Domestic Helper Contract Renewal 2027: Steps, Fees & Timeline

To renew a foreign domestic helper's contract in Hong Kong, you and your helper sign a new two-year ID 407 contract and submit it to the Immigration Department with forms ID 988A and ID 988B, no earlier than eight weeks before the current contract ends. The Immigration Department normally finalises a renewal within 10 working days of receiving all documents, and the visa fee is HK$330. The new contract must pay at least the minimum allowable wage of HK$5,220 a month, which applies to contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026. At the end of each contract, your helper must go home for a vacation of at least 7 days at your expense before the new contract starts, unless the Immigration Department approves a deferral.

This guide is for employers renewing with the same helper, and for helpers checking what they're owed. If the contract is ending instead, see our guide to the domestic helper release letter.

How Does Domestic Helper Contract Renewal Work in Hong Kong?

Every Standard Employment Contract (ID 407) runs for two years. Renewing means signing a brand new two-year contract, not extending the old one, and getting a new employment visa for it.

The Immigration Department's rule is simple: the helper returns to their place of origin when the old contract ends, with the return fare paid by you, then comes back on the new visa to start the new contract. Since 2003, every helper whose renewal is approved is issued a visa, so the approval and the trip home fit together.

You can still keep your helper working right up to the last day. The Immigration Department's FAQ says a helper whose limit of stay has not expired can continue to work until the new visa is issued.

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When Should You Apply to Renew a Helper's Contract?

Apply as soon as the window opens. According to the Immigration Department, renewal applications are normally accepted within eight weeks before the existing contract expires. Applications made after the contract has expired and the helper's limit of stay has passed are not accepted.

Many guides still say four weeks. That's out of date: the official window is eight weeks, and using all of it gives you room for consulate paperwork, a lost document or a public holiday.

Start the conversation earlier than that. I'd raise renewal with your helper about three months out, so you both know where you stand on salary, days off and the home leave dates before anyone books a flight.

Domestic Helper Contract Renewal Timeline

Source: Immigration Department and Labour Department, 2026.

What Documents Do You Need for a Helper Contract Renewal?

The Immigration Department lists five items for a renewal with the same employer:

1. Form ID 988A, completed and signed by the helper.
2. Form ID 988B, completed and signed by you as employer.
3. The original new ID 407 contract. For an online application, keep the original (notarised, if the helper's consulate requires that) ready in case the Immigration Department asks to inspect it.
4. The helper's travel document. The original for in-person applications, or copies of the relevant pages (including the latest landing slip, visa label or e-Visa) for post, drop-in or online applications.
5. Proof of your financial position and residential address. You can skip this if your household income is still at least HK$15,000 a month per helper and your address hasn't changed.

The HK$15,000 figure is the household income test (or assets of a comparable amount) that every employer must meet. If your income has dropped below it since the last contract, expect to show assets or other evidence of affordability.

Check with your helper's consulate too. The Immigration Department reminds both parties to confirm any current requirements with the relevant consulate, and some consulates want the new contract verified before you file.

How Do You Apply for the Renewal?

You have three ways to submit, all listed on the Immigration Department's foreign domestic helper visa page:

• Online via GovHK. This is the easiest route and the one I'd use. The helper must be physically in Hong Kong to use the online service for a renewal, according to the Immigration Department's FAQ.
• By post or drop-in to the Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, 4th Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O. The postmark date counts as the application date.
• In person at the same section, by appointment only, booked online or through the 24-hour hotline on 2598 0888.

You no longer have to wait at the office while the application is processed. The Immigration Department may still ask you, as employer, to attend an interview.

Step by Step: Renewing Your Helper's Contract

1. Agree terms. Confirm the wage (at least HK$5,220), food arrangement, rest days and the home leave dates. Put any changes in writing.
2. Check the passport. If the helper's passport will expire during the new contract, sort out a new one first. Otherwise the helper will need a separate application later to complete the remaining contract period.
3. Sign a fresh ID 407. Use the current version and write the new wage in. Don't copy the old figures across.
4. Complete ID 988A and ID 988B. The helper signs the first, you sign the second.
5. Handle consulate steps. Ask your helper what their consulate needs for a renewal, such as contract verification.
6. Submit within the eight-week window. Online is fastest. Keep a copy of everything.
7. Track the application. You can check the status online after 5 working days.
8. Pay and download the e-Visa. Payment happens after approval, by credit card, PPS, FPS or Mainland e-wallets. For approvals on or after 1 September 2025, no paper demand note is enclosed.
9. Book the home leave flight. Buy the return ticket for travel at the end of the old contract.
10. Renew the insurance. Make sure the new policy starts the day the new contract starts.

