Any foreigner with an intention to work or live in Singapore must hold a valid pass. We’ve included a summary of the various work passes and permits as listed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in Singapore. These passes are divided into several main categories which form your PR application profile and has an influence on your application approval chances.
We also provide advice and support for foreigners relocating to Singapore.
Criteria | Details |
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Who can apply | Foreign professionals, managers, executives |
Minimum Salary | Fixed monthly income of at least $3,900 |
Validity Period &
Renewals | For first-time candidates, the pass will last up to 2 years.
Subsequently, the pass can be renewed for up to 3 years. |
Qualifications | Candidates must possess qualifications that are certified by global verification agencies such as Dataflow or Risk Management
Intelligence. Documents not written in English must be translated. Both the original copy and translated copy submitted. |
How to apply? | Your employer or agent must apply for you and they must have demonstrated that all applicants have been reasonably considered as well. |
Family Members | To bring your family members with you, you must:
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Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Foreign entrepreneurs from all nationalities wanting to start their own
business |
Minimum Salary | No minimmum required |
Validity Period &
Renewals | For first-time candidates, the pass will last for 1 year.
Subsequently, the pass can be renewed for up to 2 years. |
Qualifications | Eligible candidates must have already started or are intending to
start a private limited company registered with the Accounting and
Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). If a company has been
registered, it must not be older than 6 months from the date the
candidate applies for the pass. |
How to apply? | Applications can be submitted online and the process takes about 8 weeks to complete. |
*Ineligible Business Categories
Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Employment pass holders or overseas foreign professionals |
Minimum Salary | Fixed monthly income of at least $12,000 or $18,000 respectively |
Validity Period &
Renewals | The pass lasts for up to 3 years and is non-renewable. |
Conditions |
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Benfits |
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How to apply? | Applications can be submitted online and the process takes about 8 weeks to complete. |
Disqualifying
Conditions | The following conditions will result in ineligibility:
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Family Members | You can bring your spouse and children under 21 by applying for a Dependent’s Pass for them |
Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Mid-skilled foreign employees |
Minimum Salary | Fixed monthly income of at least $2,400 |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Pass is valid for up to 2 years and is renewable. |
Qualifications | Candidates must possess a degree, diploma, or any technical certificates from accredited institutions that require at least 1 year of full-time study and relevant work experience. |
How to apply? | Employers or authorised third parties must apply on behalf of candidate. |
Family Members | Pass holders who have a fixed monthly salary of at least $6,000 are eligible for a Dependent’s Pass for their spouse and children.
Employers can submit the application together with the S Pass application or separately at a later date. |
Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Foreign performers working in entertainment outlets like bars, restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs who are at least 18 years old |
Minimum Salary | No minimum salary |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Pass lasts for up to 6 months. Pass holders cannot apply for any other type of Work Permit until 1 year after the last one expires. |
How to apply? | Employers or authorised third parties must apply on behalf of the candidate(s). |
Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Foreign domestic helpers from approved countries to be employed at the employee’s residence. First-time candidates must attend the Settling-In-Programme. |
Minimum Salary | No minimum salary |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Pass lasts for up to 2 years depending on the validity of the worker’s
passport, employment period, and security bond |
How to apply? | Employers must apply on behalf of candidates. |
Criteria |
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Approved Countries | Bangladesh
• Cambodia
• Hong Kong
• India
• Indonesia
• Macau
• Malaysia
• Myanmar
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• Thailand |
Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Malaysians employed as confinement nannies in Singapore. |
Minimum Salary | No minimum salary |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Maximum validity is 16 weeks starting from the child’s birth date.
Applying after the child is born will shorten the validity period. This pass is non-renewable. |
How to apply? | Employers must apply on behalf of candidates. |
Employer Criteria |
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Employee Criteria |
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Criteria | Details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Who can apply | Foreign students or trainees from a foreign office or subsidiary who want to undergo training in Singapore. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Validity Period &
Renewals | The pass will last for up to 3 months and is non-renewable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to apply? | Employers must apply on behalf of candidates. Candidates who don’t meet the criteria for the pass may want to consider applying for the Work Holiday Programme (foreign students) or the Training Work Permit (foreign trainees). If candidate has held a Training Employment Pass before, they cannot apply again for the same type of training | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Foreign Students | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minimum Salary | Fixed monthly income of at least $3,000 or be studying at an acceptable institution determined by MoM. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Criteria |
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Foreign Trainees | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minimum Salary | Fixed monthly income of at least $3,000. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Criteria |
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Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Unskilled or semi-skilled foreign trainees or students on practical training programmes in Singapore. |
Minimum Salary | No minimum salary |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Pass is valid for maximum 6 months and is non-renewable. |
How to apply? | Employers must apply on behalf of candidates. |
Criteria |
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Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Foreign students or graduates planning to work and holiday in Singapore. Candidates intending to work in professions such as medicine, pharmacy, architecture, or law must first comply with the respective registration requirements. |
Minimum Salary | No minimum salary |
Validity Period &
Renewals | The pass will last for up to 3 months and is non-renewable. |
How to apply? | Employers must apply on behalf of candidates. |
Criteria |
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Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Australian students or graduates who want to work and holiday in Singapore.
This will allow candidates to work in ACRA-registered companies and Registry of Societies-registered organisations. Candidates intending to work in professions such as medicine, pharmacy, architecture, or law must first comply with the respective registration requirements. |
Minimum Salary | No minimum salary |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Pass is valid for a maximum period of up to 12 months and is non-renewable. However, candidates are only allowed to work under the same employer for a maximum period of up to 6 months, thereafter they can choose to seek other employment opportunities, or spend the remainder of the time on holiday. They are not allowed to work as freelancers nor choose to study or train for more than 4 months in programs such as internships, part-time or full-time courses, and job training. |
Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Eligible Employment Pass or S Pass holders who are sponsored by an established Singapore-registered company. Eligible Dependent’s Pass holders will be permitted to find work in Singapore. |
Minimum Salary | Fixed monthly income of at least $6,000 based on individual salary and not the combined household income. |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Pass is valid for up to 2 years, depending on the validity of the main work pass and is renewable. |
Family Members |
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Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Who can apply | Eligible Employment Pass or S Pass holders who are sponsored by an established Singapore-registered company. Eligible LTVP Pass holders will be permitted to find work in Singapore. |
Minimum Salary | Fixed monthly income of at least $6,000 based on individual salary and not the combined household income. |
Validity Period &
Renewals | Pass is valid for up to 2 years, depending on the validity of the main work pass and is renewable. |
Family Members |
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