Contract renewal: How do I process a domestic helper visa without an agency?

Below you can find our step by step guide for contract renewal for both Filipino and Indonesian domestic helpers.

What is the Smart Renewal Service?

The Smart Renewal Service by the Hong Kong Immigration Department is the online document submission platform. It is a convenient choice for one of the steps in the processes below. Via the Smart Renewal Service portal, employers and domestic helpers can submit the documents needed for renewal of contract. Through this portal they can also apply for extension of stay, inquire on application status, submit supplementary document(s), and submit notification of premature termination of an employment contract. 

If you use the Smart Renewal Service to submit the application for the renewal of contract, upon approval of your visa applications, applicants can pay the visa fee with the “General Demand Note” (GDN) enclosed with the notification of the application result.

  1. You may pay online through the online payment webpage link provided in the notification of the application result, and then download or print the “e-Visa” by themselves upon payment. The payment can be made by various means, such as the Faster Payment System (FPS)*, internet banking, the Payment by Phone Service (PPS) or automatic teller machines (ATMs), or in person at a post office or convenience store. The details are set out on the back of the GDN.
  2. You are required to download or print the “e-Visa” by yourself through the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application after 2 working days following the payment date.
  3. When the e-Visa is received, the e-Visa, either printed on A4 sheet of paper or saved as a PDF file on your personal mobile device, should be properly kept with the domestic helper’s passport.
  4. Throughout the application process, the applicant or the employer need not attend any office of the ImmD to pay the visa fee or collect the e-Visa.

How to renew the contract with a Filipino domestic helper?

Renewing a domestic helper’s contract with the same employer (i.e. contract renewal) is pretty straightforward and can usually be completed in 3-4 working weeks. You can submit your contract renewal application up to eight weeks before the expiry of the existing contract. If you prefer, at the Fair Agency we can also handle the process for you if you’d prefer. See our Contract Renewal page for more details.

The following steps are for renewing a Filipino domestic helper’s contract.

STEP 1: Pick up and sign the contracts

Employers or domestic helpers can pick up the contracts and supporting information from the Hong Kong Immigration Department. You don’t need an appointment for this.

You will be given four copies of the contract. All four copies should be signed by the employer and domestic helper and should be completed identically. If there are any mistakes, sign next to the revision. The reason there are four copies is that there needs to be one copy each for:

  • the employer,
  • the domestic helper,
  • HK Immigration, and
  • Philippines Consulate.

STEP 2: Gather supporting documents for Hong Kong Immigration submission

  • One copy of the contract
  • Employer and domestic helper application forms (forms ID988B and ID988A)
  • Employers also need to submit photocopies of:
    • HKID
    • Passport and visa (if not a permanent resident)
    • Proof of address if there’s been a change since last contract (See this article for different types of address proof)
    • Proof of employer’s financial position is not required provided that the employer’s average household income remains no less than HK$15,000 (for each domestic helper to be employed)
  • Domestic helpers also need to submit photocopies of:
    • HKID
    • Passport (original will be required for appointments and walk-in interviews)
    • Visa
    • Landing slip
    • Previous contract

For more on supporting documents, see this article.

STEP 3: Submit documents to Hong Kong Immigration

Domestic helpers should submit the contract and supporting documents in one of the following ways:

If the domestic helper’s limit of stay is between 8 weeks to 10 days:

  • Submit the documents online via the Smart Renewal Service Portal
  • Drop-in or post to Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, 3F Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
  • You can also drop the documents into one of the other Immigration offices in East Kowloon, West Kowloon, Sha Tin, Fo Tan and Yuen Long.

If the domestic helper’s limit of stay is less than 10 days, then you must use the following ways:

  • Submit the documents online via the Smart Renewal Service Portal
  • Walk-in interview at Hong Kong Immigration Department (Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai)
  • NOTE: These options may not be available due to COVID-19 measures, instead a Drop Box may be available for documents: please check Immigration Department’s “Messages from Us” for latest update.

STEP 4: Processing and visa release

Application for contract renewal with the same employer submitted by post, drop-in, or online submission will usually be finalised within 10 working days after all documents have been submitted (you may be asked to submit more supporting documents along the way).

The visa will be released in the following ways depending on the submission method: 

  1. Online Smart Renewal Service: Employer will be receive a “General Demand Note” (GDN) (either through mail or email) enclosed with the notification of the application result and payment instructions. The payment can be made by various means, such as the Faster Payment System (FPS)*, internet banking, the Payment by Phone Service (PPS) or automatic teller machines (ATMs), or in person at a post office or convenience store. The details are set out on the back of the GDN. You are required to download or print the “e-Visa” by yourself through the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application after 2 working days following the payment date. When the e-Visa is received, the e-Visa, either printed on A4 sheet of paper or saved as a PDF file on your personal mobile device, should be properly kept with the domestic helper’s passport.
  2. In-person appointment: e-Visa will be released on the same day upon payment. 
  3. By post or drop box:  The employer will be notified by letter sent to the home address about the visa approval and the helper can pick up the e-Visa document with HKID and passport at the Immigration. 

STEP 5: Document Submission for Notarisation

Next, the domestic helper needs to submit two copies of the signed employment contracts to the Philippines Consulate for notarisation. There is a fee for this service and you should reimburse your domestic helper for this.

