--- title: "Singapore Work Pass Requirements 2026 | EP, S Pass, Work Permit" description: "Singapore has three work passes: Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit. Who is eligible, who applies, and how Teamed can support the hire." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/singapore/work-permits --- Singapore · Work permits child Served by Teamed vetted partner-entity network in Singapore # What are the work pass requirements when hiring in Singapore? Singapore uses three work passes, not one. The Employment Pass, the S Pass, and the Work Permit each have their own salary band and eligibility rules. What's possible for a specific hire depends on the case, so it is worth talking to the team early. Last reviewed 26 August 2026 · Singapore guide ![The Singapore skyline at dusk with Marina Bay and the financial district towers reflecting in the water.](/images/country-guides/singapore-hiring.webp) Illustration · Singapore Answer.cite this Singapore uses three work passes for foreign hires: the Employment Pass for professionals, managers, and executives; the S Pass for mid-skilled staff; and the Work Permit for semi-skilled roles in specific sectors. The employer applies for all three. The candidate cannot self-sponsor. Sponsorship support varies by pass type and by case. The best way to find out what's possible for a specific hire is to get in touch with the team directly. If a candidate already holds valid local status, such as a Long-Term Visit Pass with a current Pre-Approved Letter of Consent, or Singapore Permanent Residence, Teamed can employ them directly and skip sponsorship altogether. ## What work passes exist for hiring foreign nationals in Singapore? Three main passes. Each one is built for a different skill and salary band, set by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM). **Employment Pass (EP).** This pass is for professionals, managers, and executives. As of August 2026, the base salary is SGD 5,600 a month in most sectors. It rises with age, up to SGD 10,700 at 45 and above. Financial services sits higher: SGD 6,200, rising to SGD 11,800. From 1 January 2027, those figures rise again, to SGD 6,000 and SGD 6,600. Most applicants must also pass MOM's COMPASS test. They need at least 40 points out of 120. Points come from six factors: salary, qualifications, workforce diversity, local hiring support, a skills-shortage bonus, and strategic priorities. Applicants paid SGD 22,500 a month or more skip the COMPASS test. So do intra-corporate transfers. **S Pass.** This pass is for mid-skilled staff, such as technicians. From 1 September 2025, the base salary is SGD 3,300 a month in most sectors. It rises with age, up to SGD 4,800 at 45 and above. Financial services starts at SGD 3,800, rising to SGD 5,650. From 1 January 2027, the base figures rise to SGD 3,600 and SGD 4,000. **Work Permit.** This pass is for semi-skilled workers from an approved list of source countries. It covers specific sectors, such as construction, marine shipyard, process work, and services. There is no minimum salary for a Work Permit. But strict rules still apply: sector quotas, a monthly foreign worker levy, and housing standards. The employer must have room in its quota before it can hire. One more figure matters, even though it is not a pass threshold. It is the Local Qualifying Salary: the minimum pay a local worker needs to count toward a firm's S Pass or Work Permit quota. That figure rose from SGD 1,600 to SGD 1,800 a month on 1 July 2026, so the higher figure is the one in force now. ## Who is eligible, and who applies? The employer applies for every Singapore work pass. The candidate cannot file for themselves. MOM issues all three passes to the sponsoring company, not the worker. Below the COMPASS-exempt salary, an Employment Pass employer must also do one more thing. It must run a job ad on MyCareersFuture.sg, typically for two to four weeks. This shows a genuine attempt to hire locally, before the pass application goes in. Work Permit employers face their own rules. They must stay inside their sector quota, pay the monthly levy on time, and meet MOM's housing standards for that sector. None of this changes who talks to the candidate day to day. It changes who Singapore's regulator holds responsible once the pass is granted. That is always the legal employer named on the application. ## How does work pass sponsorship work with Teamed? Not a single yes or no answer. What's possible depends on the pass, the role, and the specific candidate. The team reviews each case individually rather than working from a blanket policy. Singapore is served through Teamed's vetted partner-entity network. Where sponsorship is being considered, an Employment Pass case is reviewed through a specialist local immigration partner, who looks at the specific role and candidate before any commitment is made. That review typically asks for the candidate's full CV and education certificates up front. S Pass and Work Permit sponsorship raise