What are all the costs of hiring a foreign domestic helper in Hong Kong?
By Monica Chan
Quick Answer
Employing a domestic helper in Hong Kong costs at least HK$5,100 a month in wages, plus a food allowance of HK$1,236 if meals are not provided. On top of that sit one-off costs at the start — the HK$330 visa fee, a medical examination, consulate authentication and the flight — and further costs at each renewal and at the end of the contract.
Overview
The cost of employing a domestic helper falls into four moments: what you pay to get started, what you pay every month, what comes round at each renewal, and what falls due when the contract ends. Most budgets go wrong by only counting the first two.
Some of these figures are set by the Government and are the same for everyone. Others — the medical, the consulate fees, the flight, the insurance premium and the agency's own fee — are set by the market and vary. This page separates the two, because only the first kind can be quoted with confidence on a web page.
One eligibility point before the money: the Immigration Department requires a household income of no less than HK$15,000 per month for each helper employed.
What the Government Sets
| Item | Amount | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Allowable Wage | HK$5,100/month | Government — contracts signed on or after 30 Sep 2025 |
| Food allowance, if free food is not provided | HK$1,236/month | Government |
| Visa application, extension of stay, or a fresh visa on changing employer | HK$330 each | Immigration Department |
| Food and travelling allowance, each journey to or from the helper's place of origin | HK$100/day | Standard Employment Contract cl.7(b) |
Nothing else in this article carries a government-set price.
Costs at the Start
Beyond the HK$330 visa fee, the Standard Employment Contract makes the employer responsible for:
- The medical examination confirming the helper's fitness for employment
- Consulate authentication of the contract, plus any administration fee charged by the helper's own government. Amounts differ by nationality and change from time to time — the relevant consulate publishes the current schedule.
- Free passage to Hong Kong, plus the HK$100 per day food and travelling allowance for the journey
- Domestic helper insurance — compulsory, and it must cover the employer's full liability under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance. Employing anyone without it carries a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and two years' imprisonment. Premiums are set by insurers and are quoted annually, not monthly.
- The agency's fee, where an agency is used. There is no statutory cap on what an agency charges an employer, which is why the figure varies so widely between agencies.
Every Month
The wage and, where meals are not provided, the food allowance. Wages are due no later than seven days after the end of each wage period.
Free accommodation is a requirement rather than a line item — the helper must live in the employer's residence, so there is no housing cost to add, but there is also no option to pay a helper to live elsewhere.
Free medical treatment is also the employer's responsibility throughout the contract, covering medical consultation, maintenance in hospital and emergency dental treatment. This is a separate obligation from the compulsory insurance, and is not fully covered by it.
At Each Renewal
The renewal costs that budgets most often miss:
- Home leave. Before a new contract begins, the helper returns home for not less than seven days, at the employer's expense — the fare, plus the HK$100 per day allowance each way.
- The extension of stay fee, HK$330.
- The agency's renewal fee, if you use one.
- The wage itself may step up. A new contract takes the Minimum Allowable Wage in force on the day it is signed. See the current and recent MAW rates.
When the Contract Ends
- Free return passage to the helper's place of origin, plus the HK$100 per day allowance
- Outstanding wages and pay in lieu of any untaken annual leave
- One month's wages in lieu of notice, where the contract is ended without notice
- Severance payment where employment ends by redundancy after 24 months' service, or long service payment after five years where a qualifying termination occurs. Both are calculated as two-thirds of the last month's wages for each year of service, and both are subject to an overall cap of HK$390,000.
Working out what is actually owed at the end of a contract is the part employers find hardest. GMA's termination calculator does the arithmetic.
What No Longer Applies
The employer levy of HK$400 per month does not exist. Collection was abolished in 2013. It still appears in older cost guides and on some agency websites, where it overstates the annual cost of employing a helper by roughly HK$4,800.
Working Out Your Own Number?
The government figures are the easy half; the flights, consulate fees and premiums are where estimates drift. GMA gives you the full itemised cost for your situation — nationality, new hire or transfer, overseas or already in Hong Kong — before you commit to anything. See GMA's fee schedule.
Still not sure?
Message us and we will answer your question directly.
More Costs & Fees questions
See all Costs & Fees FAQs →Sources
This article is general information about employing a domestic helper in Hong Kong. It is not legal, immigration or professional advice, and the rules do change. For your own situation, check the official sources below or talk to us.