Moving House With a Domestic Helper: Singapore Checklist
Use this moving-house checklist to update your helper’s workplace address within two weeks, protect accommodation, revise routines and confirm her digital pass.
Moving house changes more than an employer’s mailing address. For a migrant domestic worker (MDW), the employer’s home is also the declared workplace and usually her accommodation. Update the official address within the deadline, confirm the digital record, and redesign sleeping space, duties and safety routines before the first night in the new home.
The legal deadline: update within two weeks
MOM’s MDW notification guide says employers must update a new residential address within two weeks of the change. After the correct update is completed, the helper’s workplace address is automatically updated. MOM says an acknowledgement letter of the workplace address will be sent by post within two weeks.
| Employer status | Official route | Extra step |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore citizen or PR | Update the residential address through ICA’s eService | Check the helper’s updated Employment Info in SGWorkPass |
| EP, S Pass or DP issued by MOM | Update through EP eService using Singpass | Print the acknowledgement and keep it with the pass card |
| MOM-issued LTVP | EP/S Pass holder or sponsoring company updates through EP eService | Keep the acknowledgement with the LTVP card |
| ICA-issued LTVP with Singpass | Use FDW eService → Edit my Profile | Upload current proof such as a bank, internet or utility statement |
| ICA-issued LTVP without Singpass | Ask an employment agent to submit the update | MOM says the outcome is emailed within 7 working days |
Do the official update as soon as the move takes effect
Put the two-week deadline into the move plan rather than waiting for utilities and furniture to settle. Use the route tied to the employer’s immigration status, save the acknowledgement or case reference and make sure the mailing address can receive MOM’s letter. If supporting proof is required, use a current document that clearly connects the employer with the new address.
Update the employer’s email and mobile number too if either changed. MOM uses those details for notices such as Work Permit renewal and six-monthly medical examination reminders. A correct postal address with an obsolete email can still cause an avoidable missed deadline.
You normally do not replace the Work Permit card
MOM’s specific address-change Work Permit card FAQ says no replacement card is required. Once the address is updated, the helper can open SGWorkPass with her Singpass and view Employment Info. MOM currently lists an optional replacement card without the residential address printed on it at $65.40 including GST; it is not necessary merely because the household moved.
Plan accommodation before move-in day
The new home must still meet MOM’s accommodation and well-being requirements. Provide adequate shelter, basic amenities, ventilation, safety, modesty, space and privacy. A promised room is not ready if it is full of boxes, has exposed renovation hazards or is being used as a passageway. Prepare the bed, storage, bathroom access and privacy boundary before arrival.
- Show the helper the new floor plan and sleeping arrangement before moving day.
- Identify safe routes, emergency exits, refuse areas and permitted lift access.
- Check window-cleaning restrictions, balcony hazards, ladders and unfamiliar appliances.
- Give her dedicated storage and a secure way to keep personal documents and money.
- Explain alarm, door-lock, visitor and parcel-delivery procedures without withholding her access.
- Confirm the nearest clinic, transport stop and emergency meeting point.
Rewrite routines instead of copying the old schedule
A larger home may add stairs, outdoor areas or longer cleaning routes; a smaller home may reduce privacy. School runs, eldercare transport, market access and pet routines may all change. Walk through a normal weekday together, decide which tasks no longer apply and estimate new work before setting expectations. Protect sleep, daily breaks and weekly rest days during the disruptive unpacking period.
| Time | Employer and helper action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Before move | Agree sleeping space, storage and moving-day duties | No improvised first-night arrangement |
| Moving day | Prioritise people, medication and essentials over deep cleaning | Safer workload under pressure |
| Day 1 | Tour exits, appliances, hazards and neighbourhood routes | Shared safety baseline |
| Days 2–3 | Test the weekday routine at a reduced pace | Realistic timing for new tasks |
| Days 4–5 | Review privacy, ventilation, noise and sleep | Early accommodation problems corrected |
| By day 7 | Agree the revised written schedule and house rules | Clear ongoing expectations |
Keep duties at the declared home
A move does not turn the helper into labour for a second property, renovation contractor or home business. MOM’s employment rules for MDWs restrict where and for whom she may work. Do not send her back to clean the old home after the declared workplace has changed, or ask her to handle commercial moving, renovation or business tasks. Use professional services for those jobs.
If the new home is temporary or much smaller
Do not assume a temporary rental, one-bedroom unit or family member’s home can support the same arrangement. Check the address route, household circumstances and adequate sleeping space before the move. If the home cannot provide privacy and safe accommodation, seek specific guidance from MOM or your licensed employment agency and consider lawful household services or care alternatives.
How this guide avoids overlap
This page owns the event intent “moving house with a helper”: address update, digital pass, new accommodation and revised routines. For the special one-bedroom eligibility question, read the 2-room HDB flat guide. For first arrival rather than relocation, use the home-onboarding checklist. If care is needed at another family member’s home, check the relative-house rules.
Sources and review note
Reviewed on 15 September 2026 against MOM’s address-notification, Work Permit card, employment, well-being and employer-requirement guidance. Routes, fees and eService processing times may change; follow the linked MOM instructions for the employer’s pass type.
Frequently asked questions
How soon must I update my address after moving with my helper?
MOM says the employer’s new residential address must be updated within two weeks of the change. The correct update route depends on whether the employer is a Singapore citizen or PR, holds a MOM-issued pass, or holds an ICA-issued LTVP.
Will my helper’s workplace address update automatically?
MOM says that after the employer completes the correct residential-address update, the helper’s workplace address will be updated automatically. MOM states that an acknowledgement letter should arrive by post within two weeks.
Must I replace my helper’s Work Permit card after moving?
No. MOM says a residential-address change does not require a replacement Work Permit card. The updated address can be viewed in the helper’s SGWorkPass app under Employment Info; an optional replacement card carries a fee.
Official references
These primary references support the guide. A verification date is shown only after a dated editorial review.
- Notify MOM of changes during an MDW’s employment — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 15 Sept 2026)
- Whether a helper’s Work Permit card must be replaced after an address change — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 15 Sept 2026)
- Rest days and well-being for migrant domestic workers — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 15 Sept 2026)
- Employment rules for migrant domestic workers — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 15 Sept 2026)
- Employer requirements for hiring a migrant domestic worker — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 15 Sept 2026)
- Contracts and safety agreement for migrant domestic workers — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 15 Sept 2026)
- Work Permit for migrant domestic workers — Ministry of Manpower Singapore (checked 15 Sept 2026)