(Updated 21 January 2026)
Filipino domestic helper
You had a great interview with your potential employer. He/she thinks you are great and decides to hire you. You want to work for them as well. Everything is going fine but how do you proceed to get the job? There is a specific process for Filipino domestic helpers to be hired in Hong Kong. Your employer can choose not to use an agency depending on your contract status.
Finished Contract
If you are finishing your contract and you are still in Hong Kong, your employer is not required to use an agency to process the visa, though they still can use one.
If your contract was terminated early for one of the following reasons, your employer does not need an agency for as well:
- your employer has deceased
- your employer is moving out of Hong Kong
- your employer is facing financial difficulty
- you were abused or exploited by your last employer
To prove that you are having a special case, the Immigration Department will require a valid release/termination letter and typically will request some evidence for any of the reasons above.
Hiring without an agency (finished contract)
STEP 1: Pick up and sign contracts
You and your new employer need to sign four copies of the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s standard employment contract (SEC) for foreign domestic helpers, which are available at 2/f, Wan Chai Immigration Tower. You do not need an appointment to get them.
One copy is for you, one is for your employer, another one is for the Philippine Consulate to notarize, and the last one is for the Immigration Department. The 4 copies should have both the employer and domestic helper’s signature and should be entirely identical.
STEP 2: Submit documents to the Hong Kong Immigration Department
After getting the contract notarized, prepare the following documents to be sent to the Hong Kong Immigration Department:
- One original copy of the new contract
- Employer and domestic helper’s immigration application forms, i.e. ID988B and ID988A.
Employer’s supporting documents:
- A photocopy of HKID
- A photocopy of passport (and visa, if not a permanent resident),
- A photocopy of proof of address (a recent utility bill is best)
- A photocopy of proof of income (recent bank statements showing a salary deposit of at least HK$15,000 for 3 months or total assets of more than HK$350,000)
- A photocopy of release letter for previous domestic helper (if applicable)
Domestic helper’s supporting documents:
- A photocopy of HKID
- A photocopy of Passport
- A photocopy of Visa
- A photocopy of landing slip
- A photocopy of the previous contract
- A photocopy of release letter from the previous employer
You should submit the notarized contract and supporting documents to the Immigration Department in one of these ways:
- Book an appointment online
-
Have a walk-in appointment at the Hong Kong Immigration Department (3rd floor of the Immigration Tower, Domestic Helper Section located at 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
A letter stating the visa release date, process number and any further supporting documents needed (if any) will be issued at the first appointment.
STEP 4: Visa collection
You should collect the visa on the specified visa release date with:
- Your original passport
- The letter from the first appointment with the Immigration received in the previous step
- Visa fee as stated in the letter (either HK$190 or HK$380). keep the receipt as your employers should reimburse you for this fee.
STEP 5: Have contracts notarized
Then, you have to submit all 4 copies of the employment contract to the Philippines Consulate in Hong Kong for notarization located at 14th Floor, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty.
- Transfer OFW information sheet
- All 4 original copies of the new employment contract
- A photocopy of the current contract
- A photocopy of the front page of the worker’s passport
- A photocopy of the worker’s new visa
- A photocopy of the employer’s HKID
- A photocopy of the worker’s HKID
- A photocopy of ID522 (Acknowledgement letter from the Immigration) – if the helper is terminated due to death of employer, relocation, financial incapacity, or redundancy
- Give all the documents to the cashier with HK$80 processing fee and HK$196 OWWA membership fee (this fee should be covered by the employer). Keep the original receipt. Your employer should reimburse you for this fee.
- Bring HKID and original receipt with the exact amount of HK$200 authentication fee to 14F, United Center after 5 working days to collect the notarized contract
Hiring through HelperChoice
After you and your employer agree on working together and decided to go through agency, particularly HelperChoice, our team will get contact you! We will ask you to come by to the office to review your personal details and documents. You will need to prepare the following:
- Hong Kong Identity Card
- Passport
- Previous contract (if any)
- Release letter from the previous employer (if any)
- Copy of ID522 (Acknowledgement letter from the Immigration – if any)
- Reference person contact details in Hong Kong
- Reference person contact details in the Philippines
Then relax! We will guide you when you come to the office, in a friendly environment, and will take care of the process for you!
