How Do I Go Home on Leave and Come Back to My Employer in Singapore?
If you are a Filipino helper going home on leave and coming back to the same employer, you now get your exit clearance yourself: the OFW Pass, in the eGovPH app. It replaces the OEC. You also need a valid work permit and a valid OWWA membership. We Are Caring explains each step below.
By David Bensadon, Founder and Managing Director · EA personnel reg. no. R1552212
Published 6 November 2026 · Last checked 5 November 2026 · 3 min read
1. Before you book your flight
- Check your work permit. It must be valid until after you come back. If it expires during your trip, ask your employer to renew it first; we recommend starting six weeks before it expires.
- Check your OWWA membership in the OWWA Mobile app. It is renewed every two years, whoever your employer is.
2. Get your OFW Pass in the eGovPH app
The OFW Pass is your exit clearance when you go back to the same employer, the same job and the same country. It replaces the OEC: if your profile is up to date, you do not need an OEC or an OEC exemption.
- Download the eGovPH app and create an account with your email address and mobile number.
- Open the NGA tab, choose DMW, then Balik Manggagawa.
- Tap Travel Pass. If your profile is up to date, your OFW Pass and its QR code appear.
- Show the QR code at the airport when you leave the Philippines to come back to Singapore.
The OFW Pass is valid for 90 days from the day it is issued. If your leave is longer, renew it in the app.
3. If your profile is not up to date
| Your situation | What you do |
|---|---|
| Your contract has expired, but you still work for the same employer (for example after a renewal) | The app asks you to update your employer and job details. Add your new contract; it does not need verifying. Then get your OFW Pass. |
| Your contract was never verified, or you have changed employer, job or place of work | Book a contract verification appointment with the MWO to register your employment in Singapore. The MWO tells you what you need to travel. |
4. If you need an appointment
- Book online with the MWO as soon as your dates are known: appointments depend on availability. If you need a contract verification and an OWWA renewal, try to book both on the same day.
- Where: Philippine Embassy, 20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395.
- Fees, in cash: contract verification S$15; OWWA renewal S$36. You or your employer can pay them.
- For a contract verification, bring: your original contract, signed by you and your employer; a copy of your passport; a copy of your work permit card; a copy of your employer's NRIC showing their signature; and one of these: a certificate of employment signed by your employer, your latest payslip, or a compliance letter signed by your employer.
5. Before you fly home
- Register on eTravel within the 72 hours before you arrive in the Philippines. You need it as well as your OFW Pass. It is free on the government's own site; do not pay a website that asks for a fee.
6. Before you fly back to Singapore
- Register on eTravel again for your departure from the Philippines: each registration is for one trip.
- Submit your SG Arrival Card in the 3 days before you arrive in Singapore, including the day you arrive. It is free on the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website.
Who can help
The Philippine Embassy no longer allows agencies to do these steps for you, but we are happy to explain each one to you and your employer. Jinky Amador, our Welfare Officer (EA personnel reg. no. R1766180), speaks Tagalog and Ilongo and liaises with the Philippine Embassy. WhatsApp our helpers' line on +65 8073 8399.
Sources
- Department of Migrant Workers (DMW): roll-out of the OFW Pass system, 22 October 2025, checked 5 November 2026
- SunStar: "OEC out, OFW Pass in" (DMW Advisory 38-2025), 9 December 2025, checked 5 November 2026
- Migrant Workers Office Singapore: OFWs returning to the Philippines, page modified 19 April, checked 5 November 2026
- Migrant Workers Office Singapore: Contract verification (for OFWs), page modified 19 April, checked 5 November 2026
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA): SG Arrival Card, page updated 28 October 2026, checked 5 November 2026
- eTravel, the Philippine government's travel registration (etravel.gov.ph), checked 5 November 2026
Home Leave for Your Filipino Helper: What to Do Before She TravelsWhat a Filipino helper needs before home leave to return to the same employer in Singapore, and the steps she now arranges herself with the MWO.FAQ
Do I still need an OEC or an OEC exemption?
Not if you are going back to the same employer, job and country, and your profile is up to date: your OFW Pass in the eGovPH app replaces it.
Can an agency do my home leave papers for me?
No. The Philippine Embassy no longer allows employment agencies to do this. You complete the steps yourself, and We Are Caring can explain each step to you and your employer.
Do I need a new contract verification every time I go home?
No. Only if your contract was never verified, or if you have changed employer, job or place of work.
Who pays the embassy fees?
You or your employer can pay them, in cash at the embassy: S$15 for a contract verification and S$36 for an OWWA renewal.
