Hiring a foreign domestic helper in Penang: the official route

The short version

To hire a foreign domestic helper (pembantu rumah asing, PRA), the employer first gets approval under Section 60K of the Employment Act 1955 from the Labour Department (JTK) online, then applies to the Immigration Department for the helper's visa and a 12-month work pass (PLKS). Helpers from Indonesia and the Philippines must be hired through a licensed private employment agency; for the other approved countries the employer can apply at the Immigration counter.

• Who can hire: a husband and wife with a child under 15, or a sick or frail parent, who meet the income level for the helper's country.
• The helper: a woman aged 21 to 45, declared fit by an approved medical centre at home, and in her own country when the application is made.
• Costs to the government: a levy, visa, processing fee and pass fee. The Immigration Department's page does not list the amounts.
• SOCSO: since 1 June 2021 every employer must register a local or foreign domestic worker with PERKESO.

For part-time cleaning by local help instead, see What home cleaning costs in Penang.

Approved countries and the employer's income

The Immigration Department lists nine source countries. The employer (husband and wife) must earn at least the household income shown, and sign a personal bond (bayaran sita):

• A second helper: you need a strong reason, with documents, and a net monthly income over RM10,000.00. A third or later helper needs over RM15,000.00 and special approval from the Director General of Immigration.
• Not eligible: an employer declared bankrupt, or on Immigration's suspect list or blacklist.
• Religion: a Muslim employer may hire only a Muslim helper.

Source: JIM, Pembantu Rumah Asing, read 2026-10-14.

Helpers from Indonesia

Under the Indonesia-Malaysia memorandum of understanding, the Immigration Department lists separate rules for Indonesian domestic workers (PDI):

• apply only through a private employment agency (APS) and an Indonesia Placement Agency (IPA);
• the cost of bringing in a PDI through an appointed agency is RM15,000.00 at most;
• household income of RM7,000.00 and no more than 6 people in the household;
• three job types: housekeeper and family cook, child caretaker, or elderly caretaker;
• minimum wage RM1,500.00 a month, with the contract endorsed by the Indonesian embassy.

Source: JIM, Pembantu Rumah Asing, read 2026-10-14.

The steps, as Immigration publishes them

1. Labour Department approval. Apply online for Section 60K approval through the JTK's ePPAx portal (eppax.gov.my).
2. Apply to Immigration. Either at the counter of the state Immigration office for your address (not for Indonesia or the Philippines), or through a private employment agency registered with JTKSM. For Penang's Immigration office, see IC and passport in Penang.
3. Pay and get the visa letter. Once approved, pay the levy, visa, processing and PLKS fees, and receive the Visa With Reference (VDR) approval letter. The helper's visa is then applied for on the MyVISA portal before she travels.
4. Arrival. Meet the helper at the entry point. She gets a 30-day special pass. Within 30 days she must have a medical check at a FOMEMA-registered clinic.
5. Work pass. With the FOMEMA result, the employer gets the PLKS endorsed at the Immigration office that issued the VDR, within 30 days of arrival. The PLKS lasts 12 months. If the helper is found unfit, she cannot work and must be sent home.
6. Each year. Renew the PLKS online on the FWCMS portal within 90 days before it expires, after a fresh FOMEMA check. Her passport must have at least 12 months' validity.

Documents for a new application include the PRA form, form IM 12, a personal bond form and an employment contract (each stamped RM10.00), both spouses' identity cards, the helper's passport and medical report, the Section 60K approval, proof of income (three months of EPF statements and payslips, or an e-BE form or tax statement acknowledged by LHDN), and the marriage certificate.

Source: JIM, Pembantu Rumah Asing, read 2026-10-14.

The levy and government fees

The Immigration Department's page says the employer pays the levy, PLKS, visa and processing fees at the office that approved the application, by debit or credit card or online banking, but refers readers elsewhere on its portal for the amounts.

• As published in 2023: the Human Resources Minister said the yearly permit renewal for an Indonesian domestic worker cost RM610, set by the Immigration Department: a levy of RM410, the PLKS RM60, a processing fee of RM125 and the visa RM15.
• As published in 2022: the Immigration Department said the government's charges for a first-time foreign domestic helper could be as low as RM1,136, covering the levy, visa, processing fee, pass fee, security deposit and other related fees.

Agency fees are separate and are not set by these figures.

Sources: Malay Mail, November 2023, Free Malaysia Today, January 2022 and JIM, Pembantu Rumah Asing, read 2026-10-14.

Checking an agency

The Labour Department for Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) publishes a search of licensed private employment agencies (Agensi Pekerjaan Swasta), which you can filter by state, including Pulau Pinang. It has two lists: active agencies, and agencies whose licence has been cancelled or suspended.

Source: JTKSM, Senarai Agensi Pekerjaan Swasta, read 2026-10-14.

SOCSO (PERKESO) cover

• Compulsory: from 1 June 2021, employers must register local and foreign domestic workers with PERKESO. Failing to do so is an offence under the Employees' Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4), with a fine of up to RM10,000.00, up to 2 years' prison, or both.
• Who counts: PERKESO's examples include a housemaid, personal driver, gardener, cook, caregiver for the elderly and child carer.
• For a foreign worker: she must hold a passport and a work pass from the Immigration Department. PERKESO's flyer shows foreign domestic workers covered under Act 4.
• How to register: on PERKESO's ASSIST portal or at a PERKESO office, with the employer's and worker's registration forms, both identity documents, and a copy of the work pass. Contributions can be paid monthly, or 24 months in advance through the Prihatin app.
• PERKESO customer service: 1-300-22-8000.

Source: PERKESO, Social Security Protection for Domestic Workers, read 2026-10-14.

The employer's duties

The Immigration Department lists these, among others:

• housework only, which it says does not include washing the car;
• a suitable room with basic facilities, nutritious food and enough rest, including sleep;
• pay by the last week of each month at the latest, with records kept to show the department;
• the helper's medical treatment during the PLKS is the employer's responsibility;
• a non-Muslim employer of a Muslim helper must let her pray five times a day and fast in Ramadan;
• no hitting or any act that injures the helper;
• report to Immigration if the helper dies, goes missing or runs away; for a runaway, bring a police report;
• to send the helper home, apply online for a check-out memo (eCOM) on the MyPASS portal. Until then, the employer remains responsible for her.

Changing employer: a helper may change employer only in the first year of her PLKS, with the old employer's written consent. If the employer dies, the spouse or heir must report to Immigration. Immigration can also move a helper who has been mistreated to a new employer without the first employer's consent.

Source: JIM, Pembantu Rumah Asing, read 2026-10-14.

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