Is the Employer Orientation Programme free in Singapore?

Yes. EOP is completely free for the employer. Delivered online through mom.gov.sg using your Singpass login, takes ~90 minutes, produces a digital certificate at no cost. SIP costs S$75 and is paid by the employer for the helper.

What is the difference between EOP and SIP in Singapore?

EOP is for the employer: online, 90 min, free, before Work Permit application. SIP is for the helper: in-person, one day, S$75, within 3 working days of her arrival. Separate, both mandatory, one does not replace the other.

How long is my EOP certificate valid in Singapore?

Two years from completion. Start a Work Permit application more than two years after passing EOP and MOM will require you to retake it. Also re-triggered if your last MDW Work Permit was 5+ years ago.

Do I need to redo EOP if I am hiring my second helper?

Only if your last MDW Work Permit was 5+ years ago, or your existing EOP certificate is older than 2 years. Within both windows, no retake. Changing nationality does NOT trigger a retake.

What happens if I do not complete EOP before applying for the Work Permit?

MOM's system auto-rejects the Work Permit application. Your agency cannot bypass this. Fix: complete EOP (~90 min), resubmit. No penalty beyond the delay.

Employer Orientation Programme (EOP) & SIP Singapore 2026: The Complete First-Time Employer Guide

Published: 20 May 2026Last updated: 31 May 2026

TL;DR: Before your first maid Work Permit in Singapore, you must finish the MOM Employer Orientation Programme (EOP): a paid 3-hour programme (online $35; classroom $35-$60). Your helper separately attends the in-person Settling-In Programme (SIP), about S$76 to S$93 depending on provider, within 7 days of arrival (excluding Sundays and public holidays).

Last updated: 20 May 2026 · Reviewed by Yvonne, Placement Consultant at Upwill Employment Services (MOM EA Licence 24C2628)

If you are about to hire a migrant domestic worker (MDW) through a maid agency in Singapore for the first time (or for the first time in more than five years), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires you to complete the Employer Orientation Programme (EOP) before your Work Permit application will even be accepted. Your helper will separately need to complete the Settling-In Programme (SIP) within seven days of arrival in Singapore (excluding Sundays and public holidays). The two are constantly confused, and getting either wrong delays your hiring by weeks.

This guide walks you through everything: what EOP actually is, how it differs from SIP, the completion process, what it covers, and the common mistakes that get Work Permit applications auto-rejected.

Singapore employer completing the MOM Employer Orientation Programme online via Singpass on a laptop — EOP is a paid, 3-hour MOM programme required before your first MDW Work Permit application.

1. What is the Employer Orientation Programme (EOP)?

The EOP is a paid, MOM-administered programme (online $35; classroom $35-$60) that every first-time MDW employer in Singapore must complete before applying for a Work Permit. It is a 3-hour programme that produces a digital certificate auto-linked to your Singpass. MOM introduced it because the most serious welfare cases traced back to employers who genuinely didn't know what the law required.

EOP is mandatory for first-time MDW employers, with re-completion required in MOM-specified circumstances. MOM does not publish a fixed validity period.

2. EOP vs SIP: Two Different Programmes, Constantly Confused

EOP: for YOU. Paid (online $35; classroom $35-$60). 3-hour programme. Before Work Permit application.
SIP: for the HELPER. In-person. 1 day at an MOM-appointed provider. About S$76 to S$93 depending on provider. Within 7 days of her arrival (excluding Sundays and public holidays).

Both required, one doesn't replace the other. See criteria to hire a maid in Singapore 2026 for the eligibility tests before either programme matters.

3. When EOP Is Required

First-time employer.
MOM-directed re-completion in the circumstances MOM specifies.

MOM does not publish a fixed EOP validity period or a fixed re-completion gap; check MOM's current EOP guidance for the circumstances that require re-completion. For transfers, see our helper transfer guide.

4. How to Complete the EOP

Set aside a quiet window (about 2 hours online, 3 hours classroom) and do it in one sitting.

mom.gov.sg → Services → For Employers of Foreign Workers → Employer Orientation Programme.
Login with personal Singpass (not corporate).
Work through the programme content.
Complete the assessment.
Download certificate.

5. What EOP Covers

Four EOP module topics: rest days, salary, food and accommodation for Singapore MDW employers — The EOP covers core employer obligations under MOM rules.

Module 1, Rest Days. One per week mandatory. See rest day rules.
Module 2, Salary. Pay within 7 days of period end. Itemised payslip. No breakage deductions.
Module 3, Food. Three meals/day, suitable for her diet. See food allowance 2026.
Module 4, Accommodation. Adequate, safe, private space. See accommodation standards.

6. What SIP Is: The Helper's Side

Migrant domestic worker attending in-person Settling-In Programme session at an approved SIP centre in Singapore — SIP is an in-person, one-day briefing for the helper at an MOM-approved centre.

SIP is a one-day in-person session at an MOM-appointed SIP provider. First-time MDWs must attend within 7 days of arrival (excluding Sundays and public holidays). About S$76 to S$93, depending on provider, paid by the employer. She's taught her rights, safety (especially the high-rise window cleaning ban), stress management, and cultural orientation. Employers don't attend. Your agency typically books the slot.

7. Common Employer Mistakes

Not completing EOP before WPOL application. This is the #1 mistake, auto-rejection.
Confusing EOP with SIP.
Missing the SIP window (within 7 days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays).
Using corporate Singpass.

Complete pre-application checklist in our first-time maid employer checklist.

8. Re-completion

MOM may require you to complete the EOP again in the circumstances it specifies; it does not publish a fixed multi-year gap rule. Check MOM's current EOP guidance for the triggers that apply to you.

9. The Assessment: What to Expect

Scenario-based questions. Common pitfalls: salary deductions (NEVER for breakage), rest day comp (one extra day's salary not double-time), window cleaning (exterior banned above ground floor), passport custody (cannot hold), sleeping arrangement (balcony NOT acceptable).

10. After EOP: What Happens Next

Agency submits Work Permit via WPOL.
MOM issues IPA in 1-3 working days.
Helper travels to Singapore.
Within 7 days of arrival (excluding Sundays and public holidays): SIP attendance.
6-monthly medical examination.
Work Permit card issued.

Reviewed by Yvonne, Upwill Employment Services, MOM EA Licence 24C2628. Yvonne has guided over a thousand Singapore households through their first MDW Work Permit application. Last reviewed 20 May 2026.