Etiqa launches accident policy for Singapore's army of maids
Etiqa Insurance has unveiled an insurance policy that covers Singapore's thousands of domestic helpers against accidental injury. The company's offering, called ePROTECT maid, comes as the government's Ministry of Manpower urges employers to provide personal accident insurance for their in-home foreign domestic workers. Singapore is home to more than 200,000 foreign domestic workers, comprising around 20% of the city's population.

Employers can apply for their maid work permit in Singapore either themselves (in person or online), or through an employment agency. We suggest you do this yourself since the process is relatively straightforward, quick, and you won’t have to pay for maid agency fees. Online applications take just 1 day to be processed and can be done from the comfort of your house.



HelperChoice works with ethical employment agencies to make sure FDWs will not be overcharged. You can contact us at contact@helperchoice.com to get a quotation if you have found a maid you want to hire but are not familiar with the steps of FDW work permit applications.



At the same time, employers need to check with their domestic helper’s embassy in Singapore whether any additional documents or procedures are required from the sending government.



Employers must also follow several preparatory steps before they are allowed to legally hire their maid. They will have to take out a $5,000 security bond (which amount they stand to lose if employment rules are broken), in addition to buying medical and personal accident insurance for their maids.



New employers must attend a brief employer orientation program, while maids should be registered for the Settling-in Programme, which they must attend shortly after arriving in Singapore.



If your initial work permit application is successful, you will receive an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter – which the worker needs to enter Singapore.