Maid Home Leave Singapore 2026: Entitlement, Pay, Air Ticket & Levy Waiver

TL;DR: Home leave is not statutory in Singapore, but MOM says a common practice among employers is 14 days of paid overseas leave for every two years worked. You keep paying levy while she is away, then claim the maid levy waiver after she returns if she was overseas at least 7 consecutive days (capped at 60 calendar days a year). No documents are needed for the claim.

If your migrant domestic worker (MDW) has just completed two years with you, or is asking to visit her family, you are probably wondering what the law requires and whether you can claim the maid levy waiver while she is overseas. The short answer: home leave is not statutory in Singapore. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not set a minimum number of home-leave days. Terms are negotiated between employer and worker in the employment contract. The benchmark MOM cites in its Ask Jaya guidance is that a common practice by employers is to offer 14 days of paid overseas leave for every two years worked, but this is an example rather than a requirement. This guide explains what you owe, whether the leave is paid, how to claim the MOM levy waiver, the cash-instead-of-leave option, and what to do before, during and after she flies home.

Reviewed by Yvonne, Placement Consultant at Upwill Employment Services (MOM EA Licence 24C2628). Last updated 22 September 2026.

Home leave entitlement: what's required vs what's customary

Singapore employment law treats MDWs differently from local employees. MOM states that domestic workers are not covered by the Employment Act, so there is no statutory annual leave and no mandated home leave. What you actually owe depends on:

1. The written employment contract you signed when you hired her (or renewed her permit)
2. Any side letter or addendum you have both signed since
3. For Filipino helpers, the employment contract registered with the Philippine Migrant Workers Office, which should match what you agreed

If you used your agency's house contract, check what was actually written. Verbal promises are hard to prove if the contract is silent, so put any change in writing.

Is home leave paid or unpaid?

It depends on your contract. MOM's FAQ on salary during overseas leave is direct: the employer need not pay her salary while she is on overseas leave unless this is provided for in the employment contract.

In practice, the benchmark MOM cites in its Ask Jaya guidance is 14 days of paid overseas leave for every two years worked, and MOM suggests you agree with your helper whether leave is paid or unpaid based on her contract. If you have promised paid leave in writing, that promise is binding, so pay it.

What each nationality may need before flying

MOM sets no mandated leave length for any nationality. What does differ is the home-country paperwork, which affects how far ahead you need to plan:

Nationality	Home-country step to plan for	Primary source
Filipino	Exit clearance for returning workers: the OFW Travel Pass in the eGovPH app, valid 90 days from issuance, for workers returning to the same employer	DMW Advisory No. 38, s. 2025
Myanmar	Since April 2026 the embassy issues a recommendation letter for workers going home on leave; apply at least 7 working days before travel with the employer's leave approval letter, passport, Work Permit card, OWIC card and air ticket	Embassy of Myanmar, Singapore
Indonesian	Check passport validity early; passports issued by Indonesian missions abroad since September 2024 are valid for a maximum of 5 years	KBRI Singapura passport services

If she is Filipino, also read our deeper guide: Filipino Maid Home Leave Singapore 2026: OEC, OFW Travel Pass and re-entry rules.

How long should home leave be, and how does it affect the waiver?

MOM's benchmark is 14 days of paid leave every two years, and many households agree on something close to that. For the levy, the only numbers that matter are MOM's:

• Under 7 consecutive days overseas: no levy waiver for that trip.
• 7 consecutive days or more: you can apply to waive the levy for the period she was away.
• Across the year: the waiver for overseas leave is capped at 60 calendar days per calendar year. Beyond that you pay the normal levy even though she is overseas.
• If the 6-monthly medical exam (6ME) falls during the trip: MOM says you can request to defer it while she is on overseas leave.

MOM levy waiver: the 7-day rule explained

This is the most misunderstood part of home leave. According to MOM's levy waiver page:

• The helper must be overseas for at least 7 consecutive days
• The waiver is capped at 60 calendar days per calendar year
• You continue to be charged levy while she is away, and apply for the waiver after she returns
• You apply from the 1st of the month after you receive the levy bill, and within 1 year of receiving it
• You apply through the "Check and pay levy" e-service: select "On overseas leave", then enter the date she left Singapore and the date she returned
• No documents are needed for an overseas leave waiver. MOM usually processes it within 12 working days

MOM's Ask Jaya guidance still suggests you keep a copy of her flight or ferry ticket in case you need to substantiate the application.

For reference, MOM's levy rates are S$300 a month for a first helper at the normal rate, S$450 for subsequent helpers, and S$60 at the concessionary rate, with daily rates of S$9.87, S$14.80 and S$1.98 respectively for helpers who did not complete a full calendar month. See our full FDW Levy guide for the application walkthrough.

Air ticket: who pays and how to plan

Who pays for a home leave ticket is decided by agreement, not by a MOM requirement. MOM's FAQ on who pays for an MDW's air ticket for overseas leave says employers and helpers should agree this at the start of employment, and if it is not in the contract, come to a mutual agreement, preferably in writing. This is different from the end of employment, when MOM requires the employer to pay for her ticket home.

Fares vary by route and season, so compare live prices once dates are agreed. Peak periods such as Christmas, Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and school holidays are usually more expensive. Check that the ticket includes enough checked baggage; helpers often bring gifts home.

