Employment Pass

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Employment Pass (EP)
Purpose	Professional employment in Singapore
Who it is for	Foreign professionals, managers and executives
Applicant	Employer or appointed agent
Stay	Up to 2 years initially
Renewal	Up to 3 years
Longer stay	Eligible tech professionals: up to 5 years
Cost	$105 application; $225 issuance
Eligibility timing	Salary changes from 1 January 2027
Work rights	Start work after pass issuance
Study	Not stated in the source
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Medical insurance	Employer may choose coverage
Travel facility	IPA single-entry; notification letter travel
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Available from $6,000 monthly salary
Visa record	Digital work pass and card
Quota or levy	No quota or foreign worker levy
Processing	Usually 10 business days online

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Purpose

The Employment Pass (EP) is for foreign professionals, managers and executives who have a job offer in Singapore and meet the applicable salary and eligibility requirements.

An employer or appointed employment agent must apply for the candidate. Overseas companies without a Singapore-registered office must apply through a local sponsor.

Eligibility

Candidates must pass a two-stage framework:

1. Meet the EP qualifying salary.
2. Pass COMPASS with at least 40 points, unless exempt.

Candidates who do not meet the qualifying salary are not eligible, regardless of their COMPASS score.

Employers and agents may use the Self-Assessment Tool before applying.

Qualifying salary

Current minimum fixed monthly salary requirements:

Sector	Age 23 or below	Age 45 or above
All sectors except financial services	$5,600	$10,700
Financial services	$6,200	$11,800

Salary requirements increase progressively with age.

For new applications from 1 January 2027, and renewals for passes expiring from 1 January 2028:

Sector	Age 23 or below	Age 45 or above
All sectors except financial services	$6,000	$11,500
Financial services	$6,600	$12,700

COMPASS

COMPASS is a points-based assessment. An application must score at least 40 points.

Foundational criteria include:

• Salary: Benchmarked against local PMET salaries by sector and age.
• Qualifications: Degree-equivalent qualifications may earn points.
• Diversity: Based on the candidate’s nationality share among the organisation’s PMETs.
• Support for local employment: Based on the organisation’s local PMET share relative to its sector.

Small organisations with fewer than 25 PMET employees receive 10 default points each for diversity and support for local employment.

Possible bonus criteria include:

• Shortage Occupation List (SOL): 10 or 20 points.
• Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP): 10 points for eligible organisations.

COMPASS exemptions

A candidate is exempt from COMPASS if they:

• Earn fixed monthly salary of at least $22,500.
• Apply as an overseas intra-corporate transferee.
• Fill the role for 1 month or less.

Fair Consideration Framework

Before submitting most new EP applications, employers must advertise the vacancy on MyCareersFuture and consider applicants fairly.

The advertisement must:

• Be open for at least 14 consecutive days.
• Accurately describe the job, occupation and salary.
• Be submitted by the same employer applying for the EP.
• State a clear and specific salary range.
• Have a maximum salary no more than twice the minimum salary.
• Include the salary offered to the EP candidate.
• Not contain discriminatory wording.
• Have enough vacancies for the number of linked EP applications.

A new advertisement is required if details such as the hiring entity, occupation, salary or vacancies change. Advertisements closed or expired for over 3 months cannot support an EP application.

Employers should not make a job offer during the mandatory 14-day advertising period.

Advertising exemptions

MyCareersFuture advertising is not required where:

• The company has fewer than 10 employees.
• Fixed monthly salary is at least $22,500.
• The role is for 1 month or less.
• The role is for a local transferee.
• An existing employee transfers to a related Singapore branch, subsidiary or affiliate.
• The candidate applies as an overseas intra-corporate transferee.

Fair hiring practices still apply even where advertising is exempt.

Stay and renewal

• First-time EP: Up to 2 years.
• Renewal: Up to 3 years.
• Eligible experienced tech professionals: Up to 5 years.

The EP is renewable.

Five-year tech EP

Experienced tech professionals may seek an EP of up to 5 years if they:

• Fill a specified tech occupation on the COMPASS SOL.
• Pass COMPASS.
• Score at least 10 points for diversity.
• Meet the applicable salary requirement.
• Pass further verification checks.

For new applications from 1 January 2025 and renewals expiring from 1 January 2026, the salary starts at $10,700 for candidates aged 36 or below, increasing with age to $14,270 at age 45 or above.

For new applications from 1 January 2027 and renewals expiring from 1 January 2028, the salary starts at $11,500 for candidates aged 36 or below, increasing with age to $15,499 at age 45 or above.

Costs and processing

Stage	Fee	Usual processing
Application	$105	10 business days
Pass issuance	$225	Immediate
Multiple Journey Visa, if applicable	$30	Not stated

Online applications are processed or receive an update within 10 business days.

