Maid Agency vs Direct Hire Singapore: An Honest Cost Comparison (2026)

If you’re hiring a domestic helper in Singapore for the first time, one of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to go through a maid agency or hire directly. Both paths get you to the same destination – a helper working in your home – but the journey, the cost, and the trade-offs are very different.

What Is Direct Hire?

Direct hire means you manage the hiring process yourself – finding a candidate, conducting interviews, and submitting the work permit application to MOM – without using a licensed employment agency.

There are three main types of direct hire being practiced:

Transfer hire (local): You hire a helper who is already in Singapore, currently employed by another employer, and available to transfer. This is the simpler of the two.

Transfer hire (overseas): You hire a helper who is currently working out of their home country, usually as a domestic helper. They will require less processing as they are not in their home country. For example, countries like Hong Kong, UAE, Oman.

Overseas home country hire: You hire a helper from their home country (Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, etc.) and manage the overseas documentation yourself. This is more complex and involves coordinating with the helper’s home country embassy or government body and may even require services of an agency, depending on the country. The difficulty is often during immigration exit, where custom officers may require the right documentation.

EmployHelpers focuses on the direct hire model – you can browse available helpers here and contact them directly.

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What Does a Maid Agency Do?

A maid agency is a licensed intermediary that handles the end-to-end process: sourcing candidates, vetting their documents, arranging interviews, processing MOM work permit applications, and providing post-placement support.

They charge both employers and helpers for this service – though how much they charge helpers is often less visible to you as an employer.

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Cost Comparison: Agency vs Direct Hire

This is where the difference becomes stark.

One-time costs

Cost item	Via agency	Direct hire
Agency fee (employer)	SGD 1,500-3,500	SGD 0
Helper’s biodata sourcing	Included	Your own time
Work permit application	Included	Self-submitted via MOM portal (SGD 35)
Air ticket (overseas hire)	Included	Employer’s cost
Medical examination (6ME)	Arranged by agency	You arrange (~SGD 30)

Estimated one-time saving with direct hire: SGD 1,500–3,500

Ongoing monthly costs (same for both)

These costs are identical regardless of how you hired:

Cost item	Monthly cost
Helper salary	SGD 600-900+
MOM levy (standard)	SGD 300
MOM levy (concessionary)	SGD 60
Food allowance (if not provided in kind)	SGD 150-250

See our full breakdown of maid salary in Singapore and how the maid levy works for current figures.

Annual costs (same for both)

Cost item	Annual cost
Maid insurance (mandatory)	SGD 300-600
Security bond	SGD 5,000 (Bundled with insurance, only payable if the helper runs away)
Annual leave and rest day compensation	Varies

For details on security bonds, see our guide to the maid security bond.

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Total Cost Over a Two-Year Contract

Assuming a SGD 700/month salary, standard levy, and mid-range insurance:

	Via agency	Direct hire
Agency fee (employer)	SGD 2,500	SGD 0
Salary (24 months)	SGD 16,800	SGD 16,800
Levy (24 months)	SGD 7,200	SGD 7,200
Insurance	SGD 450	SGD 450
Total outlay	SGD 31,950	SGD 29,450

Direct hire saves approximately SGD 2,500 over a two-year contract – before factoring in any helper-side agency fees.

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The Hidden Cost: What Agencies Charge Helpers

This is the part most employers don’t see, hidden fees of up to SGD 4,900.

Maid agencies typically charge helpers a placement fee of one to seven months’ salary, deducted directly from the helper’s pay. This means your helper may be earning SGD 700/month but only receiving SGD 0 in her first seven months after agency deductions.

This creates real financial stress for helpers – and is one of the leading causes of early contract termination and transfer requests. A helper who isn’t under debt pressure is generally more settled, more motivated, and more likely to stay.

Direct hire eliminates this entirely. Helpers who find employers through platforms like EmployHelpers keep their full salary from day one.

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What Agencies Are Good At

Direct hire isn’t right for every situation. Here’s where agencies genuinely add value:

Overseas fresh hire logistics: If you want to hire a helper directly from the Philippines or Indonesia (not a transfer), the paperwork is complex. Agencies have established relationships with sending agents overseas and can manage the coordination efficiently. This is hard to replicate on your own if you’ve never done it before.

Replacement guarantees: Most agencies offer a free replacement if a helper doesn’t work out within the first few months. With direct hire, there’s no such safety net – you’d need to start the search again yourself.

Training programmes: Some agencies involve helpers in pre-deployment training programmes, particularly for new helpers. This can reduce the adjustment period in your home. However, all the helpers come from the same training schools in their country, regardless of the maid agency you engage with.

If you’re a first-time employer: The Employer Orientation Programme (EOP) is mandatory for first-time employers regardless of which route you take. But agencies often hold your hand through the first few months – which some employers find valuable.

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What Direct Hire Is Good At

Transfer helpers: The direct hire model works especially well for hiring a transfer maid – a helper already in Singapore looking for a new employer – or a helper in a country that doesn’t require much processing. You can interview them in person, check their MOM employment history, and make a much more informed decision than reading a biodata sheet. Read our step-by-step guide to hiring a direct transfer helper for the full process.

Experienced employers: If you’ve had helpers before and know what you’re looking for, you don’t need an agency to filter candidates. You can do it faster and cheaper yourself.

No placement fee debt for your helper: As covered above, this has a real impact on your working relationship. Ethical hiring helpers your helper and their families.

Transparency: On a platform like EmployHelpers, you see real profiles, video introductions, and actual employment history – not a curated biodata prepared by an agency with a commercial interest in placing the candidate.

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MOM Requirements Are the Same Either Way

Whether you go through an agency or hire directly, the MOM requirements are identical:

• You must be at least 21 years old and not an undischarged bankrupt
• You must complete the Employer Orientation Programme (EOP) if it’s your first time
• You must purchase a mandatory maid insurance that’s bundled with security bond
• You must submit a work permit application through MOM’s Work Permit Online (WPOL) portal

The difference is who does the paperwork – the agency, or you.

For a step-by-step walkthrough of the MOM work permit process, see how to apply for an FDW work permit in Singapore.

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Which Should You Choose?

Choose an agency if:

• You want to hire a helper from overseas and don’t want to manage the overseas logistics
• You’re a first-time employer who wants hand-holding through the process
• You want a replacement guarantee built into the arrangement
• You want to hire a helper currently in their home country that requires agencies’ involvement, like Philippines.

Choose direct hire if:

• You’re hiring a transfer helper already in Singapore
• You’re hiring a transfer helper currently working outside of their home country
• You’re hiring a helper that isn’t in a country that requires both home and local agencies’ involvement.
• You’ve hired before and are comfortable with the MOM process
• You want to save SGD 1,500-3,500 upfront
• You want your helper to start without a debt burden of up to 7 months

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Where to Start With Direct Hire

EmployHelpers is a Singapore-based platform that connects employers directly with domestic helpers – no agency, no placement fee. You can browse profiles, watch video introductions, check employment history, and message candidates directly.

Browse helpers available for direct hire →

For more on what to look for before you interview, see our guide on red flags to watch out for in a helper’s biodata.