Short MDW Work Permit Extensions: The Four-Week Option

When the Four-Week Extension Applies

Request four weeks if additional time is needed for renewal, such as arranging the bond or medical/accident insurance, or if short continued work is needed before cancellation, such as pending a transfer approval. Submit through FDW eService within two months before permit expiry.

Authority and Cancellation

An agency must first obtain employer authorisation in FDW eService. If the employer will not continue employment, cancel before the extended expiry date or risk bond forfeiture. These MDW timing rules differ from the short extension for a general migrant-worker permit.

Use the Short Extension for a Defined Next Step

Before requesting the extension, identify what must be completed next: renewal preparations or cancellation and transfer arrangements. As a practical planning aid, note the existing expiry, the outstanding action, who is handling it and the date by which it can be completed. The four-week option is for the reasons described by MOM, rather than a replacement for an ordinary renewal or permission to leave the helper's status unresolved.

The renewal guidance says the renewal letter normally arrives about eight weeks before expiry. It also states that late renewal can leave the employer liable for levy and applicable penalties. An extension request should therefore be treated as a separate transaction with its own outcome, not as evidence that renewal has already been approved. Where employment will end, continue with the appropriate cancellation or transfer steps before the extended expiry.

Make sure the person using FDW eService has authority to act. Employment agencies must obtain the employer's authorisation before transactions. A family member can apply to act for an MDW employer; after approval, the service allows short-term extensions, renewals and listed levy transactions. Card delivery and replacement-card status are handled through WP Online instead. Choosing the right service helps avoid mistaking a card-status enquiry for a completed permit-extension request.

Sources: Work Permit transactions for domestic helpers and confinement nannies (FDW eService) · Renew a Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker (MDW)