Maid insurance is the part of hiring a helper that families tend to skim, right up until the day they need it. Then the fine print matters a great deal. This guide explains the cover the Ministry of Manpower requires you to buy, what that cover actually pays for, what it can legally exclude, how the 25% co-payment works, and when a top-up is worth considering.
The rules changed significantly in 2023 and again in July 2025, so older advice is often wrong. The medical insurance minimum is now $60,000 a year, not $15,000. Personal accident cover is $60,000, not $40,000. And since 1 July 2025, insurers can only exclude treatments from a single list published by MOM.
In our experience, the employers who feel most secure are not the ones who bought the cheapest policy or the most expensive one. They are the ones who understood what their policy covered and topped it up where it mattered for their household. Let us walk through it, with links to the official MOM pages so you can check each point yourself.
The cover MOM requires for every helper
According to MOM’s insurance requirements for MDWs, you must buy two separate types of cover before your helper arrives in Singapore and keep them valid throughout her employment:
- Medical insurance, which pays for inpatient care and day surgery.
- Personal accident insurance, which pays a lump sum if she suffers permanent disability or dies as a result of an accident.
They cover different events, and people often assume one policy does the job of both. It does not. The insurance details must be submitted online before the Work Permit is issued, and the employer must pay the premiums. The cost cannot be passed on to your helper. If you are setting up your first hire, our full-time helper placement service walks you through getting these in place before day one.
The security bond usually comes in the same package
Most maid insurance packages also bundle in the security bond. MOM requires a $5,000 security bond for each helper except Malaysians, as a banker’s or insurer’s guarantee rather than a cash deposit. It must be in effect when she arrives. The bond can be forfeited if conditions are breached, for example if her salary is paid late, she is not sent home when her permit ends, or she goes missing.
What the minimum FDW insurance medical cover pays for
The medical policy must cover inpatient care and day surgery with an annual claim limit of at least $60,000, and every sub-limit within the policy must also be at least $60,000. This applies to policies, renewals and extensions starting on or after 1 July 2023. A policy that began before that date could still have been on the old $15,000 limit, which is why you should check the start date on any older paperwork.
How the 75/25 co-payment works
For claims above $15,000, the cost is shared: the insurer pays 75% and you pay 25%. MOM’s explainer on how the enhanced requirements protect employers notes that more than 5% of bills exceeded the old $15,000 limit, and estimates that over 99% of bills now fall within the coverage.
Here is a simplified illustration that ignores any exclusions. On a $30,000 claimable bill, the insurer pays the first $15,000 in full. Of the remaining $15,000, the insurer pays 75% and you pay 25%, which is $3,750. On a $60,000 bill, your share would be 25% of $45,000, which is $11,250. Anything beyond the policy limit is yours to pay.
What changed on 1 July 2025
Stage 2 of the enhancements applies to policies, renewals and extensions starting on or after 1 July 2025. It brought three changes:
- Standardised exclusions: insurers can only exclude treatments on MOM’s list (see the next section).
- Two premium age bands: helpers aged 50 and below, and above 50, with premiums generally lower for the younger band.
- Direct payment to hospitals: once a claim is admissible, the insurer pays the hospital directly for its portion, so you no longer need to pay the whole bill upfront and wait for reimbursement.
What maid insurance does not cover
This is where most surprises live. The minimum requirement is built around hospital stays and day surgery, so a policy can meet MOM’s rules without covering routine GP visits for a fever or a cough. Beyond that, MOM’s list of allowable exclusions sets out what insurers may leave out. The items employers ask about most are:
- Pre-existing conditions known to you or your helper before the cover started, for treatment within the first 12 months of employment with the same employer.
- Dental treatment not caused by an accident, vaccinations, screening unrelated to a hospital stay, and preventive treatment.
- Pregnancy, childbirth and abortion, including related complications.
- Treatment outside Singapore, medical repatriation, private nursing fees and buying medical equipment.
- Outpatient rehabilitation such as physiotherapy, unless a doctor recommended it during the hospital stay or day surgery.
- Ambulance fees and traditional or alternative medicine.
- Injuries from a malicious, unlawful or wilful act by the employer or, for a domestic worker, by any family member of the employer.
- Psychiatric and some other conditions, which insurers may exclude on the second or subsequent occasion of treatment rather than the first.
Your policy may exclude fewer items than this, but not more. Read the exclusions page of the policy you are offered and compare it with MOM’s list.
A real example of the gap
We once assisted a family whose helper needed ongoing management of a condition that predated her arrival. They had assumed the medical policy would absorb it, and were caught off guard when it did not. That did not mean the policy failed. Outpatient and chronic care simply sit outside standard cover, and a known pre-existing condition can be excluded in the first year. Knowing that in advance lets you plan, whether through a top-up or a household budget for routine visits.
