Singapore Employment Pass: Requirements & Application

Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Singapore seeking business opportunities. This country, featuring developed exports and imports, is acknowledged to be the most suitable place to do business around the world. To work and live here, foreign employees must obtain a work visa. In this passage, we are going to talk about employment pass in Singapore, including what it is, who is eligible for it, how to apply for it, and a comparison between work visas.

What Is Employment Pass

Singapore employment pass, also called EP, is one type of Singapore work visa issued to foreign professionals, managers, or executives of Singaporean companies. After you are employed by a Singaporean company, the employer or an employment agent will apply for the pass for you. Only when the application is approved by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will the candidate receive an IPA letter to enter Singapore. It is usually valid for up to 2 years for first-time applications and can be extended to another 3 years.

Benefits of a Singapore Employment Pass

The EP is not only a working permit but also provides many benefits to live in Singapore which are listed as follows.

• Travel conveniently 

EP holders are allowed to return to Singapore without an additional entry visa after leaving the country as long as it is valid, which is quite convenient for frequent international business travelers.

• Enjoy public services 

EP holders can create a bank account, rent a house or purchase local medical insurance. Moreover, holding this Singapore work visa makes it simpler to apply for Singapore Permanent Residence (SPR) after working in the country for a year.

• Bring family members

EP holders can bring their family members to Singapore through family visas as long as they can earn at least S$6000 per month. The validity of a family visa is related to the main work visa.

Requirements for a Singapore Employment Pass

Not all employees are eligible for the employment pass. There are strict requirements in terms of positions, salaries and education. MOM will evaluate both the candidate’s and the company’s qualifications.

Qualification for Individuals

• Nationality

The employment pass is open to all nationalities, which reflects its inclusiveness to talents all over the world.

• Job position

The candidate must have received a job offer from a Singapore company and be employed as a manager, executive, or specialist.

• Fixed monthly salary

For financial sectors, the professional must earn at least S$5,500 per month. The salary requirement rises by age starting from 23 years old and reaches S$11,500 for those aged age 45 and above. For other sectors, the professional must earn at least S$5,000 per month and up to S$10,500 for those aged age 45 and above.

• Professions, skills or experience

Candidates must present proof of profession, skills or niche experiences, such as a diploma from higher educational institutions or professional qualification certificates.

• Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS)

Starting from September 1, 2023, candidates must join the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) and gain at least 40 points unless they have a fixed monthly salary of no less than S$22,500, are sending to Singapore as an overseas intra-corporate transferee, or will take the position for 1 month at most.

Qualification for Companies

MOM will also consider what the company will bring to the local economy and employment, which is reflected in COMPASS. Before applying for an employment pass, the recruitment must have been posted on MyCareersFuture for at least 28 days unless:

• there are no more than 10 employees in the company.
• the fixed monthly salary is S$20,000 or above.
• the position is designed for intra-corporate transferee.
• the job lasts up to only one month.

COMPASS

COMPASS is a comprehensive testing system that applies to both individuals and organizations. The system involves the following 6 sections.

• Salary

It compares the salaries of the candidates and the local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET). Compared to the local salary benchmarks, the candidate can 20 points when the fixed monthly salary ranks 90th or higher, 10 points for the 65^th to 90^th percentile, and 0 points for the others.

• Qualifications

Graduates of top-tier institutions can get 20 points. Degree-equivalent qualifications rate 10 points. No degree-equivalent qualifications rate 0 points.

• Diversity

It aims to evaluate whether the candidate improves nationality diversity in a firm. When there are fewer than 25 PMETs in your company, you are rated 10 points by default. When there are 25 PMETs or above, the score depends on how many of them have the same nationality as you. When the share is less than 5%, you get 20 points, 10 points for 5% to 25% (not included), and 0 points for higher.

• Support for local employment

It is decided by the number of PMETs and the local PMET share relative to its sector.

When there are fewer than 25 PMETs, the application is rated 10 points by default.

When there are at least 25 PMETs, the application gets 20 points if the share reaches the 50^th percentile and above, 10 points for 20^th to 50^th (not included), and 0 points for lower.

• Skills bonus

It is awarded to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). 20 points are given when the candidate’s nationality takes up less than 1/3 of the company’s PMETs, otherwise, the application can get 10 points.

• Strategic economic priority bonus

It is given to innovative and powerful companies. They can get 10 points if they participate in or meet the requirements for at least one of the eligible programs.