So if your employer wants to use an agency to take care of the paperwork, please ask him/her to send us an email at contact@helperchoice.com or send a Whatsapp message here for a quotation.
See our Direct Hire Visa Packages here
Hiring with an agency other than HelperChoice (finished contract)
Alternatively, your employer may want to use a different domestic helper agency to take care of the paperwork. The process is similar with above mentioned , the only difference is that the agency will assist you with the paperwork, submit notarization application to POLO and picks up the result from the Philippine Consulate.
The Filipino government requires that you use an agency to be employed in Hong Kong if:
- it is your first time coming to Hong Kong;
- you are currently outside of Hong Kong; or
- you have been terminated or will break your contract, even if you are already in Hong Kong. (Except for the reasons mentioned above under ‘Finished contract’.)
Broken/Terminated Contract
If you want to break your current contract or your employer decides to terminate the contract, you are required to leave Hong Kong at the end of or upon termination of your employment contract. You are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for the remainder of the permitted limit of stay or two weeks from the date of termination of contract, whichever is earlier.
While you can apply to change employer within the 2-year contract to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, it will not normally be approved. If you wish to take up employment with a new employer in Hong Kong, you must return to your home country and process your visa and other requirements overseas.
Before the processing starts, the domestic helper will have to take a medical check-up at her home country to make sure she is fit to work. The employment agency normally will move forward only after the helper passes the medical check-up. The visa application process is similar to that for a Filipino domestic helper who is about to work in Hong Kong for the first time (steps as shown below), except that you may no longer need to undergo the TESDA training and OWWA seminar (depending on your DMW records).
Filipino Overseas First-timer
If you are from the Philippines who have not worked in Hong Kong before, your employer is required to use an agency to hire you.
STEP 1: Helper reports to the agency in the Philippines to submit the required documents
Required documents for the Philippines agency to start the process
From the applicant:
- Passport with at least 6 months of validity
- Old passport (if any)
- A photocopy of duly signed Reference Letter to prove 2 years of domestic work experience
- Pre-employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS)
- Pag-ibig number
- OFW information sheet – if ex-abroad but first timer in Hong Kong
- POEA E-registration – if ex-abroad but first timer in Hong Kong
Provided by PH agency:
- ID988A
- New employment contract
- OFW form
- Service Agreement with the Agency
- Acknowledgment
STEP 2: Helper reports at the agency-assigned clinic for a medical checkup
Medical check-up in the Philippines
- To be completed at one of the DOH-Accredited OFW Clinics in the Philippines, usually assigned by the agency
- Cost: ranging from PHP2600 to PHP4000 (HKD400 to HKD620), depending on the provider
- If you fail the medical checkup (“unfit to work”), you are liable for the treatment and re-do examination fees
After you pass the medical checkup, the Philippine agency will send all documents to the HK agency for processing
STEP 3: Employer submits required documents, signs the employment contract and service agreement
Documents needed in this stage include:
From employers
- A photocopy of the HKID
- A photocopy of address
- A photocopy of proof of financial position: most recent -3 months of payslips, OR recent 3 months salary deposits records OR recent 3 months bank account statements for an account with a balance of more than 350,000 dollars
- Names, birthdays and a photocopy of the HKID of everyone living in the house, including the current helper.
- The original new contract with a unique serial number
STEP 4: Agency submits the visa application by post or in person to the Immigration
Documents needed to be sent to the Hong Kong Immigration Department
From employer
- Application for Employment of Domestic Helper from Abroad (ID988B)
- A photocopy of HKID
- A photocopy of passport and visa (if not a permanent resident),
- A photocopy of proof of address (a recent utility bill is best)
- A photocopy of proof of income (recent bank statements showing a salary deposit of at least HK$15,000 for 3 months or total assets of more than HK$350,000)
- A photocopy of release letter for previous domestic helper (if applicable)
From helper
- Visa/Extension of Stay Application Form for Domestic Helper from Abroad (ID988A)
- A photocopy of HKID
- A photocopy of Passport
- A photocopy of Visa
- A photocopy of landing slip
- A photocopy of the previous contract
- A photocopy of release letter from the previous employer
Besides these, an original copy of the new contract is also needed to be sent to the department.