For an overseas company using a local sponsor, most applications take within 6 weeks.

Additional document requests can extend processing times.

Documents

Submit:

• Candidate’s passport personal-particulars page.
• Employer’s latest ACRA business profile or instant information.
• Qualification verification proof, where applicable.
• Supporting documents for regulated occupations, where applicable.

MOM may request additional evidence, including proof that the declared salary will be paid.

For non-English documents, upload the original and English translation together as one file.

Qualification verification

Qualification verification is required only where qualification points are needed under COMPASS.

Accepted proof may include:

• Verification from selected background screening companies with a MOM verification reference number.
• Screenshots from eligible official, public, English-language verification portals accessible to MOM.
• Relevant professional-body qualification letters.
• Eligible OpenCerts digital certificates in .opencerts format.

Education certificates, notarised documents, school letters and self-translated portal evidence are not accepted as verification proof.

Application steps

1. Prepare and submit

The employer or agent must:

1. Obtain the candidate’s written consent.
2. Complete the candidate form.
3. Ensure the organisation’s past three years’ turnover information is updated.
4. Submit the application through EP eService.
5. Upload required documents.
6. Pay the $105 application fee.

The candidate does not need to be in Singapore when the application is submitted.

For a company without a Singapore-registered office, a local sponsor submits the completed sponsorship application and supporting documents.

2. After approval

MOM issues an in-principle approval (IPA) letter. The IPA:

• Is a pre-approved single-entry visa.
• Gives the candidate 6 months to enter Singapore and have the pass issued.
• States whether a medical examination is required.

The employer should bring the candidate to Singapore only after approval. MOM will not extend a visit pass for candidates brought in before approval.

3. Issue the pass

The candidate must be in Singapore when the employer or agent issues the EP.

Provide:

• Passport details.
• Singapore contact details.
• Current immigration-pass details.
• Singapore residential address meeting housing requirements.
• Card-delivery address.
• Details of up to three authorised card recipients.

Upload, if required:

• Passport page showing Singapore arrival date.
• Medical examination or medical declaration form.
• Completed IPA declaration form.

Pay the $225 issuance fee and any applicable $30 Multiple Journey Visa fee.

After issuance, the notification letter is valid for 1 month. It allows the holder to start work and travel in and out of Singapore while awaiting the pass card.

4. Register fingerprints and photo

If the notification letter requires registration, the candidate must register fingerprints and photo within 2 weeks of pass issuance.

Bring to the Employment Pass Services Centre:

• Original passport.
• Appointment letter.
• Notification letter.
• Mobile phone with a local number.
• Singpass and SGWorkPass apps.

5. Receive the digital pass and card

The holder can access their digital work pass through the SGWorkPass app after Singpass registration.

The physical card is delivered within 5 working days after registration or document verification.

Family provisions

An EP holder earning at least $6,000 per month may sponsor:

Family member	Pass type
Legally married spouse	Dependant’s Pass
Unmarried child under 21, including adopted child	Dependant’s Pass
Common-law spouse	Long-Term Visit Pass
Unmarried handicapped child aged 21 or above	Long-Term Visit Pass
Unmarried step-child under 21	Long-Term Visit Pass
Parents, if holder earns $12,000 or more	Long-Term Visit Pass

The employer must submit a separate application for each family member. Family applications may be submitted with or after the EP application.

Applying after the main EP is approved avoids losing family-pass application fees if the EP is refused.

Conditions and obligations

• Employers may choose whether to provide medical insurance.
• EP holders may be required to pay Singapore income tax.
• Notify MOM if company or pass-holder information changes.
• Renew the pass before expiry.
• Replace a lost, stolen or damaged pass card.
• Cancel the EP if the holder no longer works for the employer.

SOL occupation restriction

A holder who needed SOL bonus points to pass COMPASS, or obtained a five-year EP through a specified SOL occupation, may work only in that specific shortage occupation.

Before redeploying such a holder, the employer must notify MOM. MOM will reassess EP eligibility for the new role.

Secondary directorship

An eligible related company may appoint an EP holder from another related company as a director, subject to a Letter of Consent (LOC).

The appointing company must:

• Ensure the EP holder’s employer has no objection.
• Apply to MOM for an LOC before registering the directorship with ACRA.
• Provide the EP holder’s appointment letter.

MOM generally grants an LOC only where:

• The companies are related by shareholding in ACRA records.
• The directorship relates to the holder’s primary employment.

LOC processing is within 5 weeks. Its validity ends on the EP’s expiry or cancellation date. Apply for a new LOC after successfully renewing the EP.

Volunteer activities do not require an LOC where they are unpaid and for charitable purposes.