Most families ask us this in the first conversation, usually because they need someone soon.
The honest answer is that the paperwork is rarely what holds things up. Here is how long each part takes, where the real delays come from, and what you can do about them.
The short answer
From shortlist to her first day, most families take 3 to 8 weeks. A Myanmar helper usually arrives in 3 to 4 weeks, an Indonesian helper in 4 to 8, and a Filipino helper in 6 to 8, or 4 to 5 when everything goes smoothly. A transfer helper already here can usually start within about 3 days.
How long it usually takes, by helper
| Helper | Usual wait | When things move fast |
|---|---|---|
| Myanmar | 3 to 4 weeks | 2 weeks at the fastest |
| Indonesian | 4 to 8 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Filipino | 6 to 8 weeks | 4 to 5 weeks if all goes smoothly |
| Transfer helper, already here | About 3 days | Once papers and deposit are in |
Filipino processing usually takes the longest of the three, so plan for the longer end unless we tell you otherwise. These are the ranges we usually see, not a promise. Every case depends on the helper's documents, her embassy and MOM, and how quickly things come back from you.
Where the time actually goes
Shortlist and interview: 2 hours to 2 days, or weeks. We hold 350+ profiles, so there is no waiting for someone to become available. Families who know what they want finish this in a sitting or two. Families who cannot decide spend weeks here, and this stage is the one most likely to stretch your whole timeline.
Confirming your helper: 2 hours to 1 day. This is the first signing, where you sign the paperwork and pay the deposit. Nothing can start before this.
Approval and bringing her in: 2 to 4 weeks. MOM approves the Work Permit application and issues the In-Principle Approval, which is what lets her enter Singapore. MOM approval can take up to 7 days. If the application is turned down and we appeal, that adds another 14 days. The rest of the wait is her passport and her embassy, and that is where most of the time goes.
After she lands: at least 3 days before handover. She needs her medical, her thumbprint appointment, and the Settling-in Programme if this is her first time here. Then she comes to you.
A transfer helper is the fast route
If you interview today and finish the paperwork and deposit the same day, the Work Permit application can go in that day or the next. After the approval comes through we need one day for the insurance, and she can usually be handed over within about 3 days.
What slows it down, and it is usually not MOM
- Signed documents coming back late. Families interview and confirm quickly, then the signed papers take days to return. The clock does not start until they do.
- Looking at more and more profiles. One more biodata, one more interview. Shortlisting and interviewing can run for weeks when a family cannot settle on someone. This is the single biggest delay we see, and it is the one you control.
- Embassy processing. Her own country's paperwork takes what it takes, and it is outside both your hands and ours.
- A passport that is not ready. This is the difference between the fast end and the slow end of every range above. It is also the first thing we check when you tell us a date you need to meet.
If you are in a genuine hurry
Tell us. We will send you the helpers who can come in fast. We will also say this plainly:
The right match matters more than the timeframe. Choosing the wrong helper and going through the whole process again is more painful than managing without one for a while.
Most families who come to us in a rush make time the main factor instead of the fit. They pick someone quickly, it does not work, and everybody ends up back at the start.
How to make it faster
- Interview and decide in one sitting where you can, rather than over a fortnight.
- Return the signed documents and the deposit the same day. That is what starts the application.
- Be clear about your must-haves at the start, so the first shortlist is the right one.
- Ask us which helpers have their documents ready if timing really matters to you.
- Tell us your real deadline, not a comfortable one. A hospital discharge, the end of maternity leave or a current helper flying home all change which profiles we send you first.
The part you do not have to think about
Every item below carries a MOM deadline. None of them is yours to track.
We handle
Before she arrives
The security bond and the insurance. We settle both.
Her medical
Booked, and we take her there.
Thumbprint and Work Permit issuance
The appointment and the paperwork with MOM.
Her Work Permit card
Registered and collected.
We come back to you only when something genuinely needs you, which is usually a signature. For what all of this costs, see our fees page, and for the monthly levy see our levy concession guide.
Need someone soon
Tell us when you need her and what matters most in your home, and we will show you who can realistically come in that time. Browse who is available at unistarr.com.sg/helpers, or talk it through with a consultant at either branch.
Bukit Timah +65 9723 4920
Katong +65 9647 4781
Mon-Fri 11am-7pm · Sat-Sun 11am-5pm
Unistarr Employment Pte Ltd · MOM EA Licence 15C7448
As featured on CNA + 8world, June 2026
