Dependant’s Pass

Who issues which family pass

Singapore has no single family visa. It has a set of passes issued by two agencies, each tied to a different relationship and carrying different rights. MOM issues family passes to the dependants of work pass holders. ICA issues long-term passes to the family of citizens and permanent residents. Both use the name Long-Term Visit Pass, and that overlap causes more wasted applications than any other feature of the system.

Table 1. Which family pass applies, by relationship to the sponsor

Family member	Sponsor is an EP or S Pass holder	Sponsor is a citizen or PR
Legally married spouse	Dependant’s Pass from MOM	Long-Term Visit Pass from ICA
Common-law spouse	Long-Term Visit Pass from MOM	Not an eligible ICA category
Unmarried child under 21, including adopted	Dependant’s Pass from MOM	Long-Term Visit Pass from ICA
Unmarried stepchild under 21	Long-Term Visit Pass from MOM	Not an eligible ICA category
Unmarried disabled child aged 21 or above	Long-Term Visit Pass from MOM	Not an eligible ICA category
Parent	LTVP from MOM, sponsor must earn S$12,000	LTVP from ICA, parents-in-law not eligible
Child in full-time study	Student’s Pass from ICA, if not already on a DP or LTVP	Student’s Pass from ICA, if not already on an LTVP

Fix one point before anything else. Both are immigration passes. They give lawful stay, not the right to work. Work needs a separate authorisation from the Controller of Work Passes, and what is available depends on which pass the person holds and who issued it.

Dependant’s Pass: who qualifies

MOM will consider a Dependant’s Pass where the sponsor holds an Employment Pass or an S Pass, earns a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000, and is sponsored by an established Singapore-registered company, usually the employer. The S$6,000 is assessed on the sponsor’s own salary, not combined household income, so two spouses each earning S$4,000 cannot add their salaries together. Only two relationships qualify: a legally married spouse, and unmarried children under 21, including legally adopted children. An unmarried partner, a stepchild, a child who has turned 21 and a parent are all outside the Dependant’s Pass entirely, whatever the sponsor earns.

Table 2. Sponsor salary thresholds for MOM family passes

Pass sought	Fixed monthly salary required of the sponsor
Dependant’s Pass, spouse or child	At least S$6,000
LTVP, common-law spouse, stepchild or disabled child	At least S$6,000
LTVP, parent	At least S$12,000

Fixed monthly salary means the same as for the Employment Pass: basic monthly salary plus fixed monthly allowances that do not vary. It excludes overtime, bonuses, commission, annual wage supplements, payments in kind, reimbursements, incentives, provident fund contributions and gratuities, a definition set out in the Sixth Schedule to the Work Passes Regulations 2012. A package worth S$7,000 can still fail if S$1,500 of it varies.

Holders of the Personalised Employment Pass, the ONE Pass and the EntrePass also sponsor family passes under their own rules, and for those two the main pass holder applies rather than an employer. One exclusion catches people out: family members of EP holders who applied as an overseas intra-corporate transferee under the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services or a free trade agreement are not eligible for either pass.

MOM’s Long-Term Visit Pass

MOM’s LTVP covers the relationships the Dependant’s Pass does not reach, with the same sponsor requirement except for parents. There are four categories: a common-law spouse, an unmarried handicapped child aged 21 and above, an unmarried stepchild under 21, and a parent where the sponsor earns at least S$12,000.

The common-law spouse category works, but it is evidence-heavy. MOM accepts any one of three things: a common-law marriage certificate, a notarised affidavit by the work pass holder and the partner declaring a relationship recognised under the laws of their home country or region, or a letter from the relevant embassy acknowledging it. What MOM will not accept is a statement that the couple have lived together for years. The relationship must be a legal status somewhere.

For a stepchild, MOM asks for the custody court order and a letter from the other biological parent stating no objection to the move. Where that parent is uncontactable or refuses, the application stalls and no drafting fixes it. For a disabled child aged 21 or above, the document is a medical practitioner’s letter on the child’s condition, and that category is why a family with a disabled adult child does not lose them at the twenty-first birthday. Parents sit behind the S$12,000 threshold, MOM publishes no exception, and the category covers parents of the pass holder, not parents-in-law.

MOM’s LTVP is not ICA’s LTVP or LTVP+

This is the most confused area in Singapore immigration. Two agencies issue a pass with the same name to entirely different groups, with entirely different work rights.

Table 3. MOM LTVP, ICA LTVP and ICA LTVP+ compared

Feature	MOM LTVP	ICA LTVP	ICA LTVP+
Sponsor	EP, S Pass, PEP, ONE Pass or EntrePass holder	Singapore citizen or PR	Singapore citizen or PR
Who it covers	Common-law spouse, stepchild under 21, disabled child 21 or above, parent at S$12,000	Spouse, unmarried child under 21, parent, certain graduates, parent or grandparent of a Student’s Pass holder	Certain foreign spouses of citizens or PRs, at ICA’s discretion
Who applies	Employer or appointed employment agent	The citizen or PR sponsor, via Singpass	Same ICA channel as the LTVP
Route to work	A full work pass only: EP, S Pass or Work Permit	Letter of Consent or Pre-approved Letter of Consent	Letter of Consent or Pre-approved Letter of Consent
Fees	S$105 to apply, S$225 to issue	S$45 to apply, S$60 to issue	S$45 to apply, S$60 to issue
Typical processing	Within 3 weeks for EP and S Pass dependants	Within 6 weeks, up to 6 months for a foreign spouse of a citizen	Assessed with the LTVP application
Renewal	With MOM, up to 6 months before expiry	With ICA, at least 3 months before expiry	With ICA, at least 3 months before expiry

