How do you apply for a domestic helper online in Malaysia?
Applying for a domestic helper online in Malaysia isn’t as easy as A-B-C but here you can find out in this step-by-step guide on how to apply for a domestic helper (all online).
Here are the steps for you to apply for a domestic helper online:
- You need to identify a person who is willing and agreeable to work for you as a domestic helper.
- The Domestic Helper must possess a valid passport (not expired)

- The Domestic Helper, if recently arrived from her country, has to be registered in Maid Online website as soon as she arrives, preferably the first day. This is because Malaysia’s social visit pass lasts for 30 days only.
- Register your username and Maid Online will give you a password.
- Register who the “Employer” of the Domestic Helper will be. Please consider that once you register you wife or husband’s name, the registered employer (Husband or Wife) has to accompany the Domestic Helper for special instances
- When you register yourself as an employer, you must upload a picture of yourself and that of yourself and your spouse. You must also take a picture of your maid to be uploaded. The allowed file size is very small so you can compress your files using this website:
After you have uploaded your picture, your picture with your spouse, filled up your particulars, uploaded your domestic helper’s picture and her particulars, you can click submit.
FOMEMA REGISTRATION:

- Proceed to click the Fomema button, and register on the Fomema website. FOMEMA will send you an employee number. They are quite efficient and will send the number through e-mail within 1 day.
- Immediately fill up the details of your domestic helper in FOMEMA at this website:
My personal experience with the FOMEMA hotline is that they are very professional, courteous, helpful and answers your questions when you call them. When you call their number, you are informed that you are in a que and are given a number. That helps.
Note: It is not mandatory to apply Insurance for your Domestic Help. The Tune Insurance in the FOMEMA website was not functioning so i purchased insurance offline. There are many insurance providers who provide coverage for Domestic Helpers.
- Select the nearest clinic to your house to perform the medical check-up. Once you have identified the clinic, you will pay the FOMEMA fees online which will cost around RM 191 (checkup and X-Ray). I would advise you to find clinics that are opened on the weekends i.e. Saturdays and Sundays to save time.
- Print out the FOMEMA slips, and bring it to the clinic.
- If your maid is having her menstrual cycle, it may affect her urine sample. You must inform the clinic and they will inform the lab.
- FOMEMA usually takes 2-3 working days to process the results.You may view the results of the medical check-up here:
Scroll down to the bottom of the website and the icon “Online Results”. Key in your domestic helper’s details and you will be notified whether your helper is “suitable” or “not suitable”.
- Immediately after you have brought your maid for a check-up, preferably on the same day, you can submit these scanned documents online in the Maid Online portal.
15. In the Maid Online portal, click “Maklumat Permohonan PRA”, and click the pencil icon “Kemaskini”
16. You are required to upload these documents:
- Marriage Certificate
- Front Page of the Maid’s Passport
- Back Page of the Maid’s Passport
- Maid’s Special Pass
- Latest 3 month salary slips of the registered employer AND latest EPF form
- Birth certificates of children under 15 years old
You can scan these documents into PDF format using this app: Camscanner
You can also compress your scanned documents using this website:
https://online2pdf.com/en/reduce-pdf-file-size
17. Once you have uploaded all of the documents, you can submit (hantar).
18. Then, you have to wait for the Immigration Department to process your request (between 5 to 10 working days)
19. If your application has been approved, the Malaysian Immigration will send you an official email notifying you that your application has been successful.
They will inform you the amount that you have to pay i.e. RM 1,375 (without employer compound) or RM 1,875 (if inclusive of employer compound).
20. After paying the fees, the Malaysian Immigration will send a contract in PDF that needs to be filled out by the employer and Domestic Helper. It has to be signed by the Employer, the Domestic Helper and two (2) witnesses.
Once the details have been filled and all signatures been sought, the contract must be brought to the Malaysian Inland Revenue Boars (MIRB) or better known as Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) for stamping about RM10.
21. Once the contract has been stamped, you bring the documents ie payment receipt, Insurance, contract, passport and etc to the Malaysian Immigration Level 2 (Foreigner’s Section) to get your i-Card and the “sticker” in your Domestic Helper’s passport
Once you have paid the above fees, you can go to the Malaysian Immigration with your domestic helper’s passport, printed forms and payment receipt from the approval to collect the work permit sticker.
