Part 2 — Ex-Singapore helper: re-hiring from overseas

Who this is for: the helper has worked in Singapore as an MDW before, has returned to her home country, and you want to bring her back.

This is a genuinely useful middle path. On the MOM side it is simpler than a fresh hire — she is not a first-time helper, so no SIP is required, and MOM already holds her employment record. But she still has to leave her own country legally, so source-country rules apply. How heavy those are depends entirely on her nationality.

2.1 Confirm she is still eligible

• Age. MOM's published criterion is 23 to below 50 at application. Some agency websites claim a lower minimum for returning helpers — do not rely on that. Verify her position with MOM directly on 6438 5122 if she is near a boundary.
• No re-entry restriction. If a previous employment ended badly, she may be barred. Check her employment history in the FDW eService, and ask her directly and specifically.
• Not in Singapore during the application. Non-Malaysian helpers must be outside Singapore while MOM processes the application, and can only enter after you have the IPA and the security bond is in place.
• Passport valid — at least six months, and preferably longer. Several source countries impose their own minimum validity for exit clearance.

2.2 Your checklist before applying

• EOP completed at least 2 working days ago, if this is your first helper
• Employer eligibility confirmed (Part 0.1)
• Her MOM employment history checked
• Her written consent to apply for a Work Permit on her behalf
• Her passport details, exactly as printed
• Your and your household members' personal particulars
• Your income information
• Measles immunity checked if you have unvaccinated under-7s
• You have contacted her country's embassy or high commission in Singapore to confirm what they require for a returning worker (Part 2.5)

2.3 The MOM side, step by step

Step 1 — Get her written consent, then apply.
MOM requires the foreigner's written consent before you apply for a work pass on her behalf: mom.gov.sg/…/why-must-i-get-a-foreigners-written-consent-before-applying-for-a-work-pass-for-them

Apply through the FDW eService. Pay S$35. Processing: about 1 week. Paper form route: about 3 weeks.

Step 2 — Receive the IPA and check it letter by letter.
MOM emails the IPA and declaration forms for you both to sign. Send her a copy — she needs it to board and to clear immigration.

If she needs more time to arrive, extend the IPA validity through the eService rather than letting it lapse.

Step 3 — Before she flies.

• Buy the S$5,000 security bond and have the details sent to MOM (up to 3 working days). Effective date must cover her arrival day.
• Buy medical insurance (≥S$60,000/yr) and personal accident insurance (≥S$60,000/yr)
• She prints the full IPA letter set
• She meets current ICA entry requirements: https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-transit-depart/entering-singapore
• She has completed whatever her own government requires (Part 2.5)

Step 4 — After she arrives.

• Pre-employment medical examination within 14 days, by a Singapore-registered doctor. She brings MOM's medical form: mom.gov.sg/…/medical_form.pdf — screens for tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis and malaria, and general fitness. She must pass before the permit can be issued. If she fails, she must be sent home.
• No SIP required — she is not a first-time helper. MOM will confirm this in the IPA.

Step 5 — Get the permit issued, within 2 weeks of arrival.

• Log in to the eService and request issuance
• Give a delivery address for the card
• Nominate up to 3 authorised recipients with their NRIC/FIN/passport, mobile and email
• Pay S$35
• Print the Temporary Work Permit and give it to her — valid 1 month

You can also apply for a POSB payroll account for her salary during issuance.

Step 6 — Fingerprints, digital pass, card.
The Temporary Work Permit states whether she must register fingerprints and photo at MOM Services Centre – Hall C. If required, she must do so within 1 week of issuance, by appointment. She brings her original passport, appointment letter, Temporary Work Permit, and her phone with a local number and both the Singpass and SGWorkPass apps installed.

The card is delivered within 5 working days of registration or document verification. After two failed delivery attempts you collect it from MOM Services Centre.

2.4 Set up your ongoing obligations

• GIRO for levy — starts the day after arrival for a returning helper
• Diarise the first 6ME
• Written employment contract covering salary, rest days, duties, notice period
• Salary paid within 7 days of it falling due, in full, at the amount declared to MOM

2.5 Source-country requirements for returning helpers

Philippines. Returning and vacationing Filipino workers still require contract verification by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) at the Philippine Embassy before deployment. Under DMW Advisory No. 25, Series of 2025 — effective for contracts entered into or renewed from 21 October 2025 — the minimum monthly salary for Filipino domestic workers is USD 500, applied as SGD 650 in Singapore. Contact MWO Singapore before you finalise anything.

Indonesia. A returning helper who already holds an e-PMI (the Indonesian digital migrant worker ID) generally does not need a fresh registration if she is returning after home leave. But a new employer and a new contract usually mean fresh documentation through the Indonesian Embassy's labour service. The Embassy also operates its own performance bond requirement, separate from and additional to MOM's S$5,000 security bond, and applies its own minimum salary guidance. Confirm the current position with the Embassy directly — none of this is MOM's requirement and MOM cannot advise on it.

Myanmar. Even for returning workers, exit clearance runs through Myanmar's government controls. Boarding at Yangon has been unpredictable. Speak to the Myanmar Embassy and expect uncertainty in your timeline.

India. Singapore is not on India's Emigration Check Required (ECR) list, so a Protector of Emigrants emigration clearance is generally not required for a Singapore-bound domestic worker, regardless of her passport's ECR status. This makes India the lightest source-country process of the five. Confirm at https://www.mea.gov.in/emigration-abroad-for-emp

Sri Lanka. SLBFE registration is required and valid for two years, with a renewal fee thereafter. Registration can be obtained through the Sri Lankan mission in Singapore at renewal or at change of employer. The High Commission also operates a refundable deposit and a minimum wage floor — see Part 3E, which applies to re-hires too.

2.6 What goes wrong in re-hires

Official page: mom.gov.sg/…/apply-for-work-permit

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