Budgeting for a domestic helper in Hong Kong: the 2026 minimum allowable wage

Hong Kong's minimum allowable wage (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers is HK$5,220 per month, and it applies to every employment contract signed on or after 3 October 2026. That figure comes from the Immigration Department's Foreign Domestic Helpers frequently asked questions page, in the version current as of October 2026, and it is the number around which a relocation budget should be built. Treat it as the floor of the monthly payroll line, not as the total cost of hiring.

Everything in this article is general information for planning purposes. It is not personalised legal, tax or financial advice, and the wage level and transitional dates should be checked against the latest official announcements before you sign anything.

How does the wage floor fit into a monthly household budget?

The MAW is a statutory baseline set by policy, not a market rate that you negotiate around. One eligibility condition for employing a helper is that you pay a salary no less than the MAW as announced by the HKSAR Government, and the Immigration Department will not approve the entry of a helper whose contract states a wage below it.

For budgeting, that means HK$5,220 per month is the smallest figure the payroll line can legally carry for a contract signed on or after 3 October 2026. Anything an agency, a friend or an online calculator tells you to budget below that line describes an arrangement the department will not approve.

Budget line	What the official pages say	When it hits the budget
Monthly wage	Not less than HK$5,220 (contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026)	Every month
Household income test	Average monthly household income of no less than HK$15,000 for each helper employed	Declared at application
Accommodation	Provided free, to the standard in the Schedule of Accommodation and Domestic Duties	Ongoing, in kind
Entry-related fees	Medical examination, consulate authentication, visa, insurance and administration fees — reimbursed in full against receipts	Upfront, on demand
End-of-contract sums	Outstanding wages, untaken leave pay, severance or long service payment where due, return passage, food and travelling allowance	On termination

The income test is worth noting early, because it is the one line that can stop an application before the wage is ever paid. Employers declare whether average monthly household income is no less than HK$15,000 per helper in Part 3 of application form ID988B; documentary proof is not required while that threshold holds, though further documents may be asked for in individual cases.

Which costs sit on top of the wage?

Accommodation is the largest non-cash item. Under Clause 3 of the Standard Employment Contract (ID407), a helper works and resides at the employer's residence specified in the contract, and the employer must provide free accommodation meeting the standard set out in the Schedule of Accommodation and Domestic Duties. In a relocation budget this is rarely a new expense, but it does constrain housing choices: a one-bedroom flat that cannot accommodate a live-in helper may cost less in rent and more in alternative childcare.

The second cluster is the entry-related fees. Under Clause 8 of the Standard Employment Contract, the employer bears the costs of the helper's departure from their place of origin and entry into Hong Kong — medical examination fees, consulate authentication fees, the visa fee, insurance fee, and administration fees or similar charges imposed by the relevant government authorities. If the helper has already paid any of these, the employer reimburses the full amount on demand and against receipts. The official pages do not publish a single figure for these, so budget them as a variable upfront block rather than a fixed sum.

Then there are the costs that only appear at the end. On termination, an employer owes all outstanding wages, pay in lieu of untaken annual leave and pro-rata leave pay for the current leave year, pay in lieu of untaken statutory holidays, long service or severance payment where it applies, and any other sums due under the contract — expressly including free return passage and food and travelling allowance. Either side may end the contract early with not less than one month's written notice, or one month's wages in lieu.

Does HK$5,220 apply if I signed before 3 October 2026?

Not necessarily, and the transitional rule is a date-of-receipt rule rather than a date-of-signing rule alone. Contracts signed on or before 2 October 2026 at a wage not lower than the then-prevailing MAW of HK$5,100 per month will still be processed on those terms, provided the application reaches the Immigration Department on or before 30 October 2026.

The purpose of that window is to give employers who signed before the change time to complete the remaining procedures, including consulate notarisation where it is required. Two practical consequences follow. First, an old-rate contract that misses the 30 October 2026 receipt deadline falls outside the transitional arrangement. Second, once a contract specifies a wage at or above the MAW, an employer cannot subsequently agree with the helper to pay a wage lower than the MAW.

What happens if an employer pays below the minimum allowable wage?

Underpayment is treated as a criminal matter, not a contractual dispute. An employer who underpays is liable, on conviction under the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57), to a maximum fine of HK$350,000 and three years' imprisonment.

