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Foreign domestic helper renewals · Singapore

How to renew your helper's work permit and insurance yourself.

I recently renewed the contract and insurance for a foreign domestic helper without an agency, so here is the whole process in one place to save you the research. It is more straightforward than it looks.

This is free to follow on your own. If you would rather not, I can handle the whole renewal for you in the app, but you do not need to use it to follow this guide.

Who this is for. Helpers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar, renewing with the same employer. A change of employer follows a different path.

Accurate as of July 2026. Government steps and links can change, so check the official pages linked below before you file.

There are two jobs: renew the insurance, and sort out the contract. They are independent, so you can run them in parallel. I would start the insurance first, because it is the part that connects to the Ministry of Manpower and gates the work permit.

Step one

Renew the insurance first.

Do this first, because the insurer reports the policy to the Ministry of Manpower and you cannot file the work permit until that record lands.

  • Make sure her full medical checkup is done. The Ministry of Manpower should have told you if one is due.
  • Make sure her passport is not expiring soon, at least six months of validity left.
  • Pick any insurer you like and do the renewal online. The steps are simple: fill in, submit, and wait.
  • About three to four working days later, the insurer updates the record with the Ministry of Manpower, and you can go in to continue the work permit renewal. Set yourself a reminder, because the insurer will not notify you.
  • Renew the work permit at Work Permit Online (WPOL), logging in with Singpass.

S$35 work permit renewal fee

How do I deal with the security bond?

The insurer covers it for you. Behind the scenes, the Ministry of Manpower returns the old bond to the previous insurer, and the new one posts the bond on your behalf. You do not arrange it separately.

What is the minimum insurance coverage?

S$60,000 for medical, and S$60,000 for personal accident. Every reputable insurer includes this in the basic package, but it is worth checking for that figure before you buy.

Step two

Sort out the contract.

You can do this any time before the work permit expires. What it involves depends on her home country.

Philippines

No embassy visit neededverified with the embassy

  • Download the contract template from the embassy and fill it in with your updated agreement.
  • Your helper renews her OWWA membership and applies for an OEC exemption online herself.
  • Neither of you needs to attend the embassy in person.
  • Contract template: HSW SEC contract (PDF)

Indonesia

Embassy visit requiredboth of you attend

  • Download and fill in the application form (PDF).
  • Book an appointment with the embassy (KBRI) at register.indonesianembassy.sg. There are no walk-ins.
  • Accompany your helper to the appointment. You need to be present too.
  • You are issued a new contract after the appointment.

What to bring

  • For your helper: work permit card, salary from the SGWorkpass app, passport, Indonesian ID (KTP), existing contract, and the application form above.
  • For you: your NRIC.

Myanmar

No embassy visit neededthe simplest one

  • There is no official contract, but it is good to draft one following the Ministry of Manpower's guidelines: employer's guide.
  • No embassy visit is needed.

Lastly, she deserves a break, so let her go home to visit her family for at least 15 days, as the Ministry of Manpower recommends. This is paid leave.

The Ministry of Manpower and embassy guidelines contradict each other. What do I do?

This is usually about rest days. The Philippines contract asks for one rest day a week, while the Ministry of Manpower requires one paid rest day a month. You are free to agree separately with your helper on how the worked rest days are compensated.

How is salary calculated?

Monthly salary divided by 26 days, which leaves out the four rest days in a month. If she works on a rest day, pay the daily rate on top.

Would rather not do it yourself?

I can take care of the contract, the work permit, the bond and the insurance for you in the app. You pay only the premium and government fees, and see every line before you pay.

See how it works

Last updated July 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice.