This guide covers the insurance and security bond side of hiring a helper before Chinese New Year. It explains why the cover has to be in place before the work permit is issued and how to plan the steps around the holiday. It also covers the bond waiver and what to check on a plan. It is general information, not advice on any one household.
Why the timing matters
Many Singapore households hire a helper between October and February, before Chinese New Year. In 2027, Chinese New Year falls on 6 and 7 February. Families often want a helper settled in before the visiting, cooking and cleaning of the festive period. Many households go through the same steps in the same months.
What to consider:
- The holiday dates: 6 and 7 February 2027.
- The date the helper needs to start work, not only the date she arrives.
- Holiday hours at agencies, insurers and offices in the week around the festival.
- A margin of time, rather than a plan that depends on the last working days before the holiday.
What has to be in place before the work permit is issued
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sets a minimum for every employer of a foreign domestic worker. Medical cover, personal accident cover and a S$5,000 security bond are required before the work permit is issued. All of it has to be bought before the helper arrives in Singapore. The employer cannot pass the cost on to the helper.
The MOM minimum has three parts:
- Medical insurance for hospital stays and day surgery, with an annual limit of at least S$60,000. On a bill above S$15,000, the insurer pays 75% and the employer pays 25%.
- Personal accident insurance of at least S$60,000. It is paid to the helper, or to her family, if an accident leaves her permanently disabled or she dies.
- A S$5,000 security bond for each helper, unless she is Malaysian.
Every plan shown on the maid insurance quote page meets the MOM minimum medical and personal accident cover. Each one also includes the S$5,000 security bond. The purchase is completed on the insurer's own site, and the insurer sends the bond to MOM.
Working back from the holiday
The steps run in a fixed order. The insurance and bond come before the work permit. The work permit comes before the helper starts work. How long each step takes differs from case to case. A simple way to plan is to start from the date the household needs the helper and work backwards.
Policy length is part of this plan. A work permit usually lasts two years. If the insurance and bond last less than 26 months, the permit ends two months before they do. The extra two months cover the time between applying and the permit being issued. That is why new helpers are usually covered for 26 months, and one-year renewals for 14 months.
A checklist for planning:
- Fix the start date the household needs.
- Arrange the insurance and bond before the work permit is issued.
- Match the policy length to the permit: 26 months for a new two-year permit, 14 months for a one-year renewal.
- Check that cover starts before the helper starts work and lasts as long as the work permit.
- Keep the policy documents where they can be found during the holiday week.
The security bond and the bond waiver
The security bond is S$5,000 for each helper, unless she is Malaysian. It is provided by a bank or an insurer. MOM can take the bond if the employer breaks the work permit conditions. Examples include paying the helper's salary late, or not sending her home when her permit ends.
If MOM forfeits the bond, the insurer pays it. What happens next depends on the waiver. Without a waiver, the insurer can ask the employer to repay that S$5,000. With a waiver, the insurer usually cannot. A waiver protects the employer if the bond is lost, for example if the helper goes missing.
What to check:
- Whether the plan includes a bond waiver.
- The conditions under which the waiver applies.
- The price with and without a waiver for the same policy length.
- The employer's own duties under the work permit, which still apply with or without a waiver.
The price pages split plans this way. Two examples are 26 months with bond waiver, helper under 50 and 26 months with no bond waiver, helper under 50.
What to check on the plan
Plans that meet the MOM minimum can still differ. Hospital and surgical limits vary between plans. A higher limit means fewer bills for the employer if the helper has a long hospital stay. Plans also cover repatriation if the helper passes away or must return home.
The plans compared here do not cover:
- Conditions found at the helper's pre-employment medical exam.
- Pregnancy and childbirth.
- Cosmetic and routine dental treatment.
- Self-inflicted injury.
Points to compare:
- The hospital and surgical limit, and how it sits against the MOM minimum.
- Personal accident cover of S$60,000.
- Repatriation cover.
- Whether a bond waiver is included.
- The policy length, 14 or 26 months.
- The helper's age band. The price pages split plans into helpers under 50 and over 50, for example 26 months with bond waiver, helper over 50.
Some examples of today's prices, as at 15 October 2026. For a new helper aged 32, 26 months, with a bond waiver and no claims in three years, nine insurers price the plan. The range is about S$486 to about S$1,098 on the new helper, 26 months with waiver page. For a renewal with a helper aged 38, 14 months, no waiver and no claims in three years, seven insurers price the plan. The range is about S$273 to S$700 on the renewal, 14 months page. These are examples only. The premium for any one household depends on the helper and the cover chosen.
After the helper arrives
Once the helper starts work, the policy runs alongside the work permit. Medical bills, accidents and repatriation are handled through the insurer. The steps for making a claim differ between insurers. The Claims page explains how claims generally work and where to start.
What to keep track of:
- The policy number and the insurer's claims contact.
- Hospital bills, receipts and medical reports.
- The policy end date, and how it lines up with the work permit end date.
- The renewal date, so a 14-month renewal policy can be arranged before the current cover ends.
Things to note
- The insurance is not optional. MOM requires medical cover, personal accident cover and the security bond before the work permit is issued.
- A bond waiver does not remove the bond. The bond is still in place. The waiver affects whether the insurer can ask the employer to repay it after a forfeiture.
- Meeting the MOM minimum does not mean every bill is paid. On a bill above S$15,000, the employer pays 25%. Exclusions such as pregnancy and pre-existing conditions found at the medical exam also apply.
- A 26-month policy is not extra cover for its own sake. The two extra months cover the time between applying and the permit being issued.
- A Malaysian helper does not need a security bond. The medical and personal accident cover is still required.
Where to get help
For help with a claim, see the Claims page. For questions about using this site, use the Contact page. To see plans side by side, use the maid insurance quote page, the price pages or the compare tool. Current promo codes are listed on the promotions page.