Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ for Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) and Confinement Nannies (CNs)
1. If employers need help with the entry approval requirements, what can they do?
Employers who are unable to fulfil the entry approval requirements for Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) or Confinement Nannies (CNs) may get employment agencies to help with the entry approval and SHN arrangements. In this case, the employment agency needs to fulfil the entry approval requirements.
If no party is willing and able to fulfil the entry approval requirements, the FDW or CN should not enter Singapore.
2. My FDW/CN has obtained an entry approval to enter Singapore. However, I wish to change her arrival date or no longer want to bring her in. Can I ask for a refund of the charges paid?
For us to consider a refund, please submit a request to cancel her entry approval at least 5 days before the approved arrival date to Ministry of Manpower (MOM) using the relevant link below:
Note: The approved arrival date is the middle date stated on the entry approval letter. E.g. if the FDW/CN is allowed to enter Singapore from 1 May to 3 May, the approved arrival date is 2 May.
Once the entry approval is cancelled, you can submit another entry application with a new arrival date to bring her in. The new application will be subject to the prevailing entry controls.
3. My FDW/CN has recovered from COVID-19, when can I bring her into Singapore?
Please refer to the FAQs on recovered travellers here.
4. How do I request for my FDW/CN to share a room at the dedicated SHN facility? Where can I find the room sharing indemnity forms?
You and your FDW or CN should take note of the risks, including contracting infectious diseases like COVID-19 from the person she is sharing room with. If any of them tests positive for COVID-19, their Stay-Home Notice (SHN) may be extended. In this case, there may be additional costs for her stay and medical related procedures.
[Note] The room sharing request is subject to the availability of twin rooms and whether there is another worker with the same travel history as your FDW/CN.
If she is able to share a room, the cost of her stay will be $1,500 including GST. Otherwise, the standard rate of $2,250 including GST will apply. The refund for the excess amount paid will be processed within 3 weeks of her check-out from the dedicated facility. The refund will be made to the credit card used for payment during the entry application.
If you and your FDW/CN are agreeable to proceed with the room sharing request, please complete these actions:
- Get her to complete and sign the indemnity form. Print the version in her native language and ensure she has read and understood the terms of the indemnity form before signing it:
- Request for the room sharing during the entry approval application.
Once she has obtained entry approval to enter Singapore, she must present the following to the staff at the dedicated SHN facility upon check-in:
- Printout of her entry approval email
- Completed and signed indemnity form
If she does not have the indemnity form with her, the SHN facility operator can print the form in her native language and get her to sign on the spot.
5. Who is responsible for the treatment cost if my FDW or CN contracts COVID-19 from the room sharing?
Find out who is responsible for paying for the pass holders’ COVID-19 treatment here.
6. Who is responsible for the costs of the FDW’s entry approval requirements, including COVID-19 tests, transport and SHN accommodation?
| Type of FDWs | Purpose of Travel | Who is responsible for the costs? |
|---|---|---|
| Existing FDWs returning from overseas | Left Singapore for work (e.g. accompany employer overseas) | Employers must bear the costs in full and are not allowed to pass on any cost to their FDWs. |
| Left Singapore for personal reasons | Employers and FDWs should come to a mutual agreement on who bears the costs or how to share them. | |
| New FDWs on Work Permit in-principle approvals | Plan to enter Singapore for employment | Employers must bear the costs in full and are not allowed to pass on any cost to their FDWs. |
The party who submitted the FDW’s entry approval request must pay for the costs.
Employment agencies which submitted the entry approval request may recover these costs from employers. If so, employment agencies should obtain the employers’ agreement to pay for the costs before submitting the entry approval request.
7. Must I still pay my FDW salary while she is serving her SHN?
For new FDWs, you must start paying her salary once she is deployed to your house after her SHN.
For existing FDWs returning from overseas, you must continue paying her salary once she returns to Singapore.
8. What should I do if my FDW or CN falls sick during her SHN?
| If your FDW or nanny is serving SHN at a | You should |
|---|---|
| Dedicated SHN facility |
|
| Another place |
|
9. Can employers get a levy waiver for FDWs who go on home / overseas leave?
For FDWs on home or overseas leave, employers can apply for levy waiver (for up to 90 days for leave period in 2020, and up to 60 days for leave period in 2021) when their FDWs return to Singapore.
10. My FDW or CN intends to travel out of Singapore. What do I need to consider?
You may wish to discourage your FDW/CN from travelling as the country she is visiting may have travel restrictions. Thus, there could be significant delays before she can return to Singapore.
For all FDWs and nannies, new and existing, entering Singapore from 1 January 2021, the Government will no longer cover their treatment costs if they develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore. This is regardless of when they left Singapore.
Find out who is responsible for the treatment costs here.
11. My CN’s visit pass is expiring, how do I extend her stay in Singapore?
You need to request for an extension of your confinement nanny’s stay if:
- The duration of her visit pass does not cover her employment period. If she is transferring to another employer in Singapore, you can make the request for her, or she can engage an employment agency to do so.
- She leaves Singapore during the employment period. Her visit pass will be cancelled when she leaves, and you have to request for an extension each time she leaves and returns to Singapore.
Please submit the extension request at least 2 weeks before her visit pass expires and upload these documents:
- Front and back of her Disembarkation / Embarkation card (maximum 1MB)
- Personal particulars page of her passport (maximum 1MB)
We will email you the outcome within 2 weeks. A $40 extension fee will be charged for each extension made beyond 3 months from the date the visit pass was issued.
12. I encountered technical issues when completing the application form. What should I do?
Please refer to the common troubleshooting FAQ here.
If the troubleshooting FAQ does not address your queries, you can contact us here.
13. I did not receive the entry application outcome for my FDW/CN. What should I do?
Please check your spam and junk folders in case the outcome was sent there. Contact us here if you cannot find the outcome email in these folders.