allows direct hiring, and the direct transfer route above needs no agency. Its own guide to hiring a helper notes that direct hiring could be more affordable but takes more effort. Using an unlicensed agency or middleman is an offence, so if anyone other than a licensed agency asks you for a fee to arrange a transfer, walk away. Our guide to hiring a transfer maid without an agency explains the steps.
Related guides: Maid Salary Singapore 2026: What to Pay Your Domestic Helper and Maid Insurance Singapore 2026: The FDW Cover You Must Have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a transfer cheaper than hiring a new helper from overseas?
It can be, because some overseas-hire costs, such as her inbound flight and the Settling-in Programme, usually do not apply. But agency fees are not set by MOM, so the only reliable comparison is between itemised quotes for the two options. Ask each agency for its services and fees schedule and compare line by line.
Does MOM cap the fee an agency charges me for a transfer?
No. MOM does not publish a cap on the service fee an agency charges employers. It caps fees charged to the helper at one month of her fixed salary for each year of service, up to two months’ salary, and requires agencies to refund at least 50% of your service fees if her employment ends within six months and the conditions are met.
Do I get a refund if a transfer helper leaves within six months?
For agreements signed on or after 1 June 2022, the agency must refund at least 50% of the service fees you paid if her employment ends within six months and the conditions on MOM’s refund page are met. Government fees, medicals, home-country requirements, training you requested and her placement loan are excluded, and you must tell the agency within a reasonable time before ending the employment.
What should a transfer fee quote include?
A clear quote separates the agency’s service fee, administrative costs such as Work Permit fees and insurance premiums, and any placement fee charged on the helper. It should also state the replacement terms, the refund terms and the dispute resolution mechanism. If a quote is a single number with none of this, ask for the full schedule before paying.
Conclusion
The honest answer to “how much is a maid agency transfer fee” is that it depends on what is bundled in, and MOM leaves the agency’s own fee to the market. What MOM does fix is the framework: a written service agreement, a cap on what the helper can be charged, and a refund of at least half your service fees if the placement ends within six months. Compare quotes on those terms, not on the headline number.
Fees and rules do change, so confirm the current position on the MOM website before you sign.
If you are weighing up a transfer helper, see how we approach transfer maid placements. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your family’s needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like.
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.
