Maid Insurance Singapore: MOM Requirements and How to Choose

Direct answer: Maid insurance in Singapore has three compulsory parts. MOM requires medical insurance for inpatient care and day surgery with an annual claim limit of at least S$60,000, personal accident insurance with a sum assured of at least S$60,000, and a S$5,000 security bond for every non-Malaysian helper. Since 1 July 2023, you pay 25% of any admissible medical claim above S$15,000, and you cannot pass that share, the premium, or the bond cost to your helper.

Most families buy maid insurance as one package from a bank or insurer, often at the same time as the Work Permit. The package price is the number everyone compares. The policy wording is what decides how much you pay when your helper is admitted to hospital.

This guide covers what the Ministry of Manpower requires as of 16 October 2026, what the employer still pays after the insurer pays, how to compare plans without relying on a brand name, when to buy or renew, and what to do on the day your helper goes to hospital. It is written for a Singapore household employer buying insurance for a new domestic helper or renewing it for a current one. We do not rank or recommend insurers.

What MOM requires you to buy

You need all three items below before a new helper arrives in Singapore. MOM's insurance requirements page says you must buy medical insurance and personal accident insurance "before your helper arrives in Singapore", and that you cannot pass the cost of buying the insurance to her.

The enhanced medical insurance rules apply to all new and existing helpers, including confinement nannies. A policy bought before 1 July 2023 with the old S$15,000 limit could run until it expired, but any policy you buy or renew now must meet the enhanced rules.

Skipping the medical insurance is a breach of the Work Permit conditions. MOM says an employer found in breach faces a fine and may be barred from employing migrant domestic workers.

How the medical insurance co-payment works

The co-payment is the part most families misunderstand. MOM's 2023 press release on enhanced medical insurance explains why it changed. Under the old S$15,000 limit, more than 5% of bills went over the limit. MOM estimates that more than 99% of bills fall within the S$60,000 cover.

The rule works in two layers:

1. The insurer pays an admissible claim in full up to S$15,000.
2. For the part above S$15,000, the insurer pays 75% and you pay 25%, up to the policy's annual claim limit.
3. Anything above the claim limit, and anything the policy validly excludes, is yours to pay.

Here is a worked example using MOM's rule. Your helper has a S$40,000 inpatient bill and the whole bill is admissible. The insurer pays the first S$15,000. The remaining S$25,000 is split, so the insurer pays S$18,750 and you pay S$6,250. On a S$60,000 bill, your 25% share of the S$45,000 above the first S$15,000 comes to S$11,250.

Some plans sell a rider that reduces or covers the employer's 25% share. MOM does not require one. If you take one, check whether it covers the full co-payment or caps it.

Stage 2 started on 1 July 2025. Since then, insurers may only use exclusions from MOM's standard list, premiums are set in two age bands (50 and below, and above 50), and insurers pay the hospital directly once a claim is accepted as admissible. Direct payment means you should not have to pay the whole bill first and wait for a refund.

Personal accident insurance and the security bond

Personal accident insurance

Personal accident insurance pays a lump sum if your helper dies or is permanently disabled in a sudden, unforeseen accident. The minimum sum assured is S$60,000 a year. The payout must go to the helper or her beneficiaries, not to you. The policy must not add exclusion clauses beyond those in the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations.

This cover exists because foreign domestic workers are not covered by the Work Injury Compensation Act. Personal accident insurance does not pay medical bills. That is the job of the medical insurance.

The S$5,000 security bond

The security bond page sets out the rules:

• You need a S$5,000 bond for each helper, except Malaysian helpers.
• It takes the form of a banker's or insurer's guarantee. Most families buy it in the same package as the two insurance policies.
• The bank or insurer has up to 3 working days to send the bond details to MOM.
• The bond must be in effect when she arrives. If it is not, she will not be allowed to enter Singapore, and MOM cannot change the effective date.
• MOM may forfeit the bond if you or your helper breach the Work Permit or bond conditions, if you do not pay her salary on time, if you do not send her home when the permit ends, or if she goes missing.
• You cannot ask your helper to pay for the bond.

