Indonesian Maid Agency
Singapore

The current rates for Indonesian maid's salary sits at SGD 550–800 per month, in year 2026.

Fresh helpers typically start at SGD 550–600, while experienced helpers range from SGD 600–800 depending on experience.

Agency also charge a one-time agency fee between SGD 600–1,500, paid upfront or split into instalments.

There will also be placement fees equating about 2 to 6 months, paid unfront but subsequently deducted from the helper's salary from her first few months of work.

Maid levy is SGD 300 per month at the standard rate, dropping to SGD 60 with the concession (child under 16, elderly 67 or older, or a person with disability in the household).

Mandatory medical and personal accident insurance runs SGD 400–600 for 26 weeks. 

The SGD 5,000 security bond is normally included in the maid insurance. 

There will also be about SGD 75 Settling-In Programme, two SGD 80 medical exams, and a SGD 350–700 return air ticket at the end of the contract.

Indonesian maids are popular is largely due to most of them are affordable, well-behaved, hardworking and good with household chores.

Most of them also share similar religious beliefs, practises and dietary preference as Muslim families.

Bahasa Indonesia is close enough to Malay language, so older household members with limited English can communicate naturally.

Indonesian helpers tend to be strong in childcare and elderly care, with structured pre-deployment training in both areas now mandatory.

Filipino helpers usually carry stronger English, so the choice between the two comes down to which language matters more at home and what care the helper will be doing daily.

Step one: tell us your requirements, and they will shortlist suitable helper biodatas to you. 

Step two: video-interview the shortlisted helper, or make a trip down tyo the agency to interview if she is in Singapore.

Step three: finalise your choice, go through and sign the agency service agreement and the employer-helper employment contract. 

Step four: the agency files the MOM Work Permit application online; approval lands in 1–7 working days. 

Step five: the helper arrives, completes a medical exam within 14 days of arrival, and attends the one-day Settling-In Programme (SGD 75, mandatory for first-time helpers).

Step six: handover at your home, with an agency representative usually present for the first 2–4 hours to walk through household routines.

A transfer maid is a helper already in Singapore on a valid work permit, looking to switch employers.

The process takes 2-4 weeks instead of 4–8 because there is no overseas recruitment, no flights to book, and no pre-departure medicals.

Agency fees are similar to to a fresh hire, but you skip the return air ticket entirely, saving SGD 350–700.

The MOM transfer is filed online, the current employer issues a release, the new permit is approved, and the helper moves in.

The main trade-off is pool size — transfer listings are smaller, and the helper is evaluating you as much as you are evaluating her.

Browse current listings on the transfer maid options page.

You will need your NRIC and a completed MOM Work Permit application, which the agency files online on your behalf.

From the helper side, the agency handles her passport, BP2MI clearance, pre-departure medical, and the mandatory 200-hour pre-deployment training certificate.

Once she arrives, arrange the in-Singapore medical exam within 14 days.

First-time helpers attend the one-day Settling-In Programme (SGD 75).

First-time employers separately attend the Employers' Orientation Programme (EOP), a distinct MOM requirement.

Keep the agency service agreement and the bilingual employment contract on file... MOM may request both at any inspection.

After you select an Indonesian maid, you should plan for 2–4 weeks for a fresh Indonesian hire. 

The breakdown: 

• 1–7 days for MOM approval
• then 2–4 weeks for the helper's pre-departure medicals, training certificate verification, visa processing, and flight booking from Indonesia.
• During peak periods — Hari Raya, Christmas, Lunar New Year — this can stretch longer because flights fill up and Indonesian processing slows.
• A transfer maid lands faster: 2–4 weeks total, since she is already in Singapore.

If timing is critical, ask the agency whether they have helpers with completed training already on standby in Jakarta or Surabaya.

Some agencies hold a small pool ready to fly within 10–14 days of permit approval.