How Much Does It Cost to Renew a Domestic Helper Contract?

The government fee is small. The real costs are the flight, the travel allowance and any increase to the wage.

Source: Immigration Department fee table, Immigration Department and Labour Department, 2026.

The HK$330 is the Immigration Department's ordinary visa fee. It went up from HK$230 on 8 September 2025, which is why older guides still quote HK$230. The Immigration Department's FAQ says the employer must fully reimburse the helper on demand if the helper paid departure or entry costs such as the visa fee.

Using an agency for the paperwork is optional. If you're comfortable filling in two forms and an online application, you don't need one.

Which Salary Applies in a Renewed Contract?

The renewed contract must pay at least the minimum allowable wage (MAW) in force when you sign and apply. The government announced on 2 October 2026 that the MAW rises by 2.35 per cent, from HK$5,100 to HK$5,220 a month, for all contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026. The food allowance stays at no less than HK$1,236 a month.

There was a short grace period. Contracts signed on or before 2 October 2026 at the old HK$5,100 rate are still accepted if the Immigration Department receives the application on or before 30 October 2026. That window is about to close, so any renewal you sign now should be at HK$5,220 or more.

You can't agree a lower wage privately with your helper. The Labour Department's guide says paying less than the MAW is an offence, with a maximum fine of HK$350,000 and 3 years' imprisonment for wilful underpayment. For how pay compares above the minimum, see our domestic helper salary guide.

Does the Helper Have to Go Home Between Contracts?

Yes, normally. The Labour Department's guide says that if you renew, the helper must return to their place of origin at your expense before the new contract starts, for a vacation of not less than 7 days.

Whether that vacation is paid or unpaid depends on what you agree in the contract, according to the same guide. Clause 13 of the ID 407 also says this vacation is in addition to the helper's statutory annual leave, so it doesn't eat into their annual leave days.

The employer's obligations for the trip, according to the Labour Department:

• Free return passage to the helper's place of origin. The Labour Department recommends buying an air ticket with basic checked luggage rather than paying cash.
• A daily food and travelling allowance of HK$100 for the journey home. If the trip needs extra travelling days, the allowance goes up accordingly.
• The most direct route, without undue delay or personal stopovers, according to the Immigration Department's guidebook.

Can the Helper Defer Home Leave and Stay in Hong Kong?

Yes, if you both agree and the Immigration Department approves it. If circumstances don't allow the helper to go home right away, you can apply to defer the vacation. Both of you complete ID 988A and ID 988B, and the Immigration Department may grant an extension of stay of normally not more than one year, on payment of an extension fee.

The catch: the helper must still take the home leave within that one-year extension period, and the Immigration Department says no further extension of stay within the contract period will be allowed. Deferral moves the trip, it doesn't cancel it.

Don't confuse this with a short extension of the old contract. The Immigration Department grants those only in exceptional circumstances, never for more than one month, and normally not at all for renewals.

Does Long Service Payment Carry Over When You Renew?

Yes. Renewing with the same employer keeps the employment continuous, so the years build up across contracts. The Labour Department's guide counts service into the "2nd 2-year contract" when working out annual leave, and long service payment works on the same continuous service.

That matters at the five-year mark. According to the Labour Department, a helper employed continuously for at least 5 years is entitled to long service payment if dismissed, or if the contract is not renewed, for reasons other than serious misconduct or redundancy. The formula is two-thirds of the last month's wages multiplied by years of service, with part years pro rata.

There's one protection for employers. If you offer renewal in writing at least 7 days before the contract ends and the helper unreasonably refuses, the helper is not entitled to severance or long service payment. Make renewal offers in writing for that reason. Our severance and long service payment guide covers the calculation in full.

Annual leave also keeps growing with service, from 7 days up to 14 days. See domestic helper holidays in Hong Kong for the table.

Do You Need New Helper Insurance When You Renew?

Yes, in practice. Employees' compensation insurance is compulsory, and if your current policy was bought to cover the old contract, it ends with it. Check the end date now. The Labour Department's guide says failing to insure is an offence punishable by a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and 2 years' imprisonment.

