Who can hire a maid in Malaysia: eligibility and rules

JIM's rule is a household of an employer and spouse with a child under 15 years old, or with sick or ill parents. JIM also sets a minimum net monthly income, which depends on the helper's home country. Meeting these rules does not guarantee approval.

More in our guide: Does my family qualify to hire a maid?

Sources: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Pembantu Rumah Asing page, Malay; Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM's rules include a household of an employer and spouse with sick or ill parents. The income rules on this page still apply. If you are weighing up help for an elderly parent at home, see our page on a caregiver or local helper for an elderly parent.

Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Pembantu Rumah Asing page, Malay. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM sets a minimum employer net monthly income for each home country: RM7,000 for Indonesia; RM5,000 for the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India; RM5,000 for Nepal; and RM3,000 for Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Every figure is also on our Rules and fees page with its source.

Sources: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English; Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Pembantu Rumah Asing page, Malay. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM asks for three months of payslips and EPF statements, or tax records, as proof of income. Have them ready before you apply.

Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM allows more than one helper, with higher income levels. A second helper needs an employer net monthly income of over RM10,000 and a valid reason supported by documents. A third helper needs an employer net monthly income of over RM15,000. A fourth or more needs the Director General's approval.

More in our guide: Can I hire more than one maid?

Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English. Last checked 5 November 2026.

No. JIM says a Muslim employer may hire only a Muslim foreign domestic helper. A non-Muslim employer of a Muslim helper must permit her to pray and to fast in Ramadan.

More in our guide: Can a Muslim family hire a non-Muslim maid?

Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM says an employer who has been declared bankrupt, or who is on the Immigration Department's suspect or blacklist, is not eligible to apply for a foreign domestic helper.

More in our guide: Can I hire a maid if I am bankrupt?

Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Pembantu Rumah Asing page, Malay. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM says a foreign domestic helper must be a woman aged 21 to 45, resident in her country of origin. She must come from one of the countries JIM lists: Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Laos and Nepal.

More in our guide: Which countries can a maid come from in Malaysia?

Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM sets extra rules for a helper from Indonesia. Applications must go through a Malaysian private employment agency and an Indonesian placement agency only. The household may have at most six members, the minimum wage is RM1,500 a month, and the employer's minimum net monthly income is RM7,000. JIM also sets a maximum entry cost of RM15,000 for an Indonesian helper hired through a Malaysia Recruitment Agency.

Sources: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English; Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Pembantu Rumah Asing page, Malay. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM sets a personal bond that depends on the helper's home country: RM250 for Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia; RM750 for the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India; RM750 for Nepal; and RM1,500 for Laos and Vietnam.

If a helper absconds, JIM says the employer pays bail on the personal bond. What else to do if she leaves is in our scams and pitfalls FAQ.

Sources: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Pembantu Rumah Asing page, Malay; Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English. Last checked 5 November 2026.

JIM says the employer must provide nutritious food and proper rest, including sleeping time. Advice from the Ministry of Human Resources guidelines goes further: at least three nutritious meals a day at no cost to her, and at least eight hours of sleep a day. The guidelines are advice, not law.

Sources: Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) page, English; Guidelines and Tips for Employers of Foreign Domestic Helpers, Ministry of Human Resources (Labour Department). Last checked 5 November 2026.

Advice from the Ministry of Human Resources guidelines is that the helper must keep her passport in her possession at all times. This is the guidelines' advice, not a statement of the law. More on this, including the guidelines' sample contract, is in our scams and pitfalls FAQ.

Source: Guidelines and Tips for Employers of Foreign Domestic Helpers, Ministry of Human Resources (Labour Department). Last checked 5 November 2026.

Advice from the Ministry of Human Resources guidelines is a weekly rest day of a full 24 hours, written into the contract. This is advice, not law. Whether the Employment Act's rest-day section applies to a household employer is being checked.

Source: Guidelines and Tips for Employers of Foreign Domestic Helpers, Ministry of Human Resources (Labour Department). Last checked 5 November 2026.