Helper Agency in Singapore: How to Choose One, and What We Do
There are hundreds of licensed helper agencies in Singapore and almost no way to tell them apart from their websites, because they all say the same four things. This page does two jobs: it sets out the checks that actually separate one agency from another, and then it shows you where Inter Great stands on each of them so you can judge us by the same test. Use the first half on whoever you are considering, including us.
What a helper agency is actually responsible for
Before comparing agencies it helps to know what you are buying, because families often assume the fee covers less than it does, or considerably more.
Sourcing and screening. Finding candidates, verifying their employment history, and putting forward people who match what you described rather than who happens to be available.
Matching. The part that decides whether the placement lasts. A good agency pushes back when what you asked for and what you need are different things.
The paperwork. Work permit application with MOM, the security bond, mandatory medical and personal accident insurance, the medical examination, the Settling-in Programme for a first-time helper, and for a Filipino helper, contract verification with the Migrant Workers Office on top.
Deployment and arrival. Travel where she is coming from overseas, and the thumbprint and permit issuance once she is here.
Aftercare. What happens in month two when something is not working. This is the part nobody asks about before signing and everybody needs eventually.
What an agency is not responsible for: managing your helper for you, training her into a role you did not describe, or guaranteeing a person will be a good fit for a household they have not seen. Any agency promising certainty there is overselling.
The five checks that actually separate agencies
Most agency websites claim experience, care, professionalism and value. None of that is checkable. These five are.
1. The MOM Employment Agency Directory
Every licensed agency in Singapore is listed on MOM’s Employment Agency Directory with its licence number, its demerit points, its placement volume, and its helper retention and transfer rates. This is public, free, and takes two minutes.
The retention rate is the most useful number on the page and almost nobody looks at it. It tells you how often the agency’s placements last, which is the only performance measure that matters and the only one the agency cannot write itself.
Look up every agency you are considering. Start with us: licence 14C6931.
2. A physical office you can walk into
Not a registered address, not a unit number on a contact page. An office with consultants in it, where you can sit down before you hand over money, and go back to if there is a problem.
This matters more than it sounds. When a placement goes wrong, the difference between an agency you can visit and one you can only email is the difference between a resolution and a stalemate.
3. More than one source country
An agency that only places from one country will recommend that country to you, because it is the only recommendation it can make.
The right source country depends on your household. If a grandparent speaks dialect and little English, an Indonesian helper is often the better match. If the job needs strong English for schools, doctors and your work calls, a Filipino helper usually is. If you are looking for a first placement at a lower salary expectation with a longer training ramp, a Myanmar helper may fit.
Ask an agency which countries it places from before you ask anything else. The answer tells you how much its advice is worth.
4. A fee breakdown, in writing, before you commit
Ask for every line item and, specifically, which lines are payable to the agency and which are payable to a third party. The security bond, the insurance, the MOM fees and the medical are not agency income. A single blended package price is where confusion starts and where disputes end up.
5. A replacement policy you have actually read
Every agency offers one. They differ enormously. Read for: how long the period runs, how many replacements are included, what voids it, and what you pay again if it is triggered. Ask for it in writing before you sign, not after.
Where Inter Great stands on those five
Judged on the same test.
Licence. MOM Employment Agency Licence 14C6931. Look us up in the directory.
Offices. Three branches you can walk into: Ang Mo Kio, Katong and Bugis. Each has its own Google listing and its own reviews, written by families we placed helpers with.
Source countries. We place helpers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar, so when we recommend a country we are recommending it against the alternatives rather than instead of them. That is the whole reason we hold all three.
Fees. Itemised in writing before you commit, with agency fees separated from third-party costs.
Replacement. A one time replacement helper, terms and conditions apply, set out in writing and explained in person before you sign.
Recognition we did not write ourselves. Independently listed in Terris’s round-up of Filipino maid agencies in Singapore, and in Sassy Mama’s list of 25 maid agencies in Singapore.
