Am I Eligible for the Maid Levy Concession in Singapore

Hiring a migrant domestic worker in Singapore can ease daily care at home, but the monthly levy adds up quickly. The maid levy concession helps households that need support for young children, elderly family members, or people with disabilities.

The key question is simple: does your household meet one of the care-related eligibility conditions set by the Ministry of Manpower?

This guide explains who usually qualifies, what documents may be needed, when the concession is automatic, and what to check before assuming you are eligible.

The concession is meant for households with real caregiving needs at home.

What the maid levy concession means

In Singapore, households that employ a migrant domestic worker, often still called a maid, must pay a monthly foreign domestic worker levy.

The maid levy concession in Singapore is a reduced levy rate for eligible households. It recognises that some families hire domestic help mainly to support caregiving needs.

The concession usually applies when the worker is employed to help care for one of these people:

• A young Singapore citizen child

• An elderly Singapore citizen

• A person with disability who needs help with daily living

  
  

The concession does not remove the levy completely. It reduces the amount payable, subject to the rules in force at the time. MOM may revise levy rates and eligibility rules, so the safest final check is always through official MOM or AIC channels.

This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice.

The quick eligibility check

You may qualify if your household fits at least one of these broad categories.

Care situation	You may qualify if	Common condition to check
Young child	You or your spouse has a young child or grandchild who is a Singapore citizen	The child is below the qualifying age and usually lives at the same registered address
Elderly person	You, your spouse, or an eligible family member is an elderly Singapore citizen	The elderly person meets the qualifying age and address rules
Person with disability	The household includes a person with disability who needs help with daily activities	The person may need medical certification or an AIC-related assessment

The concession is tied to caregiving. It is not given simply because a household has hired a domestic worker, has a large family, or pays high living expenses.

You may qualify under the young child or grandchild scheme

One of the most common routes is through a young Singapore citizen child.

You may be eligible if you or your spouse has a child or grandchild who:

• Is a Singapore citizen

• Is below the qualifying age set by MOM

• Lives at the same registered address, where required

  
  

This is meant for households where domestic help supports childcare. For example, a household with two working parents and a Singapore citizen toddler may qualify for the concession if the address and relationship conditions are met.

The child’s citizenship matters. A child who is a permanent resident or foreign citizen may not qualify the household under this route, even if the child lives in Singapore.

The relationship also matters. The rules generally look at your child or grandchild, or your spouse’s child or grandchild. A young niece, nephew, cousin, or friend’s child living in the same flat may not count unless the official rules specifically allow that relationship.

What to check before relying on this route

Check these details before assuming approval:

• The child’s citizenship status

• The child’s age

• Whether the child’s registered address matches the employer’s address

• Whether the relationship is recognised under MOM’s rules

  
  

For many straightforward cases, the concession may be processed based on government records. If records do not match, you may have to update the relevant address or personal details first.

Childcare is one of the main reasons households qualify for the reduced levy.

You may qualify under the elderly person scheme

Another common route is through an elderly Singapore citizen in the household.

You may qualify if:

• You are a Singapore citizen who meets the qualifying elderly age

• Your spouse is a Singapore citizen who meets the qualifying elderly age

• You or your spouse lives with an eligible elderly Singapore citizen family member

  
  

The family member may commonly be a parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, or grandparent-in-law, depending on current MOM rules.

This concession recognises that elderly care often involves daily support, even when the elderly person is still mobile. A domestic worker may help with meals, laundry, light housekeeping, clinic trips, and general supervision.

The elderly person usually needs to be a Singapore citizen

Citizenship is a frequent source of confusion. In most concession routes, the qualifying care recipient must be a Singapore citizen.

For example:

• If your 70-year-old Singapore citizen mother lives with you, you may qualify if the other conditions are met.

• If your elderly parent is a permanent resident, the household may not qualify under the elderly person route.

• If your elderly parent lives at another address, your household may not qualify unless the rules allow that arrangement.

  
  

The registered address is important because the concession is meant to support caregiving in the employer’s household.

Age thresholds can change

MOM sets the qualifying age for the elderly scheme. At the time of writing, the commonly known threshold is 67 years old and above. Still, check the latest MOM criteria before making a decision, especially if the person is close to the age threshold.

You may qualify if there is a person with disability at home

The disability-related route is slightly different because eligibility depends less on age and more on the person’s care needs.

A household may qualify if the person with disability needs help with at least one activity of daily living. These daily activities may include:

• Washing or bathing

• Dressing

• Feeding

• Toileting

• Moving around

• Transferring from bed to chair, or a similar movement

  
  

The person with disability may be the employer, the employer’s spouse, or another eligible person living in the same household, depending on the official criteria.

This route often requires more supporting evidence than the young child or elderly routes. The household may need a medical assessment or approval through the Agency for Integrated Care, commonly known as AIC.

When the concession may be automatic

Some levy concessions are applied automatically if government records clearly show that the household qualifies.

This is more likely for cases involving:

• A young Singapore citizen child at the same address

• An elderly Singapore citizen whose details match official records

• A recognised relationship between the employer, spouse, and care recipient

  
  

Automatic approval depends on the accuracy of records. If your address, marital status, child’s details, or family relationship is not properly reflected, the concession may not appear even though you seem to qualify.

If that happens, the issue may not be the caregiving need. It may be a records mismatch.