How to Apply for Employment Pass in Singapore

The application must be filed by the employer or appointed employment agent (EA). The applicants and the candidates will be involved in different steps.

Prepare Required Documents

First of all, let’s learn about what supporting documents are required.

• Personal information page of the candidate’s passport (usually the first two sheets). If the candidate’s name is different on the passport and other documents, please include proof of name change and an explanation letter.
• The candidate’s educational certificates, such as diploma, or degree certification.
• Written consent indicating the candidate permits the employer to apply for an employment pass, such as a signed employment contract.
• The company’s business profile or instant information is registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).
• Healthcare professionals, lawyers, football players or coaches must provide extra documents from the respective professional bodies.
• Employees in a food establishment might be asked to provide additional documents.

Submit the Application (For Applicants)

Singaporean companies submit the Employment Pass Application Form (which can be sent to the candidate to complete) and upload the required documents on EP Service. 

Non-Singaporean companies without a registered office in the country apply through a local sponsor who will submit Employment Pass (Sponsorship) application form on MOM portal. The application fee is S$105 and it can be paid by GIRO, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayNow or FAST.

Print out In-principle Approval (IPA) Letter (For Applicants)

The application status can be checked after 8 weeks. Once approved, MOM will send an In-Principal Approval (IPA) letter which serves as a single-entry permit and allows the owner to enter Singapore in 6 months. During this period, candidates should get ready for the trip, such as being fully vaccinated with WHO EUL vaccines. The candidate should print it out and show it to the immigration officer at the checkpoint.

Get the Pass Issued (For Applicants)

Only after the candidate arrives in Singapore can the applicant request MOM to issue the employment pass. The employer or EA needs to log in EP eService and provide the following information and documents.

• Passport particulars of the candidate
• Contact information in Singapore of the candidate
• Current Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) or immigration pass information of the candidate
• Singapore address of the candidate
• Residential or office address in Singapore that is used to receive the EP
• Information of authorized recipients to receive the card (3 persons at most), including phone number, email, NRIC, FIN or passport number.
• Photocopy of the passport page with the date of arrival in Singapore in PDF
• Completed medical examination form or medical declaration form in PDF
• Completed declaration form (in PDF) which is attached to the IPA letter and signed by an authorized HR, or an employee at managerial level or higher.

The fee for the pass is S$225 and it can be paid through GIRO, Visa, Mastercard or Amex. Once this Singapore work visa is issued, the authority will send a notification letter with which the candidate can work and exit or enter Singapore even if the pass hasn’t arrived. Please note that the letter has a validity period of only one month.

Submit Fingerprints and Passport Sized Photo (For Candidates)

If the notification letter requires fingerprints and a recent passport-sized photo of the candidate, make sure it is finished within 2 two weeks of receiving the letter. Make an appointment first and attend the appointment with an original copy of your passport, appointment letter, and notification letter.

Receive the Card (For Candidates)

The EP card will arrive in 5 business days after submitting biometrics or reviewing documents. The delivery details will be sent to the authorized recipients via SMS or email.

Comparison Singapore Work Visa

Singapore government issues different work visas to foreign employers. In this section, we will talk about them.

Singapore Work Visa for Skilled Workers and Professionals

Singapore Work Visa for Trainees and Students

Visa for Family Member of Singapore Work Visa Holders

Employment pass and S pass has long been related to family visas, such as Dependant’s Pass (DP) and Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP). They also allow the holders to work in Singapore.

• Dependant’s Pass

An EP and S Pass holder can bring legally married spouses and unmarried children under 21 to Singapore as long as he/she earns at least $6,000 per month and is sponsored by a Singapore-registered company. The validity of DP is the same as the main work visa and it should also be applied by the employer or EA.

• Long-Term Visit Pass

It is issued to a common-law spouse, unmarried handicapped children aged 21 and above, or unmarried step-children below 21 of an EP and S Pass holder. If the fixed monthly salary reaches at least $12,000, they can also invite their parents. The validity is tied to the main work visa and it should also be applied by the employer or EA.

Summary

As we can see, a Singapore employment pass is issued to qualified professionals, managers, and executives to work and live in the country for up to 2 years. The requirements for an EP include professional skills or experience, minimum fixed monthly salaries, and COMPASS evaluations. After confirming your offer, the employer or employment agent will apply for the pass for you and family visas for your family (if possible). Supposing that you are not eligible for the EP, you can also check qualifications for other Singapore work visa types. We hope you can find new business opportunities in this tolerant and prosperous nation.