The bond is usually discharged one week after she leaves Singapore, once you have cancelled the Work Permit and she has gone home without any breach.

What a waiver of counter-indemnity means

When an insurer gives MOM the S$5,000 guarantee, you normally sign a counter-indemnity. If MOM calls on the bond, the insurer pays MOM and can then recover the money from you. Some plans include or sell a waiver of counter-indemnity, which limits what the insurer can recover. The waiver usually carries an excess and does not apply if the forfeiture came from your own breach, such as late salary. MOM does not set the terms of these waivers, so read the exact wording, the excess, and the exclusions before you rely on it.

What you still pay out of pocket

Insurance reduces your exposure. It does not end it. MOM's position is that the employer bears all medical costs necessary for the helper's health. The MOM FAQ on co-payment says you cannot make your helper pay medical expenses, "including medical expenses that are part of, or above what the insurance pays."

Budget for these costs yourself:

• The 25% co-payment on admissible claims above S$15,000.
• Any bill above the policy's annual claim limit.
• Necessary treatment the policy excludes. An exclusion in the policy does not move the bill to the helper.
• Outpatient treatment, such as a GP or polyclinic visit. MOM says employers pay for both inpatient and outpatient treatment, and the compulsory policy only covers inpatient care and day surgery.
• Dental treatment that a Singapore-registered doctor or dentist says is necessary for her health.
• Six-monthly medical examinations. MOM's rest days, health and well-being page lists all medical costs, including hospitalisation and these examinations, as employer responsibilities.
• Treatment on her rest day. MOM says you must still pay if the illness or injury happens on her day off.

One limit runs the other way. In a January 2026 reply, MOM said that when a helper travels overseas on her rest day or home leave, medical treatment abroad falls outside the employer's liability. The standard exclusions list also lets insurers exclude treatment received outside Singapore. If your helper travels, talk to her about travel insurance and emergency contacts.

For the full monthly budget, including salary and levy, read the Singapore domestic helper cost guide and the Singapore maid levy rates guide.

How to compare maid insurance plans

Every compliant plan meets the same floor, so the differences sit in the extras and the wording. Compare plans on these points instead of the headline premium.

Exclusions

Since 1 July 2025, insurers can only exclude items on MOM's list of allowable exclusions. The list includes:

• Pregnancy, childbirth and related complications.
• Pre-existing conditions known to you or your helper before cover starts, during the first 12 months of employment with the same employer.
• Treatment outside Singapore, ambulance fees, private nursing, medical equipment, and medical repatriation.
• Mental health conditions, self-inflicted injury and some addiction-related treatment on a second or later occasion.
• Injuries caused by a malicious, unlawful or wilful act of the employer or a family member.

A plan can exclude fewer items than the list allows. Ask the insurer which of the allowable exclusions the plan actually uses.

Riders and add-ons

Common add-ons include outpatient cover, a co-payment rider for your 25% share, higher medical limits, hospital cash, repatriation cover, and cover for the cost of a replacement helper. None of these is a MOM requirement. Add one only if it covers a cost you would otherwise pay.

Panel clinics and outpatient terms

If a plan includes outpatient cover, check whether it only pays at panel clinics, how many visits it covers, and whether you must pay first and claim later. A panel far from your home is less useful than a lower limit at a clinic you can reach.

Ward class and claims

MOM sets no ward class restriction. Your policy may set its own limits by ward class, so check what the plan pays and pick a ward that matches the cover. Ask how to start a claim, what documents the insurer needs, and how long it takes to confirm a claim is admissible.

Bond waiver

Check whether the plan includes a waiver of counter-indemnity, what excess applies, and which breaches remove the waiver.

Policy period

Plans are usually sold to match the Work Permit period. Check that the medical, personal accident and bond start dates line up with arrival or renewal, and that cover does not lapse between two permits.

If an agency arranges the insurance, ask for the policy schedule and wording in your name before you pay. Our Singapore maid agency and transfer comparison covers what to check in an agency quote.

When to buy or renew maid insurance

At renewal, MOM's renewal page says the new bond's effective date can be post-dated up to 1 day after the current Work Permit expires. Ask your insurer to send the bond details before you submit the renewal.

