【Which Domestic Helper Insurance Is Best 2025】Is it required by law? We've rounded up "affordable, great-value" products for everyone

In Hong Kong, more than one in ten households employ a domestic helper, of which over 90% are foreign domestic helpers. A domestic helper insurance policy, in addition to meeting the legally required basic labor insurance, can also share the employer’s legal liabilities — for example, by reducing the employer’s financial burden arising from a helper’s medical treatment or personal accidents, and even compensating the employer or the helper for financial losses. 10Life approaches this from three main angles — basic coverage; outpatient and inpatient medical coverage; and financial loss and third-party liability coverage — to help readers find affordable, good-value domestic helper insurance on the market.

When choosing domestic helper insurance, besides comparing premiums, the convenience of buying a policy is also a major consideration. Seven popular products on the market scored 6 or above and have an annual premium of HK$1,000 or less, and all of these domestic helper insurance plans offer online purchase, making it convenient for employers to insure their helpers anytime, anywhere.

Employees' Compensation Ordinance specifies that employers must take out employees' compensation insurance (also called "labour insurance") for domestic helpers with coverage of not less than HK$100 million. If the helper hired is a foreign domestic helper, under the Immigration Department's Standard Employment Contract, the foreign domestic helper, if ill or injured during the period of employment, whether or not related to work, must be provided free medical treatment by the employer — meaning that if the employer has not insured the foreign domestic helper, they must bear the full cost of their medical treatment.

According to the Insurance Authority, domestic helper insurance mainly covers three major areas: first, the statutory employees' compensation insurance (or "labour insurance"); second, medical coverage, such as outpatient, hospitalization, physiotherapy, bone-setting and dental treatment, depending on the specific product; and finally, protection for employers against losses caused by the domestic helper's fraud, dishonest acts and personal liability.

In terms of employees' compensation, the seven domestic helper insurance plans compared here all comply with statutory requirements to provide a uniform compensation of not less than HK$100,000,000 per accident, while personal accident compensation is highest with Bank of China, Prudential (HK$200,000); the others range from HK$100,000 to HK$150,000. Coverage items include accidental death, permanent disability, and loss of sight in both eyes.

The Immigration Department's Standard Employment Contract also stipulates that if a foreign domestic helper dies, the employer must pay the costs of returning the helper's remains and personal effects to their place of origin. Among the products compared this time, repatriation expenses range from HK$10,000 to HK$30,000. In addition, if a registered doctor certifies that the helper is unfit to continue working, the relevant repatriation expenses are also covered.

For domestic helper insurance regarding outpatient expenses, there are mainly two compensation mechanisms. One sets limits on the annual outpatient medical expenses and per-visit outpatient medical expenses. For example, with Avo, the per-visit outpatient medical expense limit is HK$250, and the annual outpatient medical expense limit is HK$5,000. 

The other compensation mechanism sets a limit based on the number of outpatient visits per year. For example, with Zurich, the insured can receive up to 20 outpatient visits per year, limited to designated network doctors; if they wish to use a non-designated network doctor, the annual outpatient medical expense limit is HK$3,000, and the per-visit outpatient expense limit is HK$200. If the domestic helper goes to the emergency department, since the current emergency department fee is HK$180 per visit, the above plans are generally sufficient to cover it. 

Besides outpatient care, inpatient cost coverage should not be overlooked; it can be used to offset the expenses when a domestic helper is hospitalized in a public hospital due to illness. Zurich's annual surgical and inpatient expenses (critical illness) limit is noticeably high, reaching HK$180,000. If an employer, operating on a limited budget, still wants to provide their foreign domestic helper with more inpatient coverage, this product is a good choice. 

Many people have questions about the charges for foreign domestic helpers using Hong Kong public hospital services. In fact, as long as a domestic helper holds a Hong Kong Identity Card issued under the Registration of Persons Ordinance and is an "eligible person", they only need to pay the same fees as local residents when using Hong Kong public hospital services. According to the Hospital Authority, inpatient fees for convalescent/rehabilitation, nursing and psychiatric beds are HK$100 per day, while acute beds charge an admission fee of HK$75 and a daily inpatient fee of HK$120.

Q: If a foreign domestic helper steals and causes loss to the employer’s property, which product provides coverage?

A: We often see news about domestic helpers involved in fraud or dishonest acts that cause employers financial loss. Domestic helper insurance includes a coverage called “domestic helper fidelity.” Dah Sing, Bank of China, Zurich and Avo each pay up to HK$10,000 per year; other products range from HK$6,000 to HK$8,000.

Q: Which plan can cover a domestic helper’s pregnancy (needing check-ups during pregnancy or being unable to work)?

A: Some products have unique benefits. For example, Prudential offers a domestic helper childbirth benefit: if the helper is pregnant or, during her maternity leave, cannot fully perform duties (e.g., heavy work) and an additional helper needs to be hired, Prudential will provide a one-off allowance of HK$10,000 to compensate for the extra hiring cost.

Q: If the domestic helper suddenly resigns causing the employer to need to hire another helper, which product covers the resulting expenses?

A: AXA provides a replacement helper subsidy to cover the employer’s extra expenses for hiring another helper in cases such as the helper’s sudden resignation (must have been employed by the employer for at least two years), malicious acts or negligence causing injury to the employer’s family, or where there have been two or more early terminations of the employment contract within one year. 

Q: What is the maximum third-party liability payout?

There are frequent cases where a domestic helper’s negligence causes injury to others—for example, an aluminum window falling onto the street while cleaning, or a dog biting a passerby while being walked. These involve third‑party liability and claim amounts are difficult to estimate. The products above all include public liability or personal liability coverage, with limits ranging from HK$100,000 to HK$200,000 per year.

Finally, from the above comparison it is clear that different domestic helper insurance policies emphasize different areas: some focus on outpatient care, some on inpatient/hospital treatment, and some place greater emphasis on third‑party liability. Employers should carefully compare products before insuring their domestic helpers to choose the most suitable policy.

Note:  
1. The above premium information is updated to 30 October 2025 and does not include the premium levy charged by the Insurance Authority.  
2. Last updated: 30 October 2025.