different questions again, shaped by recent changes from the Singapore authorities and by how each pass is built. Rather than guess at what applies to a specific role, get in touch with the team early, before an offer goes out, so they can walk through what's realistic for that case. There is one clean shortcut around all of this. Say a candidate already holds valid Singapore work status on their own, with no sponsorship needed from Teamed at all. That could be a Long-Term Visit Pass paired with a current Pre-Approved Letter of Consent from MOM. Or it could be Singapore Permanent Residence. Either way, Teamed can employ them directly. No pass application. No feasibility review. No wait. ## What Teamed can still do Two things, right now. Teamed can run a Singapore salary simulation for the role today, and the team can talk through the work pass question directly. Once it resolves, either through sponsorship or because the candidate already has status, Teamed is ready to onboard the same week. Once a candidate holds a valid pass or status, independent of any sponsorship decision, Teamed becomes the legal [employer of record](/employer-of-record) from [**$599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up**. CPF contributions, payroll, and the full Singapore employment stack run on **one platform**. The [Singapore hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/hiring-guide) covers the full onboarding process once the pass question is settled. Run the numbers before the offer goes out with the [Employer Cost Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/employer-cost?country=SG), or start from [the Singapore hiring overview](/country-hiring-guides/singapore); each guide here takes one layer of Singapore employment law. ## Frequently asked questions Can an EOR sponsor a Singapore work pass? It depends on the pass and the specific case. Singapore has three work passes, each with its own process and its own route to sponsorship. The best way to find out what's possible for a given hire is to talk it through with the team. Does it matter which work pass my candidate needs? Yes. The three Singapore work passes serve different salary and skill bands, and each has its own process. Getting in touch with the team early, once you know which pass applies, is the fastest way to find out what's possible for that specific case. What if my candidate already has the right to work in Singapore? Then sponsorship is not needed. If the candidate already holds valid local status, such as a Long-Term Visit Pass with a current Pre-Approved Letter of Consent, or Singapore Permanent Residence, Teamed can employ them directly and skip the pass question entirely. What if I'm not sure Teamed can sponsor the pass my candidate needs? A few routes are worth knowing about regardless. The candidate can secure their own pass or status independently. A different EOR or immigration provider might fit. Or the role could be hired from a location where sponsorship is more straightforward. The team can talk through which option makes sense once they know the specifics of the case. Can Teamed help once my candidate holds their own pass or status? Yes. Teamed can run a Singapore salary simulation for the role now, and stands ready to onboard the candidate the moment their pass or status is confirmed. Teamed Legal Operations A work pass is granted to the sponsoring employer, not the worker. What's possible depends on the pass and the specific hire, which is exactly why it is worth raising early, before an offer goes out, not after. A note from Teamed A work pass sits with whoever is named as the employer, not with the relationship built on top of it. We would rather talk through the pass question with you early than have a candidate find out at offer stage instead of the first conversation. Get in touch before you make the offer, not after. Once the candidate has their own pass or status, we are ready the same week. Teamed ## Related Singapore guides - [Hiring in Singapore, overview](/country-hiring-guides/singapore)parent - [Singapore hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/hiring-guide)sibling - [Singapore EOR vs entity](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/eor-vs-entity)sibling - [Singapore compliance and day-one rights](/country-hiring-guides/singapore/compliance-and-day-one-rights)sibling - [Employer of Record overview](/employer-of-record)core - [Pricing: zero FX fixed](/pricing)core - [Employer Cost Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/employer-cost?country=SG)tool - [Talk to an expert about hiring in Singapore](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA A note on this page. This is a guide, not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Singapore work pass rules and salary thresholds change, and depend on individual circumstances. Verify current requirements with Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, or speak to a qualified immigration adviser, before relying on any specific figure.