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Working in Singapore as a migrant domestic worker: requirements, costs, pay and permit

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

Open Migrant domestic worker (MDW)

Open. Indonesia is an approved source country; workers must be women aged 23 to under 50 at application with at least eight years of formal education.

Status as of 7 October 2026 Ministry of Manpower, Singapore

Summary

  • Indonesia is an approved source country for Singapore's Work Permit for migrant domestic workers.
  • Workers must be women aged 23 to under 50 at application, with at least eight years of formal education and a recognised certificate.
  • Singapore has no minimum wage; your salary may not be lower than what the employer declared to MOM.
  • You are entitled to one rest day a week, and at least one rest day a month cannot be replaced with money.
  • Singapore agencies may charge at most one month's salary for each year of the contract, and no more than two months' salary.
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On this page
  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What does it cost and who pays?
  3. How much does it pay?
  4. Which visa is used?
  5. What are the steps?
  6. Which schools or training lead to Singapore?
  7. How are a domestic worker's pay and rest days regulated in Singapore?
  8. Which documents do you need to work in Singapore?
  9. What are the warning signs of offers to Singapore through this route?
Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis
Route Run by Official link Who pays placement costs Legal basis
Migrant domestic worker (MDW) Work Permit for migrant domestic worker Through a licensed P3MI agency Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Official source For placement through a P3MI, the employer bears placement costs. You may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. See the cost rules Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

See this route in the comparison table

What do you need to work in Singapore through Migrant domestic worker (MDW)?

Placement channels from Indonesia for working in Singapore through Migrant domestic worker (MDW): Through a licensed P3MI agency. Age limits: 23 to 49 years.

Placement channels from Indonesia
Through a licensed P3MI agency
Age
23 to 49 years
Job types
Domestic worker at the employer's home address registered with MOM

What does working in Singapore through Migrant domestic worker (MDW) cost, and who pays?

For placement through a P3MI on the Migrant domestic worker (MDW) route to Singapore, the employer bears placement costs. Migrant workers may not be charged them, and you may pay only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement.

  1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

Cost rules for this route

  • Singapore agency fees: Singapore employment agencies may collect no more than one month of fixed salary for each year of service, capped at two months' salary. The fees paid to the Singapore agency appear in MOM's in-principle approval (IPA) letter. Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
  • Charges in Indonesia: Placement-cost components, including training, certification, passport, medical checks and social security, are borne by the employer unless a lawful exception applies. Any cost charged to you must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

What is the minimum pay for working in Singapore through Migrant domestic worker (MDW)?

Not enough data: we have not found an official pay floor for this route that we could verify.

Which visa do you need to work in Singapore through Migrant domestic worker (MDW)?

Work Permit for migrant domestic worker: the work pass the employer applies for at Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The worker may enter only after the in-principle approval (IPA) letter is issued. Official source

What are the steps to work in Singapore through Migrant domestic worker (MDW)?

  1. Create your own SISKOP2MI account, choose a P3MI and a job, and upload your documents. Registration on SISKOP2MI is free of charge.
  2. Take part in the P3MI selection for the job qualifications listed in that agency's job order (SIP2MI).
  3. Sign the Placement Agreement after a placement officer explains it, then complete the medical and psychological checks and register for social security.
  4. The employer in Singapore applies to MOM for the Work Permit. You stay outside Singapore during the application.
  5. Once the in-principle approval (IPA) letter is issued and the employer has bought a security bond, you may be brought into Singapore.
  6. The P3MI registers you for the pre-departure orientation (OPP), and you must hold an E-KPMI, issued free through SISKOP2MI, before departure.
  7. If this is your first job as a domestic worker in Singapore, attend the Settling-in Programme (SIP) after arrival.

The order and timings are editor estimates, not promises.

Which schools or training lead to Singapore?

The education and training routes linked to working in Singapore through Migrant domestic worker (MDW): LPK training institutes in Indonesia, BNSP competency certification in Indonesia, BLK and BPVP.

How are a domestic worker's pay and rest days regulated in Singapore?

MOM does not set a minimum wage, so your pay depends on the contract. What the rules cover is how you are paid and your right to rest.

  • Salary is paid every month, no later than seven days after the end of the salary period, and may not be lower than the amount declared to MOM.
  • You may ask for your salary to be paid into a bank account in your own name. It may not be a joint account with the employer.
  • One rest day every week. If you agree to work on a rest day, the employer must pay at least one extra day's salary, and at least one rest day a month cannot be replaced with money.
  • The employer must cover your medical care.

Which documents do you need to work in Singapore?

Besides the documents required by Indonesian Law 18/2017 Article 13 and Regulation P2MI 2/2026 (national ID card, marital-status letter, family permission acknowledged by the village head or lurah, competency certificate, JKN card, health certificate, social security, passport, work visa, Placement Agreement and employment contract), MOM requires proof of at least eight years of formal education with a recognised certificate. Ask your P3MI which diploma meets that rule, and bring the original. Panduan Warga passport guide

What are the warning signs of offers to Singapore through this route?

  • The Singapore agency fee is above MOM's cap, or differs from the amount in the in-principle approval (IPA) letter.Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
  • You are told to enter Singapore first on a visit visa, although domestic workers may not be in Singapore while the Work Permit is applied for.Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
  • The employer or agency keeps your salary, bank book or bank card.Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
  • You are made to work somewhere other than the employer's registered address, such as a relative's home or a business.Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
  • You never get a rest day, or every rest day is forcibly replaced with money.Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
  • The recruiter cannot show a P3MI listed as active on SISKOP2MI and a job order in that agency's name.KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI)

How to check a P3MI agency in 5 steps Learn the signs of trafficking through job offers

KarirAman is 100% free. We never ask for money. Our no-fee policy

Not legal advice. Always check SISKOP2MI before you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum salary for a domestic worker in Singapore?

Singapore has no minimum wage. MOM says it does not prescribe minimum wages for local or foreign workers. Your salary is set in the contract and shown in MOM's in-principle approval (IPA) letter. The employer must pay every month and may not pay less than the amount declared to MOM.

Can I enter Singapore first and then look for an employer?

No. MOM requires domestic workers to be outside Singapore while the Work Permit is applied for, and the employer may bring you in only after receiving the in-principle approval (IPA) letter. An offer to enter as a tourist and then work is a red flag.

Do new domestic workers need training in Singapore?

Yes. Domestic workers who have never worked in Singapore must attend the Settling-in Programme (SIP). MOM tells the employer in the in-principle approval letter whether you need to attend.

May my employer keep my salary or bank card?

No. Since 1 January 2019 employers may not keep a domestic worker's salary or money, including the bank book and bank card, even if the worker asks. If you ask to be paid by bank transfer, the employer must pay that way.

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. Eligibility for Work Permit (migrant domestic worker), Ministry of Manpower Singapore Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed
  2. How will foreign workers know how much they have to pay the Singapore employment agency (EA)? Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed
  3. Rest days, health and well-being for migrant domestic workers Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed
  4. Paying the salary of a foreign domestic worker Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed
  5. Is there a prescribed minimum wage for migrant workers in Singapore? Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed
  6. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  7. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
  8. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 2 Tahun 2026 tentang Tata Cara Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia oleh Pelaksana Penempatan Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 2/2026 · accessed
  9. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 34 Tahun 2025 tentang Kartu Pekerja Migran Indonesia Elektronik Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 34/2025 · accessed
  10. SISKOP2MI: daftar P3MI, detail status dan daftar P3MI dengan sanksi administratif KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI) · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Working in Singapore as a migrant domestic worker: requirements, costs, pay and permit. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/singapore/migrant-domestic-worker/

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