Home Leave for Filipino Maids in Singapore: OEC, Levy Waiver & 2026 Process
Sending a Filipino helper on home leave from Singapore is unlike any other nationality you may have employed. Indonesian and Myanmar helpers normally need only a valid passport and your employer letter to fly home — Filipino helpers sit inside a separate Philippine government system that requires an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) or the newer OFW Travel Pass, a current OWWA membership, and (since 2024) an appointment booked through the DMW online portal before the Philippine Embassy in Singapore will release her exit clearance.
Layer the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) levy waiver rules on top — you only get the S$60/month levy refunded if the trip is at least seven consecutive days — and you have a three-way coordination problem: Philippine paperwork, Singapore paperwork, and a flight booking that has to satisfy both. This guide walks through the full 2026 process, including the employer letter template, the levy waiver e-service, what happens if the OEC expires while she is abroad, and the insurance coverage gap most employers don't realise exists.
Written by Wendy Tan, EA Personnel, Upwill Employment (EA Licence 24C2628). Last updated May 2026. About the reviewer.
What home leave entitlement does your Filipino helper have?
Singapore's Employment of Foreign Manpower Act does not prescribe a fixed home leave entitlement for foreign domestic workers — there is no statutory "annual leave" the way office staff get under the Employment Act. Home leave is contractual: whatever you and your helper agree to in writing.
That said, three reference points shape what most Upwill employers offer Filipino helpers:
- DMW standard contract: The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers' standard employment contract for domestic workers in Singapore contemplates paid home leave after every two-year completed contract, with the employer paying the return ticket.
- Two-year renewal cycle: Most Filipino helpers ask for home leave at the end of each two-year work permit, timed against the renewal. See our work permit renewal guide for how to sequence the two.
- Industry norm: Two to four weeks of home leave between contracts, paid round-trip airfare from the employer, and salary either paused or pro-rated for the leave period — exact terms are between you and your helper.
If your helper is mid-contract and wants emergency home leave for a family bereavement, that is also contractual; MOM does not require you to grant it, but most agencies (Upwill included) strongly recommend you do.
Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) — what it is, when needed
The OEC is the Philippine government's exit clearance for Filipinos working overseas. Without it (or its 2024 replacement, the OFW Travel Pass), your helper will be stopped at Manila or Cebu immigration on her return flight to Singapore — she physically cannot leave the Philippines as an OFW.
Two important updates to know in 2026:
- OFW Travel Pass is replacing the OEC. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) launched the digital OFW Travel Pass via the eGovPH app — valid for 90 days from issuance, versus the older OEC's 60 days. Both still work in 2026, but the OFW Pass is now the default for Balik-Manggagawa (returning, same-employer) workers.
- OEC exemption for same-employer returns. If your helper is returning to the same employer (you) under an unchanged contract, she may qualify for OEC exemption — she only needs to print the exemption confirmation from her DMW e-registration account. No embassy appointment needed.
When she does need a full OEC appointment: first home leave with a new contract, change of employer between trips, or expired records on her DMW profile. Processing fee at the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) Singapore is around S$17 for OEC verification plus S$3 OEC fee, paid in cash on the day.
OWWA membership and how to verify it before booking flights
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is the Philippine welfare fund for OFWs — covering insurance, repatriation, and scholarship benefits. Active OWWA membership is a prerequisite for OEC issuance. If membership has lapsed, your helper cannot get her OEC until she renews — currently around S$36 (≈US$25) at MWO Singapore.
Before you book the ticket, ask your helper to check her OWWA status in her DMW e-registration account or by calling MWO Singapore (+65 6040 6506). OWWA membership runs for two years and typically expires alongside the work permit, so a renewal-cycle home leave nearly always coincides with an OWWA renewal too. Build the S$36 fee and a small queue buffer into your timeline.
Philippine Embassy SG appointment booking — 2026 process
Walk-in applications at the Philippine Embassy / Migrant Workers Office have not been accepted since 2020. Every appointment must be booked online:
- Your helper logs into her account at onlineservices.dmw.gov.ph (the BM Online / E-Registration portal).
- She updates her passport and Singapore work permit / IPA under "My Profile."
- Under "Balik Manggagawa," she enters the planned flight date and selects "MWO Singapore" (formerly POLO Singapore).
- She picks an available appointment slot. Slots typically open two to three weeks ahead and fill within hours during peak months (March–May, November–December).
- On the appointment day, she brings the printed appointment slip, her passport, work permit, employer's NRIC copy, employer letter (see below), and the cash fees.
MWO Singapore is at 20 Nassim Road, open Monday–Friday roughly 9 am–3 pm with a lunch break. Average on-site processing is 20–30 minutes if her documents are complete.
MOM Levy Concession during home leave — the 7-day rule
MOM will waive the S$60 monthly maid levy (or S$300 if you do not qualify for the concession — see our cost guide) for any continuous overseas leave of at least seven consecutive days, up to a cap of 60 calendar days per calendar year.
Two operational facts most employers get wrong:
- You apply after she returns, not before. The application is submitted through MOM's "Check and Pay Levy" e-service. Log in, select "On overseas leave," enter her departure date and her actual return date, and submit. No supporting documents are uploaded — MOM cross-checks against ICA arrival/departure records.
- You must apply within one year of the levy bill date. MOM typically issues a decision within 12 working days.
Keep her boarding passes and the airline itinerary anyway. If MOM queries the dates, you'll need them. While she is overseas, you can also separately request to defer her six-monthly medical examination if it falls during the leave window.
