Maid Insurance Singapore 2026: Honest Comparison of the Best Plans

TL;DR: The best maid insurance Singapore plan in 2026 depends on your helper's age and your household. AIG Classic and Liberty MaidCare Plan 1 are the cheapest MOM-compliant options from around S$458, while FWD Exclusive and AIG Superior suit eldercare homes needing higher medical caps.

Choosing the best maid insurance Singapore employers can buy in 2026 is harder than it looks. Every insurer claims to be the cheapest, every aggregator pushes the plan that pays it the highest commission, and the underlying MOM rules quietly changed in July 2025. This guide cuts through that noise. As a MOM-licensed agency (EA Licence 24C2628), we broker policies from multiple insurers, so we have no incentive to push one brand, only the right plan for your household.

We compare the six most-bought FDW insurance plans on the market: FWD, Income (NTUC Income), Etiqa, MSIG, AIG, and Liberty Insurance. For each we look at price, medical cap, hospital direct-payment behaviour, repatriation, dental, critical illness add-ons, and how painful (or painless) claims tend to be in practice.

What MOM Requires from Any Maid Insurance Plan in Singapore (2026)

Before comparing plans, you need to know the floor. Under the Ministry of Manpower's July 2025 enhanced requirements, every MOM-compliant FDW insurance policy must meet these minimums:

• Medical coverage of at least S$60,000 per year for inpatient care and day surgery.
• Personal accident coverage of at least S$60,000 per year covering death and permanent disability.
• S$5,000 security bond payable to MOM (usually bundled as a bond-waiver fee with the insurance).
• Direct insurer-to-hospital payment for any medical claim above S$15,000. You no longer have to front the cash. For claims above the S$15,000 threshold, the insurer pays 75% and the employer co-pays 25%.
• Standardised exclusion clauses across all insurers, so the fine print is now broadly comparable.
• Age-based premiums, with noticeably higher rates for helpers aged 50 and above.

Anything below this floor is not legal to sell as FDW insurance in Singapore. So when an insurer markets a plan as “basic” or “essential”, they still meet the S$60K/S$60K minimum. The difference between plans is in what sits above that floor. For a full breakdown of what each component actually covers, see our coverage details guide.

How We Ranked the 6 Most-Bought Maid Insurance Plans

We didn’t rank by price alone. A S$566 plan that fights every claim is not cheap. It’s expensive in time and stress. Our ranking weighs six things:

• Price (26-month standard tier). The two-year plan is what most employers buy because it matches the work permit cycle and is cheaper per month than the 14-month version.
• Coverage above the MOM floor. How high does medical actually go? Many plans now offer S$80K to S$120K medical instead of the bare S$60K.
• Hospital direct-payment behaviour. All insurers are now legally required to pay hospitals directly above S$15K. In practice, some are faster and smoother than others.
• Repatriation, wage compensation, and outpatient. Real-world employers claim these far more often than personal accident.
• Optional add-ons like dental, critical illness, and pre-existing condition cover.
• Claim experience. Drawn from public reviews on Seedly, MoneySmart, and our own broker case file.

One important note on channel: buying retail (direct from the insurer’s website) is not always cheaper than buying through a MOM-licensed agency. Agencies often have brokered group rates and bundled add-ons retail customers can’t access.

The 6 Best Maid Insurance Plans in Singapore for 2026

At a glance (standard-tier 26-month premiums, indicative as of 2026 after typical promotional discounts; age-based pricing means rates rise sharply for helpers aged 50 and above, so always confirm the live quote):

1. FWD Maid Insurance

FWD has won the digital-first segment. Its Essential and Exclusive tiers both meet MOM’s 2025 floor, with Exclusive pushing medical coverage up to around S$120,000. Standard-tier 26-month premiums typically land around S$580–680 after promotional discounts (FWD frequently runs 20–25% off codes). Claims are filed entirely online, which most employers love. Weakness: outpatient and dental are thinner than Income or AIG’s top tiers.

