How to Make a Maid Insurance Claim in Singapore: Step-by-Step Guide 2026

Filing a maid insurance claim in Singapore can feel daunting, especially when you are already dealing with a stressful situation like your helper's hospitalisation or an accident. Knowing what to expect, what documents to prepare, and when to act can make the process significantly smoother.

This guide walks you through the domestic helper insurance claim process in Singapore, from start to finish, covering hospitalisation, personal accident, and repatriation claims, and explains the most common reasons claims get rejected so you can avoid them.

When Can You Make a Maid Insurance Claim?

Before initiating a claim, it helps to understand what is and is not covered under a standard maid insurance policy in Singapore.

Claimable Events: Hospitalisation, Personal Accident & Repatriation

• Hospitalisation & Surgical Expenses: If your foreign domestic worker (FDW) requires inpatient treatment at a hospital, your policy will typically cover the cost of the hospital stay, surgical procedures, and related medical expenses, subject to the policy limits. This is one of the most commonly used benefits under maid insurance.
• Personal Accident: If your helper suffers a bodily injury caused by an accident (for example, a fall at home or an injury during work), she may be entitled to compensation for medical treatment, temporary disability, or permanent disability, depending on the severity.
• Repatriation: If your helper passes away while in Singapore, or needs to return to her home country due to a serious medical condition, repatriation coverage helps cover the cost of transporting her remains or flying her home for treatment.

Other benefits may also be available depending on your policy, such as wages during hospitalisation, liability coverage, or a replacement maid allowance. Check your policy schedule for the full list of covered benefits.

Non-Claimable Situations Employers Commonly Misunderstand

Not every medical or work-related expense qualifies as a claimable event. The following are commonly misunderstood exclusions:

• Outpatient Treatment for Non-Accidental Conditions: General clinic visits, routine check-ups and outpatient treatment for illnesses are typically not covered under hospitalisation benefits. 
• Pre-Existing Conditions: Medical conditions your helper had before the policy started that were not declared at the point of purchase are almost always excluded. This is one of the most frequent grounds for claim rejection. 
• Injuries Arising From Intentional Acts or Criminal Activity: Claims arising from self-inflicted injuries or incidents involving criminal behaviour by your help may be excluded.
• Dental Treatment: Routine dental treatment is generally excluded, unless it arises directly from an accident covered under the policy. 
• Pregnancy-Related Costs: Pregnancy is not a claimable condition under maid insurance. In fact, a confirmed pregnancy is grounds for repatriation under MOM regulations rather than something the policy is designed to treat. 
• Cosmetic or Elective Procedures: These are excluded under every standard maid insurance plan, regardless of insurer.

Claim Notification Windows: How Soon You Must Report

Insurers in Singapore generally require notification of a claimable event within 30 days, though some policies set tighter windows of 14 days for hospitalisation specifically. This notification period is separate from the deadline to submit full supporting documents, which is usually extended to 90 or 180 days depending on the insurer.

The distinction matters because many employers assume they have months to deal with paperwork and miss the initial notification step entirely. Even a phone call or email to the insurer confirming that an event has occurred is usually sufficient to meet the notification requirement, with full documentation to follow.

How to File a Maid Insurance Hospitalisation Claim?

Step 1: Reach out to ANDA when your helper is hospitalised

As soon as your helper is admitted to hospital, reach out to ANDA and we will assist with the claims submission on your behalf. There's no need to deal directly with the insurer's claims hotline or portal yourself. Simply get in touch and our team will guide you through what's needed from there.

Step 2: Confirm whether the hospitalisation is claimable

Most hospitalisation and accident-related cases are claimable, but a few situations fall outside the scope of maid insurance in Singapore regardless of the documentation provided. Cases not related to an accident or illness, such as pregnancy or abuse-related incidents, are not claimable. If you're unsure whether a specific situation qualifies, it's best to check with us before assuming either way.

Step 3: Prepare the required documents

The following documents are needed to submit a hospitalisation claim. You can also find this list and submit the claim here.

• Claim and Direct Credit Form
• Work Permit (front and back)
• Hospital Discharge Summary
• Final tax invoices and proof of payment (e.g. receipts)
• Other supporting documents if applicable (e.g. police report)

Step 4: Submission and payout timeline

Once you've submitted the required documents by email or online, we will forward the claim to the insurer within 3 working days.

If the documents submitted are complete, the claim typically takes about 1 month to be approved, after which the insurer will send a confirmation with the payout amount to the employer. If any documents are outstanding, the insurer will email the employer directly to request them, so it helps to respond promptly to avoid delays. Once the confirmation email is sent, the claim amount is usually transferred to the employer within 7 to 10 days.

