Transferring your helper to another employer in Singapore

What "transferring a helper" means under MOM

A migrant domestic worker (MDW, often just called a helper) in Singapore works on a Work Permit that is tied to one specific employer. When she changes employers, that Work Permit is cancelled and a new one is issued in the new employer's name. The helper does not need to leave Singapore for this to happen. The whole transition takes place locally, usually over a few weeks.

This is different from hiring a helper from overseas, where she enters Singapore on a fresh In-Principle Approval (IPA) and goes through medical screening, settling-in arrangements, and a placement contract from scratch. A transfer is faster, less expensive, and the helper is already adjusted to Singapore.

The MOM process needs three things to be true:

• The current employer consents to the transfer.
• The helper consents to the transfer.
• The new employer applies for a Work Permit in her name and is approved.

Without all three, the transfer doesn't happen. The first two are conversations; the third is an application.

The step-by-step process

1. Agree, in principle, between the families

Before any paperwork starts, the current employer, the new employer, and the helper should align on the basics. When will the transfer happen? What will her new salary be? What are her days off, her sleeping arrangement, the household she'd be joining? This is where introductions matter — ideally the helper has met the next family and there's been a real conversation, not just a name on a form.

2. The new employer applies for a Work Permit

The new employer submits a Work Permit application through MOM's FDW eService portal, indicating that this is a transfer (not a new hire from overseas). The application includes the current employer's consent — without it, MOM won't process the transfer.

If the new employer hasn't hired a helper in Singapore before, they'll need to complete the Employers' Orientation Programme (EOP) first. It's a short online course; most people finish it in under an hour.

3. In-Principle Approval (IPA) is issued

Once MOM is satisfied with the application, an IPA letter is issued to both employers. This is the green light. The IPA is typically valid for a few months — long enough to coordinate the handover.

4. The helper completes a medical examination

Before the new Work Permit is issued, the helper completes the standard six-monthly medical examination (if she's due for one) to confirm she's fit to continue working. This is straightforward and usually arranged via the same clinics most employers already use.

5. The new Work Permit is issued

After the medical clears, MOM issues the new Work Permit card in the new employer's name. As of mid-2020, the card displays a QR code rather than employer details — the employer information is accessible via the SGWorkPass app, so the same physical card can persist across employers in some cases. The old permit is automatically voided.

Only after the new Work Permit has been issued can the helper legally start working for the new family. Until that moment, she's still employed by the original family.

6. The handover happens

This is the human part of the process. The helper moves households, the families exchange any practical information that matters (her preferences, her cooking, what her current routine looks like), and the new employer's responsibilities begin — salary, medical insurance (minimum S$60,000 coverage), levy payments, food, accommodation, the lot.

Who pays what

This is one of the most common sources of confusion, so it's worth being precise.

The current employer continues to pay the monthly levy until the transfer is finalised. Once the new permit is issued, the levy responsibility shifts to the new employer.

The new employer pays the Work Permit application fee (currently $35 issuance + $35 renewal-type costs, subject to change), the medical examination if it falls in this window, the new permit's recurring monthly levy, the helper's salary, and the medical insurance and Personal Accident Insurance required by MOM.

The helper should not be paying any of this. MOM's rules are explicit that placement and transfer fees are the employer's responsibility, not the helper's. Any structure that has her paying a recruiter, an agency, or anyone else for the right to be transferred is one to walk away from.

The decisions that aren't on the form

The MOM process answers how. It doesn't answer the questions families actually find hard. A short, honest list:

Is this the right helper for our household?

A transfer helper comes with a track record — she's been working in a Singapore home, often for years. That's a real advantage over an unknown candidate. But "experienced in someone else's home" is not the same as "right for ours." What worked well for the referring family might not be what your household needs. The most important thing you can do before a transfer is have a long, unhurried conversation with her — ideally in person — about how your home runs and how she sees herself fitting in.

What if she's leaving the previous family because of friction?

Sometimes the answer is honest and unremarkable (the children grew up, the family is relocating, she'd like a different kind of work). Sometimes it isn't, and that's worth knowing. The cleanest signal is to talk to the previous employer directly, not via paperwork. A family that genuinely vouches for a helper will say so plainly; a family that's relieved to be passing on a difficult situation usually telegraphs it, even unintentionally.

What about her family back home, her contract length, her own plans?

A helper is a person making her own choices. The transfer might be aligned with what she actually wants, or it might be a path of least resistance. Asking her directly — not via a translator, not via the current employer — about her own plans is the most respectful step in the process. It's also the one most often skipped.

Where agencies and referrals fit

Singapore's licensed Employment Agencies (EAs) handle transfers end-to-end, including custody of the helper between employers if there's a gap. They source helpers, hold rosters, screen in bulk, and charge a placement fee. For families who want a single counter-party managing everything, this can make sense.

A referral starts from a different place: a family who already knows the helper passes her on to another family, with a careful introduction and the MOM paperwork coordinated. No roster to choose from — just the helper in front of you and the family vouching for her.

One is not better than the other; they suit different situations. If you need to hire within a week, a referral platform almost certainly isn't fast enough. If you're flexible on timing and you'd rather meet one well-vouched-for helper than scan twenty biodata sheets, a referral path can be calmer.

One thing worth knowing: MOM has said publicly that agencies "should only offer matching services and cannot provide false or excessive assurances, such as the promise of higher pay or lighter workload, to entice MDWs to change employers." Not all agencies operate at that standard. Asking direct questions — what fees the helper pays, what assurances she's been given, how her transfer was initiated — usually surfaces the answer.

A few practical pointers

• Get the IPA before you make commitments. Verbal agreements about timing are fine to start; firm dates should wait for the IPA in hand.
• Don't rush the handover conversation. Set aside an evening, not 20 minutes. Talk about how your house works, where your children are at, what the helper's existing routine looks like. Mismatches surface in this conversation if there are any.
• Ask the previous family the awkward question. "Why is she leaving you?" — phrased that directly, in private, gets the most honest answer. It's not rude; it's the question that actually matters.
• Buy the right insurance. MOM requires at least S$60,000 in medical insurance and the standard Personal Accident Insurance. Most insurers offer transfer-helper policies specifically.
• Pay the levy on the right schedule. Set up GIRO before the transfer date. A missed levy payment can revoke the Work Permit, and reinstating one is a hassle no one needs.

Useful MOM resources

The official source — ahead of any third-party blog — is the Ministry of Manpower:

• MOM — Work Permit for migrant domestic worker
• MOM eServices — including the FDW eService portal
• Employers' Orientation Programme (EOP)

For most questions, MOM's own pages are clearer than the secondary sources. If you're stuck, MOM's hotline (6438 5122) takes calls in working hours.

If this guide was useful, the rest of the site explains how Helper Circle works in more detail, including the trade-offs of going through a referral platform versus a traditional agency or direct hire.