If you are looking for a helper in Singapore, you will quickly reach a fork in the road: go through a licensed maid agency, or take on a direct hire domestic helper and handle the process yourself. Both routes are legal, both have genuine advantages, and both have trade-offs worth understanding before you sign anything. This guide explains what direct hiring actually involves, the real pros and cons of each route, the costs and paperwork that apply either way, and which households tend to suit which option.
We are an agency, so we will be upfront about that. But the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) itself says in its guide to the 8 steps to hiring a helper that direct hiring “could be more affordable, but it requires more effort on your part.” That is a fair summary, and the rest of this guide fills in the detail.
The aim is for you to decide based on your own household’s needs, not on what you heard from a friend or saw in an online group.
What direct hiring actually means in Singapore
Direct hiring means you find and engage a migrant domestic worker (MDW) without a licensed Singapore agency handling the matching and placement. You do the sourcing, interviewing and checks, and you submit the applications to MOM yourself.
In practice it happens in two ways:
- Transfer hiring. You take on a helper who is already working in Singapore and wants to change employers. You might find her through referrals, community groups or online platforms. This is the most common form of direct hiring.
- Overseas direct hiring. You identify a candidate in her home country and manage the Work Permit and her entry yourself. This is less common because it is logistically harder, and her home country may have its own requirements, such as the Philippines’ Overseas Employment Certificate.
For most Singapore families, a direct hire maid in practice means a transfer helper found without a local agency. Our guide to how the transfer process runs covers that route step by step.
What applies whichever route you choose
The legal obligations are the same with or without an agency. Before comparing the two, it helps to know what you will be doing or paying either way. Based on MOM’s current requirements:
- Employers’ Orientation Programme (EOP). Compulsory for first-time employers, at least 2 working days before the Work Permit application. The online EOP costs $29 to $36 and the classroom version $35 to $76.
- Work Permit fees. $35 to apply and $35 on issuance.
- Security bond. $5,000 per helper, as a banker’s or insurer’s guarantee, for all helpers except Malaysians.
- Insurance. Medical insurance with an annual claim limit of at least $60,000, and personal accident cover of at least $60,000. You cannot pass the cost to her.
- Levy. $300 a month for your first helper, or $60 if you qualify for a concession.
- Settling-in Programme. A first-time helper must attend within 7 days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays, at $76.40 to $92.65.
- Medical examinations. Within 2 weeks of arrival for a new helper, then every 6 months.
The difference between the routes is who does the legwork and who carries the risk if something goes wrong. Our Work Permit application guide walks through the paperwork in order.
The pros of hiring through a licensed agency
Screened candidates and verified details
A reputable agency does a great deal of work before you ever meet a candidate: checking documents, assessing work experience and household skills, and talking to her about her expectations. MOM says your agency must give you the helper’s detailed biodata, such as her age, name and skills, and advises you to check with the agency how it ensured those details are accurate. You are not meeting a stranger with an unverified history.
Matching that fits your household
Experienced consultants get a feel for which candidates suit which homes: young children, an elderly parent, pets, or several generations under one roof. This is undervalued. A helper who is technically capable but a poor fit for your household will cause friction that good communication cannot fully fix. At Femme5 we spend time understanding what a household needs before recommending anyone, share maid profiles on request, and pre-train helpers before placement, as described in how we pre-train helpers.
Paperwork handled correctly
An agency manages the Work Permit application, insurance, security bond, medical appointments and the Settling-in Programme booking. For first-time employers, that saves a lot of time and lowers the chance of a procedural error that delays the start date.
A legal refund if it goes wrong early
This is a protection that only exists on the agency route. MOM’s rules on the refund of agency service fees require agencies to refund at least 50% of the service fees you paid if the helper’s employment ends within the first 6 months, for contracts signed on or after 1 June 2022. It covers the original helper and up to two replacements. There are exceptions, for example if you broke the law, did not tell the agency in reasonable time, or hired her as a caregiver, as stated in the service agreement, and the care is no longer needed because the person being cared for has passed away or moved to alternative care. Government fees, home-country fees and her placement loan are excluded, and agencies cannot set their own conditions. Replacement terms beyond this vary by agency, so read the service agreement.
Someone to call
MOM’s hiring guide lists agency post-placement checks among the ways a placement is followed up. If there is a misunderstanding, a performance concern or a situation that needs a calm third party, you have someone to ring. Ask any agency, including us, exactly what support it offers after placement.
The cons of hiring through an agency
Agency fees
This is the main reason families consider direct hiring. MOM notes that agencies charge for their services, which adds to costs. Fees vary with the helper’s country, her experience and what the package includes, so ask for an itemised breakdown and compare like with like. Our guide to maid agency fees explains what is usually included. Note that MOM caps the fees an agency can charge the helper herself at one month of her salary per year of service, up to two months.
