Helper agencies & DIY FDW (category guide)

You can apply, renew, and cancel an MDW Work Permit yourself with Singpass via MOM’s FDW eServices — agencies are optional after the first hire. First-time helpers still need the Settling-In Programme within seven days of arrival and cannot start work before SIP. Before every renewal, place/extend medical + personal accident insurance meeting MOM’s enhanced MI floor (≥S$60k inpatient/day-surgery annual limit; Stage 2 rules from 1 July 2025 standardise exclusions and age-banded premiums for helpers above 50). Shop insurers directly — agency-tied quotes are often not the cheapest, especially after age 50. Non-Malaysian helpers need a fresh security bond timed to the renewal. Transfers skip SIP but usually cost more in salary and placement. Levy concession for young children generally requires SC/PR kids — most EP+DP households miss it. Compare Comfort, Nation, and DIY on total cost, replacement policy, who books SIP/6ME, and whether dental sits outside the MI quote. Short postpartum help is a different MOM rail — see the confinement-nanny category guide (Malaysian WP, ~28 days) before you force-fit a full MDW hire for one month of pui yuet care. This is a category guide, not a ranked agency league table. Family ops note: HFMD exclusion weeks expose helper rest-day gaps fast — agency relief coverage is not same-day magic; plan the rest-day shift before the outbreak letter arrives. Family ops: book-week volunteer Sundays collide with helper rest days — rewrite coverage early.