2. Income Maid Insurance (NTUC Income)

Income has the largest installed base in Singapore and is the default recommendation many agencies give. Standard-tier 26-month premiums are around S$560–620 after the Income discount, with personal accident going up to S$80,000 on higher tiers. Pre-existing conditions are covered after 12 continuous months of service, a meaningful edge for second-contract helpers. Claim turnaround is generally well-rated.

3. Etiqa (Tiq / ePROTECT Maid)

Etiqa runs two parallel brands: the digital Tiq product and the broker-sold ePROTECT Maid. Three tiers, with the top tier raising death benefit to around S$70,000. Standard-tier 26-month premiums sit around S$570–650. Includes home contents reimbursement (fire/burglary/theft), unusual in this category. Promo codes (e.g. TIQMS) can cut up to 35% off retail.

4. NTUC Enterprise (separate from Income)

Distinct from NTUC Income, NTUC Enterprise distributes maid insurance through union member channels at union-discounted rates. Coverage mirrors the Income product family at the floor level but is generally available only to NTUC members. If you’re a union member, this is usually the cheapest legitimate route, typically S$540–600 for the standard 26-month tier. If you’re not, skip this and go to one of the others.

5. AIG Domestic Helper Insurance

AIG offers three tiers: Classic, Elite, Superior. Classic premiums start around S$458–520 for 26 months after discount, making it one of the cheapest fully-compliant options. Elite and Superior add stronger outpatient, repatriation, and wage compensation. AIG has the deepest global claims operation of the six, which matters if your helper needs treatment overseas.

6. Liberty Insurance MaidCare

Liberty’s MaidCare Plan 1/2/3 structure is clean: Plan 1 just clears the MOM floor at around S$550–600 for 26 months, Plan 2 roughly doubles outpatient and hospital sub-limits, Plan 3 is the comprehensive option. Best for budget-first employers who want a recognised name without paying for features they won’t use. See our step-by-step claims walkthrough for what filing a Liberty claim actually looks like.

Which Plan Is “Best”, by Household Scenario

There is no single best maid insurance Singapore answer, only the best plan for your household. Four common scenarios:

• Young, healthy helper (under 35), first contract: AIG Classic or FWD Essential. You don’t need high outpatient sub-limits; you need MOM compliance, a fast claims app, and the lowest legal premium. Budget around S$460–580.
• Helper aged 45+: Income or Etiqa mid-tier. Age-based premiums under the July 2025 rules mean budget plans get expensive fast above 50, and the mid-tier coverage on outpatient and chronic conditions earns its keep. Budget S$700–900.
• Eldercare household (helper assists elderly or bedridden family member): FWD Exclusive or AIG Superior. Higher medical caps (S$100K–120K), better repatriation, and stronger third-party liability matter when your helper is doing physically demanding caregiving. Budget S$800–1,100.
• Budget-first, healthy helper, repeat employer: NTUC Enterprise (if you’re a member) or Liberty MaidCare Plan 1. Both clear the MOM floor at the lowest legitimate price points in the market.

How to Buy Maid Insurance Through a MOM-Licensed Agency

You have two channels: buy retail directly from the insurer, or buy through your MOM-licensed agency. Both are legal. The trade-offs:

Retail (direct): Cheapest sticker price after promo codes. You handle the security bond paperwork with MOM yourself, and you handle claims with the insurer directly. Best for confident, repeat employers who already know the system.

Agency-brokered: Slightly higher sticker price, but you get bond submission, MOM filing, and claims facilitation done for you. If your helper is hospitalised, your agency lodges the claim alongside the insurer instead of you doing it from a hospital waiting room. For first-time employers and eldercare households, this is usually worth the modest premium difference.

At Upwill we’re channel-agnostic. We’ll quote you against your three closest matches on the helper insurance page and tell you honestly when buying retail would save you more than working through us. Whichever you choose, make sure the policy is active at least three working days before your helper arrives so the security bond reaches MOM in time.

Frequently Asked Questions

See the FAQ section below for the eight most common questions employers ask us about maid insurance in 2026.