Work Permit for Confinement Nanny in Singapore: Eligibility, Levy and Application Guide (2026)

When a new baby arrives, many Singapore households turn to a confinement nanny for the first few weeks of round-the-clock newborn care and post-natal support for the mother. Most people assume this simply falls under the same Work Permit as a general helper, but the Ministry of Manpower actually runs a separate, short-term scheme for it: the Work Permit for confinement nanny.

This pass is easy to overlook because it sits alongside the far better known Work Permit for Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) scheme, and confusion between the two is common, especially among new parents applying for the first time. The rules are narrower, the validity period is fixed and short, and the permit cannot be renewed, which makes it very different in practice from hiring a long-term helper.

This guide sets out who qualifies, how long the permit lasts, what it costs, and the practical steps involved in applying, cancelling or extending it, based on the current requirements published by the Ministry of Manpower.

What Is the Work Permit for Confinement Nanny

The Work Permit for confinement nanny is a short-term work pass that allows a household to hire a Malaysian confinement nanny to help care for a newborn. It is administered separately from the standard Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker, and it exists specifically to cover the traditional confinement period after childbirth, rather than ongoing domestic help.

Because the scheme is designed around a single, time-limited purpose, MOM has kept the eligibility criteria and paperwork comparatively simple compared to other work passes, but the trade-off is that the permit is fixed to a short window tied to the birth of the child and cannot be extended beyond that purpose.

Employer Eligibility Requirements

To hire a foreign confinement nanny, the employer (the parent or household applying) must meet the following conditions:

• Be at least 21 years old at the time of application.
• Have a newborn child who is under 4 months old.
• Not be an undischarged bankrupt.
• Be willing to pay the applicable monthly foreign worker levy for the duration of the permit.

There is no citizenship or residency restriction stated beyond the general work pass framework, but the employer must be able to satisfy MOM of a genuine need tied to a recent birth. Households that also employ a general FDW under the same address will have their confinement nanny levy combined with the existing helper’s levy for billing purposes.

Confinement Nanny Eligibility Requirements

The nanny herself must also meet MOM’s criteria before a permit will be issued:

• She must be a Malaysian citizen. The scheme is not open to other nationalities.
• She must be at least 23 years old and below 70 years old at the time of application.
• She may only work at the employer’s residence, and only in the confinement nanny role stated on the permit.

She is bound by the same basic Work Permit conditions that apply to migrant domestic workers, including the restriction against taking on other employment or a different occupation while the permit is valid.

Validity Period: Why It Is Short and Not Renewable

The maximum validity of the Work Permit for confinement nanny is 16 weeks, calculated from the child’s date of birth, not from the date the nanny starts work or the date the application is approved. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the scheme.

Practically, this means:

• An employer can apply from 4 weeks before the expected delivery date, up to 16 weeks after the birth.
• If the application is submitted later in that 16-week window, the remaining validity shrinks accordingly. Applying in week 10, for example, leaves only around 6 weeks of permitted employment.
• The permit is not renewable under any circumstances. Once the 16-week window from birth has passed, the household must apply for a standard Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker instead if ongoing help is still needed.

Families who expect to need help well beyond the traditional one-month or 30-day confinement period should plan for this transition early, since the FDW route involves its own separate eligibility and levy structure.

Levy and Application Costs

The application fee is S$35 per application. Once the permit is issued, the employer must pay a monthly foreign worker levy for as long as the nanny is employed:

• S$60 per month if the newborn is a Singapore citizen.
• S$300 per month if the newborn is not a Singapore citizen.

Levy is billed by GIRO, and if the household also has a separate FDW registered under the same employer, the two levies are combined into a single deductible amount. Employers should also note that salary paid to a confinement nanny is taxable income for the nanny, and IRAS guidance on individual income tax obligations applies in the same way as for any other foreign worker.

Medical Insurance Requirements

Medical insurance is compulsory, not optional, for the duration of the nanny’s employment. The current minimum required coverage is significantly higher than it once was: employers must ensure their confinement nanny is covered for at least S$60,000 per year under a policy effective on or after 1 July 2023, up from the earlier S$15,000 minimum. This change was intended to better protect employers against large, unexpected medical bills.