How to File a Personal Accident or Disability Claim?

What counts as a claimable accident?

A claimable accident under personal accident coverage generally needs to involve a sudden, unexpected, and identifiable external event that causes physical injury. This includes falls, traffic accidents, injuries from handling household equipment, or workplace incidents involving the helper's assigned duties.

It does not typically include injuries arising from chronic conditions, gradual wear and degeneration, or activities outside the scope of what's reasonable for domestic work. If there's any ambiguity about whether an injury was accidental versus a pre-existing issue that was aggravated, insurers will usually ask for a medical report addressing this directly.

Documents needed: medical reports, police reports if applicable

Personal accident claims require a detailed medical report describing the nature of the injury, how it occurred, and the treatment provided. This is usually more extensive than a hospitalisation discharge summary, since the insurer needs to establish causation between the accident and the injury.

Where the accident occurred outside the home, such as a road traffic incident, a police report is generally required as supporting evidence. For workplace injuries within the home, a written incident report from the employer describing what happened, when, and how, can help substantiate the claim alongside the medical documentation.

How permanent disability claims are assessed?

Permanent disability claims are assessed against a schedule of compensation set out in the policy, which assigns a percentage payout based on the nature and severity of the disability, such as loss of a limb, loss of sight, or other specified impairments. The percentage is multiplied against the personal accident sum insured to determine payout.

These assessments usually require a medical report from a specialist confirming the permanence of the disability, since temporary or treatable impairments don't qualify under this category. Insurers may also require the helper to be reviewed by an independent medical examiner before finalising the assessment, particularly for higher-value claims.

Why Maid Insurance Claims Get Rejected (And How to Avoid It)?

A maid insurance claim rejected after a hospitalisation or accident is one of the most frustrating situations an employer can face, often because the rejection comes down to an administrative issue rather than the legitimacy of the underlying event.

Pre-existing conditions not declared at purchase

If a helper had a known medical condition before the policy was purchased and this wasn't declared, any claim connected to that condition is likely to be denied. This is one of the most common reasons for rejection, particularly when a helper is hired through an agency partway through an existing condition's treatment and the new employer isn't fully aware of her medical history.

Where possible, employers should request the helper's medical examination report and any known medical history from the agency before finalising the insurance purchase, and disclose anything relevant to the insurer upfront. Non-disclosure, even unintentional, gives the insurer grounds to void the claim.

Missing the claim notification deadline

As covered earlier, most insurers require notification within 14 to 30 days of the event. Employers who wait until the helper is discharged and the bills are finalised before contacting the insurer often find they've already missed this window, even though the supporting documents are submitted well within the broader claim filing deadline.

The simplest way to avoid this is to treat notification and documentation as two separate steps. Notify the insurer immediately when the event occurs, then follow up with full documentation once it's available.

Incorrect or incomplete documentation

Claims are frequently sent back for resubmission due to missing itemised bills, illegible medical reports, mismatched policy or Work Permit numbers, or claim forms that aren't fully completed. Each resubmission cycle can add another two to three weeks to the overall timeline.

Before submitting, it helps to cross-check that every document matches the helper's particulars exactly as registered with the insurer, that all forms are signed where required, and that itemised bills rather than summary bills are included, since insurers generally need the breakdown to assess what's claimable under the policy.

FAQ: Maid Insurance Claims Singapore

Can I claim it if my helper refuses to go to hospital?

No claim can be made without medical treatment having taken place, since insurers require a medical report or hospital bill as the basis for assessment. If a helper is refusing necessary medical treatment, this is a separate issue from the insurance claim itself and should be addressed directly, including seeking guidance from your insurer or the employment agency on how to proceed, since delaying treatment can also affect the underlying medical outcome.

What is the co-payment I need to cover under the new MOM rules?

Employers are required to bear a co-payment of $5 for each outpatient visit and the first $15 of each subsequent visit beyond what's covered under the helper's medical insurance, as part of MOM's enhanced medical protection requirements for migrant domestic workers. This co-payment structure is separate from the insurance claim process and applies regardless of whether a hospitalisation claim is also being filed, so employers should account for this even where insurance coverage for the main treatment cost is approved.

How long does a maid insurance claim take to process?

Straightforward claims with complete documentation are typically processed within 2 to 4 weeks. Claims involving permanent disability assessments, disputed causation, or repatriation coordination can take longer, sometimes 6 to 8 weeks, particularly if a second medical opinion or independent assessment is required. Submitting complete and accurate documentation from the outset is the single biggest factor in keeping the timeline on the shorter end.