For domestic from the Philippines, these are the steps:

  • Attach the completed OFW Information Sheet (here) to the new Employment Contract with other supporting documents (see next point)
  • Documents for submission:
  • Book an appointment on the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) website based on your preferred date and time.
  • Go to Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at the selected appointment time, located at:
    Office No.2. 29/F United Centre,

    No. 95 Queensway Admiralty, Hong Kong
    Hotline Numbers:
    POLO: 5529 1880
    OWWA: 6345 9324
  • To POLO, pay HK$196 OWWA Membership Fee and HK$80 Contract Notarisation/Verification Fee. Make sure to keep the original receipt! the OWWA Membership is important for the domestic helper’s future Overseas Employment Clearance (OEC) and needs to be renewed every time they change employers.

STEP 6: Pick up the notarised documents

  • Processing takes about 6 -9 working days if all documents are submitted correctly.
  • Once ready, the notarised contracts can be picked up at the Philippine Consulate, not POLO. 
    • Office No.2. 14/F United Centre,
      No. 95 Queensway Admiralty, Hong Kong
      Hotline Numbers:
      POLO: 5529 1880
      OWWA: 6345 9324
  • To pick up the notarised contracts, bring HKID and original receipt.

How to renew the contract with an Indonesian domestic helper?

You can renew the contract with an Indonesian domestic helper without an agency. At Fair Agency we can also handle the process for you if you’d prefer. See our Contract Renewal page for more details.

STEP 1: Pick up and sign the contracts

Employers or domestic helpers can pick up the contracts and supporting information from the Hong Kong Immigration Department. You don’t need an appointment for this. You will be given four copies of the contract. All four copies should be signed by the employer and domestic helper and should be completed identically. If there are any mistakes, sign next to the revision. You will need to find a public notary to sign as the witnesses of the employers and helpers.

STEP 2: Arrange a medical exam for the domestic helper 

The Indonesian Consulate requires domestic helpers to undergo 10 specific medical tests. Please contact the Consulate directly to obtain the list of tests required.

STEP 3: Submit documents for contract notarisation

The contract notarisation process may take up to 10 working days. You will need to pick up the notarised contract from the Consulate. There is a fee (HK$388) for the contract notarisation service. The employer should reimburse the domestic helper for this. 

Submit the required documents to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong:

  • Address: 127-129 Leighton Road, 6-8 Keswick Street, Causeway Bay
  • Office hours: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, Mondays to Fridays
  • Contact number: +85236510200

The Consulate may require the following documents to be submitted for contract notarisation:

  • 4 Copies of Original New Employment Contract 
  • HKID of the domestic helper 
  • Passport of the domestic helper 
  • HKID of the employer
  • Current original employment contract 
  • Original medical exam results 
  • A letter from the domestic helper’s family about approving them to renew the contract 
  • A letter from the employer mentioning that they are willing to renew the employment contract and all the basic employment rights from the previous contract have been fulfilled
  • Proof of medical insurance purchased for the domestic helper

STEP 4: Gather the necessary supporting documents for Hong Kong Immigration submission

  • One copy of the contract
  • Employer and the domestic helper immigration application forms (forms ID988B and ID988A)
  • Employers also need to submit photocopies of:
    • HKID
    • Passport and visa (if not a permanent resident)
    • Proof of address if there’s been a change since last contract (See this article for different types of address proof)
    • Proof of employer’s financial position is not required provided that the employer’s average household income remains no less than HK$15,000 (for each domestic helper to be employed)
  • Domestic helpers also need to submit photocopies of:
    • HKID
    • Passport (original will be required for appointments and walk-in interviews)
    • Visa
    • Landing slip
    • Previous contract

For more on supporting documents, see this article.

STEP 5: Submit documents to Hong Kong Immigration

Domestic helpers should submit the contract and supporting documents in one of the following ways:

If the domestic helper’s limit of stay is between 8 weeks to 10 days:

  • Submit the documents online via the Smart Renewal Service Portal
  • Drop-in or post to Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, 3F Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
  • You can also drop the documents into one of the other Immigration offices in East Kowloon, West Kowloon, Sha Tin, Fo Tan and Yuen Long.

If the domestic helper’s limit of stay is less than 10 days, then you must use the following ways:

  • Book an appointment online
  • Walk-in interview at Hong Kong Immigration Department (Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai)

STEP 6: Processing and visa release

Application for contract renewal with the same employer submitted by post, drop-in, or online submission will usually be finalised within 10 working days after all documents have been submitted (you may be asked to submit more supporting documents along the way).

The visa will be released in the following ways depending on the submission method: 

  1. Online Smart Renewal Service: Employer will be receive a “General Demand Note” (GDN) (either through mail or email) enclosed with the notification of the application result and payment instructions. The payment can be made by various means, such as the Faster Payment System (FPS)*, internet banking, the Payment by Phone Service (PPS) or automatic teller machines (ATMs), or in person at a post office or convenience store. The details are set out on the back of the GDN. You are required to download or print the “e-Visa” by yourself through the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application after 2 working days following the payment date. When the e-Visa is received, the e-Visa, either printed on A4 sheet of paper or saved as a PDF file on your personal mobile device, should be properly kept with the domestic helper’s passport.
  2. In-person appointment: e-Visa will be released on the same day upon payment. 
  3. By post or drop box:  The employer will be notified by letter sent to the home address about the visa approval and the helper can pick up the e-Visa document with HKID and passport at the Immigration. 

Where can I find more information?



Last updated on July 6th, 2023

Ready to get hiring? Fair is here to help!

View Prices
person

plant