If you're a foreign domestic helper in Hong Kong, or about to become one, the number that matters most just changed, and depending on exactly when your contract was signed, it might not apply to you yet.
Here's what's actually new, and how to make sure your pay matches what the law requires.
The new minimum wage, and who it applies to
For Standard Employment Contracts signed on or after 30 September 2025, the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for foreign domestic helpers is HK$5,100 per month. If your contract was signed before that date, your minimum is whatever rate was in force when you signed, not the new figure. This catches a lot of helpers off guard, particularly those mid-contract who hear about the increase and assume it applies to them immediately.
The MAW is a legal floor, not a suggestion. Employers cannot negotiate below it, and if the salary written into the Standard Employment Contract is under the legal minimum, the visa application itself can be refused before the contract even starts.
The food allowance is separate, and just as mandatory
On top of the wage, your employer must either provide you with free food or pay a food allowance of HK$1,236 per month. These are two different obligations. An employer can't simply fold the food allowance into your salary and call it covered, the wage and the food provision (or its cash equivalent) both have to be there.
When you're supposed to be paid
Under Labour Department guidance, employers should pay no later than seven days after the end of each wage period, whether by cheque, bank transfer, or cash. If your pay is consistently arriving later than that with no explanation, that's worth raising directly, calmly, and in writing if possible.
What to actually check on your own contract and payslip
The date your contract was signed. This single date determines which MAW applies to you. Don't assume the latest headline figure is yours, check the paperwork.
Whether your payslip matches your contract, every single month. Small, repeated shortfalls add up over a two-year contract in a way that's easy to miss if you're not keeping your own record.
Whether food is being provided or paid as an allowance, not silently dropped. This is one of the more common points of confusion, and one of the easier ones to resolve early if you raise it before it becomes a pattern.
Why keeping your own record matters here too
Helpers who keep a simple running log of what they're paid and when are in a far stronger position if a dispute ever comes up, and most disputes never even get that far because the habit of checking catches small issues before they grow.
This is the same principle behind tracking every transfer you send home. The number that matters isn't the one you remember roughly, it's the one you can actually show, with dates, amounts, and a clear total. RemitDiary lets you log your earnings and what you send home side by side, in whichever currency you're paid in, so the full picture stays visible no matter how far from home you're working.
Keep a clear record of what you earn and what you send. Download RemitDiary free on Google Play.