Who pays when the insurance does not
This is the point many employers miss. Insurance limits and exclusions do not shift the cost to your helper. MOM’s FAQ on medical expenses above the insurance limit states that employers must bear all the costs of maintaining their helpers, including necessary medical care, and are not allowed to make her pay for her medical expenses. That applies to the 25% co-payment, anything above the limit, excluded treatment and outpatient visits.
MOM’s explainer also notes that helpers, like other foreigners, are charged more at Singapore’s public hospitals. So the realistic question is not whether you will pay for a gap, but how you would rather pay for it: through a higher premium now or out of pocket later. Our guide on what to do if your maid is sick or injured covers the practical side of medical leave and care.
Personal accident insurance in practice
Personal accident insurance must have a sum assured of at least $60,000 a year. It covers permanent disability or death caused by sudden, unforeseen incidents. MOM sets two further conditions: the policy may not carry exclusions beyond those in the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations, and the payout must go to your helper or her beneficiaries, not to you.
This is why PA cover is about protecting your helper and her family, while medical cover is mainly about protecting you from large hospital bills. Both are conditions of the Work Permit.
When it makes sense to top up beyond the minimum
Upgrading is not always necessary, but there are clear cases where it deserves thought. The minimum protects against catastrophe. A top-up protects against the steady, smaller costs that add up.
- An older helper: premiums are banded at 50 and below and above 50, with the younger band generally cheaper, and an enhanced plan can soften larger bills.
- A known health history: ask insurers specifically how a declared condition will be treated, given the 12-month pre-existing exclusion.
- A physically demanding role: helpers caring for an elderly parent or a newborn spend much of the day lifting and on their feet. If that is your situation, our elderly caregiver placements page explains how we match for those roles.
- Predictable budgeting: an outpatient add-on turns a stream of small clinic bills into a fixed premium.
Other add-ons worth comparing, depending on your household:
- Higher medical limits above $60,000, to reduce the share you would carry on a very large bill.
- Wage compensation, which offsets her salary while she is hospitalised and unable to work.
- Third-party liability, if she accidentally injures someone or damages their property.
- Overseas cover, if she travels with your family, since treatment outside Singapore can be excluded.
- Refund terms, meaning whether you get a pro-rated premium refund if the employment ends early.
We do not sell insurance and cannot give financial advice, so compare plans directly with insurers. If you are unsure which camp you are in, our team is happy to talk through what other families in a similar situation tend to consider.
Claims, renewals and avoiding a lapse
The claims process is manageable when you know its shape in advance. Keep the original bills, receipts, medical reports and the doctor’s diagnosis, and submit them within the window your policy specifies. For admissible hospital claims, the insurer now pays the hospital directly for its share, so you settle only your portion.
Three habits make claims smoother:
- Fill in the proposal form accurately and keep a copy. Inaccurate or incomplete declarations can give an insurer grounds to reject a claim later.
- Read the claim window and required documents when you buy, not in a hospital corridor.
- Keep a simple log of dates, names, the claim number and the documents you submitted, which makes follow-ups much faster.
Renewals need the same care. MOM’s guide to renewing a Work Permit says you need a new security bond and extended or new insurance, and the renewed permit’s validity can be shortened by the insurance validity. Valid insurance is a condition of the Work Permit, and an uninsured helper who falls ill leaves you paying the full bill. Set a reminder well ahead of the expiry date on both policies. Insurance sits alongside the monthly levy as one of the recurring costs to plan for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is maid insurance compulsory in Singapore?
Yes, MOM requires employers to buy both medical insurance and personal accident insurance before the helper arrives and keep them valid throughout her employment, as conditions of the Work Permit.
What is the minimum medical cover for a helper in 2026?
The medical policy must cover inpatient care and day surgery with an annual limit of at least $60,000, with every sub-limit also at least $60,000, and claims above $15,000 are shared 75% by the insurer and 25% by the employer.
Does the minimum policy cover seeing a GP?
Usually not, because MOM’s minimum covers inpatient care and day surgery, so routine outpatient visits are generally outside basic cover unless you buy an outpatient add-on, and you as employer still pay those costs.
Can my helper pay part of her medical bill?
No, MOM says employers must bear the costs of their helper’s necessary medical care and may not make her pay, including for amounts above the insurance limit or the 25% co-payment.
Are pre-existing conditions covered?
Under MOM’s standard exclusions from 1 July 2025, insurers may exclude treatment for a pre-existing condition known to you or your helper before the cover started, during her first 12 months with you, so ask how any declared condition will be handled.
Conclusion
Getting insurance right is less about spending more and more about understanding what you are buying. The law requires both medical and personal accident cover, the medical minimum is a hospital floor rather than all-round protection, and any gap is yours to pay, never your helper’s. Know the exclusions, decide whether a top-up suits your household, and keep both policies valid with renewal dates tracked.
Insurance is one of the first things to settle when you bring a helper into your home. 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.
