When a domestic helper enters your home, she brings more than practical assistance with daily tasks. She brings trust — trust that the family she works for will treat her with fairness, respect, and the basic protections that any working person deserves. Among the most concrete expressions of that trust is ensuring that she is adequately insured.
Understanding domestic helper insurance as an employer obligation — rather than a discretionary add-on — is the most important mindset shift any new employer can make. As of December 2024, the number of domestic helpers in Singapore reached a record high of 301,600, reflecting how central a role they play in supporting Singapore families with childcare, eldercare, and daily routines.
What Singapore Law Requires
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower is clear on what employers must provide. According to MOM’s mandatory insurance requirements, employers are legally required to purchase both medical insurance and personal accident insurance before the helper can begin work — a requirement directly tied to the issuance of the Work Permit. Without valid insurance in place, your helper cannot legally begin employment.
The standard coverage required by MOM covers three main areas: medical insurance of at least S$60,000 per year for hospitalisation and treatment, personal accident insurance of at least S$60,000 to cover permanent disability or death, and repatriation expenses if a helper is found unfit to work and needs to be sent home.
The Mandatory Minimum Is Not the Same as Adequate Protection
Meeting the legal minimum is a starting point, not a finish line. As outlined in SingSaver’s complete guide to maid insurance, a comprehensive domestic helper insurance policy extends well beyond the mandatory requirements. Coverage areas in more comprehensive plans typically include hospitalisation and surgical expenses, repatriation expenses, wage compensation providing daily cash payouts if the helper is unable to work due to hospitalisation, third-party liability covering the employer for legal or third-party liability resulting from the helper’s accidental negligence, and replacement maid expenses covering the cost of finding a replacement due to death, illness, or other valid reasons.
The Wage Replacement Benefit
The wage replacement benefit is a feature that deserves particular attention from employers managing active households. Some insurance plans include a wage and levy reimbursement feature whereby a fixed sum is paid per day for up to a defined number of days if the helper is hospitalised in Singapore as a result of injury or illness. For families that depend on daily household support, this benefit addresses the practical reality of managing a home without assistance while continuing to meet financial obligations to the helper.
Employer Liability Coverage
Employer liability coverage is equally important and equally overlooked. Maid insurance protects the employer against unexpected expenses incurred when a migrant domestic worker gets into an accident or requires inpatient care due to illness — and for the helper, it provides financial protection by compensating her family if she suffers permanent disability or passes away due to an accident.
If a helper sustains a work-related injury that leads to a compensation claim, the resulting legal and financial exposure can be significant. As highlighted in Dollars and Sense’s guide to buying maid insurance, third-party liability coverage specifically addresses legal or third-party liability resulting from the helper’s accidental negligence — a protection that employers often overlook until it becomes relevant.
What Changed From July 2025
Employers renewing or purchasing new policies should be aware of updated MOM requirements. From 1 July 2025, new policies must include standardised exclusion clauses across insurers for greater transparency, age-based premiums with different rates for helpers above or below age 50, and direct hospital reimbursement so employers no longer need to pay upfront and claim later. These changes reflect the government’s ongoing effort to strengthen protection for domestic helpers while making the process more straightforward for employers.
Choosing the Right Plan
Families comparing maid insurance plans should look beyond the premium price alone. According to POEMS’s employer guide to domestic helper insurance, with the enhancements to coverage requirements effective from July 2025, there is now a greater need for employers to understand what they are purchasing and how to choose a plan that truly meets their household’s needs, instead of just fulfilling legal obligations.
Key factors to consider include the scope of hospitalisation and outpatient coverage, the wage replacement benefit, employer liability limits, repatriation coverage, and the clarity of the claims process.
The relationship between an employer and a domestic helper is built over months and years of daily shared life. The financial protection an employer provides through a good insurance policy is part of what makes that relationship one of mutual respect and genuine care.
Fulfil your duty of care as an employer and protect your helper with comprehensive domestic helper insurance designed for Singapore households. Explore the full range of coverage options and find the right plan at www.aig.sg/home/solutions/personal/accident-and-health/domestic-helper-insurance today.