> Quick view: checked on 29 October 2026 against the Immigration Department's (JIM) "Pembantu Rumah Asing" page, the Labour Department's PDA forms, the Minimum Wages Order 2024, and Bernama, The Star and FMT reports. JIM's page carries no fee table, so the government charges below are the latest figures on public record, with their dates. This applies to Peninsular Malaysia; Sabah and Sarawak run their own rules.
For many Malaysian families a live-in helper is what makes two careers, a newborn or an elderly parent manageable. The rules are stricter than most people expect, and they differ sharply by the helper's country. Here is what the Immigration Department asks for, in order.
Who is allowed to hire
JIM's page sets four conditions before income even comes up:
- the employer is a married couple with a child under 15 or a sick or frail parent
- you already hold Section 60K approval under the Employment Act, applied for online through the Labour Department's ePPax portal
- you are not a declared bankrupt and not on JIM's suspect list or blacklist
- Muslim employers may hire Muslim helpers only
The helper must be a woman aged 21 to 45 in the year of application, declared fit by a clinic appointed by her own health ministry, and still in her home country when you apply.
The income bar depends on her country
JIM lists nine source countries, each with its own household income threshold and personal bond (forfeited if she absconds):
- Indonesia: RM7,000 income, RM250 bond
- Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal: RM5,000 income, RM750 bond
- Thailand, Cambodia: RM3,000 income, RM250 bond
- Laos, Vietnam: RM3,000 income, RM1,500 bond
A second helper needs net monthly income above RM10,000 and documented reasons. A third or later needs more than RM15,000 and special approval from the Director-General of Immigration.
Indonesia has its own rulebook
Under the 2022 Malaysia-Indonesia memorandum, JIM says Indonesian helpers can only come through a licensed private agency working with an Indonesian placement agency, using the visa-with-reference route (no direct hiring since 16 August 2022). The rules: agency cost capped at RM15,000, minimum wage RM1,500 a month, a household of no more than six, a contract verified by the Indonesian Embassy, and duties limited to housekeeping and cooking, childcare or elderly care. If she proves unsuitable within three months, or runs away within six, you are entitled to a replacement.
That memorandum expires in April 2027. Human Resources Minister R. Ramanan told Bernama on 7 October 2026 that Malaysia has sent a draft of the new one to Jakarta and talks are "at the final stage". No new wage or cost cap has been announced.
Wages: the RM1,700 floor does not apply
The Minimum Wages Order 2024 excludes domestic servants, so a helper's pay comes from the source country's terms and your contract: RM1,500 for Indonesians under the MoU. The Philippines raised its own minimum for household workers abroad from US$400 to US$500 in August 2025; Malaysian agencies were given six months to comply. JIM requires wages to be paid by the last week of each month, with records kept.
The paperwork, step by step
- Get Section 60K approval on ePPax.
- Apply to the JIM office for your address, or through an agency (Indonesian and Filipino applications go through agencies online). Bring the application form, Form IM 12, the personal bond and employment contract each stamped RM10, both spouses' IC copies, the marriage certificate, her passport copy and medical report, plus three months of payslips and your EPF statement or tax form.
- Pay the levy, visa, processing and pass fees. JIM issues a visa-with-reference letter and she applies for her visa on MyVISA.
- Meet her at the entry point. Within 30 days she must pass a FOMEMA medical at a registered clinic.
- Bring her passport and FOMEMA result back to JIM within those 30 days; the work pass (PLKS) is endorsed for 12 months.
Renew online on FWCMS within 90 days before expiry, with a fresh FOMEMA "fit" result. Under the Employment Act you must also notify the Labour Department within 30 days of hiring (Form PDA 1) and of ending the employment (Form PDA 2).
What the government charges
JIM no longer prints a fee table, so these are the most recent figures on record. In November 2023 The Star reported an Indonesian helper's renewal at RM610: the RM410 levy, a RM60 pass, RM125 processing and a RM15 visa. The levy schedule in force since January 2018 charges RM410 for a household's first helper and RM590 for the second and each one after (NST and FMT, December 2017). FOMEMA's check for women rose to RM217 in December 2023 and is now yearly (FMT, January 2024). Ask your agency or JIM for the current amounts before paying.
If things go wrong
If she leaves with her belongings, report in person to Immigration with a cancellation letter, JIM's absconding form and a police report. Until you do, she remains your legal responsibility. Ending the job properly means a check-out memo on MyPASS@JIM and a return ticket within 30 days. She may switch employers only in her first year, with your written consent.
In Sabah and Sarawak, employers need a state Labour Director's licence before hiring anyone from outside the state, from 15 February 2026 (PU(A) 84/2026 and 85/2026), on top of state immigration approval.
