A Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) must meet the following requirements:

• Female
• From an approved source country/territory. These countries/territories include Punjabi,Tamil,Telugu,Darjeeling,Manipur,Indonesian,SriLankan).
• For first-time applicants: Aged 23 years or above, and below 50 years old at the time of the Work Permit application.
• Have a minimum eight years of formal education and possesses the necessary educational certificates as documentary proof of her education.
• Recognised educational certificates
• List of recognised educational institutions
• Attend the Settling-in Programme (SIP) - if she is a first-time FDW in Singapore - within three working days of her arrival, excluding the day of arrival, and before the issuance of her Work Permit.
• Be employed at her employer's residential address as stated on her employer's Identity Card (NRIC)
• Not be related to her employer
• Not be in Singapore before an In-Principle Approval is given and a $5,000 Security Bond is furnished by the employer (applicable to non-Malaysian workers). This does not apply to a current Work Permit holder making a Work Permit application under a new employer in Singapore.

Part-Time Maid :

In Singapore, you may hire a maid full-time or part-time. A part-time maid usually do not stay in and she usually works once or twice a week for several hours a day. She has to be a citizen or permanent resident. There are a few agencies that provides this service.

Full-Time Maid :

A full-time maid is usually referred as foreign domestic worker (FDW). Most of them comes from Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Darjeeling, Manipur, Indonesian, SriLankan . Under MOM-Employers' guidelines, Employer are expected to provide basic needs such as food, a bed with mattress, a blanket, towels and toiletries, as well as a fan if the sleeping area has poor ventilation. Employer have to ensure that sufficient private space for sleep is provided for the FDW. Employers' guidelines can be found in www.mom.gov.sg.

Know the Cost in hiring a Maid

Most Employer engage licensed employment agency to find a Maid. Very few does direct hiring. Direct hiring happen when the Employer finds his own Maid and does all his own arrangement.

Different agency offer different type of services. Some agencies may offer lower service fee but may have other charges, for examples, extra cost for Maid's first medical check up, collection of work permit card and/or fee for Safety Awareness Course. There are agencies that charge higher service fee and include the full cost, such as air ticket, insurance, security bond, medical check up and all other miscellaneous cost. It is important for Employer to ask the details of the cost and check the terms and conditions of the agency.