Maid Home Leave & Repatriation Singapore 2026: Employer's Complete Guide

Sooner or later, every employer of a foreign domestic worker in Singapore faces one of two situations. Either your helper wants to go home for a visit mid-contract, or your contract is ending and you need to send her home for good. Both events involve airfare, paperwork, and small mistakes that can cost you hundreds of dollars or get you in trouble with MOM.

This guide walks through both scenarios step by step, using 2026 rules and pricing.

Part 1: Mid-Contract Home Leave

Is Home Leave Mandatory?

No. There is no MOM rule that forces you to send your helper home during her contract. Home leave is a private arrangement between you and your helper.

That said, most helpers expect a trip home at some point during their two-year contract. If you refuse outright, expect morale problems or a request to transfer. The norm in Singapore is one home leave trip every 18 to 24 months for Filipino helpers, and every 22 to 24 months for Indonesian and Myanmar helpers.

Typical Timing

Most employers schedule home leave around month 14 to 22 of the contract. Going earlier risks the helper not returning. Going later means it overlaps with renewal, which complicates the work permit.

A common pattern: helper takes home leave at month 18, returns refreshed, and signs a renewal at month 22. This works well because you have already evaluated her performance and she has a clear reason to come back.

Who Pays for the Airfare?

This is the most negotiated point. Customary practice in Singapore:

• First home leave during contract: employer often pays the return ticket as a goodwill gesture, especially if the helper has performed well.
• Second home leave in same contract: usually split, or helper pays.
• End-of-contract repatriation: employer must pay (MOM rule, see Part 2).

Typical 2026 fares from Singapore: Manila S$280 to S$450 return, Jakarta S$250 to S$400 return, Yangon S$400 to S$600 return. Book 6 to 8 weeks ahead to lock in the lower end.

Whatever you agree, put it in writing before she leaves. We have seen disputes where the helper assumed the employer was paying and only found out at the airport.

How Long?

Two to four weeks is standard. Shorter than two weeks and the helper barely sees her family after travel time. Longer than four weeks and you are paying for a long replacement gap, plus the work permit risks lapsing if she overstays at home.

What Happens to Salary, Levy, and Insurance During Leave

• Salary: unpaid leave is the norm. The helper is not working, so you are not obliged to pay. Some employers give a partial goodwill payment, especially for long-serving helpers. See our maid salary guide for current market rates.
• Levy: you still pay the monthly levy of S$300 (or S$60 concessionary) while she is overseas. The work permit remains active. Details in our FDW levy guide.
• Insurance: helper's medical and personal accident insurance continues. She is covered for medical emergencies abroad under most policies. Check your policy or our helper insurance overview.
• Security bond: remains in place. No action needed.

Re-Entry Requirements

Before she flies back to Singapore, your helper needs:

1. Passport with at least 6 months validity.
2. Valid work permit (still active, not cancelled).
3. SG Arrival Card submitted online within 3 days before arrival.
4. Return ticket or onward ticket.
5. Proof of employment (work permit card or printout).

Some helpers also need an exit permit from their home country embassy (Indonesians especially). Confirm with the embassy 2 weeks before her flight.

Risks: What If She Does Not Return?

It happens. The helper goes home, accepts a job offer from a richer Middle East employer, and you never see her again. Or family pressure keeps her home.

Mitigation:

• Buy a return ticket, not one-way. One-way tickets signal you expect her not to come back, and they are not refundable if she does not return.
• Keep her work permit card with you, not with her. She cannot work elsewhere in Singapore without it.
• Time leave for after she has built up loyalty, not in the first 6 months.
• If she does not return on time, give her 7 to 10 days grace. If she still does not return, cancel the work permit via MOM and forfeit the security bond claim (you cannot claim if she is overseas).

If she does not return, you will need to start fresh. See our guide on transferring or replacing a helper.

Part 2: End-of-Contract Repatriation

End-of-Contract: Scheduling and Handover

Your helper's 2-year work permit is ending and you have decided not to renew (or she has decided to leave). Start the process 4 to 6 weeks before the permit expiry date.

