Foreign domestic helper visa Hong Kong: rules and forms

A foreign domestic helper visa lets a Hong Kong household employ a full-time, live-in helper from abroad. The employer sponsors it. The employer and helper sign the government’s Standard Employment Contract (ID 407), and the Immigration Department (ImmD) decides the visa. The figure most people need is the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW): HK$5,220 a month for contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026.

Who qualifies

The employer

ImmD’s foreign domestic helpers page sets out the employer’s side:

• You must be a bona fide resident of Hong Kong.
• For every helper you employ, your household income must be no less than HK$15,000 a month, or you need assets of a comparable amount to support the helper for the whole contract.
• You must show you can still afford a helper once household spending is taken off.
• You must provide suitable accommodation with reasonable privacy. ImmD gives examples of what is not suitable: a made-do bed in the corridor with little privacy, or sharing a room with an adult or teenager of the opposite sex.
• The bona fides of employer and helper must not be in doubt, and neither should have a known record that counts against them.

The helper

ImmD says the arrangement does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan, or to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, Laos, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nepal and Vietnam. ImmD’s guidance also refers to a testimonial showing the helper has at least two years’ working experience as a domestic helper. Check the document checklist to see what your helper must provide.

The contract, the wage and the food allowance

The employer and helper must sign the Standard Employment Contract (ID 407) specified by the Director of Immigration. It runs for two years. ImmD publishes the contract and its terms on the Standard Employment Contract and Terms of Employment page. Clause 3 says the helper works and lives in the employer’s residence.

The government announced the 2026 figures on 2 October 2026: the MAW rose 2.35 per cent, from HK$5,100 to HK$5,220. Which level applies depends on the date the contract is signed. Many websites still show older figures, so check the date on whatever you are reading.

How to apply, step by step

1. Agree the contract. Fill in four copies of ID 407. The employer completes and signs all four, then sends them to the helper to sign.
2. The helper completes ID 988A, the visa and extension of stay application form for a domestic helper from abroad.
3. The employer completes ID 988B, the application for employment of a domestic helper from abroad.
4. Gather the evidence. Proof of household income or assets, and the documents on ImmD’s checklist. ImmD’s guidebook, ID(E) 969, and quick guide, ID(E) 989, explain each item.
5. Submit and wait. The ImmD forms page for helpers explains how to lodge the file. ImmD normally takes about four to six weeks once it has every document it needs. Check the current visa fee on ImmD’s helper pages.
6. Arrival. Helpers are normally admitted for two years, or until two weeks after the contract is terminated, whichever is earlier. If you plan to renew with the same helper, read ImmD’s Smart Renewal page before the contract ends.

When a contract ends early

If either side ends the contract before the two years are up, both the employer and the helper should tell the Director of Immigration within 7 days of the termination date. Use form ID 407E, Notification of Termination of Employment Contract with Foreign Domestic Helper, or a letter. The helper can then normally stay until two weeks after the termination date, or until the end of the original period if that comes first.

What the Labour Department does

ImmD handles the visa. The Labour Department handles employment rights. Its Foreign Domestic Helpers portal has guidance for employers and helpers, including a handy guide for employers. If you use an agency, start with the Labour Department’s Employment Agencies Portal page on domestic helpers.

If a dispute comes up over wages or terms, the Labour Relations Division gives consultations in person and runs a voluntary conciliation service, free of charge. Claims that do not settle can go to adjudication. See our guide to the Labour Tribunal.

Common mistakes

• Paying less than the MAW that applied on the date the contract was signed, or agreeing side terms that cut it.
• Arranging for the helper to live out. The contract says the helper works and resides in your residence.
• Housing the helper without reasonable privacy, such as a bed in a corridor.
• Forgetting to tell ImmD within 7 days when a contract ends early.
• Relying on a wage figure from an old article. The MAW changed again on 3 October 2026.

Agencies, advisers and who decides

ImmD decides every application. An agency or adviser can prepare the forms, but there is no Hong Kong immigration consultant licence to check them against. Our visa list covers firms that prepare visa files for employers and professionals. It is not a list of helper employment agencies.