Frequently Asked Questions

Because our maid agencies from Bestmaid provide selected, well trained and quality maids and we value the needs of our customers.

Yes. All the maid agencies listed at Bestmaid are Licensed. Ministry of Man Power issues the license to operate the Maids Recruitment and Deployment business.

If the application is done in correct manner to process the Work Permit for the maid, it takes anywhere from one week to four weeks for maid to arrive and start working for the employer. It also depends on the country of maid in some cases.

As per MOM (Ministry of Manpower) regulation, an employer needs to pay the maids levy, which is a kind of monthly tax, paid to government on every single foreign domestic worker employed in republic of Singapore.

The Levy is S$300.00 per month or $9.87 per day for the period the work permit is valid. For Singaporean with young children below 16 years old, elderly at least 67 years old or Person with disabilities (PWD), certified by Singapore-registered doctor, living under the same household, the government offers a concessionary rate of $60 per month. You must pay the levy using General Interbank Recurring Order (GIRO).

You can only employ maid from MOM (Ministry of Manpower) approved source country or region, including Indonesia, Philippines, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Employer is responsible for the repatriation of the maid once the usual contract of 2 years expires unless it is renewed. You are required to post a security deposit (bond) of $5,000 for every maid with the Work Permit Department, MOM. If you fail to repatriate the maid after cancellation of her work permit, you risk losing the $5,000 security deposit (bond).

Employer can purchase an insurance policy from ANDA or NTUC Income, which is much more cheaper alternative as compared to making the $5,000/- deposit.

Employers need to purchase personal accident insurance coverage for the maid, the minimum sum insured is $10,000. You can purchase such insurance with various options at the following Insuring Agencies:

• Augaries Insurance: 116 Lavender Street, #02-05 Pek Chuan Building, Singapore 338730 (Tel: 6293 6232)
• ANDA Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd: 60 Eu Tong Sen Street, #01-13/14 Furama Hotel & Shopping Centre, Singapore 059804 (Tel: 6534-2288)
• NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative Ltd: 75 Bras Basah Road, NTUC Income Centre, Singapore 189557 (Tel: 6336-3322)

Yes, Within 14 days from the date of to Singapore, she must get herself examined by a certified medical institution and only if she passes her medical test as deemed to fit for working then she can work for the employer. Such medical examination is required every six-month for the medical screening, for VDRL, pregnancy, and HIV.

As an Employer, you are liable to pay full cost of the medical expense, including hospitalization. So its better to have insurance coverage for hospitalization expenses for your maid.

You can claim tax relief if:

1. you are a married woman and has elected for separate assessment; or
2. you are married and your husband is not resident in Singapore; or
3. you are separated or divorced or widowed and living with your unmarried child for whom you can claim child relief.

The relief is two times the amount of maid levy paid for one maid. It can only be set off against the earned income of the wife. Single taxpayers are not eligible for this relief. You can get the relief even if the levy is paid by the husband.

Your maid would like to send her monthly salary back to her family regularly. You can engage remittance service from various providers including:

• ActionPlus Remittance Services - 133 New Bridge Road, #03-05 Chinatown Point
• Ameertech Remittance Services - 291 Serangoon Road, Serangoon Building
• J-Dee Remittance Services - 2 Beach Road, #01-4791
• And many others listed on MOM website

You should cancel her work permit immediately to stop the levy payment. You are then given 1 month to locate and repatriate her. Otherwise, you risk losing the $5,000 security deposit.

You must repatriate the maid immediately.

Presently MOM regulation does not allow the part-time employment of maids.

Transfer Maids are usually already available locally means they are not to be brought in from their country of origin. Mostly "Transfer Maids" are from another employer's and they are seeking a new employer for various reasons such as the expiry of 2 years contract or employers discontinuing the service of maid for whatever reasons.

The employer is responsible for following as per MOM regulations:

• To pay her salary on a timely basis.
• To provide adequate food and suitable accommodation.
• To provide medical care (includes hospitalization).
• To provide a safe working environment.
• To give her the respect.
• To treat her as a human being.

For Local Employers:

• Identity Card (as well as those of members of his household)
• Proof of income in the form of Notice of Assessment
• CPF contribution statement for last 3 months (if applicable)

For Expatriate Employers:

• Passport Copy of self and family members
• Employment pass and dependent pass copies
• Proof of income or employment letter

Ministry of Manpower (MOM) needs following set of documents in order:

1. A letter to MOM for terminating maid's services and repatriating her.
2. A ticket to the maid's country of origin.
3. Maid's passport copy.
4. Maid's work permit card.

Myanmar maid salary is around Singapore Dollars $450-$550 depending on maid skills, around $100 lower than Indonesian maid and Filipino maid. The more experienced Myanmar maid or Myanmar transfer maid salary is $500~$650 and above.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration's stipulated for Filipino maid minimum salary of Singapore Dollars $570. Filipino maid salary starts from $570 to $650 for new maid or transfer maid with a few months experience. The more experienced/transfer Filipino maid salary is $600 to $750 or more. The more the experienced or the more skill, the higher the salary.

Indonesian maid salary starts from Singapore Dollar $550-$570 for new maid. Experienced Indonesian maid salary is from $600 to $750 and above. The more the experience or the more skill sets, the higher the salary.

Sri Lankan Maid salary is around Singapore Dollars $480.00 to $550.00 for new maid. Experienced Sri Lankan Maid salary starts from $650 and more. The more the experience, the higher the salary.

Indian maid salary is around Singapore Dollars $400.00 to $600.00. The more the experience, the higher the salary.

Around Singapore Dollars $400.00 to $600.00. The more the experience, the higher the salary.

From Singapore Dollars $480. The more the experience, the higher the salary.

Transfer maids refer to those maids who have are currently staying in Singapore. Transfer maids can be interviewed in person.

New Maids refer to those maids who are currently not staying in Singapore. Even if they have worked in Singapore or other countries, they are still classified as "New Maids" as long as they are currently not in Singapore.

Maid agencies provide you professional and comprehensive service in maid recruitment and employment. A maid agency saves your a lot of effort in maid training, Work Permit application, security bond, insurance, travel arrangement, immigration clearance, medical screening, etc.

You can employ a maid from Ministry of Manpower (MOM) approved source of countries as a Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW). The countries are: Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.