Bringing an Overseas Nanny: Check the MOM Process
EduNanny® by BUTLER · Parent guide
If you plan to employ a carer from overseas as a migrant domestic worker (MDW), start with MOM eligibility and the Work Permit process before setting a travel or care-start date.
This guide covers that MDW hiring route. It does not establish permission for every overseas nanny, resolve a visitor’s work status or replace the instructions for transfers and other work-pass situations.
Check the worker and employer requirements
MOM’s MDW eligibility page sets requirements for sex, age, source country or region and education. For a new application, the worker must be female, aged 23 to below 50, from an approved source country or region and have at least eight years of formal education with a recognised certificate. She must not be related to the employer.
Check the current recognised education and source-country requirements against the person’s documents. Previous nanny experience or an overseas employment agreement does not replace that eligibility check.
The employer requirements include being at least 21, not an undischarged bankrupt and having the capacity to understand and fulfil employer responsibilities. MOM also considers care needs and financial ability. First-time MDW employers must attend the Employers’ Orientation Programme before applying.
Private nanny bookings, the ECDA childminding pilot and licensed childcare are different care arrangements from employing an MDW. If you need booked private care rather than this employment route, see EduNanny’s private nanny service and confirm its current terms.
Separate the application from the whole arrival plan
MOM permits an MDW Work Permit application through the employer or an employment agency; an agency is not compulsory for every application. Obtain the worker’s written consent and use the information and supporting documents required by the official application route.
The current government fees are S$35 to apply and S$35 to issue the pass. MOM lists about one week for the FDW eService application, with some cases taking longer. That is an application-processing estimate, not a guarantee that your carer will arrive and be ready to work within a week.
Keep government fees separate from agency charges, travel, insurance and ongoing employment costs. Ask for current, itemised amounts rather than using a generic agency-fee or airfare estimate. If you engage an agency, confirm who will handle each step and which services its fee covers.
Prepare the approval and arrival requirements
Read the in-principle approval (IPA) carefully and check that its particulars match the passport. MOM’s application instructions require arrival preparation, including a security bond for non-Malaysian helpers and medical and personal accident insurance. The bond must take effect on arrival; check the stated arrangements before travel.
MOM’s eligibility guidance says non-Malaysian helpers must not be in Singapore during the application, and employers can bring them in only after the required approval and bond arrangements. Check the Malaysian exception and any other applicable instructions directly rather than assuming the same sequence covers everyone.
Check departure requirements with the worker’s embassy and follow current entry instructions. Keep the travel date, approval validity and appointments together so a change can be addressed through the proper route.
Plan the appointments and permit issuance
For a first-time MDW, the Settling-in Programme is due within seven days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays. She may start work only after attending it, and cannot attend on her arrival day. Arrange rest and a suitable training slot rather than planning an immediate care shift.
The pre-employment medical examination must be completed by a Singapore-registered doctor within two weeks of arrival. Passing it is required for permit issuance. Follow the IPA and MOM instructions for the full issuance process and check the Temporary Work Permit once issued.
If the household has a child below seven who is not fully vaccinated against measles, check the MDW measles-immunity requirement and the declarations and evidence MOM requires. Discuss the relevant records or medical arrangements with an appropriate professional; this guide does not determine an individual’s immunity.
Keep one practical arrival checklist
- Confirm worker and employer eligibility against current MOM guidance.
- Record the application route, consent, required documents and responsible person.
- Check the IPA, passport particulars and required pre-arrival arrangements.
- Plan the applicable programme, medical and permit-issuance steps.
- Arrange care cover while approvals and arrival requirements are being completed.
Confirm the care duties separately from the immigration process. Our nanny agreement checklist can help structure that discussion, while the MDW-specific requirements remain with MOM. A clear plan gives your family and the carer room to prepare without treating a proposed arrival date as an approved work-start date.
Official MOM guidance checked 13 October 2026. Featured image: an AI-generated conceptual still life of blank papers, not a passport, visa, permit or actual application. Care for every little chapter.
