Helper Did Not Return From Home Leave: Singapore Steps
If your helper does not return from overseas leave, follow MOM steps for contact, Work Permit cancellation, levy waiver, card disposal and bond discharge.
A delayed return does not always mean employment has ended. Flights change, family emergencies happen and communication can fail. Start by establishing whether the helper is merely late, asking for an extension or clearly not returning. Once non-return is confirmed, move from informal messaging to the official Work Permit, levy and security-bond steps instead of leaving the employment record open indefinitely.
First separate a delay from a confirmed non-return
Use the contact method and return date agreed before departure. Ask for a short factual update: whether she is safe, whether she intends to return, what changed and when she can confirm a final decision. If an employment agency arranged the placement or home-leave travel, inform it and preserve relevant correspondence. Do not threaten the helper, her family or anyone helping her; if there is a genuine safety or criminal concern, use the appropriate authority.
| Situation | Employer response | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Flight disruption with a new date | Verify the itinerary and adjust practical plans | Cancelling before facts are clear |
| Family emergency; return uncertain | Set a reasonable time for a decision and document it | Open-ended assumptions |
| Helper says she will not return | Move to cancellation and waiver steps | Pressuring her to travel against her decision |
| No response after reasonable attempts | Record attempts, inform the EA if relevant and seek official guidance | Public accusations or contacting unrelated people |
| Possible coercion or danger abroad | Contact suitable authorities or support channels | Treating a safety concern as a contract argument |
| Helper unexpectedly re-enters Singapore | Check permit and bond status with MOM immediately | Allowing unauthorised work |
Cancel the Work Permit when she will not return
MOM’s overseas-leave guidance for MDWs says that if a helper does not return, the employer must cancel her Work Permit to stop the levy, keep a copy of her travel ticket or departure itinerary, and advise her to cut the card in half and discard it to prevent misuse. If she is abroad, a Special Pass for departure is not part of this path.
Use the current FDW eService and the reason MOM provides for a helper who has gone home and will not return. The general Work Permit cancellation instructions say cancellation is immediate and levy is charged until one day before cancellation. Verify the transaction rather than relying only on an agency message.
- Keep the original departure date and itinerary in your records.
- Save the helper’s clear non-return message, if one is available.
- Settle any outstanding salary or contractual issue using written records.
- Cancel the valid Work Permit through the official route.
- Tell the helper to cut and discard the physical card.
- Retain cancellation and later levy-waiver confirmations.
Apply under the failed-to-return levy-waiver route
MOM’s MDW levy-waiver page states that overseas leave must last at least seven consecutive days and the waiver is capped at 60 calendar days per calendar year. For non-return, cancel a still-valid permit, select “Failed to return from overseas leave”, and enter dates according to the pass status.
| Permit status | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled or revoked | Date the helper left Singapore | Day before cancellation or revocation |
| Expired | Date the helper left Singapore | Work Permit expiry date |
| Leave shorter than seven consecutive days | Does not meet the overseas-leave minimum | No qualifying overseas-leave waiver |
| Qualifying leave beyond annual cap | Use actual departure date | Waiver remains subject to the 60-day annual cap |
MOM says applications can be made from the first of the following month after the levy bill is received and must be submitted within one year of that bill. Processing is generally within 12 working days but can take longer if another agency must verify information. Approved amounts first credit the levy account; follow the official refund route if there are no future bills to offset.
Track security-bond discharge and re-entry risk
MOM will verify that the helper left and did not re-enter before proceeding with bond discharge. Its security-bond guidance says discharge depends on permit cancellation, the helper returning home and no breach of the bond conditions. Keep the official discharge notice with your employment records.
If the helper re-enters Singapore before the bond is discharged, MOM’s overseas-leave page instructs the employer to send her home immediately; otherwise the bond may be forfeited. Do not let her resume work based on the old card after cancellation. Contact MOM promptly to establish her immigration and pass position.
Plan household cover without rushing the next hire
Arrange temporary care or household support, then reassess why the return plan broke down before recruiting again. Use the overseas-trip planning guide for future departure preparation, the permit-cancellation guide for the wider end-of-employment sequence, and the hiring checklist before committing to a replacement.
How this guide avoids overlap
This guide owns one exception: an MDW who has already left Singapore on authorised leave and then does not return. The general overseas-trip guide owns pre-departure planning, while the cancellation guide owns ordinary employment endings where the helper may still be in Singapore.
Sources and review note
Reviewed on 29 September 2026 against MOM’s current overseas-leave, levy-waiver, Work Permit cancellation and security-bond pages. Use the actual FDW eService instructions and transaction dates for the helper concerned.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if my domestic helper does not return from home leave?
Try to confirm her situation and revised plan through agreed contact channels. If she will not return, MOM says to cancel the Work Permit, keep her travel ticket or departure itinerary as proof, and advise her to cut the physical card in half and discard it. Follow the failed-to-return levy-waiver process as applicable.
Can I claim a levy waiver if my helper fails to return?
MOM allows a levy waiver for qualifying overseas leave of at least seven consecutive days, capped at 60 calendar days per year. For a helper who does not return, cancel a valid permit, choose the failed-to-return reason in the waiver application, and use the date range MOM specifies for a cancelled, revoked or expired permit.
When will the security bond be discharged?
MOM says it will proceed with discharge after verifying that the helper left Singapore and did not re-enter, provided the conditions are met. If she re-enters before discharge, MOM instructs the employer to send her home immediately or the bond may be forfeited.
Official references
These primary references support the guide. A verification date is shown only after a dated editorial review.
- Overseas leave for migrant domestic workers — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Cancel a Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Apply for a levy waiver for a migrant domestic worker — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Security bond requirements for migrant domestic workers — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Contracts and safety agreement for migrant domestic workers — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 29 Sept 2026)