Employer letter template (what details MUST be included)
MWO Singapore requires an employer letter (sometimes called an "employer's undertaking") at the OEC/OFW Pass appointment. The letter is unsigned by MOM — it's a Philippine-side document. Print on plain paper, sign in blue ink.
Sample template — adapt the bracketed details:
[Your full name, NRIC]
[Residential address, Singapore postal code]
[Date]
To: The Migrant Workers Office, Singapore
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395
Subject: Letter of Undertaking — Home Leave for [Helper full name]
Dear Sir / Madam,
I, [Your full name], holder of NRIC No. [NRIC], residing at [address], confirm that I am the registered employer of [Helper full name], Philippine Passport No. [passport number], holding Singapore Work Permit No. [WP number] valid until [date].
I confirm the following:
1. [Helper name] will be travelling to the Philippines on home leave from [departure date] to [return date].
2. Her round-trip air ticket (Singapore–Manila/Cebu–Singapore) has been arranged and paid for by me.
3. Her employment with me will continue upon her return on [return date]. Her Singapore Work Permit remains valid and has not been cancelled.
4. I undertake to honour all terms of her existing employment contract on her return.
Should the Embassy require any further information, I may be reached at [mobile] or [email].
Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
[Your full name]
NRIC: [NRIC]
Attach photocopies of: your NRIC (front and back), her passport bio page, her Singapore work permit (front and back), and her flight itinerary. The MWO officer will retain the originals.
Does maid insurance cover your helper during home leave?
This is the gap that catches most employers out. Singapore MOM-mandated maid insurance — the S$60,000 medical and S$70,000 personal accident policies you bought at deployment — has a geographic restriction. Most policies only cover the helper while she is in Singapore (or in transit on an employer-paid trip). Once she lands in the Philippines on personal home leave, the Singapore policy generally does not respond.
Three things to do before she flies:
- Check your policy wording for the "territorial limits" clause. Some Singapore insurers (FWD, MSIG, Income) extend basic coverage during paid home leave; others do not. See our maid insurance comparison for which insurers extend.
- Confirm her OWWA membership is active — OWWA provides a small life and disability benefit on Philippine soil, which partially closes the gap.
- Consider a short-term travel insurance policy in her name for the home leave window. A 14-day basic travel policy from a Singapore insurer typically costs under S$30 and covers medical evacuation back to either Manila or Singapore.
If you're switching insurers around her renewal anyway, our helper insurance page shows which 2026 policies have the strongest home-leave extension.
What to do if the OEC expires while the helper is abroad
The OEC is valid 60 days from issuance (90 days for the newer OFW Travel Pass). If she over-stays her home leave and the document expires before she flies back to Singapore, she cannot board the Manila-Singapore flight as an OFW — she will be redirected to a tourist exit, which can break her work permit continuity.
If this looks likely:
- Have her log into her DMW e-registration account and request a renewed OEC / OFW Pass. Same-employer Balik-Manggagawa cases can usually be processed at the DMW office in Manila (POEA Building, Ortigas) or at any regional OFW Help Desk, often same-day.
- If she is in a province and cannot reach Manila quickly, the DMW Lingkod OFW mobile service or regional MWO offices can issue the document.
- Avoid the temptation to fly her back on a tourist exit "to fix it later" — this creates an immigration record mismatch that can complicate her next OEC application.
As the employer, your role is to send a fresh employer letter (updated dates) by email if the embassy/DMW office requests it.
Helper's return to Singapore — work permit continuity, re-entry
Three return-side facts to know:
- The Singapore Work Permit remains valid throughout overseas leave provided you did not cancel it. There is no separate "re-entry visa" to apply for — the work permit card is itself the multiple-entry travel document, paired with a current IPA if the permit was recently issued.
- If her permit will expire within 30 days of her planned return, renew it before she flies out. A new IPA can take up to two weeks to issue, and you do not want her stuck in Manila waiting for it.
- Six-monthly medical examination: if the next 6ME falls during her overseas leave, request deferment via MOM's e-service before she departs. On her return, you have a short window to complete the deferred 6ME — usually 14 days.
Her ICA arrival stamp on the work permit card is what MOM cross-checks for the levy waiver. Keep the boarding pass until the waiver is approved.
Filipino home leave checklist (employer-side)
- ☐ Agree home leave dates in writing (at least 7 consecutive days to qualify for levy waiver)
- ☐ Confirm work permit is valid through her planned return date (+30 days buffer)
- ☐ Verify her OWWA membership is current — renew S$36 at MWO if expired
- ☐ Book her DMW online appointment (or confirm OEC exemption for same-employer return)
- ☐ Issue signed employer letter on plain paper; attach NRIC, passport, work permit, itinerary copies
- ☐ Book and pay for the round-trip flight
- ☐ Confirm maid insurance territorial cover — buy a short-term travel policy if there's a gap
- ☐ Defer her 6-monthly medical exam via MOM e-service if it falls during leave
- ☐ Keep her boarding passes and itinerary until the levy waiver is approved
- ☐ After her return: file the levy waiver application via Check and Pay Levy within one year of the bill
If you're handling your first Filipino home leave and would rather a licensed EA coordinate the paperwork, our placement and renewal services include home-leave administration at no additional fee for Upwill-placed helpers. For broader background, see our Filipino helper hiring guide and the nationality comparison.
About the reviewer: Wendy Tan is an EA Personnel with Upwill Employment (EA Licence 24C2628). She has coordinated home leave applications for over 200 Filipino helpers since 2019 and writes Upwill operational guides. Source documents reviewed: MOM Levy Concession and Waiver.