For a transfer maid, MOM's transfer page puts the new bond and insurance after the in-principle approval. The previous employer's policy does not carry over to you.

What to do when your helper is hospitalised

1. Get her treated first. Go to a clinic or hospital, or call 995 in an emergency. Do not delay treatment while you check cover.
2. Tell the hospital she is a migrant domestic worker and give the insurer's name and policy number.
3. Notify your insurer as soon as possible and ask what documents they need and whether the hospital can bill them directly.
4. Keep every bill, memo, receipt and discharge summary.
5. Pay your share. For a large admissible bill, that is the 25% co-payment above S$15,000, plus anything above the limit or excluded.
6. Do not deduct medical costs from her salary or ask her to sign for any part of the bill.
7. Ask a hospital medical social worker for help if the bill is beyond what you can pay. MOM's 2021 parliamentary answer points employers in financial difficulty to these social workers.
8. Plan any repatriation with the doctors. The same answer says employers may send a helper home only after she is certified fit for discharge or fit for flight. You pay for her return.
9. If she was injured in an accident and has a lasting disability, ask the insurer about a personal accident claim. That money goes to her or her beneficiaries.

Maid insurance buying checklist

• Medical insurance covers inpatient care and day surgery with an annual claim limit of at least S$60,000, and every sub-limit meets it.
• The policy states the co-payment split above S$15,000, and you know whether any rider covers your 25%.
• Personal accident insurance has a sum assured of at least S$60,000, payable to the helper or her beneficiaries.
• The S$5,000 security bond is in place for a non-Malaysian helper and takes effect on her arrival or renewal date.
• The insurer will send bond details to MOM at least 3 working days before you need them.
• You have read which allowable exclusions the plan uses.
• You know the outpatient and panel clinic terms, if any.
• You know the waiver of counter-indemnity terms, excess and exclusions, if any.
• Policy dates line up with the Work Permit and do not leave a gap.
• The helper has paid nothing toward the premium, bond or co-payment.
• The policy schedule is in your name and saved where the family can find it in an emergency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What maid insurance is compulsory in Singapore?

MOM requires medical insurance for inpatient care and day surgery with an annual claim limit of at least S$60,000, and personal accident insurance with a sum assured of at least S$60,000. Employers of non-Malaysian helpers must also place a S$5,000 security bond, usually as a bank or insurer guarantee. All of it must be in place before the helper arrives.

How does the 25% co-payment on maid medical insurance work?

For policies, renewals or extensions starting on or after 1 July 2023, the insurer pays the first S$15,000 of an admissible claim. Above S$15,000, the insurer pays 75% and the employer pays 25%, up to the annual claim limit. The employer cannot pass that 25% to the helper.

Can I ask my helper to pay part of her medical bill or the insurance premium?

No. MOM says employers cannot pass the cost of buying the insurance or the security bond to the helper, and cannot make her pay medical expenses, including amounts within or above what the insurance pays.

Do I need new maid insurance when I renew the Work Permit or take a transfer maid?

Yes. At renewal you need a new security bond and must extend or replace the medical and personal accident insurance. For a transfer maid, the new employer buys a new bond and new medical and personal accident insurance after receiving the in-principle approval letter.

What is a waiver of counter-indemnity on a maid security bond?

When an insurer issues the S$5,000 bond, you normally agree to repay the insurer if MOM calls on the bond. A waiver of counter-indemnity is an optional or bundled feature in some plans that limits what the insurer will recover from you, usually with an excess and with exclusions such as your own breach. MOM does not set its terms, so read the policy wording.

A practical next step for Singapore families

Before you pay for a package, check it against the MOM minimums and the checklist above, and set a reminder for the renewal letter about 8 weeks before the permit expires. Keep the policy schedule with the helper's Work Permit details so anyone in the family can act if she is admitted to hospital.

If you are still looking for the right helper, create a family account, read more family hiring guides, and see the Singapore market page. Helpers is a marketplace that connects families and helpers. It does not sell insurance or arrange Work Permits, so buy cover from a licensed bank or insurer and follow MOM's process.