Guides · For employers
Hiring a Sri Lankan domestic worker in Singapore
The High Commission publishes an explicit direct-employment procedure. SLBFE registration, refundable deposit, and minimum wage explained.
3E — Sri Lanka
The position
The second genuinely self-service fresh-hire route. The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore publishes an explicit application procedure for direct employment contracts, which presumes the employer has obtained the MOM IPA independently.
Procedure: lanka.com.sg/…/application-procedure-for-direct-employment-contracts
Sequence
Step 1 — Complete the MOM application first. Follow Part 3.2 Stages 1–2. You need the IPA before the High Commission will process anything.
Step 2 — Get documents verified at the High Commission. Walk-in submissions only, weekdays 09:00–13:00. Bring:
Payment: cash or direct bank transfer.
Step 3 — Pay the refundable deposit.
A refundable deposit of SGD 1,350 is payable regardless of the agreed salary. It is refunded when the contract terminates. This is a Sri Lankan High Commission requirement, entirely separate from and additional to MOM's S$5,000 security bond. Budget for both.
Step 4 — Minimum wage.
The minimum wage to recruit a Sri Lankan migrant worker is SGD 550 per month.
Step 5 — Send the verified documents to her for SLBFE authorisation.
Scan the verified documents and send them to her. She gets them authorised by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and signs the contract.
SLBFE registration is mandatory for all migrant workers, at roughly SGD 150 equivalent in LKR, valid two years, renewable at about SGD 32.
She will also need, on the Sri Lankan side:
- Passport valid for the required period
- SLBFE pre-departure training certificate — mandatory for domestic workers
- Family Background Report if she is 45 or under and has children aged 2–18. Issued by Development Officers at the District Secretariat, covering her childcare arrangements. Mandatory for SLBFE registration. Women over 45 submit a self-declaration instead.
- Completed "H" Form and other SLBFE approval documents
Step 6 — She departs; you complete Part 3.2 Stages 3–7.
Contacts
High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore
Direct employment procedure: lanka.com.sg/…/application-procedure-for-direct-employment-contracts
Downloadable labour forms: https://www.lanka.com.sg/labour-section-downloads/
Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment: https://www.slbfe.lk/
Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Going to the High Commission before you hold the IPA | Turned away. The IPA is a required document. |
| Arriving outside 09:00–13:00 on a weekday | Walk-in only, narrow window, no appointments |
| Budgeting only for MOM's S$5,000 bond | The SGD 1,350 High Commission deposit is separate and additional. |
| Agreeing a salary below SGD 550 | Below the High Commission's floor. Documents will not be verified. |
| Family Background Report not obtained | SLBFE registration blocked, so she cannot depart. Start this early — it involves a District Secretariat visit. |
| Skipping SLBFE pre-departure training | Mandatory for domestic workers. She cannot register without it. |
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