Decide on a helper, and start the paperwork
Many expat families in Hong Kong employ a live-in foreign domestic helper rather than use a nursery. Checked against immd.gov.hk on 22 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- Everyone having a baby in Hong Kong
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this usually between week 20 and week 24 of the pregnancy
- Official source
- immd.gov.hk
- Last checked
- 22 September 2026
What else to know
The minimum allowable wage is HK$5,100 a month for contracts signed from 30 September 2025, plus a food allowance of HK$1,236 if you do not provide meals — both are reviewed each September, and the last three reviews landed in the final week of the month, so check the current figures in early October before you sign anything — plus insurance, the return flight and either an agency fee or the time to hire directly. Immigration says an application for the employment of a helper normally takes about 4 to 6 weeks once all the necessary documents are in, and a helper coming from overseas takes longer, so a start date around the birth means beginning now.
Work out your own dates — free, nothing is sent to us