Renewing Your Maid’s Work Permit in Malaysia (2026 Guide)

Her permit expires every year. Most families don't think about it until there are three weeks left, and then it becomes an emergency. It doesn't have to be. Here is the whole renewal, start to sticker, so it stays simple.

Start 90 Days Before the Date on Her Sticker

The expiry date is printed on the permit in her passport. Count back three months from it. Immigration accepts renewal applications from 90 days before expiry. At that point, decide:

• Renew with the same helper
• Replace her with a new helper
• Check out, and send her home properly

Also check that her passport has enough validity left. If it is close to expiring, it has to be renewed at her embassy first, and that takes time.

Step 1: FOMEMA Medical

Register her for the FOMEMA examination and attend the appointment. She must be certified Fit to Work before anything else can happen. Results usually come back within a few working days.

An Unfit result stops the renewal. There is an appeal and re-examination route, so talk to us before you do anything else. Our guide What If Your Maid Fails FOMEMA? explains the options.

Step 2: Submit on FWCMS

FWCMS is the Immigration online system for renewals. You submit on your own employer account. You will need:

• her FOMEMA Fit to Work result
• her current passport
• her current work permit
• your IC

Lost your FWCMS login? It was created when she was first hired, and it can be recovered through the employer-update process. We can help.

Step 3: Wait for Immigration Approval

Immigration reviews the application, and there is nothing to do except check the portal. This is the stage where renewals go quiet and then go late, so check the portal weekly.

Step 4: Pay the Levy

Once the renewal is approved, pay the levy on FWCMS. Keep the receipt, because you will need it for the sticker.

Step 5: Collect the E-Pas

The new sticker goes into her passport, and the renewal is done for the year.

• Scan a copy for your records before it goes into the passport.
• Note the new expiry date. Your 90-day clock restarts from it.

Already Late? There Is Still a Path

An expired permit means a Special Pass comes first. It is issued month by month for up to three months, before the renewal can go through. The sooner you start, the simpler it is.

How Smart Recruit Helps

• If your helper came through us: you don't need to remember any of this. We message you automatically at 90 days. If your package includes the second-year renewal, it is already covered.
• If you are renewing yourself and get stuck at any stage: we can take it from there.
• If you are with another agency and it is not moving: we take over renewals for families across KL and Selangor.

Our team handles every step: FOMEMA, the FWCMS submission, insurance, the levy, passport matters and the E-Pas. For the full picture of how a permit works from the first hire, see our guide to the maid work permit process.

Frequently Asked Questions

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