The Ultimate Guide To Hiring A Driver In Hong Kong

Basic Facts About Hiring A Driver

What You Need to Know

When hiring a family driver, there are important considerations to keep in mind. The Immigration Department does not permit domestic helpers to work exclusively as drivers. For example, using a helper solely to pick up or drop off an employer at work is not allowed.

Family drivers must also perform general domestic duties alongside driving. Acceptable driving tasks include taking children to multiple extracurricular activities or accompanying elderly family members to medical appointments.

For the best results, it’s recommended to hire a driver with prior experience working for families in Hong Kong.

What Must Be Included

When hiring a driver, employers must justify the helper’s role under the following five categories, as outlined by the Immigration Department (similar to hiring a domestic helper):

1. Household chores
2. Cooking
3. Looking after elderly family members
4. Caring for children
5. Caring for babies

Special Notes

• Employers are required to provide live-in accommodation for their family drivers.
• Domestic helpers are only permitted to drive family vehicles that seat no more than eight people. High-performance vehicles, such as sports cars and convertibles, are not allowed.

Document Requirements For Driving Duties Application

According to the Hong Kong Immigration Guidelines (Section 38 under Employment as Domestic Helpers), these are the required documents for processing a domestic helper for driving duties:

• ID407 Original Standard Employment Contract
  • This is what you need to help get their visa going
• ID934A Application for Special Permission for Performance of Motor Driving Duties
• Supporting letter
  • Your supporting letter should be on a separate sheet and provide detailed justifications for the need for a driver, including the specific purposes and destinations of driving, the household's needs, and details of the vehicle to be driven.
• Valid Hong Kong driving license
  • The domestic helper’s license must be valid and available at the time of application.
• Vehicle registration document & valid motor vehicle license
  • The vehicle must be registered under the name of the employer or spouse. If the vehicle is registered under the name of a company, the employer must provide a certificate/letter from the company stating that the vehicle is provided for the personal and family use of the employer.
• Documentation of insurance coverage for the domestic helper
  • This is also mainly for the vehicle they will be driving and for the helper (read on to find out more details)

Additionally, the Hong Kong Immigration Department will consider the workers’ previous traffic conviction records in Hong Kong to determine whether they will be granted permission for driving duties.

What To Include In The Supporting Letter?

In the ID934A form, employers are asked to provide justification for why the domestic helper is needed to perform driving duties. To help complete your application, it is best to include information from the given questions:

• What are the main journeys that the driver will be driving? (From home to school, home to after-school activities, home to frequent doctor visits, etc.)
• Details for each destination and how far they are located from the employer’s home
• Details about the frequency of the journeys (on a Daily basis, weekly basis, etc.)
• Reasons why public transportation is either not available or not enough

In addition to this, submitting other supporting documents will strengthen your application. These may include:

• Children’s school admission documents if the domestic helper will be driving the children to school.
• Proof of enrollment in after-school activities if the domestic helper will be driving the children to extracurricular activities.

Insurance Coverage For The Domestic Helper

On how to obtain insurance for a domestic helper who also serves as a driver, you must purchase a specialized domestic helper insurance plan that includes driving duties, which is an additional feature beyond basic labor insurance. Contact your insurance provider to inquire about their foreign domestic helper policies and declare the helper's driving duties during application, which may result in a higher premium. You also need to ensure the helper has a valid driving license and includes driving arrangements in the employment contract.

Employers should inform their insurance company in order for the helper to be included in the “Named Drivers” list and avoid paying the “Unnamed Driver” excess. In addition, please note that Hong Kong car insurance companies often include an excess for “Inexperienced Driver” for those holding a Hong Kong driving license of less than two years. Check with your insurance company for these options and excesses.

Here are some insurance companies that have premiums and plans for a domestic helper with driving duties:

• AXA: You have to contact customer service to proceed with the application, as you cannot do it online.
• AIG: There are 4 flexible plans to choose from that can cover your domestic helper with driving duties
• Prudential: You can insure your overseas domestic helper with driving duty with a 25% premium loading, given his/her driving duty is stated in the employment contract. For an overseas domestic helper with driving duty, you have the responsibility to declare his/her driving duty during application, and it has to be accepted by Prudential in order for your helper to be fully covered under the policy.

What Else? Hiring Drivers Through Agencies

There are a lot of agencies that provide a great selection of helpers for you to choose from, but these agencies also provide detailed information, such as a list of potential drivers that you can choose from. Make sure to check and find out what their service fees cost.

• Helper Place: This agency can help you connect with professional foreign domestic drivers in Hong Kong. These individuals are all holding a valid Hong Kong driver's license and mostly have experience driving all over the city. It details their experiences in driving, other types of work that they can do, and most especially when their current contracts end with existing employers and how to get in touch with them.
• Driverhk: This agency can provide both permanent and temporary drivers; they only act as drivers and not as helpers. However, the monthly salaries of drivers are pricier than hiring a helper who can drive.
• Sunlight: This agency has been around since 1996, and they have a specific section on their website where you can read guidelines and details on how to hire a foreign domestic helper that includes driving duties.

What Else? About The Employer

Who is eligible to hire a foreign domestic helper? Employers MUST:

• Be a Hong Kong resident
• Have a monthly household income of no less than HK$15,000 to support expenses for the contractual period
• Pay a salary of no less than the minimum wage (HK$4,990)
• Provide accommodation and food, helpers must live-in with the employer
• Provide insurance as stipulated in the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282)
• Provide medical treatment when helpers fall ill or suffer from a personal injury