Short answerStart with MOM's Employment Agency Directory, the official list of every licensed agency. You can also browse a directory such as this one, use MOM's transfer list for a transfer helper, hire directly without an agency, contact agencies through their own websites, or look for an office near home. Whichever way you use, check the agency's licence, status and staff in MOM's directory, and get every fee in writing.
There is no single right place to look for a maid agency. This page compares six ways to search, so you can pick the one that fits what you need. It compares ways to search, not agencies, and it names no agency.
Who wrote this. agencies.sg runs one of the six ways compared here: an independent directory of licensed agencies. We are not an employment agency and not part of MOM, and we do not rank, rate or recommend agencies. We list MOM's directory first and ours second.
How we compared them
For each way, we looked at four things: who runs it, what it shows, whether it covers every licensed agency, and what you still need to check yourself. What each MOM source shows comes from MOM's own pages, checked on 17 Oct 2026. We did not test or score any agency.
The six ways at a glance
| Way | Run by | What it shows | Every licensed agency? | Suits you if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. MOM's EA Directory | MOM | Licensed agencies, licence numbers, registered staff with names and photos, live demerit points, and a tab of agencies to avoid | Yes | You want the official record |
| 2. A directory such as this one | agencies.sg (us) | The 485 licences with 55 or more placements from 11 Oct 2025 to 11 Oct 2026, A to Z, with licence numbers, MOM placement counts, area and transfer-list status | No: 485 of 2,418 licences | You want to browse A to Z or by area, then check with MOM |
| 3. MOM's transfer list | MOM | 487 agencies willing to consider taking over a helper who is changing employers (dated 3 June 2025) | No: only agencies on the list | Your helper is transferring, or you are taking on a transfer helper |
| 4. Hiring directly | You | No agency. You find the helper and apply in MOM's FDW eService | Not needed | You already know a helper and can do the paperwork |
| 5. An agency's own website or office | The agency | Its services, fees and the helpers it can offer | One agency at a time | You have a shortlist and want to compare service agreements |
| 6. Agencies by area | agencies.sg (us), from ACRA addresses | Licensed agencies with a company registered office in each of 21 areas, A to Z | No: company-registered agencies only | You would like to visit an office near home |
1. MOM's Employment Agency Directory
MOM's EA Directory is the official list. MOM says you can use it to find agencies that match your needs, check their service quality and performance, and shortlist and compare them. Choose the search for foreign domestic workers. MOM's directory lists 2,418 licences in its domestic helper view (our extract of 12 Oct 2026).
- It lists the names and photos of all registered agency staff. Staff carry a registration card with their name, registration number and agency, which you can check against the directory.
- It shows each agency's live demerit points, and its "Under revocation / suspension / surveillance" tab lists the agencies MOM says to avoid.
- MOM issues agency licences for up to 3 years, renewable. An agency whose licence has expired must stop all employment agency work until it is renewed.
What each part of an agency's record means, and what it does not tell you, is in checking an agency with MOM's data.
2. A directory such as this one
Our list of MOM-licensed maid agencies shows the 485 licences that placed 55 or more helpers from 11 Oct 2025 to 11 Oct 2026, A to Z, from MOM's directory data. You can filter by area, MOM's transfer list and years licensed. Placements show how active an agency is, not how good it is. We do not hold agencies' fees or reviews, so check each agency with MOM and ask it directly.
3. MOM's transfer list
If your helper is changing employers, MOM publishes a list of 487 agencies willing to consider taking over a helper's care to help her transfer (dated 3 June 2025). 232 of them are in our directory. MOM says you can also ask agencies that are not on the list. See the transfer list, A to Z and how a transfer works.
4. Hiring directly, without an agency
MOM lets the employer, a sponsor or an authorised employment agency apply for a helper's work permit. With Singpass, you apply in MOM's FDW eService, usually within 1 week, and pay SGD 35 to apply and SGD 35 to issue the permit. Without Singpass, MOM's online form takes around 3 weeks for most cases. A new helper hired from the Philippines must come through a Singapore agency that works with a licensed Philippine agency. See hiring a maid without an agency.
5. An agency's own website or office
Once you have a shortlist, talk to each agency. MOM's Ask Jaya column suggests you:
- Ask how it screens and matches helpers, and whether it takes time to understand your needs.
- Ask for the helper's detailed biodata and employment history, and check her history with MOM's employment history check.
- Check whether it offers post-placement support to both you and the helper.