Quality varies between agencies
Not all agencies are equal. One that prioritises volume over fit can place someone quickly while matching poorly. Check that any agency is licensed in MOM’s EA directory, which also shows its retention rate and how many helpers it placed last year. Engaging an unlicensed agency is an offence. Our checklist on how to find a good maid agency covers what else to ask.
A narrower pool
With one agency, you choose from the candidates it currently has. If your requirements are very specific, you may wait longer or feel pressure to compromise.
The pros of a direct hire domestic helper
Lower upfront cost
You avoid agency service fees. With a transfer helper, your main costs are the government fees, bond, insurance and levy listed above. For employers who have hired before and trust their own screening, the saving can be meaningful.
More control over the search
You can review profiles at your own pace, interview as many candidates as you like and take as long as you need. You are not limited to one agency’s pool, which some experienced employers with clear requirements prefer.
A direct relationship from the start
Because you select her yourself, there is no intermediary shaping the match. Some employers feel this gives them a cleaner read of the candidate.
The cons of hiring directly
You carry the administrative load
Work Permit applications, the bond, insurance, medical appointments and the Settling-in Programme are all on you. For an experienced employer this is manageable. For a first-time employer it can be overwhelming, and a mistake can delay the process. For a transfer, MOM’s direct transfer rules require her current Work Permit to be valid for more than 30 days and her six-monthly medical to be done, and the current employer must give consent through FDW eService. You then have 21 days from approval, or until the old permit expires if sooner, to issue the new permit.
No screening safety net
Checking her history falls to you. MOM lets a prospective employer check an MDW’s employment history by logging in to FDW eService with Singpass, using her name or FIN, nationality and date of birth. Treat that record as a starting point rather than a full reference. Ask for previous employers’ contact details and call them: how long she worked there, what she did, why she left and whether they would hire her again. A candidate who will not share any references is a warning sign. Many direct hirers skip these steps because a friend made the introduction, and that is where problems start.
You must check her eligibility yourself
For a new Work Permit, MOM’s eligibility rules say she must be female, aged 23 to below 50 when the application is made, have at least 8 years of formal education with a recognised certificate, and come from an approved source country or region such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar or India. Check before you commit to a candidate.
No refund and no one to mediate
If it does not work out, there is no refund rule to fall back on. You start the search again, absorb the costs and manage the Work Permit cancellation and her return home yourself. Disputes during the employment have no agency to help resolve them, so you handle them alone or seek advice from MOM.
Who should consider each option
The agency route usually makes more sense if:
- you are a first-time employer, or returning after a long gap;
- you want the 50% service fee refund protection in the first 6 months;
- you want matching for a specific need, such as newborn or elderly care;
- you do not have time to run the search and the paperwork yourself.
Direct hiring may be worth exploring if:
- you have hired and managed helpers before;
- you are confident in your own interviewing and reference checks;
- you are hiring a transfer helper with a work history you can verify;
- you have a referral source you genuinely trust.
For most families, especially first-time employers, the cost of a mismatch in time and household disruption tends to outweigh the agency fee. If you decide on the agency route, our full-time helper placements page explains how we work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is direct hiring of a domestic helper legal in Singapore?
Yes, MOM allows employers to hire a helper directly without an agency, but you must still meet every requirement yourself, including the EOP if you are a first-time employer, the Work Permit application, the $5,000 security bond, the required insurance and the monthly levy.
Is a direct hire maid cheaper than going through an agency?
Usually yes upfront, because you avoid the agency service fee, but government fees, the bond, insurance and levy are the same either way, and you lose the legal right to a refund of at least 50% of agency service fees if the employment ends within 6 months.
Can I hire a helper who is already in Singapore without an agency?
Yes, you can request a direct transfer through FDW eService, but her current employer must give consent, her Work Permit must be valid for more than 30 days, and her six-monthly medical examination must be up to date.
How do I check a direct hire candidate’s background?
Log in to MOM’s FDW eService with Singpass to view her Singapore employment history using her name or FIN, nationality and date of birth, then call her previous employers yourself to ask about her duties, her reasons for leaving and whether they would rehire her.
What happens if a direct hire does not work out?
You have no agency refund or replacement to rely on, so you cancel the Work Permit, arrange her repatriation or a transfer, and restart the search at your own cost.
Conclusion
Direct hiring is legal and can cost less upfront, and for experienced employers with a trusted referral it can work well. The agency route costs more but brings screening, matching, help with the paperwork and a legal refund if the placement ends early. The obligations to your helper are identical either way.
Whichever route you choose, verify her history, check her eligibility and confirm current requirements on the MOM website before you apply. Rules and fees do change.
If you would like to compare both routes for your own situation, we are happy to talk it through without any pressure. 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.
