OEC and OFW Pass for Filipino helpers in Singapore

Short answerThe Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), now moving to the OFW Travel Pass, is the Philippine exit clearance a Filipino helper shows when she leaves the Philippines to return to work in Singapore. She does not need it to fly home or to keep working here. If she is going back to the same employer in the same job with a verified contract, she can get an OEC exemption online. If she has changed employer or has no DMW record, she first has her contract verified at the Migrant Workers Office in Singapore.

This guide is for Filipino helpers working in Singapore and for their employers, when she plans to go home on leave and come back. It uses only sources from the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and its Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Singapore, all checked on 15 Oct 2026. For hiring a Filipino helper, see hiring a Filipino helper; for Singapore's own leave rules, see home leave and public holidays.

What the OEC is

• An exit clearance. The MWO says the OEC is the official travel exit clearance for overseas Filipino workers, certifying that her employment is registered with the DMW.
• Now the OFW Travel Pass. The MWO says the OEC is transitioning to the OFW Travel Pass, which she can get through the eGovPH app. The DMW calls it the OFW Pass and says it is free of charge.
• Only for leaving the Philippines. It is shown when she leaves the Philippines. The MWO says it is not needed for her trip home, and not needed to keep working overseas.
• How long it lasts. The MWO says a Travel Pass from the eGovPH app is valid for 90 days from issue, and an OEC from the DMW's E-Registration portal for 60 days. Plan it around her return flight.

Which route applies to her

• Same employer, same position, verified contract. No new contract verification. She requests an OEC exemption in her DMW E-Registration account: update her passport and work visa details, choose Balik-Manggagawa, enter her flight back to Singapore, confirm she is returning to the same employer and position, then print or screenshot the OEC. The MWO says to bring a copy of her verified contract.
• Same employer, but the verified contract has expired. If she renewed with you, she checks that her employment records in E-Registration are up to date, attaches the new contract to the expired verified one, and requests the OEC exemption. The new contract does not need verifying, and the MWO says domestic workers may use the DMW standard employment template for helpers in Singapore. Its advisory says to present both contracts at immigration when required.
• New employer, new position or no DMW record. She needs contract verification at the MWO in Singapore first. This includes a helper who transferred to you from another employer here.
• No OEC before. For workers with no earlier record, the MWO verifies the contract and the OEC is issued at the nearest DMW office in the Philippines.

Contract verification at the MWO

She books an appointment for contract verification under Labor Services on the MWO's booking site, and creates or updates her DMW E-Registration account. For a domestic worker, the MWO lists:

• the original employment contract, signed by her and by you;
• a photocopy of her valid Philippine passport;
• a photocopy of her valid work pass or identity card;
• a photocopy of your NRIC or ID with your signature specimen.

The MWO lists a verification fee of SGD 15, cash only, and says signing up for E-Registration and applying for the OEC are free. After verification, a worker with earlier records gets her OEC by email, valid for 60 days, or can request it later in E-Registration. A worker without records gets it from a DMW office in the Philippines.

What she takes on home leave

For a helper going home and returning to the same employer, the MWO lists:

• a valid, verified employment contract;
• her valid Work Permit or identity card;
• a valid OEC;
• valid OWWA membership. The MWO says this is renewed every 2 years, whoever the employer, and can be checked in the OWWA app or renewed at the MWO by appointment.

How employers can help

• Sign the contract, and give her a copy of your NRIC with your signature if she needs contract verification.
• Keep her contract current. When you renew, a new written contract lets her use the OEC exemption. See the employment contract guide.
• Agree her leave early, so she has time to book an MWO appointment if she needs one, and check MOM's rules on home leave.
• Her passport stays with her. The MWO's rules for Filipino domestic workers say so; see hiring a Filipino helper.

Contacting the MWO in Singapore

The Migrant Workers Office is at 20 Nassim Road, Singapore 258395, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, except public holidays. Phone +65 6040 6506, or email mwosg_services@dmw.gov.ph. Its emergency hotline, +65 9113 6552, is for emergencies only.

Sources, checked 15 Oct 2026: MWO Singapore, Overseas Employment Certificate; MWO Singapore, OFWs returning to the Philippines; MWO Singapore, How to print OEC exemption; MWO Singapore, Contract verification for OFWs; MWO Singapore, Advisory on OEC and contract verification; DMW, OFW Pass.

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