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Working in Hong Kong through the legal route

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated

The legal route for Indonesians to Hong Kong is foreign domestic work: the ID 407 contract, the minimum allowable wage and agency fee rules.

Summary

  • The main legal route for Indonesian migrant workers to Hong Kong is as a foreign domestic helper on the two-year ID 407 Standard Employment Contract.
  • The Hong Kong Government raised the Minimum Allowable Wage for contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026.
  • Foreign domestic helpers must live and work in the employer's home and may not work for anyone else.
  • Hong Kong agencies may take only a capped commission, after you receive your first month's wages, and may not charge any other fee.
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On this page
  1. Which legal work routes exist for Hong Kong?
  2. What rights do foreign domestic helpers have in Hong Kong?
  3. What should you check before signing a contract for Hong Kong?

What rights do foreign domestic helpers have in Hong Kong?

Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong have the same labour-law protection as local workers, plus extra protection from the standard contract. According to Hong Kong's Labour Department, employers must provide free accommodation, free food and free medical care. You are also entitled to rest days, statutory holidays and paid annual leave.

  • Wages follow the ID 407 Standard Employment Contract. An employer and helper may not privately agree on a lower wage.
  • Deductions for goods damaged through neglect are capped by law, both per case and per wage period.
  • If your employer needs you to work on a statutory holiday, they must give notice and arrange another day off. Holidays may not be "bought out" with money.
  • Disputes can go to the Labour Department's free consultation and conciliation service, then to the labour courts if they are not settled.
Minimum Allowable Wage and food allowance for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong
Area or group Official floor Approximate rupiah value
Hong Kong: food allowance in lieu Applies to: Minimum monthly food allowance if the employer does not provide free food; unchanged at the 2 October 2026 review HKD 1,236.00 per month In force from about IDR 2,816,034 rate as of 8 October 2026
Hong Kong: Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) Applies to: Minimum monthly wage of foreign domestic helpers on Standard Employment Contracts (ID 407) signed on or after 3 October 2026 Excludes: Food allowance, paid separately if free food is not provided HKD 5,220.00 per month In force from about IDR 11,892,961 rate as of 8 October 2026

Hong Kong SAR Government (Information Services Department press release) Labour Department, Hong Kong SAR Government

What should you check before signing a contract for Hong Kong?

Make sure your contract is the ID 407 Standard Employment Contract, because the Labour Department says any other contract is not enforceable in Hong Kong. Also check that the wage is not lower than the Minimum Allowable Wage on the day you sign, that the work address is the home where you will live, and that the P3MI recruiting you is listed as active on SISKOP2MI.

Which official channels can you contact?

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to use an agency to work in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong does not require one, but says the helper's own government may. From Indonesia, domestic helper employers are private individuals, and Law 18/2017 Article 63 lets independent Indonesian migrant workers work only for legal-entity employers. So the available route is through a licensed P3MI agency.

How long does a Hong Kong domestic helper visa take?

Hong Kong's Immigration Department says an application normally takes about four to six weeks once all required documents are received. This is an official estimate, not a guarantee, and it does not include the time needed to prepare documents in Indonesia.

What is the age limit for working in Hong Kong?

Age limits differ by legal route: Foreign domestic helper: at least 18 years. Check the route page again before you apply.

What is the minimum wage for working in Hong Kong?

The official pay floor for the Foreign domestic helper route in Hong Kong is HKD 5,220.00 per month, in force from 3 October 2026 (Hong Kong SAR Government (Information Services Department press release)). This is the legal minimum in Hong Kong, not an offered wage.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Foreign Domestic Helpers, Immigration Department of the Hong Kong SAR Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · accessed
  2. Increase in Minimum Allowable Wage and no change in food allowance for foreign domestic helpers Hong Kong SAR Government (Information Services Department press release) · accessed
  3. Foreign Domestic Helpers: Frequently Asked Questions (Q24) Labour Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · accessed
  4. Foreign domestic helpers: things you should know when using the service of an employment agency Labour Department, Hong Kong SAR Government (Employment Agencies Portal) · accessed
  5. Foreign Domestic Helpers Portal (home page) Labour Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · accessed
  6. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  7. SISKOP2MI: daftar P3MI, detail status dan daftar P3MI dengan sanksi administratif KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI) · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Working in Hong Kong through the legal route. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/hong-kong/

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