Compare The Best Maid Insurance Plans 2024 by Insurance Provider

Is maid insurance compulsory?

Yes. The Ministry of Manpower requires employers to buy insurance for any migrant domestic helper they hire, to cover work-related accidents and medical costs. You must buy this when hiring a new maid or renewing her permit. As the employer, you must also bear the full costs.

Why is maid insurance important?

Apart from being a legal requirement, maid insurance is important as your helper’s job scope does include some occupational hazards. Should she meet with an unfortunate accident, the insurance payout would help support her family back home. Most maid insurance plans also cover outpatient medical costs due to accidents and third-party liabilities (which you would otherwise be obliged to bear).

What is third party liability?

Third party liability coverage helps employers to cover any expenses incurred as a result of your maid causing accidental injury or death to any third party. This also includes accidental damage to any third parties’ properties, as committed by your domestic helper.

Find out what to look out for in a maid insurance policy here.

How long do maid insurance plans last?

Most maid insurance plans last either 14 or 26 months, to correspond with either a one-year or two-year term of service, plus two months. The extra two months’ coverage is a MOM requirement to protect your maid if she overstays in Singapore after her work permit has expired. A 26-month plan usually works out to be cheaper on an annual basis.

More promotions to help you save on maid insurance premiums here.

Frequently Asked Questions For Maid Insurance

What is maid insurance?

Maid insurance protects you against unexpected expenses when you hire a new maid or renew your maid’s work permit. Such policies provide medical insurance and accident cover for your maid and issue a security bond to the Ministry of Manpower. In Singapore, when you hire a maid, Maid Insurance is a government-required insurance policy that you are required to purchase as an employer.

How does maid insurance work?

Maid insurance is an insurance policy which covers any work-related accidents and medical care charges sustained by your maid. A lump sum will be compensated to the family of your maid, if an unfortunate accident causes your maid’s death or she suffers from permanent disability.

What does maid insurance cover?

A comprehensive Maid Insurance covers death and permanent disablement due to an accident, replacement expenses, wages and levy reimbursement, repatriation, personal belongings and insurance guarantee bond among other benefits.

How much does maid insurance cost?

There are two durations for Maid Insurance, a 14-month policy or a 26-month policy. While 14-month policies may seem cheaper, you can potentially save around 30% a year on your premiums on average if you purchase a 26-month policy.

You can expect to pay between $280 to $350 for a 14-month insurance term policy, and between $417 and $518 for a 26-month insurance term policy. 

How to buy maid insurance?

• Comparison sites: You can compare Maid Insurance policies under the Maid Insurance tab to find the best Maid Insurance policy that suits your needs.
• Direct: You can buy Maid Insurance online from any insurance company that offers Maid Insurance.
• Maid agency: For employers hiring a maid through a maid agency, you can also opt to buy Maid Insurance through the agency.

What is a security bond for maid insurance?

A security bond is a binding pledge to pay the government (up to $5,000) if either you or your helper breaks the law or Work Permit conditions. A security bond is applicable for all migrant domestic workers. Bonds usually take the form of an insurance where insurers guarantee to pay the government in case an employer or his helper breaks a law.

The insurance company acts as a guarantor by providing a Letter of Guarantee to MOM on behalf of you, the employer. In the event that the employer or domestic worker breached the MOM’s rules and conditions, MOM will call up the bond from the insurer who will then recover the cost from you. In such circumstances, your liability can be limited with a bond protector or waiver of indemnity coverage.

What documents are needed for maid insurance?

To apply for maid insurance in Singapore, you need the following information in order to fill up the insurance application form:

• Your maid’s work permit number
• Your maid’s passport number
• SB transmission number (this is found on the top right portion of your in-principle approval or renewal letter from MOM)

What are the employers' obligation towards maid?

