Foreigners holding acceptable degrees and professional qualifications (and whose monthly basic salary is at least S$3,000) are eligible to apply for employment pass to work in Singapore. However, Singapore Government has now tightened her criteria for work pass applications as part of her overall direction to moderate the growth of Singapore's non-citizen population. New applicants for work passes (including Employment Passes, S Passes and Work Permits) are now assessed on a multiple of criteria, not only on fixed monthly salary but also on educational qualifications, skill, type of job and relevant work experience.
All EP applicants are advised not to make any relocation plans until you have received an in-Principle Approval letter from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The various types of employment passes and eligibility criteria based on fixed monthly salary and qualifications are set out below:
For more information on the number of Local workforce required, please refer to the Guidelines on the Calculation of Quota and Levy Bill or use Quota Calculator for Work Permits and S Passes.
The levy rate for foreign workers varies across different sectors. Find out more about the
levy rates for foreign workers in the services sector.