Permits and rights

The FOMEMA Medical Check

The general medical examination requirement — cost, frequency, and what the exam checks, current as of FOMEMA’s own live guidance.

The short answer

A foreign domestic helper is examined at a FOMEMA-registered clinic within a month of arrival, and the fee is RM207 for a male worker and RM217 for a female worker (the difference covers a pregnancy test), both subject to 8% SST. Since 16 December 2023, FOMEMA’s own current rule makes the exam mandatory every year, superseding an older "first two years only" framing still found in a 2022 employer guide. Results reach Immigration within 7 working days and stay valid there for 180 days; the exam form itself expires 30 days after payment if not used by then.

At a glance

Fee
RM207 male / RM217 female, + 8% SSTDirectly stated on FOMEMA’s own current Payments and Refunds FAQ — the female rate includes a pregnancy test.
Frequency
Annual, for every year of employmentFOMEMA’s own current FAQ: mandatory yearly exams for all foreign workers, effective 16 December 2023 — this supersedes older guidance limiting it to the first two years.
Initial window
Within a month of arrivalImmigration’s FDH page states this directly; the FDH-specific model contract independently states 30 days from arrival, the same figure.
Result validity
7 working days to reach Immigration, valid 180 days thereThe exam form itself expires 30 days after payment if the exam isn’t completed by then, with no refund.

The current fee, directly from FOMEMA

FOMEMA’s own current Payments and Refunds FAQ states the fee directly: RM207 for a male foreign worker, RM217 for a female worker, both subject to 8% SST. FOMEMA’s own explanation for the difference is that the female registration fee includes the cost of a pregnancy test. This confirms figures already used elsewhere on this site and adds the SST detail on top of the base rate.

The exam covers a specific set of tests FOMEMA names directly: methamphetamine urine screening, filariasis testing, and hepatitis C testing were added as mandatory for all foreign workers, in line with Ministry of Health guidelines, alongside the female-specific pregnancy test. FOMEMA references a fuller test list elsewhere that wasn’t independently confirmed — treat these four as the confirmed set rather than the complete one.

Why the frequency figure needs an update from older guides

FOMEMA’s own current FAQ states plainly that a mandatory yearly medical examination for all foreign workers has been in effect since 16 December 2023. That’s a real change from what a 2022-dated employer guide’s model contract states — annual exams for the first two years, "as required" after that — and from Immigration’s own FDH and Foreign Worker pages, which still frame the renewal-exam requirement around second- and third-year extensions specifically, without reflecting the 2023 update in their current wording.

The practical takeaway: treat the exam as an annual requirement for every year of her employment, per FOMEMA’s own live guidance, rather than reproducing the older "first 2 years only" framing some employer guides still carry.

Timing windows worth knowing

The initial post-arrival exam happens within a month of arrival, per Immigration’s FDH page — the FDH-specific model contract in the JTKSM/ILO guide states the same window more precisely, as 30 days from her date of arrival. Once completed, FOMEMA reviews the report before it reaches Immigration within 7 working days, and the result then stays available at Immigration for 180 days from the exam date.

One operational detail worth planning around: the exam registration form itself is only valid for 30 days from the date of payment. If the exam isn’t completed within that window, a new registration and payment is required — no refund is issued for a lapsed registration. Everything on this page describes FOMEMA, the system used in Peninsular Malaysia; Sarawak runs its own separate medical-screening system, SAFHIS, instead — see the dedicated Sarawak guide if that applies to your situation.

The rules and figures here follow official Malaysian sources as at the review date, and your own situation can differ. Check what applies to your own case with the Immigration Department of Malaysia for permits and passes, or the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia for agency licensing and employment terms, before you act on it.

Questions this page answers

How much does the medical exam cost?

RM207 for a male worker, RM217 for a female worker, both plus 8% SST — the female rate is higher because it includes a pregnancy test, per FOMEMA’s own current fee page.

How often does she need to be re-examined?

Annually, for every year of employment, per FOMEMA’s current guidance effective 16 December 2023 — this is more frequent than an older "first two years only" figure some employer guides still show.

When does the first exam need to happen after she arrives?

Within a month of arrival, per Immigration’s FDH page, stated more precisely as 30 days in the FDH-specific model contract.

How long is the exam result valid for?

It stays available at Immigration for 180 days from the exam date, after reaching Immigration within 7 working days of the exam itself.

What happens if the exam isn’t done within 30 days of paying for it?

The registration form expires, and a new registration and payment is required — no refund is issued for the lapsed one.

Does this FOMEMA process apply in Sarawak too?

No — Sarawak runs its own separate medical-screening system, SAFHIS, rather than FOMEMA. The fee, frequency, and timing figures on this page describe the Peninsular Malaysia system specifically.

Maid Medical Examination Malaysia

Prepare a useful first enquiry

Add a few key facts about your household and the question you want answered, so the reply is useful.

  • General location
  • Who needs support
  • Three priority duties
  • Preferred timing
  • The first question to resolve

This opens a WhatsApp draft to the DomesticHelper enquiry team, who help connect you with a maid-hiring service. Nothing is sent until you press send, and you can edit it first.

Open WhatsApp draft
DomesticHelper editorial teamReviewed 14 August 2026Sourced from Malaysian government registriesIndependent of the hiring agenciesEditorial standards
Enquire on WhatsApp