- If your family has caregiving needs, such as caring for an older parent, ask how it checked that the helper has those skills.
- Look for a service agreement that spells out guarantee, replacement, termination and refund terms, with clear fee policies.
Whatever the agency charges, MOM's rules apply. An agency may collect from the helper no more than one month of her salary for each year of service, up to two months. For service agreements signed on or after 1 June 2022, it must refund at least 50% of your service fees if her employment ends within six months and MOM's conditions are met. See the fee cap and refunds.
6. Agencies by area
Our area pages group licensed agencies by the registered office in ACRA's records, A to Z, across 21 areas. Sole proprietors and partnerships may register at a home address, so they are left out of the area pages. Most agencies serve families across Singapore, so an office near home is a convenience, not a requirement.
MOM checks for any agency
However you found the agency, do these checks before you pay:
- Find its licence number on its website or service agreement, and search it in MOM's EA Directory. The name must match.
- Check that it is not on the directory's "Under revocation / suspension / surveillance" tab, and look at its demerit points.
- Check the staff member's registration card against the directory.
- Ask for every fee in writing, and check it against MOM's fee cap and refund rule.
- Agencies may not use MOM's logo or suggest they are affiliated with MOM (licence condition from 1 Oct 2026). A licence is not an endorsement.
Step by step: how to check an employment agency and how to choose a maid agency.
If something goes wrong
MOM says an agency must tell you its dispute resolution process, and a contract dispute or a complaint about its service should go through that process first. A dispute over the service agreement that mediation cannot resolve can go to the Small Claims Tribunals. To report a possible breach of the rules by an agency, use MOM's online feedback form.
Each MOM page below re-checked on 17 Oct 2026.
Sources, checked 17 Oct 2026: MOM EA Directory; MOM, Employment agencies and personnel search; MOM FAQ, Working with a licensed EA; MOM, Key facts on the EA licence; MOM, Ask Jaya: picking an employment agency; MOM, Apply for a Work Permit for an MDW; Philippine Migrant Workers Office, Hiring Filipino domestic workers; MOM FAQ, Agency fees; MOM, Refund of EA service fee; MOM EA Alert, 28 Sep 2026; MOM, Resolving disputes with an EA; MOM FAQ, Feedback on an EA; MOM, Agencies that offer transfer services (dated 3 June 2025).
Common questions
What is the official list of maid agencies in Singapore?
MOM's Employment Agency Directory. It lists every licensed employment agency, with licence numbers, registered staff and live demerit points. Its domestic helper view listed 2,418 licences in our extract of 12 Oct 2026.
Is there a list of MOM-licensed maid agencies?
Yes. MOM's EA Directory lists every licensed agency. Our /agencies/ page lists the 485 licences that placed 55 or more helpers from 11 Oct 2025 to 11 Oct 2026, A to Z, each with its licence number and a link to check it in MOM's directory.
Does MOM rate maid agencies?
MOM licenses agencies and shows each one's live demerit points in its EA Directory, with a tab of agencies under revocation, suspension or surveillance. MOM says the directory lets you check agencies' service quality and performance. This site does not rate or rank agencies.
How do I find a maid agency near me?
Use our area pages, which list licensed agencies by the registered office in ACRA's records, A to Z. Most agencies serve families across Singapore, so you do not need one near home. Confirm the address of the office you will visit with the agency.
Can I find a helper without an agency?
Yes. MOM lets employers apply for a helper's work permit themselves in FDW eService with Singpass, usually within 1 week. A new helper from the Philippines must be hired through a Singapore agency that works with a licensed Philippine agency.
How do I check that an agency's staff member is registered?
Registered agency staff carry a registration card with their name, registration number and the agency they work for. Check those details against MOM's EA Directory, which lists the names and photos of all registered staff.
Which agencies help with transfer helpers?
MOM lists 487 agencies willing to consider taking over a helper to help her transfer (dated 3 June 2025). MOM says you can also ask agencies that are not on the list.
What should I ask an agency before I sign?
MOM's Ask Jaya column suggests asking how it screens and matches helpers, asking for the helper's detailed biodata and employment history, checking for post-placement support, and looking for a service agreement with clear guarantee, replacement, termination and refund terms. Ask for every fee in writing.
Where can I complain about a maid agency?
First use the dispute resolution process the agency must tell you about. A service agreement dispute that mediation cannot resolve can go to the Small Claims Tribunals. To report a possible breach of the rules, use MOM's online feedback form.