Your ID 407 also makes you responsible for free medical treatment for your helper, which basic compensation cover doesn't usually include. Set the new policy to start on the first day of the new contract so there's no gap. We compare policy types in our domestic helper insurance guide.

Common Mistakes When Renewing a Helper's Contract

• Applying too late. Once the contract has expired and the limit of stay has passed, the Immigration Department won't accept the application. Diarise the eight-week date when the current contract starts.
• Writing the old MAW into the new contract. Contracts signed from 3 October 2026 must pay at least HK$5,220. An old template with HK$5,100 will cause problems.
• Assuming home leave is optional. It isn't. Either the helper goes home for at least 7 days, or you apply for a deferral before the contract ends.
• Letting the helper fly before the paperwork is in. The online service only works while the helper is physically in Hong Kong, so submit before the trip, not from the departure lounge.
• Forgetting the passport. A passport expiring mid-contract means an extra application to the Immigration Department later. Renew it first.
• Letting insurance lapse. A gap of even a few days leaves you uninsured for work injuries.
• Making the renewal offer verbally. A written offer at least 7 days before the end date is what protects you on long service payment.
• Not reimbursing the helper. If your helper paid the visa fee or other entry costs, the Immigration Department expects you to repay them on demand.

The Labour Department's foreign domestic helper FAQ is the place to check employment rights questions, and its helper hotline is 2157 9537.

FAQs: Domestic Helper Contract Renewal

How early can I renew my domestic helper's contract?

The Immigration Department normally accepts renewal applications within eight weeks before the current contract expires. Applications made after the contract has expired and the limit of stay has passed are not accepted.

How long does helper visa renewal take?

The Immigration Department says a renewal is normally finalised within 10 working days of receiving all the documents it needs. You can check the status online after 5 working days.

How much is the domestic helper visa renewal fee?

The visa fee is HK$330, the Immigration Department's ordinary visa fee since 8 September 2025. You pay after approval, and the employer bears the cost.

What forms do I need to renew my helper's contract?

You need a new ID 407 contract, form ID 988A signed by the helper and form ID 988B signed by you, plus the helper's travel document. Proof of income and address is only needed if your household income has fallen below HK$15,000 per helper or you have moved.

Can I renew my helper's contract online?

Yes. Renewals can be submitted online through GovHK, and you can download or print the e-Visa yourself after paying. The helper must be in Hong Kong to use the online service for a renewal.

Does my helper have to go home when the contract is renewed?

Yes, for a vacation of at least 7 days at the employer's expense, before the new contract starts. You can apply to defer it by up to about a year, but the trip must happen within that extension.

Can my helper keep working while the renewal is processed?

Yes, as long as the current limit of stay hasn't expired. The Immigration Department says the helper can keep working until the new visa is issued.

Is the home leave paid or unpaid?

It depends on what you and your helper agree in the contract, according to the Labour Department. Either way, it is in addition to the helper's statutory annual leave.

What salary must the new contract pay?

At least HK$5,220 a month, the minimum allowable wage for contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026. If you don't provide free food, you also pay a food allowance of at least HK$1,236 a month.

Does service carry over for long service payment after renewal?

Yes. Service with the same employer is continuous across renewals, so a helper on a third contract has already built up 4 years. Long service payment applies after at least 5 years of continuous employment in qualifying cases.

What happens if I forget to renew in time?

If the contract has expired and the helper's limit of stay has passed, the Immigration Department won't accept the renewal application. Overstaying is an offence, so set a reminder for the eight-week date as soon as each contract starts.

Key Takeaways

• Renewal applications are normally accepted within eight weeks before the current contract expires, not four.
• You need a new ID 407 contract, forms ID 988A and ID 988B, and the helper's travel document.
• The Immigration Department normally finalises renewals within 10 working days, and the visa fee is HK$330.
• The minimum allowable wage is HK$5,220 a month for contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026, with a food allowance of at least HK$1,236.
• The helper must go home for at least 7 days between contracts, with free return passage and HK$100 a day food and travelling allowance from the employer.
• A deferral of home leave can be approved for normally up to one year, with an extension fee.
• Service is continuous across renewals, and long service payment can apply after 5 years.

Planning Your Next Move in Hong Kong?

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