All the best to you!
32 Responses
thanks for the guide. really helpful
Thank you! Don’t forget to share this with your family and friends 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing! Wow, it’ll be much cheaper than going through an agency.less than 3k yeah.when the maid comes in from another country, do.we have to provide them with a return ticket or it’s ok to get them one way ticket?
Better buy a one way ticket first 🙂
Was advised by Wangsa Maju immigration to buy return ticket as she is coming into Malaysia as a tourist.
Without a return ticket, she cannot board the plane from the country of her origin.
Salam sofiya,
Do u mind sharing how do we identify this person in the place, if i dont know anyone in particular
2nd, can you share about the rate of their salary?estimation ?
Tqia
Wslm Azah. Well, as for some, they may have already met the maid here in Malaysia. Meaning the maid may have arrived here prior to their first meeting. The minimum you can give is RM700 but that depends on how big your house is, how many kids you have. If you have 2 kids and have a spacious house, maybe RM900 would be okay. But you need to talk to her beforehand if she agrees. 🙂
Hi, thank you very much for this website.
Just wondering, what is the “Maid’s Special Pass” that you mentioned in item 16?
My maid’s FOMEMA medical Exam done in Prime Care,Bangsar.But Xray was referred to Menara TM( Annex 2).The parking in open space front of Annex 2,charged by FIKRI KL LECTION Enterprise is RM 13.00 for hardly 20 minutes.To me it is akin to BROAD DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.
Hi, May I know which company you bought the insurance for her? Thanks 🙏
Hi sophia! We did the insurance for her. Are you referring to the maid permit? Bought she was brought in by a friend 🙂
Thank you! To me, this is the best guide on application of domestic helper via MAID online. Informative and precise. Really appreciate it.
Thank you!!
Hi Sofiya. Very good info here about the process. Just a question, do u booked 2 ways ticket for your maid to come to Malaysia or just one?
We had a friend who did this, so he bought one ticket
Hi!
I came across this article of yours while searching for how to apply for a maid permit on my own.
The above procedure seems doable,,,
Is it the same procedure now?
How long does the entire procedure take?
Thank you so much for sharing. It helps us a lot.. to try to get a maid without going through agents.
Hello! I am not sure whether there are any changes in 2020, there could be.
Hi, thank you very much for this website.
01.
Just wondering, what is the “Maid’s Special Pass” that you mentioned in item 16?
02. How much will the insurance cost .
These days you will need to buy insurance for maids. It’s not the same as the permit – you can buy the insurance from any of the available insurance providers. One of it is Berjaya Sompo insurance company
The maid’s insurance cost around RM100 – 200 for one year. It’s paid yearly, not monthly like our individual insurance coverage
The article is so amazing.. thanks a lot.
Can you explain the meaning of ’employer’s compound’?
It refers to monetary compound or penalty incurred by employers who failed to renew the maid’s visitor visa within 30 days ie maid has overstayed more than 30 days
Hi, may I know what is the special pass that you mentioned above ?
And can we go to immigration Kl at 1 Japan duta or have to be putrajaya ?
Hi, may I know what is the special pass that you mentioned above ?
And can we go to immigration Kl at 1 Japan duta or have to be putrajaya ?
Thank you so much
Hello Jessica! Sorry for the delayed response! “Special Pass” refers to the page where the maid’s visitor visa is stamped. For maid’s who have overstayed more than 30 days, their extended visa paid by the employer for the maid. You can go to any immigration I think, we went to Putrajaya because it was closest to us
Hello! Can I check what do you mean the “special pass” in item 16?
Sorry for the late reply! “Special Pass” refers to the page where the maid’s visitor visa is stamped. For maid’s who have overstayed more than 30 days, their extended visa paid by the employer for the maid
Thank you so much 🙂
Did you or do you know anybody who has tried this way for Filipino maids? Because thats what I intend to do, but I have heard it is way harder for Filipino to leave the country as “tourist”.
“2.A copy of the Calling Visa/Worker Permit for a worker”
Appreciate your advice on the above required document found at FOMEMA Employer registration page. Is that referring to Maid’s passport?