--- title: "Hiring in Singapore 2026 | Employer of Record Guide" description: "Hire in Singapore through Teamed's EOR. CPF employer rate 17%, 11 public holidays, retrenchment benefit after 2 years. The Singapore guides, one per layer." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/singapore --- Singapore · Country overview Served by Teamed via a Singapore-licensed EOR entity # What do you need to know to hire in *Singapore*? Singapore has no national minimum wage and no mandatory severance below 2 years. CPF employer contributions are 17%, paternity leave rose to 4 weeks from April 2025, and the Workplace Fairness Act 2025 brings new anti-discrimination rules from late 2027. Each guide below takes one layer. Last reviewed 13 June 2026 · Singapore guide ## How does Teamed handle Singapore hiring for you? Teamed becomes your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in Singapore for [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency. Payroll, CPF contributions, and the full Singapore employment law stack run on **one platform**. **Real HR and legal experts** manage every Singapore hire, from the first offer letter to the final payslip. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue, handles your Singapore team alongside EOR, contractor onboarding, and entity payroll on **one platform**. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice. A Singapore contractor who converts to employment keeps their record, and that same employee can **graduate** from EOR to your own Singapore entity without re-onboarding. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see the month the model flips. EOR is the right model for a first Singapore hire, **until it isn't**. Three things you won't find on any other Singapore EOR guide - **Singapore has no national minimum wage.** There is no single statutory floor that covers all workers. The Progressive Wage Model sets sector-specific minimums for cleaning, security, and similar industries. Most professional and tech roles sit above any sector floor. [The hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/hiring-guide) covers what this means for offer letters and benchmarking. - **CPF is both the pension and the social security contribution.** Unlike most countries, Singapore does not split pension from social insurance. The employer pays 17% CPF and the employee pays 20%. That 37 percent combined contribution covers retirement, healthcare, and housing. It is the only mandatory employer contribution on payroll. - **The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 passed but is not yet in force.** The Act introduces statutory anti-discrimination protections covering nine protected characteristics. It is expected to take effect in late 2027. Employers should review hiring and termination processes now. [The termination guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/termination-and-severance) covers the transition. Answer.cite this Hiring in Singapore adds roughly 117 percent of gross salary once CPF at 17% employer rate is included. There is no general minimum wage and no mandatory 13th-month payment under statute. Singapore pays salary monthly. Statutory annual leave starts at 7 days in year one and scales with tenure. There are 11 public holidays per year. Teamed runs Singapore payroll, contracts, and CPF contributions through an EOR entity holding the required Singapore registrations. This page is the map. Each guide below is the detail. At a glance · Singapore SGD · English · Monthly payroll Currency SGD S$ CPF employer rate 17% employees aged 55 and below CPF employee rate 20% employees aged 55 and below Annual leave 7 days year 1; rises with tenure Public holidays 11 gazetted 2026 Minimum notice 1 week 26 weeks to 2 years service Top income tax 24% above SGD 1 million Minimum wage None no universal statutory floor ![A wide illustration of Singapore at golden hour: Marina Bay Sands and the city skyline reflected in the water, with palm trees in the foreground and a clear amber sky.](/images/country-guides/singapore-hiring.webp) Singapore · per employee · per month · flat $ 599 Zero FX. No setup fees. 48-hour onboarding. The price your finance team can forecast against without an asterisk. Zero FX Fixed No setup fee No exit fee 48-hour onboard ## How much does it cost to hire an employee in Singapore in 2026? A Singapore hire costs roughly 117 percent of gross salary once CPF is added. CPF employer contributions are 17% for employees aged 55 and below. That is the main statutory cost on top of salary. CPF employer contributions run at 17% on monthly wages up to the Ordinary Wage ceiling of SGD 8,000 from January 2026. Unlike many countries, Singapore has no separate health levy, unemployment fund, or social insurance split. CPF covers retirement, healthcare, and housing in a single contribution. There is no statutory 13th-month salary required by law, though it is common practice in some sectors. Teamed's Singapore price is a starting rate, with zero FX in any currency pairing. No setup fees. No exit fees. Salaries, CPF, and benefits passed through at cost on every invoice. The full breakdown, with worked examples at current CPF rates and the OW ceiling, is in the cost guide. [Read the full Singapore cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/cost-breakdown) ## Do you need a Singapore entity to hire employees in Singapore? No. An Employer of Record runs Singapore