Two further exposures can attach to the same facts. Making a false representation to an immigration officer carries, on conviction under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115), a maximum fine of $150,000 and 14 years' imprisonment. Conspiracy to defraud, an offence under the common law punishable under the Crimes Ordinance, carries up to 14 years' imprisonment. For a household budget this is the reason to treat the wage floor as non-negotiable: the downside is not a wage claim, it is a criminal record.

Who sets the wage floor, and how often does it move?

The MAW is subject to periodic review by the Labour and Welfare Bureau, which announces any change or a decision to maintain the existing level. The prevailing figure is published on the Labour Department's foreign domestic helpers website, and the Immigration Department's own page directs readers there rather than restating a number indefinitely.

The practical budgeting implication is that a helper's wage is the one line in a household budget that can be raised by policy without your consent. If you are modelling costs several years out, build in headroom above HK$5,220 rather than assuming the floor is fixed for the life of the contract.

What else should a first-time employer plan around?

Processing time is the most common scheduling error. The Immigration Department's performance pledge is that 90% of applications are finalised within six weeks of receiving all necessary documents, and applications missing either the employment form or the entry visa form, or any necessary supporting documents, are returned with no further action until resubmitted.

The Standard Employment Contract also has to be notarised by the relevant consulate before the helper is approved to work, except for countries that do not require notarisation. The two-year contract cycle matters too: on completing a two-year contract a helper is entitled to home leave, and continuing to employ the same person means a fresh entry visa application for the new contract.

The Labour Department's Practical Guide for Employment of FDHs – What FDH and Their Employers Should Know covers wages, rest days and leave, medical attention and sickness allowance, maternity protection, severance and long service payment, employment protection, termination, and passage and food and travelling allowance. It is free and available in Chinese, English, Indonesian, Tagalog and Thai.

One historical item no longer belongs in a budget: the Employees Retraining Levy for FDH employers was abolished after the suspension of collection expired on 1 August 2013, and paid levy is not refundable under any circumstances. Employers with overdue levy from before that date must still settle it, and an adverse record can affect eligibility to employ a helper for a period of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HK$5,220 the full monthly cost of employing a helper?

No. HK$5,220 is the statutory floor for the cash wage under contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026, and it excludes the in-kind and episodic costs an employer also carries. These include free accommodation to the contractual standard, the entry-related fees reimbursed under Clause 8, and any end-of-contract payments such as return passage and food and travelling allowance.

Can my helper and I agree on a lower wage to save money?

No. The policy requires a wage not lower than the MAW, and the Immigration Department will not approve entry for a helper whose contract states less. An employer who underpays is liable on conviction under the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) to a maximum fine of HK$350,000 and three years' imprisonment.

I signed at HK$5,100 before the change — is my contract still valid?

Yes, if two conditions hold: the contract was signed on or before 2 October 2026 at not less than HK$5,100, and the application reaches the Immigration Department on or before 30 October 2026. Contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026 must state at least HK$5,220.

What income do I need to show as an employer?

You must declare that average monthly household income is no less than HK$15,000 for each domestic helper employed, in Part 3 of form ID988B. Documentary proof of finances is not required while that threshold is met, though further supporting documents may be requested in individual cases.

Who decides the minimum allowable wage, and when will it change next?

The Labour and Welfare Bureau reviews the MAW periodically and announces any change or a decision to keep the level unchanged. The prevailing figure is published on the Labour Department's foreign domestic helpers website, which is the reference the Immigration Department points employers to.

What must I reimburse my helper at the start of employment?

Under Clause 8 of the Standard Employment Contract you bear the costs of the helper's departure from their place of origin and entry into Hong Kong: medical examination fees, consulate authentication fees, the visa fee, insurance fee, and administration fees or similar charges imposed by government authorities. If the helper paid any of these, you reimburse the full amount on demand against receipts.

What do I owe if the contract ends?

You owe all outstanding wages, pay in lieu of untaken annual leave and pro-rata leave pay for the current leave year, pay in lieu of untaken statutory holidays, long service or severance payment where it applies, and other sums due under the contract including free return passage and food and travelling allowance. Termination requires one month's written notice or one month's wages in lieu, and both parties must notify the Director of Immigration in writing within seven days of termination.