All You Need To Know About Foreign Worker Medical Insurance (FWMI)

Foreign Worker Medical Insurance is a legal requirement that protects your foreign employees if they require medical treatment.

If you wish to hire a foreign worker, you must purchase Foreign Worker Medical Insurance (FWMI) for them. MOM’s application process requires you to submit details of foreign worker insurance you’ve purchased, before any Work Pass can be issued.

What does Foreign Worker Medical Insurance cover? 1. Hospitalisation and Surgery (H&S) fees 2. Pre-hospitalisation specialist consultants 3. Pre-hospitalisation diagnostic scans (X-Rays, MRIs, etc.) 4. Repatriation of body in event of death 5. Post-hospitalisation fees 6. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) fees 7. Lump-sum personal accident benefit in case of severe disability, or death

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) legally requires a minimum of $15,000 in annual coverage, per worker. If your worker becomes hospitalised, your insurance company must be contacted to file a foreign worker insurance claim. You must do this on behalf of your worker within 30 days from the day the worker was admitted into the hospital.

FWMI policies do not cover outpatient treatments, like visits to the GP for the cold/flu.

Does Foreign Worker Medical Insurance cover Covid-19 infections? Yes, if your worker ends up hospitalised. This will pay for their room and board, doctor’s consultations, surgery (if needed), ICU costs, and other medical treatment costs.

All new S-Pass and Work Permit (WP) holders arriving in Singapore must be covered by the following policies: 1. Foreign Worker Medical Insurance (with at least $15,000 Hospital & Surgery cover) 2. SHN Covid-19 Rider (with at least $10,000 cover) (this will cover your foreign workers if they get infected with Covid-19 during their 14 to 21 day SHN period.)

Is Foreign Worker Medical Insurance compulsory? As long as you wish to hire a Work Permit holder, you must purchase Foreign Worker Medical Insurance. Without showing proof of insurance to MOM in your Work Permit application, you cannot hire a foreign worker on a Work Permit.

How much coverage do I need? The minimum legal requirement for an FWMI policy is $15,000 coverage for Hospital and Surgery costs.

When hiring foreigners, what other types of insurance should I have? For each foreign Work Permit holder that you hire, you’ll need to apply for a Foreign Worker Security Bond before you can be issued the Work Permit. The bond amount must be $5,000 as required by MOM, and it is meant to cover legal liabilities incurred by either your foreign worker or you, should either party potentially default on Work Permit requirements. This bond is only required for Work Permit holders.

Because Work Permits are issued for lower-skilled jobs that typically are manual in nature, you should definitely also carry Work Injury Compensation Insurance. This is legally required for all workers who perform manual work, or for any worker who earns less than SGD 2,600/month.

This type of insurance is highly affordable, so it’s advisable to act quickly to comply with MOM regulations, and protect your company.