You should submit the contract and supporting documents to Hong Kong Immigration in one of the following ways:
- Book an appointment online
- Have a walk-in appointment at Hong Kong Immigration Department (Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai)
A letter stating the visa release date, process number and any further supporting documents needed (if any) will be issued at the first appointment.
STEP 5: Agency picks up the issued visa from the Immigration & send to the Philippine agency
- Original passport
- Letter from the first appointment with Immigration
- Visa fee as stated in the letter (either HK$230 or HK$460). Employers should reimburse domestic helpers for this fee.
Firs timer helpers without TESDA Domestic Work NCII certificate need to take mandatory training and exam when the HK processing in on-going
- A Filipino is required to obtain a Domestic Work NCII certificate to be qualified working overseas as a helper unless they have a prior experience as a domestic worker overseas (shown in OFW info sheet)
- If the helper has worked in Hong Kong previously as a helper, she is not required to retake the training
- Training duration: 3-7 days, not regulated
- Training cost: HK$1200-HK$15000, not regulated
- Training provider: TESDA accredited assessment centres
- Exam cost: PHP745 (~HK$112)
- Certificate validity: 5 years
STEP 6: The agency submits contract notarisation application to POLO
- Verification fee: HK$80
- New employer’s full name: HK$196
- Authentication fee: HK$200
STEP 7: The Philippines agency handles pre-departure processing & helper gets a pre-departure pregnancy test
You also need the following documents before your employment starts:
PEOS (Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar) Certificate – 100% online
- The program is to brief helpers about how to apply for a job, how to avoid an illegal recruiter, their rights and obligations as well as the important information of the destination country
- Online, free of charge
PDOS (Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar) Certificate
- Topics discussed include travel regulations, immigration procedures, cultural differences, settlement concerns, employment and social security concerns, and rights and obligations of Filipino migrants
- In classroom. Location: at the Commission on Filipinos Overseas in Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao
- Registration fee: PHP400 (HKD60)
- Online booking
- Required documents: Original valid passport, Original valid visa, One valid identification (ID) card with photograph
- After satisfactory compliance with the registration process and attendance to the PDOS, a CFO Emigrant registration sticker is affixed to your passport. This will be checked by the Bureau of Immigration on your day of departure.
OWWA Certificate (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration)
- Certificate of the Comprehensive Pre-departure Education Program (CPDEP)
- Mandatory language training and culture familiarization for Household Service Workers (HSWs) to acquire conversational skills and cultural know-how, stress management and basic life support skills.
- Either a four or six-day orientation seminar
- Jointly conducted by accredited NGO PDOS providers and OWWA: The NGO-accredited PDOS providers administer the PDOS on the first day, while OWWA handles the language, culture and stress management sessions on the succeeding days.
E-services
- Mandatory online registration for overseas workers
- The portal to
– access to overseas employment information
– apply for an agency license
– fill requests for registration of principals
– apply for the issuance of overseas employment certificate (OEC)
– register for overseas employment
– pay for processing fees
– verify the status of transactions.
OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate) – online for renews
- For first time OEC applicants: Fill in the Balik-Manggagawa Info Sheet and process the OEC at a regional POEA office
- For OFWs who have applied for OEC previously: Online processing system
- Required documents for contract processing in order to get an OEC
– Duly accomplished OFW Information Sheet
– Employment Contract verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO)
– PDOS Certificate, National Certificate (NC) II, Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program (CPDEP) Certificate from OWWA (For HSWs)
– Verified Insurance Policy (OFW mandatory insurance)
Fees include:
- POEA processing fee – PHP 100 per e-receipt/OEC
- OWWA membership fee – USD 25 (or its PHP equivalent)
- Pag-IBIG contribution – Minimum of PHP 100 each month
- PhilHealth contribution – PHP 2,400 for one-year coverage
What this means for you:
The Hong Kong visa process for Filipino domestic helpers can be complex, but understanding the steps—whether you’re on a finished contract, terminated, or a first-timer—helps ensure a smooth and legal deployment. Preparing the correct documents, completing required training, and following immigration guidelines are key to avoiding delays.
For faster, easier, and worry-free processing, create your HelperChoice profile or ask your employer to contact HelperChoice today for guided support.