DOMESTIC HELPERS

You may hire a domestic helper to help out with the household chores, from cooking, cleaning to taking care of family members.

Foreign Domestic Helpers

• To hire a foreign domestic helper, you need to be a Hong Kong resident with a monthly household income of no less than HK$15,000 or assets of comparable amount to support the expenses for the entire (i.e. two-year) contractual period.
• You may recruit a foreign domestic helper either through an agency or directly via personal ads or referrals.
• When hiring a foreign domestic helper, strict immigration procedures apply.  You will need to sign a formal contract with your domestic helper and have this contract registered with the Immigration Department.  You will also have to assist your helper to apply for an employment visa to work in Hong Kong.
• The salary of a foreign domestic helper should not be less than the Minimum Allowable Wage announced by the Government, which is subject to review from time to time. The current rate is HK$4,630 per month.
• You are also required to provide your foreign domestic helper with:
  • suitable accommodation with reasonable privacy;
  • free food (or food allowance in lieu, which is HK$1,121 per month at present); and
  • free passage from the helper’s home country to Hong Kong and return to the home country on termination or expiry of the contract.
• The following are some useful links about hiring foreign domestic helpers:
  • Basic information / Guidebook for the Employment of Domestic Helpers from Abroad / Sample Employment Contract for Foreign Domestic Helpers / Points to Note for Employers on the Employment of Foreign Domestic Helpers (available on the website of GovHK)
  • Visa Forms and Guidance Books for Employment of Foreign Domestic Helpers (available on website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department)
  • Practical Guide for Employment of foreign domestic helpers (published by the Labour Department)
  • Foreign Domestic Helpers Rights and Protection under the Employment Ordinance (published by the Labour Department)

Local Domestic Helpers

• Usually local domestic helpers work on an hourly basis.  Salary may be paid at an hourly rate or a monthly rate (if they are engaged with a fixed number of working hours every day/week/month).
• The Labour Department has launched the Smart Living portal which allows you to post your job vacancy or search online for candidates of local domestic helpers.
• When you have selected the right candidate, you are advised to enter into a written employment contract with him/her.
• Some useful information about hiring local domestic helpers can be found on GovHK.