Home Leave for Your Helper: Rules, Airfare and Who Covers the Gap

Sooner or later, your helper will want to go home: to see her children, attend a wedding, or simply rest with family. Home leave is normal and good for her wellbeing, but it raises practical questions. Who pays for the flight? Do you still pay the levy? What happens if she gets sick abroad?

Here’s how home leave works in Singapore, and how to plan for it.

Is home leave required?

MOM doesn’t set a fixed home leave entitlement for domestic helpers. Home leave is agreed between you and your helper, usually in the employment contract. Many contracts give home leave:

• When the contract is renewed (often every two years), or
• Once a year, for a set number of days

Agree in writing how many days she gets, whether they’re paid, and when she can take them. Our contract generator has a section for this.

Who pays the airfare?

There’s no MOM rule on who pays for home leave travel. It’s up to you and your helper to agree. Common arrangements:

• The employer pays a return ticket when the contract is renewed, as a thank-you for staying
• The employer and helper share the cost
• The helper pays, for extra trips she asks for herself

Whatever you agree, put it in the contract so it’s clear before she books.

Home leave isn’t repatriation

Don’t confuse home leave with repatriation. Home leave is a holiday: she goes home and comes back to work for you, and her work permit stays active. Repatriation is sending her home for good when her employment ends and her work permit is cancelled.

For repatriation, the rules are fixed. According to MOM’s guide to sending a helper home:

• You must pay for her air ticket, including check-in luggage, and any connecting transport to the international port of entry nearest her hometown.
• She must leave within 2 weeks of her work permit being cancelled.
• Settle everything she’s owed first, including salary.
• Agree her transit arrangements and allowance in writing before you buy the ticket, and ask her to acknowledge the transport payment in writing.

So while you and your helper can agree who pays for home leave, the ticket home at the end of her employment is always on you.

Levy while she’s away

You still pay the foreign worker levy while her work permit is active, including during home leave. If she is overseas, you may be able to apply to MOM for a levy waiver for the days she was away.

• Her work permit must not be cancelled.
• Keep her flight or ferry tickets as proof of the dates she was away.
• Apply through MOM’s online services after she returns, and check MOM’s levy waiver conditions for the minimum time away.

Read more about the levy in our guide to how much the maid levy is.

Salary during home leave

Agree whether home leave is paid or unpaid before she goes. Many employers pay salary for the agreed home leave days (for example, when she renews), and treat any extra days as unpaid leave. Record it in her salary record. Our printable salary template makes this simple.

Medical cover while she’s overseas

Maid insurance bought in Singapore covers treatment in Singapore. It generally doesn’t cover medical treatment in her home country. MOM has also said employers are not expected to pay for a helper’s medical treatment overseas during home leave.

It’s a good idea to remind her to bring any medication she needs, and to tell you quickly if she falls ill and can’t return on time.

Managing while she’s away

Two or three weeks without your helper can be hard, especially with young children or elderly parents. Plan ahead:

• Book part-time cleaning for the weeks she’s away. See our guide to deep cleaning and part-time cleaning services.
• Line up family help or childcare for school pick-ups.
• Choose dates that suit both of you, avoiding exam periods or your own travel.

Checklist before she flies

• Her work permit and passport are valid well beyond her return date
• She has a return ticket
• You’ve agreed paid vs unpaid days in writing
• You have her contact number at home, and an emergency contact
• She knows the return date and what to do if a flight is cancelled
• Her salary for the period has been paid and recorded

What if she doesn’t come back?

Most helpers return as planned. If she doesn’t return and you can’t reach her, contact MOM about what to do with her work permit. If you’re worried about this, discuss her plans openly before she leaves, and agree the arrangement in writing. Our security bond guide explains what the bond covers.

If you need to find a new helper, browse helpers already in Singapore who can start soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to give my helper home leave?

MOM doesn’t set a fixed entitlement. It depends on your contract, and many employers give home leave when the contract is renewed.

Do I pay the levy while my helper is on home leave?

Yes, the levy continues while her work permit is active, but you can apply to MOM for a levy waiver for the days she is overseas, if she meets MOM’s conditions.

Must I pay my helper’s salary during home leave?

Only if you’ve agreed paid leave. Agree in writing which days are paid and which are unpaid before she goes.

Who pays for my helper’s flight home?

For home leave, there’s no rule: many employers pay a return ticket when the contract is renewed, so agree it in the contract. When her employment ends and she goes home for good (repatriation), you must pay for her air ticket, including check-in luggage.

Is home leave the same as repatriation?

No. On home leave she returns to work for you and her work permit stays active. Repatriation is sending her home when her employment ends; you must pay her air ticket and she must leave within 2 weeks of her work permit being cancelled.