Guides · For employers

Part 1 — Transfer: hiring a helper already working in Singapore

Step-by-step guide to transferring a migrant domestic worker from another employer in Singapore, including the 30-day rule and consent process.

Who this is for: the helper is currently in Singapore on a valid Work Permit with another employer, and both she and her current employer agree to the move.

Why this route is the fastest. She is already here. There is no flight, no source-country clearance, no embassy contract verification, no SIP, and no departure risk. This is the only route where "direct hire" works end to end with no agency on either side, for any nationality.

The one thing that stops it: her current employer must consent. There is no way around this. Not at contract end, not after a dispute, not ever. If they refuse, the transfer cannot proceed.

1.1 Before you apply — the 30-day rule

Her Work Permit must have more than 30 days of validity left when you start. The first two steps below must be completed at least 30 days before her permit expires.

If her permit is closer to expiry than that, her current employer can request a short extension through the FDW eService first. Sort that out before you begin.

Also confirm with her current employer that her six-monthly medical examination (6ME) is up to date. If it is due, the current employer must send her for it. A transfer will not proceed with an overdue 6ME.

6ME requirements: mom.gov.sg/…/six-monthly-medical-examination

1.2 Your checklist before applying

EOP completed at least 2 working days ago, if this is your first helper (Part 0.3)
You meet employer eligibility (Part 0.1)
Her permit has more than 30 days left
Her 6ME is current, confirmed with the current employer
You have checked her MOM employment history yourself
You have agreed salary, rest days and duties with her in writing
You have spoken directly to the current employer and they have agreed to consent
Measles immunity checked if you have unvaccinated under-7s (Part 0.7)
Her passport details to hand

1.3 The four steps

Step 1 — Request the current employer's consent.
Log in to the FDW eService and submit a transfer consent request. MOM emails the current employer, who then logs in and approves it. Wait for that email to reach them — they cannot approve a request they have not received.

Step 2 — Apply for the Work Permit.
Once consent is given, apply through the same eService. Pay S$35. Outcome within about 1 week. If approved, MOM emails the IPA, which you can also download from the eService along with the declaration form.

Step 3 — Prepare for the transfer.
Complete everything listed on the IPA:

Buy the S$5,000 security bond, and have your bank or insurer send details to MOM (up to 3 working days)
Buy medical insurance (≥S$60,000/yr) and personal accident insurance (≥S$60,000/yr)
Print the declaration form from the eService
Both you and the helper sign the declaration form

Step 4 — Issue the permit on the agreed transfer date.
Agree the exact handover date with the current employer. On that date, log in to the eService and:

Get the new Work Permit issued (S$35)
Upload the signed declaration form
Print the Temporary Work Permit and give it to her

Her old permit is cancelled automatically the moment the new one is issued. She can start work for you immediately on the Temporary Work Permit.

Deadline for issuance: whichever comes first — 21 days from Work Permit approval, or her current permit's expiry date. Miss it and an overstaying fine applies.

Need to move the date? If both employers agree, extend the IPA expiry through the eService and print the updated IPA showing the new issuance deadline.

1.4 What the current employer must do

Worth knowing so you can prompt them:

Send her for the 6ME if it is due.
Wait for MOM's email, then log in and approve your transfer request.
Pay levy up to the date you issue the new permit. Their levy billing stops automatically then.
Cut the cancelled Work Permit card in half and discard it.

Their security bond is discharged about a week after she starts working for you.

1.5 After she starts

SIP: not required. She has worked in Singapore before, so she is not a first-time helper.
Pre-employment medical: not required for a transfer. But her 6ME cycle continues — track when the next one falls due.
Levy starts the day after transfer at your applicable rate. Set up GIRO.
Work Permit card arrives at your nominated address within 5 working days after her documents are verified.
Digital work pass — help her set up the SGWorkPass app: https://www.mom.gov.sg/eservices/sgworkpass

1.6 What goes wrong in transfers

Problem	Why it happens	How to avoid it
Current employer withdraws consent midway	The relationship sours during the notice period, or they find a replacement first	Agree the transfer date in writing with all three parties before you apply
Permit expires during processing	Started with under 30 days remaining	Check her permit expiry date on day one; ask the current employer for an extension if tight
Overdue 6ME blocks the transfer	Neither employer tracked it	Confirm the 6ME date before you apply, not after
Issuance deadline missed	Handover date slipped, IPA not extended	Diarise the 21-day deadline the moment you receive the IPA
She works for you before the permit is issued	"Just helping out" during the gap	Illegal deployment under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. She works for you from the moment the Temporary Work Permit is printed, not a day earlier.
Security bond details not filed in time	Assumed it was instant	Allow 3 working days for the bank or insurer to transmit to MOM

Official page: mom.gov.sg/…/transfer-to-a-new-employer

If she is between employers and staying at an agency, the process runs through the agency instead: mom.gov.sg/…/transfer-to-new-employer-through-ea

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