• Only employ migrant domestic workers who have a valid work permit.
• Pay your workers the fixed monthly salary (declared to MOM).
• Pay workers their salaries and the cost of their upkeep and maintenance, including the cost of medical treatment.
• Ensure migrant domestic workers have proper housing.
• Buy and maintain a medical insurance with a minimum coverage of $60,000 a year for in-patient care and day surgery, and a personal accident coverage of $60,000 a year. Since this is a regulatory requirement, your insurance should minimally have this coverage.
• Send your workers for a medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor every six months. If they are certified medically unfit, their Work Permit will be revoked.
• Pay the monthly migrant domestic worker levy for each worker.
• Fulfill the security bond requirement which typically comes as part of the maid insurance as a Letter of Guarantee.
• Not demand or receive any sum or other benefit from an employment agency or any other person in connection with the employment or change in employment of a migrant domestic worker.

What to do if early termination of maid insurance is required?

Firstly, you are also responsible for the repatriation of your maid to her home country. You also need to cancel the work permit online within 7 days of your maid’s departure from Singapore. Once the work permit is cancelled, you have to apply to the insurer for cancellation of the Maid Insurance. The insurer will then refund the insurance amount on a prorated basis. Do check with your insurer or read the policy documents for the exact cancellation terms.

How much is the foreign domestic worker levy?

The migrant domestic worker (MDW) levy is $300 for your first MDW. The levy for subsequent MDWs is $450. Families with a young child, elderly member or person with disability can apply for a levy concession, reducing your levy to $60 a month. This monthly MDW levy has to be paid by the employer every month using GIRO.

How to hire a maid directly in Singapore without a maid agency?

Firstly, you have to meet the eligibility criteria for hiring a migrant domestic worker (MDW). To hire an MDW, you must:

• Be 21 years old and above.
• Not be an undischarged bankrupt.
• Have the mental capacity to fully understand and discharge your responsibility as an employer.

The Ministry Of Manpower (MOM) will also consider your financial ability to hire, maintain and upkeep the MDW in an acceptable accommodation. First time MDW employers also have to attend an Employer Orientation Programme (EOP) before you apply for an MDW.
Once deemed eligible, you can then start to find a suitable MDW that fulfills MOM’s maid eligibility requirements:

• Female between the ages of 23 to 50 years old at the time of application. Helpers aged 50 and above can only renew their Work Permits until they are 60 years old.
• From approved source country including maids from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand.
• Minimum 8 years of formal education with a recognised certificate.
• Unrelated to the employer and employed at your home address as stated on your NRIC
• She must be certified with the Settling-In-Programme if this is her first time seeking employment as a domestic worker in Singapore.

How to apply for a work permit?

You can either apply for a work permit for your migrant domestic worker (MDW) on your own or through an employment agency. To apply on your own, you can do so online on the MOM website. You will incur a cost of $70 for the Work Permit, paying $35 when you submit an application and another $35 when you get the Work Permit issued.

How much does it cost to renew a maid work permit?

What are the things to consider when looking for maid insurance?

• Coverage offered
• Duration of the policy
• Exclusions
• Add-ons
• Cost of premiums

You can also read this guide to Maid Insurance which covers what to look out for and how to find the best plan.

How to make Maid insurance claim?

To submit a claim, contact the insurance company which you bought the maid insurance from as soon as possible. This will typically require you to submit a claims form. You may wish to visit your respective insurer’s website for more information as each company’s claims process varies.

Tips to get maid insurance

• Find out if your helper has any pre-existing conditions
• Decide on the coverage you require for your maid
• Consider the optional add-ons available
• Compare premiums across insurers
• Look out for promotions, discounts and offers

How to compare maid insurance policies

On the Singsaver website, under the Insurance tab, click on Maid Insurance. You can sort your selection based on:

• Hospital and surgical coverage
• Outpatient support
• Third Party Liability
• Premium

Alternatively, you can also select based on your preferred insurance provider.

What are the benefits of maid insurance?

Maid Insurance protects the employer against unexpected expenses incurred when your migrant domestic worker gets into an accident or requires in-patient care due to illness. For your maid, it provides them financial protection by compensating their family a lump sum if she suffers from permanent disability or passes away due to an accident.

