How to Hire a Maid in Malaysia: Steps

How to hire a maid in Malaysia, step by step

Who qualifies, who can work as a helper, and each step from VDR to PL(KS), sourced to the Immigration Department and dated. Ask us on WhatsApp.

To hire a foreign maid in Malaysia, your household must first meet the Immigration Department's (JIM) employer rules. You then apply for a Visa With Reference (VDR) at your state immigration office, the helper collects her visa at a Malaysian mission abroad, enters on a 30-day Special Pass, has a FOMEMA medical check within a month, and receives the Visitor's Pass Sticker (Temporary Employment), written PL(KS). Your family is the legal employer throughout. Every rule below comes from JIM's Foreign Domestic Helper page, last checked on 4 November 2026.

Does my family qualify to hire a foreign domestic helper?

JIM's page sets these employer rules:

your household has children under 15, or a sick or ill parent;
a Muslim employer may employ only a Muslim helper;
a bankrupt person cannot apply;
one helper per family is the normal rule; more than one is allowed only at higher incomes, and a fourth or more needs the Director General's approval.

JIM sets a minimum net income for the employer and a personal bond, which depend on the helper's home country. Ask us on WhatsApp and a consultant will go through them with you.

Who can work as a foreign domestic helper?

Under JIM's rules the helper must be a woman aged 21 to 45, medically fit, from one of the countries JIM lists: Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Laos and Nepal. This is JIM's list of permitted countries, not a list of the countries we recruit from; ask us which we can recruit from today.

What are the steps to hire a maid?

Check that your family qualifies (above).
Apply for a Visa With Reference (VDR) at the immigration office in your state.
The helper applies for her visa at the Malaysian mission in her country.
On arrival she is given a 30-day Special Pass.
She has a FOMEMA medical examination within one month.
The Visitor's Pass Sticker (Temporary Employment), written PL(KS), is issued.
In the second and third years the pass is extended, each time with a FOMEMA check.

JIM's page also says the helper's salary is due by the last week of each month.

Is it different for a helper from Indonesia?

Yes. JIM's page says an Indonesian helper must be hired through a Malaysia Recruitment Agency (MRA) working with an Indonesian placement agency, her contract must be certified by the Indonesian Embassy, and her duties are limited to housekeeping and family cooking, child care or elderly care. JIM also sets a cost limit, a minimum wage and an income level specific to Indonesia.

Can I hire a maid without an agency?

For a helper from any of the other listed countries, JIM's page says an employer may apply personally, with a declaration form, or through a registered agency. For Indonesia, see the answer above.

What does an agency do, and what can it not promise?

A licensed agency can handle these steps with you. We cannot promise a particular helper, a start date, or the result of any approval or medical check: those decisions rest with the authorities and with the helper. Ask us what we would handle for your family.

Who is the employer?

Your family is the legal employer of the helper, never the agency or any company in our group.

Is Maids in Malaysia a licensed agency?

Yes. Agensi Pekerjaan Genesis Life Care Sdn Bhd, which trades as Maids in Malaysia, holds PEA Licence B No. 1681, valid 15 Sep 2025 to 14 Sep 2027.

How much does it cost?

Our own price is by quote.

Sources

Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), "Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH)", https://www.imi.gov.my/index.php/en/main-services/foreign-domestic-helper-fdh/. Read 4 November 2026.

Last checked: 4 November 2026.

Ask us, or get a quote

Ask us on WhatsApp: +60 19-224 0457. A named Agensi consultant replies within 1 working hour, 8am to 6pm Mon to Sat.

Get a quote: ask us on WhatsApp.

Maids in Malaysia is a trading name of Agensi Pekerjaan Genesis Life Care Sdn Bhd, which holds PEA Licence B No. 1681 (valid 15 Sep 2025 to 14 Sep 2027).