A medical examination for the nanny herself is recommended but not mandatory, given that she will be in close contact with a newborn throughout the engagement.

How to Apply

Applications can be made directly by the employer or through an appointed employment agency. The process runs as follows:

• Obtain written consent from the confinement nanny before submitting the application. Employment agencies must additionally be authorised by the employer through MOM’s FDW eService before acting on their behalf.
• Submit the application online, indicating the nanny’s intended start date if it is already known.
• Pay the S$35 application fee by Visa, Mastercard or PayNow.
• Processing typically takes about one week, though some applications may take longer if further information is requested.
• If approved, the nanny receives an in-principle approval (IPA) letter rather than a physical Work Permit card, reflecting the short duration of the pass. She must present this letter to the immigration officer on arrival and comply with current entry requirements set by ICA.

If the nanny’s stay needs to continue beyond the validity of her visit pass, or if the visit pass is cancelled before the Work Permit period ends, the employer must apply separately to extend her stay. When the engagement finishes, the Work Permit must be formally cancelled rather than simply left to lapse.

Confinement Nanny vs Foreign Domestic Worker: Key Differences

Many enquiries at our firm come from parents unsure which route applies to their situation. The table below summarises the practical differences.

Households that hire a confinement nanny first, then decide to keep domestic help afterwards, will need to make a fresh application under the standard FDW scheme once the 16-week window closes. The two permits are not interchangeable and cannot run consecutively for the same worker without a new application and fresh eligibility check.

Common Mistakes Employers Make

• Assuming the permit can be renewed or extended indefinitely. It cannot; the 16-week clock runs from birth regardless of when the nanny actually starts work.
• Applying too late in the confinement period and being surprised that the remaining validity is much shorter than expected.
• Overlooking the increased S$60,000 minimum medical insurance requirement and purchasing a policy with the older, lower coverage level.
• Forgetting that salary paid to the nanny is taxable and that this may carry reporting implications.
• Not formally cancelling the permit once the engagement ends, which can create complications for future applications.

Where This Fits Into Your Wider Immigration and Employment Planning

For most households, the confinement nanny permit is a short, self-contained administrative task rather than part of a larger immigration strategy. But for foreign employees already navigating an Employment Pass, S Pass or Dependant’s Pass in Singapore, timing a new baby’s confinement care alongside other work pass matters, such as an EFMA compliance check or a pending appeal, is worth doing carefully so nothing is left unmanaged.

Employers who already sponsor a foreign domestic worker, and are separately weighing up broader household staffing and recruitment options, may also find it useful to compare structured recruitment support through Singapore Employment Agency, particularly where sourcing, documentation and levy administration for domestic help need to be handled together rather than piecemeal.

If your household is managing a growing family alongside other commitments, from childcare logistics to broader personal financial planning, it is worth building some buffer into your paperwork timeline rather than applying at the last minute before the expected delivery date.

Conclusion

The Work Permit for confinement nanny is a narrow but genuinely useful scheme for Singapore households welcoming a new baby, provided employers understand its two defining features: a strict 16-week ceiling counted from the child’s date of birth, and no possibility of renewal. Getting the levy, insurance and cancellation steps right the first time avoids unnecessary friction, and planning early for the transition to a standard FDW Work Permit, if ongoing help is needed, saves a great deal of last-minute stress.

Related reading on our site: our guides to the FDW security bond and insurance requirements, the Professional Visit Pass and what actually covers short-term foreign assignments, EFMA penalties for Singapore employers, and our overview of Training Employment Pass requirements cover related employer obligations under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

For official confirmation before you apply, refer directly to MOM’s eligibility page for the Work Permit for confinement nanny, MOM’s application guide, and IRAS guidance on individual income tax obligations for foreign workers earning income in Singapore.

Need Help With Work Pass Matters for Your Household or Business?

To speak with the team at Raffles Corporate Services, you can email [email protected] or call, SMS, or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. We are happy to assist with any queries.

The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services