payroll and CPF contributions from day one. Your own Singapore private limited company becomes cheaper than EOR somewhere around 5 to 8 employees, depending on salary. Incorporating a Singapore private limited company (Pte Ltd) is relatively quick by regional standards, taking around one to two weeks. But you still need a local director, registered office, and ongoing ACRA filings once live. An [Employer of Record](/lp/employer-of-record) is faster and cheaper at low headcount. Teamed runs Singapore payroll, CPF, and employment contracts from the day you sign. The crossover point depends on Singapore salary levels and your corporate administration costs. For most tech roles it lands around 5 to 8 employees. The EOR vs entity guide runs those numbers. Most EOR providers will not tell you when you have crossed it. We do, and we help you move. You progress from contractor to EOR to your own Singapore entity on **one platform** under Teamed's Graduation Model, with tenure preserved. [Read the full Singapore EOR vs entity guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/eor-vs-entity) ## What changed in Singapore employment law in 2025 and 2026? Paternity leave rose to 4 weeks from 1 April 2025 for Singapore citizen children. The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 passed and brings statutory anti-discrimination protections across nine characteristics when it commences, expected in late 2027. Government-Paid Paternity Leave doubled to 4 weeks for fathers of Singapore citizen children born on or after 1 April 2025. The change was funded by the government under the Child Development Co-Savings Act. Maternity leave of 16 weeks for citizen children remains in place. The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 was passed by Parliament in January 2025 but has not yet commenced. It will prohibit discrimination on grounds including age, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy, caregiving responsibilities, race, religion, and disability. Employers who dismiss employees on these grounds after commencement will face claims in the Employment Claims Tribunal. The hiring guide covers the day-one employment contract obligations in full. [Read the full Singapore hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/hiring-guide) ## What benefits must you provide Singapore employees in 2026? The statutory floor is 7 days of paid annual leave in year one, 14 days of paid outpatient sick leave, and CPF contributions. Maternity leave is 16 weeks for a Singapore citizen child. Paternity leave is 4 weeks from April 2025. Statutory annual leave under the Employment Act starts at 7 days in the first year and rises with tenure. Annual leave and public holidays are counted separately in Singapore. There are 11 gazetted public holidays in 2026. Outpatient sick leave is 14 days per year after six months of service, rising to 60 days including hospitalisation leave. Government-Paid Maternity Leave is 16 weeks for a Singapore citizen child. Government-Paid Paternity Leave is 4 weeks from 1 April 2025. CPF contributions are the main mandatory benefit cost. There is no statutory pension separate from CPF. The benefits guide covers every leave type and the CPF account structure. [Read the full Singapore benefits guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/benefits) ## What are payroll taxes in Singapore in 2026? CPF employer contributions are 17% for employees aged 55 and below. Employees contribute 20% CPF. Income tax is progressive, starting at 2% above the first S$ 20,000/year of taxable income. CPF employer contributions are 17% on monthly wages up to the Ordinary Wage ceiling of SGD 8,000. The employee contributes 20%. Both rates step down for employees aged over 55. CPF covers three accounts: Ordinary (housing and investment), Special (retirement), and MediSave (healthcare). An employer must also pay the Skills Development Levy, a small levy capped at SGD 11.25 per employee per month. Singapore income tax is territorial and progressive. The first S$ 20,000/year of taxable income carries no tax. The rate rises from 2% and tops out at 24% above SGD 1,000,000. Employers must distribute IR8A forms to employees by 1 March each year. The tax and payroll guide sets out every bracket, CPF age-band rates, and the OW ceiling. [Read the full Singapore tax and payroll guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/tax-and-payroll) ## How do you terminate an employee in Singapore? Statutory notice scales with service. For 26 weeks to 2 years of service it is 1 week. For 5 or more years of service the statutory minimum rises to 4 weeks. Singapore's Employment Act sets four notice bands. Under 26 weeks of service: 1 day notice. From 26 weeks to under 2 years: 1 week. From 2 to under 5 years: 2 weeks. At 5 or more years: 4 weeks. Either side can pay salary in lieu of notice. Final salary must be paid within 3 days working days of termination when the employer ends the contract. Retrenchment benefit is not mandatory by statute but is the strong norm under the Tripartite Advisory. Employees with 2 or more years of service are eligible. The prevailing rate is 2 weeks to one month of salary per year of service. If you retrench 10 or more employees, you must notify MOM within 5 days working days. The termination guide covers the full retrenchment process. [Read the full Singapore termination and severance guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/termination-and-severance) ## What should you know before hiring in Singapore? Two things catch US buyers out. The first is CPF: it covers retirement, healthcare, and housing in one contribution, so there is no separate health levy. The second is that retrenchment benefit is not mandatory by law but carries very strong normative force from the Tripartite Advisory. **CPF is the single mandatory social contribution.