Overview of Work and Family Passes in Singapore
As a continuously growing financial hub, Singapore provides a wide variety of passes for foreigners, workers, entrepreneurs, and families as a pathway for them to live and work in the country. In this guide, we have compiled a comprehensive list of the most commonly used work and family passes along with their corresponding requirements, steps, and benefits so that you can easily find what best suits your needs.
Employment Pass
The Employment Pass (EP) is a visa that enables foreign professionals to work and live in Singapore and travel in and out of Singapore via express resident lanes at the airports. It is a common type of work visa for managers, executives, and specialized professionals. It is important to note that you will not be the person directly applying for EP; instead, your employer or employment agent will apply on your behalf, unless you own a company in Singapore and your own company will apply for you.
To be eligible, you must have a job offer from a Singaporean employer and a good university degree or professional qualifications. You also need a stable monthly salary of at least S$5000 per month, but in reality, the pass-through level is at least 7000.
Once the EP is approved, you will receive a letter which allows you to come to Singapore and start working. It will be sent to the company you work for and contain the job details, period of validity and your new local Singapore ID number – Foreign Identification Number (FIN). The EP is initially only valid for one or two years, but it can be continuously renewed for up to five years at a time.
To learn more, check out our Employment Pass Guide.
Entrepreneur Pass
The Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass) is for those who have already started or intend to start a private limited company that is either venture-backed or owns innovative technologies. The good thing about this pass is that it can be applied for before even registering a new company. If it is already registered, the company must be not more than six months old at the time of application. The entrepreneur should have significant funds or a track record of investing in and driving the growth of successful scalable companies.
Unlike other work visas, EntrePass does not require a local sponsor to apply for it. It provides the same benefits as the Employment Pass, including the ability to receive dependent passes for the family members. The renewal is done on the similar basis, provided the company conforms to its business objectives declared at the time of application.
To learn more, check out our Entrepreneur Pass Guide.
Personalized Employment Pass
As the name suggests, the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) is designed to provide a greater range of flexibility in contrast to EP. The pass is specifically intended for high-earning employment pass holders and foreign professionals overseas. These advantages, however, mean that there are more requirements to fulfill in order to be eligible. For instance, the existing EP holders are expected to have a minimum salary of S$12,000 per month paid in Singapore at their previous employment; and the foreign candidates receive equivalent to S$18,000 per month overseas.
Unlike EP, PEP doesn’t require anyone to apply on your behalf and allows you to switch jobs in Singapore without having to reapply. However, one of the key downsides is that this pass prevents you from establishing your own company in Singapore and engaging in entrepreneurial activities. The pass is valid for up to three years, but cannot be renewed.
To learn more, check out our Personalised Employment Pass guide.
Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass
Introduced on January 1st of 2023, the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass), is aimed at attracting top-performing professionals from a wide variety of sectors, such as business, arts, sports, technology, and research. You can apply directly for this pass or have an employment agent or employer apply on your behalf. Although it offers many benefits for its holders, this new visa has even tougher eligibility requirements compared to others.
There are two different sets of criteria that can be met to be eligible. The first of which consists of candidates meeting a minimum monthly salary of S$30,000. However, those with outstanding achievements in arts and culture, sports, science and technology, and research and academia can apply through the “Outstanding Achievements” track – meaning they do not need to meet the minimum salary requirement. The pass is valid for up to five years, but can be renewed.
S Pass
The S Pass allows companies to hire mid-skilled foreign workers in Singapore. For a business to be eligible to hire S Pass holders, the company must meet minimum salary requirements, which is S$3,500 for the financial sector and $3,000 for other sectors, and have passed the labor market test. The quota for the remuneration level is higher for employees with a bachelor’s degree, compared to those with a diploma.
Unlike other qualified work passes described above, only those S Pass employees who earn S$6000 and above per month can bring in their immediate family members.
Work Holiday Pass
The Work Holiday Pass allows eligible students and young graduates between the ages of 18-25 to stay and work in Singapore for 6 months. This pass is not restricted to specific types of work, but existing licensing, registration or accreditation requirements for professions such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and architecture will still apply.
Those who wish to apply for this work visa must submit their proof of identity, a letter from the university stating your matriculation and name, as well as a copy of your student visa or passport. Other supporting documents may be requested by MOM upon reviewing your application.
Dependant’s Pass
The dependant’s pass (DP) is a pre-approved single-entry visa that allows EP, EntraPass, PEP and ONE Pass holders to bring their spouses and unmarried children under 21 to live in Singapore. This pass is valid for the same period as the main pass. The application for DP can be done together with the main work pass, or later after it has been approved.
Dependent pass holders can apply to work in Singapore in two ways. First, they can apply for a relevant class of work pass (EP, S-Pass) with the regular conditions, meaning that they first have to secure the work and their prospective employer must submit an application on their behalf. The second option is to start their own business and receive a letter of consent from the MOM. In any event, they do not face the same quotas as other work pass holders.
Long-Term Visit Pass
If you are a foreign worker in Singapore on an Employment Pass (EP), S Pass, or EntrePass, you can bring your common-law spouse, step-child or handicapped child to live with you in Singapore. This is possible if you apply for the Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP).
You and your family members need to meet certain criteria to be eligible for the LTVP. For instance, you have to be earning a fixed salary of at least S$6,000, and your family members must be “sponsored” by your employer, which generally means that the employer will include them in the application. Additionally, you may also bring your parents if you earn at least S$12,000 per month. LTVP is valid for up to two years, but can be renewed
To apply for an LTVP, your employer or employment agent must submit a completed application form through the myMOM Portal. They will then need to ensure your family meets all vaccination travel requirements and attend an interview at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. This process may take at least three weeks.
Miscellaneous Work Pass
A Miscellaneous Work Pass is a necessary requirement for foreigners who are planning to take on short-term work assignments in Singapore. It is especially useful for foreign religious workers and journalists.
To get a Miscellaneous Work Pass, your employment agent or employer in Singapore must submit the application to the MOM at least two months before the intended travel date. It can take up to two months for the application to be processed, so it is important to prepare ahead of time. The applicant must also submit a letter of consent with the application, which specifies that they agree to be sponsored or employed by the sponsor or employer in Singapore during their stay.
Foreigners on a Miscellaneous Work Pass can work up to 60 days in Singapore. Those who plan to work in Singapore for a long term should consider applying for an Employment Pass, EntrePass or a Personalized Employment Pass (PEP), depending on their situation.