What is the reimbursement of indemnity/waiver of counter indemnity paid to the insurer?

At an additional premium paid to the insurer, the reimbursement of indemnity/waiver of counter indemnity reduces your $5,000 bond liability if the breach of the bond is due to your negligence or fault. There are insurance plans that provide this coverage without additional premiums.

How does the wages and levy reimbursement benefit work?

The wages and levy reimbursement is a feature under some maid insurance policies that covers your helper’s wages should she be hospitalised and is unable to work. This is paid daily for a specified amount of time, capped at a certain limit such as $30 per day, depending on the policy.

Is the compulsory coverage enough?

Compulsory coverage: A medical insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $60,000 a year for in-patient care and day surgery, and a personal accident coverage of $60,000 a year.

Whether this compulsory coverage is enough differs from employer to employer. It depends how much you think will be sufficient to protect yourself against any accident your maid gets into. With the add-ons available for Maid Insurance, you can potentially save more money in the long run, should an accident befall your domestic helper. However, it also depends on your financial ability to pay for the premiums as some Maid Insurance policies with higher coverage are costlier than others.

Will the maid insurance requirements change?

The enhanced requirement will better protect employers against large medical bills incurred by your helpers, and will be implemented in two stages as shown in the table below.

1 July 2023 marks Stage 1 of enhancing the minimum Maid Insurance coverage required for all new and existing helpers. All policies effective from 1 July 2023 onwards have at least $60,000 of hospitalisation coverage with a co-payment of 75% by insurers above the $15,000. 1 July 2025 marks Stage 2 of the enhancements where allowable exclusion clauses will be standardised, an introduction of age-differentiated premiums and a new requirement for insurers to reimburse hospitals directly upon the admissibility of the claim.

What is a required security bond for foreign domestic helpers?

A security bond is a binding pledge to pay the government (up to $5,000) if either you or your helper breaks the law or Work Permit conditions. You need to buy a security bond for every maid you employ, unless she is a Malaysian. Bonds usually take the form of an insurance where insurers guarantee to pay the government in case an employer breaks a law.

When should you buy the bond?

You should buy the bond before your maid arrives in Singapore.

When and how do you get your bond deposit back?

Upon completion of your maid’s services and cancellation of the work permit, you can get your deposit back once your domestic helper has returned home successfully (assuming you did not breach any of the conditions of the security bond). The bond deposit will usually be discharged 7 days after the migrant domestic helper has left Singapore.

Under what circumstances will the bond deposit be forfeited?

The security bond may be forfeited if you or your helper violates any of the conditions of the Work Permit or security bond. It may also be forfeited if you don’t pay your helper's salary on time or you fail to send your helper home when her Work Permit is expired, revoked or cancelled. It will also be forfeited if your helper goes missing.

However, you will not be liable for your helper’s violations if you can prove that you have informed her of the Work Permit conditions she must comply with and reported a violation when you first become aware of it.

How can employers protect their bond deposit?

Employers can protect their bond deposit by purchasing a waiver of indemnity from insurance companies. The waiver of indemnity is typically an optional feature that protects employers in the event that the security bond is forfeited. At an additional premium paid to the insurer, this coverage reduces your $5,000 bond liability if the breach of the bond is due to your negligence or fault. There are insurance plans that provide this coverage without additional premiums.

How do you find the best Maid Insurance policy?

You can compare Maid Insurance policies online, which can help to save you both time and money. Select the best Maid Insurance policy that suits your needs based on factors such as:

• Policy duration
• Coverage
• Premiums
• Insurer

When should you start buying a maid insurance policy?

You should buy Maid Insurance for your migrant domestic helper before she arrives in Singapore, ideally 3 days in advance of her arrival. This allows time for your insurer to update the immigration system.

Will my maid be covered under the Maid Insurance when she returns to her home country for holiday?

No, she will only be covered when she is in Singapore.