** There is no separate employer health contribution, unemployment fund, or social insurance in Singapore. CPF employer contributions at 17% are the total statutory employer levy (plus the small Skills Development Levy). US buyers used to multi-line employer costs are often surprised by how clean the calculation is. **The Tripartite Guidelines are not law, but non-compliance is visible.** Retrenchment benefit norms, fair hiring practices, and the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices carry quasi-regulatory weight. MOM monitors compliance and can require remedial action. The hiring guide and the EOR vs entity guide cover how Teamed navigates these obligations. [Read the full Singapore hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/hiring-guide) ## Frequently asked questions How much does it cost to hire an employee in Singapore? Plan on roughly 117 percent of gross salary once CPF employer contributions at 17% are added. CPF is the main employer contribution in Singapore. There is no separate health levy or unemployment fund. Teamed's Singapore fee is one flat number per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency pairing. The cost breakdown guide has worked examples. Can a US company hire in Singapore without an entity? Yes. An Employer of Record like Teamed runs Singapore payroll, CPF contributions, and employment contracts through its own registered entity. You direct the work. Teamed becomes the legal employer of record. Setup takes 48 hours once terms are confirmed. Incorporating your own Singapore Pte Ltd takes roughly one to two weeks but requires a local director. What is the statutory annual leave in Singapore? Statutory minimum paid annual leave under the Employment Act starts at 7 days in the first year of service. It rises with tenure. Annual leave and public holidays are counted separately in Singapore. There are 11 gazetted public holidays in 2026. Employers can grant more leave by contract. What are Singapore's statutory notice periods? Notice scales with service under the Employment Act. Under 26 weeks: 1 day notice. From 26 weeks to under 2 years: 1 week. From 2 to under 5 years: 2 weeks. At 5 or more years: 4 weeks. Either side may pay salary in lieu of notice instead. Is severance pay mandatory in Singapore? There is no statutory obligation to pay retrenchment benefit for employees with less than 2 years of service. For employees with 2 or more years, the Tripartite Advisory sets the prevailing norm at 2 weeks to one month of salary per year of service. This is not a statutory formula but it carries strong normative force from MOM. What is the Workplace Fairness Act 2025 in Singapore? The Workplace Fairness Act 2025 was passed in January 2025 but has not yet commenced. It is expected to take effect in late 2027. It will introduce statutory anti-discrimination protections covering nine characteristics including age, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy, and disability. Employers should review hiring and termination practices before commencement. Teamed Legal Operations Singapore reads as a low-cost, flexible labour market and in some ways it is. CPF is clean, there is no works council, and you can terminate with notice. The part US buyers underestimate is CPF age-band rules, the Tripartite Advisory norms on retrenchment, and the Workplace Fairness Act coming into force in late 2027. Building compliant processes now is much cheaper than retrofitting them after a claim. A note from Tom Price-Daniel Singapore is often the first hire in Asia Pacific. Low statutory leave, clean CPF, no general minimum wage. The complexity is in the CPF age bands, the Tripartite norms on retrenchment, and the Workplace Fairness Act arriving in late 2027. Read the right Singapore guide before the first hire, not after the first Ministry of Manpower inquiry. Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed ## Keep reading - [Singapore hiring guide, offer to payslip](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/hiring-guide)guide - [Singapore employer cost breakdown 2026](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/cost-breakdown)guide - [EOR vs entity in Singapore](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/eor-vs-entity)guide - [Singapore termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/termination-and-severance)guide - [Singapore tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/tax-and-payroll)guide - [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core - The Graduation Modelcore - [Teamed pricing, Zero FX Fixed](/pricing)core - [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator/singapore)tool - [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA A note on this page. This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify current requirements with the Ministry of Manpower and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore for Singapore, or speak to a qualified professional, before relying on any specific framework.