Hiring a Foreign Domestic Helper in Malaysia: Permit, Costs and Employer Duties

Process timeline and cost ledger

From application to lawful departure

1. Check the source country and the employer’s and helper’s current eligibility before asking for quotations.
2. Verify any agency with Immigration. Separate government payments, bond, medical, travel, insurance, wages and service fees in writing.
3. Obtain the Visa With Reference before travel. Keep the application, approval, employment agreement and every official receipt.
4. After arrival, complete the required medical examination and PL(KS) steps before allowing the helper to work.
5. Keep monthly wage, welfare, passport, pass and renewal records. Recheck the live renewal window and medical requirements before relying on a reminder.
6. When employment ends, follow the current transfer, Check Out Memo, reporting or repatriation route that fits the situation.

Why this matters

The usual problem begins with an attractive package price. A household is told that an agent can arrange everything quickly, but the quotation does not say which country rules apply, whether the agency is registered, what happens if the medical examination is failed, or which payments are refundable. Before paying, treat the arrangement as an immigration and employment process with several separate stages, not as one purchase.

Immigration’s current Foreign Domestic Helper page limits recruitment to listed source countries and publishes conditions for both the helper and employer. The helper must meet the stated age, health, residence and entry requirements. The employer must fit the household and income conditions, is generally applying for one helper, and cannot be bankrupt. A second or later helper has additional income and approval requirements. Check the live page for the country-specific figure instead of relying on an old agent flyer.

What the law says

The entry sequence matters. Immigration first considers the application for a Visa With Reference, or VDR. The helper obtains that visa from the Malaysian mission in her country of origin before travelling. On arrival, the employer or registered agency receives her at an approved entry point, arranges the FOMEMA medical examination within the stated period, and completes the PL(KS) endorsement. A helper who fails the required medical examination is not permitted to work and must be dealt with through the official checkout and repatriation process.

Prepare the application as a document pack, not one long checklist. Immigration needs to verify the helper, employer, household need and agreed employment terms. Check its live list before submission because forms and stamping requirements can change.

The current list includes PRA1 and, where relevant, PRA2; Forms IM.12 and IM.38; a stamped personal bond; two stamped employment agreements; passport and source-country medical documents; and the employer’s identity, marriage, income and supporting household-need records. Bring originals where required and keep a complete copy.

Using an agent is optional under the Immigration page, but the agent must be registered with the Immigration Department. Registration is not the same as a social-media profile or SSM business number. Ask for the agency’s registered name and licence details, verify them with Immigration, and make the written quotation identify government fees separately from the agency’s service fee. Do not hand over cash for an unnamed ‘permit’ or accept a promise that a visit pass can be converted quietly after arrival.

PL(KS) renewal is the employer’s responsibility even if an agency helps. Immigration says an extension should be submitted within three months before expiry. The passport must have at least 12 months’ validity, and FOMEMA fitness is required for the second- and third-year extension described on the page. Payment can include levy, visa, process and pass charges, so the exact amount varies with nationality and the stage. An incomplete or late application can be rejected or referred for enforcement consideration.

The household’s duties continue after the sticker is issued. Immigration requires proper accommodation, nutritious food and adequate rest; domestic work must stay within the approved setting. The employer must keep payroll records, pay salary at least by the last week of each month, bear medical responsibility during the pass, and report death, disappearance or abscondment. A change of employer or termination needs Immigration involvement, and a Check Out Memo is important when the helper leaves permanently.

How does this impact me?

If this is your first helper, build a file before asking for quotations. Put your household need, combined regular income evidence, marriage and identity documents, and the helper’s proposed country of origin in one checklist. Send the same facts to each registered agency so that you compare like with like. A cheap quote that excludes airfare, medical checks, bond, insurance, renewal or repatriation is not cheaper in any useful sense.

If the helper is already in Malaysia, do not assume her current pass allows domestic work. Ask to see the passport and pass, then verify the route with Immigration before she starts. A private agreement cannot cure the wrong immigration status. Likewise, do not keep the passport as leverage, make unexplained salary deductions, or move the helper to a relative’s home or business without checking official permission.

If renewal is approaching, count back three months and check passport validity first. Arrange the required medical step, obtain an itemised amount from the official office or registered agency, and retain the submission proof. Waiting for the final week can leave the household with an expired pass, travel complications and a problem that an online payment alone cannot fix.

Key lessons

The safest way to understand ‘maid cost’ is as a ledger, not a package slogan. Separate refundable or enforceable security items, government levy and pass payments, medical and travel costs, insurance, the helper’s agreed wages, and the agent’s fee. Write down who receives each amount, when it becomes due and what happens if the VDR, medical examination or entry does not proceed.

The second lesson is that employer duties are not outsourced. A registered agency may prepare forms or coordinate travel, but the household remains responsible for lawful work, salary records, welfare, renewal, reporting and departure. Keep direct communication with the helper and make sure she understands the contract, pay, rest arrangements and where to seek help.

Bottom line

Hire only through the official VDR-to-PL(KS) route, after checking both parties’ eligibility. Verify any agency, insist on an itemised written cost and official receipts, prepare the full document pack, and diarise renewal three months before expiry. The permit is only the beginning; lawful pay, records, accommodation, care and proper departure remain the employer’s continuing responsibility.

Detailed steps

• Open Immigration’s current Foreign Domestic Helper page and confirm the source country, household need, income and helper eligibility against your facts.
• If using an agency, verify its Immigration registration and obtain a quotation separating government payments, bond, medical, travel, insurance and service fees.
• Prepare every listed form and supporting document, keep copies, and do not arrange entry before the Visa With Reference is approved.
• After arrival, complete the FOMEMA and PL(KS) steps within the official period before allowing the helper to work.
• Keep the signed agreement, monthly payroll records, receipts, passport and pass-expiry reminders in one secure household file.
• As checked on 25 August 2026, start renewal checks three months before expiry. Reconfirm the live passport and medical requirements, and use the current Check Out Memo or official reporting route when employment ends or the helper leaves.