Hiring a Transfer Helper in Singapore
A transfer helper is a domestic helper already working in Singapore who is changing employer. Once you have chosen her, We Are Caring processes the transfer in a week or less. She already knows Singapore, and you can meet her in person at your home. We arrange the timing with her current employer and handle the new work permit.
Why families choose a transfer helper
- She knows Singapore: households, rules, public transport, the climate and the food.
- You meet her in person before deciding, at your home.
- She can start sooner: a week or less of processing, against 3 to 4 weeks for a helper from the Philippines or Indonesia.
- She has worked here before, and her previous employers can often give a reference in the app.
How a transfer works
- Find her in the Hire Helper app, or bring a helper you already know.
- Interview her at your home and agree the job conditions.
- We agree the timing with her current employer. For transfer helpers in our app, we have already collected the current employer's consent to transfer, and their feedback, before publishing her profile, with the release date the employer gives us.
- We do the paperwork: employment contract, safety agreement, new work permit with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), maid insurance and security bond guarantee, signed online.
- She moves to your home on the agreed date. No Settling-In Programme is needed, since she has worked in Singapore before.
"We originally went with another agency for the transfer, but soon ran into a serious issue around timing, permits, papers, and homeleave. I called We Are Caring and they proposed an affordable, convenient solution within minutes plus they were able to reassure our new helper in her native language that everything would be ok." (Nicolette Bohnett)
What transfer helpers earn
Transfer helpers placed by We Are Caring averaged SGD 883 a month from January 2022 to June 2026; salaries are freely discussed between both parties. See the salary data
What it costs
A transfer involves fewer third-party fees than a hire from abroad. See every fee on the costs page
Is your own helper leaving?
If you are the current employer, you can let your helper look for a new family through us, free of charge, by signing the consent to transfer online. Allowing your helper to transfer
FAQ
How long does a transfer take?
Once you have chosen her, We Are Caring processes the transfer in a week or less.
Does a transfer helper need her current employer's consent?
Yes. For every transfer helper in the We Are Caring Hire Helper app, we collect her current employer's consent and feedback before publishing her profile, and we agree the transfer date with them.
Can a helper transfer before her contract ends?
Yes. Many helpers transfer before the end of their contract, for ordinary reasons: the family is relocating abroad, the household's needs have changed, the children have grown up, or the match did not work out. Her profile shows the release date given by her current employer.
Can I interview a transfer helper in person?
Yes. You can meet her at your home before deciding.
Does a transfer helper attend the Settling-In Programme?
No. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Settling-In Programme is for helpers starting their first job in Singapore.
Is a transfer cheaper than hiring from abroad?
The upfront costs are lower, because there are no documentation or partner fees abroad and no flight. Every fee is on our costs page.