Which helper is right for your household
A short orientation, with the detail on the dedicated pages.
| If your household needs | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strong English for schools, doctors, work calls | Filipino helper | English is a medium of instruction in Philippine schools |
| Dialect or Malay with an elderly parent | Indonesian helper | Bahasa overlaps with Malay, and experienced helpers often pick up Mandarin or dialect |
| Local and Malay home cooking | Indonesian helper | Overlapping cuisines, familiar rather than learned |
| Halal kitchen, fasting, prayer | Indonesian helper | Most are Muslim, so it comes without explanation |
| Documented elderly or infant care experience | Filipino helper, or an experienced transfer | Deeper pool of documented caregiving experience |
| Lower salary expectation, longer training ramp | Myanmar helper | Suits a household with an adult home in the first months |
| Fastest possible start | A transfer helper, any nationality | Already in Singapore, meet her in person, weeks not months |
If the role is caring for an ageing parent, our elderly care page goes deeper, and for a new baby or young children see infant and child care. Families running a halal kitchen usually start at our Muslim household page, and if you need someone to start quickly, read how a transfer helper works.
What it costs
Structure rather than a price, because no agency can quote you honestly without knowing the case.
Monthly: her salary; the MOM levy, at the concessionary rate if your household qualifies and you have applied; mandatory medical and personal accident insurance; her food and accommodation; and her rest day, or compensation in lieu where she agrees in writing. At least one rest day per month must be taken and cannot be compensated away.
One-off: the agency placement fee; the 5,000 dollar security bond, usually covered by a bond insurance policy rather than cash; MOM work permit application and issuance fees; the medical examination; the Settling-in Programme for a first-time helper; and deployment costs where she is coming from overseas.
Check your levy concession before you hire. If your household has a child under 16, a person aged 67 or above, or a person with disabilities, you are generally eligible for the concessionary levy rate. It is not applied automatically. It materially changes your monthly cost.
Come and see us
Three branches, open to walk in. Tell us what a normal week looks like in your home and we will tell you what the job actually needs, including when the honest answer is a different source country from the one you came in asking for.
Ang Mo Kio branch
Blk 726 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, #01-4152, Singapore 560726
Office: +65 6767 1559
Katong branch
#01-12 Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
Office: +65 6344 1559
Bugis branch
#01-06 Burlington Square, Singapore 189649
Office: +65 6963 1559
All three branches open 10:30am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 10:30am to 6:30pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
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Frequently asked questions about helper agencies in Singapore
How do I check a helper agency in Singapore is licensed?
Look it up on MOM’s Employment Agency Directory at mom.gov.sg. It lists every licensed agency with its licence number, demerit points, placement volume, and helper retention and transfer rates. The retention rate is the most useful figure on the page.
What does a helper agency do for the fee?
Sourcing, screening, matching, and the full paperwork chain: MOM work permit application, security bond, mandatory insurance, medical examination, Settling-in Programme, and for a Filipino helper, contract verification with the Migrant Workers Office. Aftercare when something is not working is part of it too, and it is worth asking what that covers.
Is it cheaper to hire a helper without an agency?
Direct hire is possible for some situations, most commonly a transfer helper already in Singapore, and it removes the placement fee. You then carry the full paperwork chain and all the risk of verification yourself. For a first-time helper deploying from the Philippines, accredited channels are generally required.
How long does hiring a helper take?
A transfer helper already in Singapore can start within weeks. A first-time helper deploying from overseas takes longer, driven by both MOM processing and the source country’s own requirements.
What is the security bond and do I have to pay 5,000 dollars?
A 5,000 dollar bond is required for every non-Malaysian helper. Most families buy a bond insurance policy for a much smaller annual premium instead of putting down the cash.
What should a replacement policy cover?
Read for the length of the period, the number of replacements included, what voids it, and what you pay again if it is triggered. Get it in writing before you sign.