When hiring a migrant domestic worker (MDW / helper) in Singapore, many employers wonder: "What if she loses her passport? What if she uses it to borrow from illegal moneylenders or runs away? Can't I just hold on to it for safekeeping?"
The answer is simple: Absolutely not.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) strictly protects helper rights and takes a zero-tolerance stance against forced labour. Here is a clear breakdown of the rules and how to manage your household smoothly while staying fully on the right side of the law.
1. Legal Boundaries: Why Withholding Passports and Phones Is Illegal
In Singapore, holding onto a helper's passport breaches MOM employment regulations, the Passports Act, and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).
Employers must not keep a helper's passport out of concern that she might run away, misplace her documents, or simply for convenience. Likewise, employers cannot confiscate her mobile phone.
However, different rules apply to passports versus mobile phones.
① Passport: Absolute Zero-Retention Rule
MOM rules leave no room for doubt:
Employers must not keep their helper's passport, nor pressure her into handing it over.
The helper must have direct, unrestricted access to her own passport at all times.
If you worry about misplaced documents or valuables, provide her with a lockable drawer, wardrobe compartment, or storage box in your home so she can look after them herself—do not hold them for her.
MOM circulars to Employment Agencies state plainly:
Even for "safekeeping", employers cannot hold a helper's passport and Work Permit. The helper must be able to reach these documents whenever she needs them.
Under Section 47(5) of Singapore's Passports Act 2007, anyone who possesses or controls another person's foreign travel document without a reasonable excuse commits an offence.
The penalties are severe:
A fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both.
While the law recognizes valid "reasonable excuses" (meaning temporary handling is not an offence), holding on to it as a routine practice is illegal.
In a parliamentary reply on 3 March 2026, MOM reiterated that keeping a helper's passport is strictly prohibited. If an employer refuses to return a passport even after MOM steps in, enforcement action will follow, which can include a ban on hiring helpers in the future.
② Mobile Phone: Personal Property That Cannot Be Taken Away
When it comes to mobile phones, MOM's position is just as direct:
"A mobile phone is the personal property of your MDW and she should have access to it."
Her phone belongs to her, and she has the right to keep custody of it and use it.
MOM guidelines for agencies state:
"A helper's mobile phone is her personal property and she is entitled to retain it."
Employers should avoid practices such as:
- Taking the phone away for days or weeks;
- Making her surrender the phone at fixed hours every day;
- Barring her from contacting her family back home;
- Forcing her to give up her phone as a condition of employment.
Setting Ground Rules on Mobile Phone Usage
Not being allowed to confiscate a phone does not mean a helper can browse social media all day during working hours.
MOM clarifies that employers and helpers can agree on sensible house rules regarding mobile phone use.
For example, you can agree that:
- No phone use while cooking over an open flame;
- Phones stay away when looking after babies, young children, or elderly family members;
- Phones are kept on silent or turned off during chores that need full attention;
- Specific times are set aside for calling family or using the internet;
- Personal phone use is kept minimal during work hours, while urgent incoming calls are always allowed.
MOM also notes that both sides can agree to turn off the phone during work hours, unless she expects an urgent call from home.
To keep the distinction clear:
Passport: Cannot be held by the employer under any circumstances.
Mobile Phone: Stays in the helper's possession without confiscation, but employers can set practical house rules on when it can be used.
Hiring a helper does not mean owning her personal belongings. Running a household smoothly relies on clear communication and agreed expectations, not seizing possessions.
2. Does Keeping Her Passport Actually Stop Illegal Loans or Runaways?
Many employers worry about helpers borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders (Ah Longs) and assume taking the passport prevents it. This does not work, and MOM strictly forbids it.
- Holding the passport does not stop illegal loans
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and MOM have repeatedly warned that unlicensed moneylenders mainly target borrowers through phone calls, WhatsApp messages, or social media. They ask for names, phone numbers, home addresses, and bank accounts—rarely an original physical passport. MOM guidelines make it clear that helpers must never lend their Work Permits or share personal details for loan applications.
Instead of holding documents, guide your helper early on: tell her to ignore suspicious loan ads, stay away from unlicensed lenders, and never hand over her Work Permit, bank card, or personal information to third parties.
MOM has stated clearly that if a helper takes loans from illegal moneylenders, her Work Permit can be cancelled and she may be banned from working in Singapore.
- Fear of debt is NOT a legal reason to keep a passport
MOM rules are strict: employers cannot withhold passports, and helpers must be able to get to them at any point. If an employer refuses to hand it over, the helper can report the matter directly to MOM.
- The legal solution: Provide a lockable storage space
MOM advises employers to provide a secure, lockable space at home—like a locked drawer, wardrobe section, or safe box—where the helper can store her personal documents and valuables. She must keep the key or combination code herself.
Preventing debt troubles comes down to open communication and guidance, not seizing passports.
3. What If the Helper Asks You to Keep Her Passport for Her?
Some helpers worry about losing their passport or Work Permit and ask directly: "Ma'am/Sir, could you please keep this for me?" You should say no.
MOM has clarified that even if a helper asks you to hold her documents voluntarily out of fear of misplacing them, you should still decline.
The right step remains the same: give her a lockable drawer or cabinet so she can store them securely herself.
The rule is straightforward: documents must stay accessible to the helper at all times. Do not take on this liability—provide a secure spot and let her keep the key.
4. Distracted by Her Phone? How to Set Compliant House Rules
Aside from passports, mobile phone habits cause frequent tension in many homes.
MOM treats the phone as the helper's personal property, which rules out confiscation. Still, that does not mean she can use it unchecked during work. Employers are fully entitled to set sensible ground rules.
- Set clear boundaries during safety-sensitive chores
MOM notes that duties like cooking, cleaning, caring for children or the elderly, and giving medication require steady attention, since distractions can lead to accidents.
You can agree in advance that:
- No phone use while supervising children, assisting elderly family members, or cooking at the stove;
- Phones stay on silent or switched off during working hours;
- By mutual agreement, the phone can sit in a specific tray or spot during work hours, as long as she still has access to it;
- Exceptions apply if she is waiting for an urgent call from home.
- Set aside dedicated times for calls home
MOM suggests agreeing on fixed periods for calling family, keeping time-zone differences in mind.
Good options include afternoon rest breaks, after daily chores are finished, or during evening downtime after dinner. Employers should remain flexible if a real emergency happens back home.
- Set expectations from Day One
MOM recommends going through phone rules on the helper's first day to prevent friction down the road.
Write these points into a simple house rules list, explain them in a language she understands well, and have both sides sign it. Remember that a signed list simply sets clear expectations—it does not make phone confiscation legal, nor does it override her right to her personal property.
In short: Manage when the phone is used instead of taking the device away.
5. Clear Boundaries Make for a Smoother Home
Working well with a helper comes down to mutual respect and clear guidelines. Leaving her passport in her hands, giving her a lockable drawer, and agreeing on sensible phone rules keeps you fully compliant with MOM regulations and prevents unnecessary household friction. Setting clear expectations from day one makes day-to-day life easier for everyone.