The Philippine Embassy has recently changed its procedures, and employment agencies are no longer permitted to process home leave documentation on behalf of employers or helpers. Your helper must now complete these steps directly through the Migrant Workers Office (MWO). This guide walks you through what she needs to do and when.
Start now. The contract verification and OWWA renewal depend on embassy appointment availability, which is the main bottleneck — please book these as soon as possible, ideally both on the same day. Once her contract is verified and stamped at the embassy, the OEC can be generated instantly, just before she leaves Singapore.
Timeline at a glance
| When | Step | Where | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| As soon as possible | Book appointment — contract verification | MWO Booking Portal | — |
| As soon as possible | Book appointment — OWWA renewal | MWO Booking Portal | — |
| Before the appointment | Prepare documents | At home | — |
| On the appointment date | Verify Standard Employment Contract | Philippine Embassy, 20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395 | $15 cash |
| On appointment date | Renew OWWA membership (every 2 years) | Philippine Embassy, 20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395 | $36 cash |
| Days before departure | Generate OEC (contract must be stamped first; must still be valid on return) | DMW POEA account | — |
| At least 3 days before travel | File eTravel arrival clearance | etravel.gov.ph | — |
| Within 2 days before returning to SG | File SG Arrival Card | ICA SG Arrival Card | — |
1 Book the appointments (start now)
Both appointments are booked online and depend on availability, so please book them as early as possible — ideally both on the same day, so she completes everything in one embassy visit.
- Contract verification: book via the MWO Booking Portal and select “MDW (Domestic Workers)” under the Contract Verification tab. She will receive an email confirmation with a QR code, which she must scan at the embassy on the day for registration.
- OWWA renewal: book here — https://go.mwosingapore.online/book/owwa
2 Prepare the documents
Before the appointment, print, complete and sign the Standard Employment Contract and prepare the following to bring with her:
- Employer’s NRIC or work visa (front & back) or passport (copy)
- Helper’s work permit (front & back, copy)
- Helper’s passport (copy)
- $15 cash (for contract verification) and $36 cash (OWWA renewal)
If your helper does not already have a verified Standard Employment Contract under your employment, she must process it herself at the embassy — hence the steps above.
3 At the Embassy (in person, on appointment date)
At the Philippine Embassy (20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395), on her appointment date:
- Verify her Standard Employment Contract — submit the signed contract and documents; fee $15, cash only.
- Renew her OWWA membership — renewed every 2 years; fee $36, cash only. The form will be provided by the officer.
For full details on contract verification, see MWO’s Knowledge Base: Contract Verification article.
4 Generate the OEC (days before departure)
This step can only be completed after the embassy has verified and stamped her contract under your employment.
- When: Generate it only when your helper is actively going on home leave. The OEC is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance, and it must still be valid on the day she returns to Singapore — so time the generation with her return date in mind, not just her departure.
- How: She logs in to her online DMW POEA account to generate it and must carry 3 copies with her at all times.
- Check: After generating the OEC, confirm the employer information reflects your employment details. If it hasn’t updated, she can email MWO (mwosg_services@dmw.gov.ph) or visit the embassy to correct it, bringing her stamped contract.
5 File the eTravel arrival clearance
At least 3 days before she travels to the Philippines, file her eTravel arrival at https://etravel.gov.ph.
6 File the SG Arrival Card
Within 2 days before returning to Singapore, file the SG Arrival Card at https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard/.
For the complete overview of the home leave process, see MWO’s Knowledge Base: OFWs Returning to the Philippines.
