Helper minimum wage rises to HK$5,220 (2026): what employers must know

Last updated: 7 October 2026. Checked against Immigration Department, Labour Department and other official sources; where a rule changes, the official source prevails.

On 2 October 2026 the Government announced that the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers rises by 2.35%, from HK$5,100 to HK$5,220 a month. The food allowance stays at not less than HK$1,236 a month. If you are hiring a new helper, renewing your current helper's contract, or sitting on a contract you signed in September, the dates below decide which figure applies to you.

The key facts in one minute

New MAW: HK$5,220 per month for every helper contract (ID 407) signed on or after 3 October 2026.
Transition: contracts signed on or before 2 October 2026 at the old MAW of HK$5,100 are still processed by the Immigration Department (ImmD) on those terms, provided the application reaches ImmD on or before Friday 30 October 2026.
Food allowance unchanged: provide food free of charge, or pay a food allowance of not less than HK$1,236 a month.
Existing contracts are not re-priced. The MAW that applies is the one in force on the date the contract was signed.

Which wage applies to my contract?

The rule is about the signing date of the Standard Employment Contract, not the date the helper starts work. The Labour Department puts it simply: employers must pay a salary that is not less than the prevailing MAW at the time of signing the contract.

Your situation	Minimum wage on the contract
Contract signed on or after 3 Oct 2026 (new hire, renewal or change of employer)	HK$5,220 or more
Contract signed on or before 2 Oct 2026 at HK$5,100, application reaches ImmD by 30 Oct 2026	HK$5,100 is still accepted
Contract signed on or before 2 Oct 2026 at HK$5,100, application reaches ImmD after 30 Oct 2026	Outside the transition arrangement — expect to sign a fresh contract at HK$5,220 or more
Helper already working under a contract approved earlier	The wage written in that contract (not lower than the MAW on its signing date)

The 30 October deadline is about when the application arrives at ImmD. If you signed a contract at HK$5,100 in late September and have not submitted it yet, submit now — online through GovHK is fastest — rather than relying on the post in the last week.

Do I have to give my current helper a raise?

Not by law. A helper already working for you under an approved contract keeps the wage in that contract until it ends. What you cannot do is go the other way: ImmD states that after signing a contract at or above the MAW, an employer cannot later agree with the helper to pay less. Underpaying wages is an offence under the Employment Ordinance, with a maximum fine of HK$350,000 and three years' imprisonment.

Some employers choose to match the new figure anyway — at the minimum it is HK$120 a month. That is a goodwill decision, not a legal one.

Renewing a contract in the next few months

A renewal is a new ID 407 contract, so the new MAW applies to it if it is signed on or after 3 October 2026. ImmD normally accepts a renewal application within the eight weeks before the current contract expires, and same-employer renewals are normally finalised within 10 working days once all documents are in.

Renewal already signed at HK$5,100 on or before 2 October: it can only use the transition if the application reaches ImmD by 30 October — and because renewals are normally accepted only in the last eight weeks, that works for contracts ending by about 25 December 2026. Otherwise, re-sign at HK$5,220 or more.
Renewal not signed yet: sign it at HK$5,220 or more, whatever date the current contract ends.

A worked example

Your helper's contract pays HK$5,100 and ends on 15 January 2027. Eight weeks before that is 20 November 2026, so that is when ImmD will normally start accepting the renewal application — well after the 30 October cut-off. Whatever date you sign the renewal on, it therefore needs a wage of at least HK$5,220. Sign in early November, submit from 20 November, and book her home-leave flight once the new visa is approved.

Our contract renewal guide walks through the forms, the home-leave trip and the timeline step by step.

What HK$5,220 means for your budget

At the minimum, the monthly wage goes up by HK$120 — HK$2,880 over a two-year contract. The MAW also feeds into the statutory payments that are calculated from wages, so it is worth re-running your numbers:

Daily rate for leave pay: 12 × HK$5,220 ÷ 365 ≈ HK$172 a day, which is the figure used for paid annual leave and holiday pay at the MAW.
Payment in lieu of notice: one month's wages, i.e. at least HK$5,220.
Severance payment (only if the helper has worked for you continuously for 24 months or more and the contract is ended or not renewed by reason of redundancy): two-thirds of the monthly wage per year of service — about HK$6,960 after two years at HK$5,220.

If you pay more than the MAW, use your actual wage. The HelperDoc termination calculator itemises these payments for your exact dates and salary, and our full hiring-cost guide covers insurance, flights and agency fees.

Food allowance: still HK$1,236

The standard contract requires you to provide food free of charge. Most families do. If you and your helper agree instead on a food allowance, it must be not less than HK$1,236 a month — the Government reviewed it against the relevant consumer price index this year and left it unchanged. Write the arrangement into the contract and keep the receipts.

What has not changed

The employer eligibility guide: a household income of not less than HK$15,000 a month for each helper employed, or assets of a comparable amount.
The standard two-year ID 407 contract, live-in requirement, one rest day in every seven days, and the statutory holidays (15 a year from 2026 — see our 2026 holiday list).
Return passage and the HK$100-a-day food and travelling allowance when the helper goes home at the end of a contract.

Three mistakes to avoid

Writing HK$5,100 on a contract signed on or after 3 October. ImmD will not approve a visa where the contract wage is below the MAW.
“Side agreements” to pay less than the contract. Paying less than the contract wage is an offence, and giving false information to ImmD about wages can also lead to prosecution for false representation.
Missing the 30 October cut-off. The transition is about arrival at ImmD. If your paperwork is still with an agency or a consulate, ask where it is now.

Frequently asked questions

When does the HK$5,220 minimum wage start?

It applies to all helper contracts signed on or after 3 October 2026. The figure was announced on 2 October 2026.

I signed a contract at HK$5,100 on 30 September. Is it still valid?

Yes, as long as the visa application reaches the Immigration Department on or before 30 October 2026. After that date the transition arrangement no longer covers it.

Does the new minimum wage apply to my helper's current contract?

No. The MAW that applies is the one in force when the contract was signed. The new figure applies when you sign the next contract, including a renewal.

Has the food allowance changed?

No. If you do not provide free food, the food allowance must be not less than HK$1,236 a month.

Can my helper agree to a lower salary?

No. Government policy is that helpers must be paid not less than the MAW, and an employer cannot agree with the helper to pay less once a contract is signed.

Did the income requirement for employers change?

No announcement changed it. ImmD's guide is still a household income of not less than HK$15,000 a month per helper, or assets of a comparable amount.