Citizeo
Pathway

Singapore Professional Work Visa

Singapore Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

The Employment Pass is an employer-filed route for foreign professionals, managers, and executives. The job must meet an age- and sector-adjusted qualifying salary and, unless exempt, the application must pass COMPASS.

Type
Work residence
Job fit
People with a qualifying job or employer in Singapore
Core requirements
Qualifying salary, employer filing, fair-hiring compliance, and normally 40 COMPASS points
Renewal / path
First issue up to 2 years; renewal up to 3 years, subject to current rules
Salary requirement
Starts at SGD 5,600 per month, or SGD 6,200 in finance, and rises with age; higher floors apply to new applications from 1 January 2027
Job offer required?
Yes

Summary

Singapore's Employment Pass (EP) is for foreign professionals, managers, and executives with a qualifying job. The employer or an appointed employment agent files the application; the candidate cannot turn a job search into an EP without an employer and a specific position.

Most applications pass through two stages. First, the fixed monthly salary must meet the qualifying amount for the candidate's age and sector. Second, unless an exemption applies, the application must reach at least 40 points under the Complementarity Assessment Framework, known as COMPASS. The employer must also comply with the Fair Consideration Framework job-advertising rules where they apply.

As of August 2026, the starting monthly minimum is SGD 5,600 outside financial services and SGD 6,200 in financial services, increasing with age. For new applications from 1 January 2027, the starting figures become SGD 6,000 and SGD 6,600. These are floors, not universal figures for every applicant.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The candidate needs a genuine professional, managerial, executive, or specialist job with a Singapore employer. The salary is tested against MOM's current table:

Passing the salary floor does not itself approve the pass. Unless exempt, the application then needs 40 COMPASS points. The main criteria examine:

A degree is not a universal requirement. A recognized qualification can earn COMPASS points, but MOM expressly says a candidate without a degree-equivalent qualification can still pass by reaching 40 points through other criteria. Where a qualification is declared for points, the required verification must be supplied.

MOM lists exemptions from COMPASS for defined cases, including candidates at the high fixed-salary level and certain overseas intra-corporate transferees or very short assignments. An exemption must be documented; the employer should not assume that a senior title creates one.

Before filing most new EP applications, the employer must advertise the role on MyCareersFuture under the Fair Consideration Framework and fairly consider candidates. MOM lists exemptions, including certain high-salary roles, short-term roles, small employers, and qualifying intra-corporate transferees. The employer should retain the exact evidence for the exemption or advertisement.

Policy watch 1 development we’re tracking
Employment Pass salary floors rise on 1 January 2027
Announced — not currently law

Employment Pass salary floors rise on 1 January 2027

Current official stage: MOM announced the change and published future eligibility tables

For new applications, the starting monthly floor rises from SGD 5,600 to SGD 6,000 outside financial services and from SGD 6,200 to SGD 6,600 in financial services, with higher age-adjusted amounts. The new table applies to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028.

Timing: The new salary tables apply to new applications from 1 January 2027. They apply to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028. Until the relevant date, the current table continues to apply.

Current pathway rules still apply.

Last checked Singapore Ministry of Manpower — 2026 foreign-workforce policy announcementSingapore Ministry of Manpower — Employment Pass eligibilitySingapore Ministry of Manpower — S Pass eligibility
Read the full briefing

What This Route Allows

An approved EP allows the holder to live in Singapore and work in the job and for the employer stated in the pass. A first-time pass can be valid for up to two years; a renewal can be valid for up to three years. Certain experienced technology professionals in shortage roles may qualify for a longer five-year EP under MOM's separate conditions.

The pass is employer-specific. A new employer must file a new application before the person changes jobs. The current employer must cancel the old pass when employment ends, and the holder must maintain lawful immigration status during any transition.

An EP holder earning at least the amount specified by MOM may apply for family passes. MOM currently uses SGD 6,000 fixed monthly salary for a Dependant's Pass for a legally married spouse and qualifying children, and SGD 12,000 for a Long-Term Visit Pass for parents. Family applications are separate and do not give every dependent an automatic right to work.

An EP holder is an eligible category for a separate permanent-residence application through ICA. ICA assesses PR on its own criteria and does not promise approval after a set number of EP years. Citizenship becomes a separate possibility only after PR and the relevant citizenship category are established.

What This Route Is Not

The EP is not an open work permit or a pass that belongs to the worker independently of the job. It is not available through an interview alone, and an approval for one employer cannot simply be carried to another.

It is also not:

The S Pass is a different employer-sponsored route with lower starting salaries but employer quotas and levies. ONE Pass is a different, much narrower top-talent route with greater work flexibility. An employer should select the pass that matches the real job rather than alter the job description to fit a preferred label.

Next Steps

  1. Obtain a written offer stating the role, fixed monthly salary, employer, start date, and work location.
  2. Check the candidate's exact age- and sector-adjusted salary on MOM's live eligibility table, including the 1 January 2027 change if the application will be filed then.
  3. Have the employer use MOM's Self-Assessment Tool and calculate COMPASS. Identify which points are being claimed and what documents support them.
  4. Verify any qualification used for COMPASS through the method MOM requires. If no qualification points are claimed, confirm the remaining score still reaches 40.
  5. Complete the MyCareersFuture advertisement and fair-consideration period, or document the exact exemption.
  6. The employer or appointed agent files the application. Review the submitted information; incorrect salary, qualification, occupation, or company data can affect approval and later compliance.
  7. Wait for approval and pass issuance before starting work. Follow the in-principle approval instructions for entry, medical examination, fingerprints, photographs, and card issuance.
  8. Before changing jobs or planning permanent residence, use the separate new-employer or ICA process rather than assuming the current EP transfers.
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Sources