As an employer of a foreign domestic helper or maid, you are required to renew your helper’s work permit every year. Whether you are an expatriate or a local Malaysian employer, this is something you can easily do by following the set of instructions below!
1. Check if your worker needs to do a FOMEMA medical examination to renew her permit this year:
The FOMEMA exam is required for the first three years of your worker’s work permit with you, and every odd year of renewal thereafter (e.g. your worker is entering her 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th renewal year); the costs for this will also vary depending on factors such as the number of workers you hire and the worker’s nationality. After determining that this is required, you can proceed to book her a medical examination on the FOMEMA portal. If you’re already registered to a FOMEMA online account, you may log in through this link (FOMEMA portal) or create an account here. FOMEMA will take 3-7 working days to update your worker’s medical result after she has completed the medical examination.
Please refer to the table below to find out if FOMEMA is required for your worker based on which renewal year she is entering:
| RENEWAL YEAR | IS FOMEMA REQUIRED? |
| Entering 1st Year | YES |
| Entering 2nd Year | YES |
| Entering 3rd Year | YES |
| Entering 4th Year | NO |
| Entering 5th Year | YES |
| Entering 6th Year | NO |
| Entering 7th Year | YES |
| Entering 8th Year | NO |
| Entering 9th Year | YES |
| Entering 10th Year | NO |
| Entering 11th, 13th, 15th Year etc. (odd years) | YES |
| Entering 12th, 14th, 16th Year etc. (even years) | NO |
Once your helper is deemed fit to work, the next steps differ based on whether you’re a Malaysian or Expatriate employer.
2. For Malaysian employers:
You can proceed to apply for her new permit online on MyEG or Immigration’s e-PLKS system. If you don’t have an existing account, you may register here to utilize their e-services and have your worker’s permit renewed.
Immigration will deliver the work permit to your residence in 7-10 working days or you may opt to pick it up at a MyEG service center. You may check the delivery status here by clicking on ‘Immigration (Maid)’ and fill in the legal employer’s IC and helper’s passport details.
You will need to present a local Malaysian’s NRIC as part of the verification process by the MyEG delivery officer to receive the work permit upon delivery. For this, any Malaysian in your household/ delivery address can receive your worker’s permit as long as they can present their NRIC; MyEG does not require the recipient to be the legal employer listed in your worker’s permit.
3. For Expatriate employers on Employment Passes/ Residence-Talent Passes issued by the Expatriate Services Division (ESD):
You can proceed to apply for your helper’s new permit over-the-counter at the Expatriate Services Division or the relevant Immigration unit processing your expatriate visa. The legal employer must attend at the Expatriate Services Division him/herself if they are renewing their worker’s permit directly; below are the document checklist for employers who are renewing their worker’s work permit themselves:-
- Application letter from employer stating intention to renew worker’s visa
- Previous FOMEMA report – a printed screenshot of the worker’s ‘suitable’ result on the FOMEMA portal
- DP11a form – the worker’s photo on the form should be a white background (download link)
- Copy of worker’s passport
- Copy of worker’s latest visa
- Copy of employer’s passport
- Copy of employer’s latest visa
Kindly note that the employer and worker’s original passport would also be required upon submission. The new permit will usually be released within 7 working days and you may make payment and have the new work permit issued over-the-counter once it is ready.
Kindly note: Your helper’s permit validity period every year will always follow the validity period of your helper’s first ever work permit with you, which is dependent on when she first entered Malaysia. Therefore, permit renewal submission or issuance dates do not affect your helper’s permit validity period. Therefore, Immigration advises that you start working to renew your worker’s permit three (3) months before her current work permit with you expires.
Don’t have time for this or didn’t see the Immigration department relevant to you listed above? Pinkcollar can assist you in renewing your worker’s permit for you. Contact us at hello@hirepinkcollar.com or visit our Our Services page. Our friendly Pinkcollar officers are ready to share our service offerings with you!