Cash instead of home leave

Some helpers prefer extra cash over time off. MOM does not set a rate for this, so the amount is whatever you both agree, often guided by the value of the leave days and the ticket she would otherwise have received.

Three rules if you go this route:

1. Agree in writing. A signed addendum to the employment contract protects both of you.
2. Keep it voluntary. Never pressure her to give up leave she wants to take. If she wants to go home, let her go.
3. Time the payment. One simple option is to pay the lump sum on the renewal date alongside the monthly salary. Our salary calculation guide helps keep the payroll record clean.

Maid insurance during home leave

MOM requires every employer to buy medical insurance 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, as set out on its insurance requirements page. MOM describes this cover in terms of your helper's stay in Singapore. Whether a particular policy responds to an illness or accident while she is at home overseas depends on its wording, so read the territorial limits clause or ask your insurer before she flies.

If your policy does not cover her abroad, consider whether to arrange separate travel cover for the trip. See our helper insurance overview.

Documents she needs to fly home and return

• Valid passport, checked against the airline's and any transit country's rules
• Digital work pass in the SGWorkPass app, or her Work Permit card, which MOM says she must bring to re-enter Singapore
• SG Arrival Card, submitted free online within three days before arrival, as ICA requires for work pass holders (ICA SGAC page)
• Confirmed return ticket back to Singapore
• Home-country documents, such as the OFW Travel Pass for Filipino helpers or the embassy recommendation letter for Myanmar helpers
• Employer letter confirming employment and return date, where her embassy or airline asks for one

Generic employer letter template

To Whom It May Concern,

This letter confirms that [HELPER FULL NAME], passport number [XXXXX], holding Singapore Work Permit number [XXXXX], is employed in my household as a Migrant Domestic Worker from [START DATE] to present. She is travelling to [COUNTRY] from [DEPART DATE] to [RETURN DATE] for home leave, and will resume her duties in Singapore thereafter. Her Singapore Work Permit remains valid and her employment is continuing.

[Employer Name, NRIC, Address, Signature, Date]

What about her Work Permit?

Her Work Permit remains valid during home leave as long as you do not cancel it and it does not expire. She does not need a new pass to come back.

• MOM's renewal page says that if she plans to travel overseas just before the expiry date, you should renew the Work Permit before she leaves. MOM sends the renewal letter about 8 weeks before expiry.
• Do not cancel her Work Permit for a normal home leave trip. Cancelling means a fresh application when she comes back.
• If she decides not to return, MOM says to cancel the permit first, then apply for the waiver using "Failed to return from overseas leave". Our guide on what to do if your maid does not return covers the full process.

Family emergencies, pregnancy and illness

Compassionate leave for a death or serious illness in her immediate family is not a legal entitlement, but it is worth granting where you can. Agree the dates, whether it is paid and who pays the ticket in writing, even if it is a short message thread.

Pregnancy: MOM's security bond page says you will not be liable for your helper's violations, such as those relating to pregnancy, if you can prove you informed her of the Work Permit conditions she must comply with and reported the violation when you first became aware of it. Contact MOM or your agency rather than using home leave as a workaround.

Illness while overseas: if she falls ill at home and may not return before her Work Permit expires, talk to your agency early about renewing or re-applying.

When she returns: settling-back checklist

1. Apply for the levy waiver through "Check and pay levy" once the relevant levy bill arrives. No uploads are needed.
2. Arrange her 6-monthly medical exam if you deferred it.
3. Give her a lighter day or two to recover from the journey.
4. Check her Work Permit status in the SGWorkPass app.
5. Confirm her insurance is still in force.

Pre-departure checklist for employers

• Agree dates, pay and ticket arrangements in writing
• Check the Work Permit will not expire during the trip; renew first if it will
• Check passport validity
• Confirm the return ticket is booked
• Confirm she has the SGWorkPass app or her physical Work Permit card
• Remind her to submit the SG Arrival Card before her return flight
• Sign any employer letter her embassy asks for
• Defer the 6ME if it falls during the trip
• Save next-of-kin contact numbers in her home country
• Settle any outstanding salary before she goes
• Calendar her return date and a reminder to claim the levy waiver

Write home leave into the contract

The single best thing you can do is put the home leave terms in writing before the helper starts work. A sample clause:

Home Leave. Upon completion of each two years of service, the Employer shall grant the Helper [number] consecutive days of [paid/unpaid] home leave, with [the Employer/the Helper] bearing the cost of one return economy-class ticket to her home country. By mutual written agreement, the Helper may elect to forgo home leave in exchange for a cash payment of S$[amount], payable on [date]. Any extension of home leave beyond the agreed period requires written approval from the Employer and must not result in the Helper's return to Singapore after the expiry of her Work Permit.

Fill in the numbers to suit your situation, but keep the structure: duration, paid or unpaid, who pays the ticket, cash-in-lieu option, extension rules. The 14 days of paid leave every two years that MOM cites as common practice is a sensible reference point.

Home leave done well is one of the best ways to retain a good helper. Explore helper insurance options before she flies.

Reviewed by Yvonne, Licensed Employment Agent, Upwill (MOM EA Licence 24C2628). Last reviewed 22 September 2026 against the MOM, ICA, DMW, KBRI and Myanmar Embassy sources linked above.