Checklist 4 to 6 weeks out:

• Confirm her last working day.
• Book her flight home (one-way is fine here).
• Calculate final salary, including unused leave and prorated rest day pay.
• Settle any outstanding loans or salary deductions.
• Help her pack and ship belongings if needed.

If you plan to hire a replacement, work backwards from her departure date. Our hiring timeline guide shows the typical 3 to 8 week gap.

Mid-Contract Termination

If you are ending the contract early (her performance is unacceptable, family situation changes, etc.):

• Notice: standard contracts require 7 days' written notice from either side, or 1 month for some contracts. Check her contract.
• Salary in lieu: if you terminate without notice, pay her salary for the notice period.
• Final pay: up to and including her last working day, plus any unpaid rest days.
• Ticket: you pay the one-way ticket home. This is mandatory under MOM rules, regardless of who initiated the termination.

The one exception: if she commits a serious offence (theft, abuse), you may have grounds to claim against the security bond. Speak to your agency first.

The MOM Repatriation Process

Here is the official flow from booking the ticket to seeing her off at Changi.

1. Book the flight. One-way to her home country, dated within 7 days of her last working day.
2. Cancel the work permit on WP Online. Log into MOM's WP Online portal, select Cancel Work Permit, enter her FIN and the cancellation date (usually her last working day or departure day).
3. Settle final salary. Pay her in full, in cash or bank transfer, before she leaves. Get her to sign a settlement receipt.
4. Embassy clearance (some nationalities). Filipino helpers must obtain an Overseas Employment Certificate clearance from the Philippine Embassy. Indonesian helpers may need exit clearance. Agencies handle this routinely.
5. Return work permit card. Cut it in half and dispose, or hand it back at the airport repatriation counter.
6. Send her to the airport. Most employers escort her to Changi or arrange agency pickup. Make sure she has her passport, ticket, and clearance documents.
7. Levy stops. MOM stops charging levy the day after the work permit cancellation is effective.
8. Security bond release. MOM releases the S$5,000 bond (or refunds the bond insurance premium balance) within 1 to 2 weeks after she leaves Singapore, assuming no claims.

Employer's Obligations Summary

• Pay the one-way ticket home (economy class, direct flight where reasonable).
• Pay salary up to and including the last day of work.
• Allow her to take all personal belongings.
• Hand back her passport (you should never have held it anyway).
• Cancel the work permit within 7 days of her ceasing work.

Tax Clearance (IR21)

Foreign domestic workers are not employees for Singapore income tax purposes, so you do not need to file IR21 for your helper. IR21 applies to foreign employees on Employment Passes, S Passes, and similar work passes, not Work Permits for FDWs.

The only tax-like obligation is the monthly levy, which stops automatically once the work permit is cancelled.

What If She Refuses to Leave?

Rare, but it happens. If your helper refuses to board the flight or disappears before departure:

1. Notify MOM immediately at the FDW helpline.
2. File a missing persons report with the police if she has gone underground.
3. Do not cancel the work permit until MOM advises. Cancelling while she is missing makes her an overstayer, which can lead to security bond forfeiture.
4. Let MOM and ICA handle the recovery. They will locate her and arrange repatriation. You may still be liable for the ticket.

This is one of the few scenarios where you can lose part of the security bond, so move quickly.

Renewing Instead of Repatriating

If you want to keep her on for another 2 years, you do not repatriate at all. Just renew the work permit before it expires. See our work permit renewal guide. If you are unsure whether to renew, our employment history checker helps you review her track record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my helper extend her home leave? Yes, with your written approval. Make sure she returns before her work permit expiry, otherwise she becomes an overstayer.

Do I pay levy while she is on home leave? Yes, as long as the work permit is active. The S$300 (or S$60 concessionary) monthly levy continues.

Can the helper buy her own ticket? For home leave, yes. For end-of-contract repatriation, the employer must pay even if the helper offers.

What if I lose her passport before repatriation? She needs to apply for an emergency travel document at her embassy. Allow 1 to 3 weeks. Notify MOM of the delay.