What Is the Settling-In Programme?
The Settling-In Programme, or SIP, is a one-day orientation course required for every first-time helper working in Singapore. It’s run by MOM-appointed training providers, not by your agency directly, and it exists to make sure a new helper understands her rights, responsibilities, and the practical realities of working and living in a Singapore household before she’s deep into the job.
When Does It Need to Happen?
Within 7 days of her arrival in Singapore, excluding Sundays and public holidays. This is a hard deadline tied to her Work Permit conditions — it isn’t something that can be scheduled whenever convenient once she’s settled in.
What Does It Cost?
Between $76.40 and $92.65 (GST inclusive), depending on which training provider you book through. This is paid entirely by the employer — it cannot be deducted from her salary or passed on to her in any way.
What’s Actually Covered in the Course?
The course covers a specific set of topics:
- Her Work Permit conditions — what’s expected of her, and what protections she has
- Her rights and responsibilities as a domestic worker in Singapore
- The risks of working at heights — a genuinely important safety topic, since cleaning windows and external areas in HDB flats and condos carries real fall risk, and this is covered specifically because of how often it comes up
- Practical household tasks, including practising hanging laundry safely — a small but deliberate inclusion, again tied to the working-at-heights safety theme
Who Doesn’t Need It?
The SIP is only required for first-time helpers — someone who hasn’t previously worked in Singapore as an MDW. If you’re hiring a transfer maid who’s already completed her SIP during an earlier placement, she doesn’t need to repeat it for you.
What You Need to Do as the Employer
- Register her for the SIP through your chosen training provider, ideally arranged before or right around her arrival so the 7-day window isn’t tight
- Confirm attendance — this needs to actually happen within the deadline, not just be booked
- Keep the booking confirmation for your records, in case it’s needed later
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I attend the SIP with my helper?
No — this is her orientation, attended without the employer present, similar to how her six-monthly medical examinations are also conducted without the employer in the room.
What happens if the SIP isn’t completed in time?
Missing the deadline can hold up other aspects of her Work Permit processing — it’s not a step worth leaving until the last day of the 7-day window if it can be helped.
Does the cost vary much between providers?
Slightly, within the $76.40–$92.65 range — worth checking with your agency which provider they typically book through, since some can schedule it as part of a smoother overall onboarding process.
We Handle This for You
Booking the SIP, tracking the 7-day deadline, and keeping your paperwork in order is exactly the kind of administrative step we manage as part of every placement — one less thing to track in an already busy first week with a new helper.
Get in touch to learn more →
