To provide you with an idea of what to expect in Singapore’s domestic helper market 2023, here’s a rough estimate of the average maid agency fees in Singapore:
Work Permit Application or Renewal Fees
Standard SGD 35 for the application fees whether you apply by yourself or through an agency.
Settling-in programme (SIP)
As the name suggests, this is a programme that will help you helper ease into living and working in Singapore. This programme costs SGD 75 and is a mandatory programme for fresh maids only. This is not necessary If you are hiring a transfer maid from another household in Singapore.
Admin / Documentation Cost
What is included in this admin or documentation costs? You should expect that the standard fees for medical check-ups, insurance, training, and transportation costs, MOM fees etc. might add up to a range from SGD 500 to SGD 1,000.
As often seen, there might be some slight cost variation when hiring domestic helpers from different nationalities. For instance, Filipino helpers often have more extensive documentation needs, contributing to higher documentation costs required by the respective embassies.
Maid Insurance
It is mandatory for you to provide your domestic helper with an insurance plan that covers at least $15,000/year for inpatient care or day surgery and a sum assured of $60,000/year in case of unexpected events that cause permanent injury or death.
Renew your maid insurance with us and get $100 fee waiver from A1maid.com.sg!
Security Bond
As an employer to a foreign domestic worker, you are required to pay MOM a security bond of $5,000 for every helper you hire (except for Malaysian helpers). This bond is to ensure both you and your helpers do not break the laws or Singapore’s Work Permit conditions.
This amount will be returned to you oncer your helper’s work permit is cancelled and has returned back to her home country.
As most might find this sum hefty to fork, with an insurance plan in place, most are able to limit this liability. In this case, we are able to limit this liability to SGD 250 when you engage with us.
It is important to note that employers are not allowed to pass this liability on to the helper.
Standard Placement Fees
Placement fees are a one-time upfront payable by the employer. Despite it being a substantial component that adds up to the initial payable fees, this is actually a loan back through deductions maid from your helper’s salary in the first few months of employment. The placement fees vary depending on the agency and it usually costs SGD $2000 and above
Salary
The salary of a domestic helper in Singapore ranges from about SGD $400 to SGD $650 per month depending on their skills and this is a recurrent expenses for as long as until contract ends. BeingIndonesian helpers are typically in a higher demand and therefore command a higher salary in this industry as compared to other nationalities due to their perceived maturity in the domestic helper market.
Agency Service Fees
Lastly, if you are engaging for help through a maid agency like most employers would, for a more hands off approach, depending on the agency, it can range up to $1000 on average. For those seeking cost-effective agency fees, A1 Employment Agency Pte Ltd stands out with a highly competitive promotional rate of only SGD 588 demonstrating our dedication to providing affordable solutions in the industry.
Not only that! We are also offering an ultimate guarantee of satisfaction when you hire with us by providing 100% agency fee back (an extended guarantee of MOM’s 50% refund regulation) if unsatisfied. Chat with us to find out more.
In conclusion, the average fees to hire a helper in Singapore can be easily SGD 2,000, excluding all the refundable deposits, placement fee loan backs and wages! The factors listed above are those you should consider when budgeting to hire a maid from a maid agency in 2023.