When you may need to apply

You may need to apply or submit supporting documents when the case is not automatically recognised.

This is common when:

• The concession is for a person with disability

• The relationship is not obvious from government records

• The registered address has recently changed

• The household structure is more complex

• The care recipient’s details are incomplete or outdated

  
  

For disability-related concessions, AIC may be involved because the assessment focuses on care needs and daily living support. In some cases, the same assessment may also relate to other caregiving support schemes, but each scheme has its own rules.

Address and household details can affect whether the concession is approved.

Common situations and whether they may qualify

The examples below are general. Always check your own details against MOM’s current rules.

A couple has a Singapore citizen baby

This household will often qualify if one parent is the employer or spouse, and the baby’s official address matches the household.

The concession is linked to the child’s age. Once the child passes the qualifying age, eligibility under this route may end unless the household qualifies under another route.

An employer lives with a 68-year-old Singapore citizen parent

This household may qualify under the elderly person scheme if the parent is an eligible family member and the registered address condition is met.

The domestic worker does not need to provide medical care. The concession recognises that general household help can support elderly care.

An elderly parent lives nearby but not in the same home

This is less likely to qualify under the employer’s household, because the concession is usually based on care at the same registered address.

If the parent needs support, the family may need to consider who should be the employer and where the worker will actually work and live. A domestic worker’s deployment must follow MOM rules.

A household has a child who is a permanent resident

This may not qualify under the young child route if the rule requires the child to be a Singapore citizen.

Citizenship requirements are strict because the concession is designed around specific public support criteria.

A household cares for an adult family member with a serious disability

This may qualify if the person needs help with daily living activities and meets the relevant criteria. Documentation is likely to matter.

The family should check the AIC process and confirm what assessment or certification is needed before assuming approval.

What can make you ineligible

Many rejections or failed applications come from small details. The most common issues are:

• The care recipient is not a Singapore citizen where citizenship is required

• The care recipient does not live at the same registered address

• The child is above the qualifying age

• The elderly person is below the qualifying age

• The family relationship is not one recognised by MOM

• Disability care needs are not certified or do not meet the required threshold

• Household records are outdated or inconsistent

  
  

Another important point: the concession is usually granted for a specific household situation. If that situation changes, the concession may stop.

For example, eligibility may change if:

• The child grows older than the qualifying age

• The elderly person moves out

• The person with disability no longer lives in the household

• The employer changes

• The domestic worker’s employment arrangement changes

  
  

How to check your eligibility properly

A careful check can save time and prevent surprise levy charges.

1. Identify the qualifying person

Start with the person who creates the care need.

Ask:

• Is it a child?

• Is it an elderly person?

• Is it a person with disability?

• Is the person a Singapore citizen, if required?

  
  

Then check the person’s relationship to the employer or the employer’s spouse.

2. Confirm the address

The registered address often decides whether the household qualifies.

Make sure the care recipient’s address matches the employer’s household if the scheme requires co-residence. If someone has recently moved, update official records before applying or expecting automatic approval.

3. Check the age or care requirement

For a child, check the qualifying age.

For an elderly person, check the qualifying age.

For a person with disability, check whether they need help with at least one recognised daily living activity, and whether this can be supported by the required assessment.

4. Check whether it is automatic or application-based

If the concession is not reflected automatically, do not assume you are ineligible straight away.

There may be a missing record, a mismatch, or a need to apply through the right channel.

5. Keep proof of your household situation

Keep copies or records of relevant documents, such as:

• Birth certificates

• Identification details

• Address records

• Medical or care assessment documents

• Approval letters or notices

  
  

You may not need every document in every case, but having records ready makes it easier to resolve issues.

The concession can end if your situation changes

Eligibility is not a one-time question. It can change during the period of employment.

If your household no longer meets the criteria, you may have to pay the normal levy rate from the date the concession no longer applies. This can happen even if you were eligible when you first hired the worker.

Review your eligibility when:

• A child approaches the qualifying age limit

• An elderly care recipient moves to another address

• A person with disability enters long-term residential care

• The employer or spouse changes address

• You renew or replace your domestic worker

  
  

A quick review can prevent unexpected bills later.

A quick records check helps prevent levy surprises later.

What to do if you are not eligible

If you do not qualify, you still have options. They may not reduce the maid levy, but they can help you plan care more clearly.

You can:

• Review whether another family member should be the employer

• Check if the care recipient’s registered address is correct

• Explore other caregiving grants or support schemes

• Reassess whether a full-time live-in worker is the right arrangement

• Speak with MOM or AIC for clarification on your case

  
  

Do not arrange for a domestic worker to care for someone at a different home without checking MOM rules. Deployment rules are strict, and breaching them can create problems for both the employer and the worker.

The practical takeaway

You are likely to be eligible for the maid levy concession if your household includes a qualifying Singapore citizen young child, elderly person, or person with disability, and the address, relationship, age, and care requirements match MOM’s rules.

The fastest way to assess your case is to ask four questions:

1. Who is the qualifying care recipient?

2. Is that person a Singapore citizen where required?

3. Does the person live at the same registered address?

4. Does the person meet the age or disability care criteria?

   
   

If all four answers line up, your chances are good. If one answer is unclear, check official records or contact the relevant agency before relying on the concession. A small detail, such as an outdated address, can be the difference between paying the concessionary levy and paying the normal rate.