Two failure patterns recur. A foreign spouse of a citizen asks an employer to apply for a Letter of Consent while still on a MOM-issued LTVP. That Letter of Consent is available only on an ICA-issued LTVP or LTVP+, so it is refused; the correct step was to apply to ICA first. The reverse happens too: a dependant of an EP holder is told they can work on a Letter of Consent because LTVP holders can. They cannot. A MOM-issued LTVP requires a job offer and then an EP, S Pass or Work Permit.

On the LTVP+, be careful what you read elsewhere. ICA publishes LTVP eligibility, fees and processing times, and those are the figures used here, but it maintains no standalone page of LTVP+ criteria. The LTVP+ is granted at ICA’s discretion to certain foreign spouses of citizens and permanent residents, through the same channel. Because the authority publishes no criteria, we state none.

ICA does publish one mechanism worth using. A citizen and an intended spouse can complete a free Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment before the marriage. Where they do, ICA shortens processing from up to six months to six weeks, and issues a Letter of LTVP Eligibility valid for one year where the intended spouse is assessed as eligible.

Work rights, pass by pass

The underlying rule sits in the Immigration Regulations. A dependant’s pass is subject to the condition that the holder must not engage in any form of paid employment, or in any business, profession or occupation in Singapore, without a work pass issued by the Controller of Work Passes. The same restriction applies to a student’s pass and a social visit pass.

Table 4. What each pass holder may and may not do

Pass held	Employment	Running a business
Dependant’s Pass	Needs an EP, S Pass or DP-Work Permit obtained by the employer	Needs a Letter of Consent for business owners
MOM LTVP	Needs an EP, S Pass or Work Permit obtained by the employer	MOM publishes no Letter of Consent route for this group
ICA LTVP or LTVP+, spouse or child of a citizen or PR	Letter of Consent applied for by the employer, or a PLOC	A PLOC does not allow self-employment
ICA LTVP, parent of a citizen or PR	Work Permit, counted only under the employer’s overall quota	Not a published route
ICA LTVP, parent accompanying a Student’s Pass child	No work in the first year, then a Work Permit	Not a published route
Student’s Pass	Only under MOM’s work pass exemption for eligible full-time students	Not permitted

MOM now offers a DP-Work Permit for Dependant’s Pass holders taking employment. The holder can be of any nationality, is not subject to a minimum qualifying salary, has the permit tied to the Dependant’s Pass, and is exempt from the six-monthly medical examination and the security bond. The trade-off is that it carries the relevant Work Permit quota and levy, at rates MOM aligns to the lowest for each sector. A current DP-WP must be cancelled by the existing employer before a new one can apply.

A Dependant’s Pass holder who qualifies for an Employment Pass or S Pass on their own merits can take one, must meet the prevailing criteria in full, and must have the Dependant’s Pass cancelled before the new pass is issued. That decouples their status from a spouse’s employment, which is usually a good outcome.

Letter of Consent, the two routes

For ICA-issued LTVP and LTVP+ holders

This is the Letter of Consent most people mean. It is available only to someone on an ICA-issued LTVP or LTVP+ who is married to a citizen or permanent resident, or is an unmarried child under 21 of one. The pass must have at least three months of validity, and the applicant must already have a job offer. The employer or an appointed employment agent applies, with the candidate’s written consent. It is free, processing is one week, and there is no levy or quota. Work may begin only once the employer has received it. It lapses when the LTVP or LTVP+ is cancelled or expires, and when employment ends, in which case the employer must still cancel it within one week of the last day of notice, having first sought tax clearance from IRAS.

The Pre-approved Letter of Consent removes the chicken-and-egg problem of needing a job offer to get work rights and work rights to get a job offer. Eligible foreigners applying for or renewing an LTVP or LTVP+ are offered a PLOC at the same time, and otherwise can request one two days after receiving the LTVP card. Two limits: a PLOC does not allow self-employment, and PLOC holders cannot work in restricted occupations, which MOM describes as including media and religion-related roles. For those the employer must apply for a full Letter of Consent. Employers must notify MOM before a PLOC holder starts work and within seven days of the last day of work.

For Dependant’s Pass holders who own a business

A Dependant’s Pass holder cannot take a job on a Letter of Consent, but can apply for one to operate their own ACRA-registered business. The applicant must be a sole proprietor, a partner, a company director holding at least 30 per cent shareholding, or a member in a company limited by guarantee. Note that third category: being a director alone is not enough, and neither is being a shareholder alone.

The Dependant’s Pass must have at least three months validity before applying. The application is free, and processing is within four weeks for most cases. There is a two-stage sequence that surprises people: an online request to apply goes in first, with an outcome within one week, and only if that is approved can the Letter of Consent application itself be filed. The holder may begin operating only after receiving it. Trading first is not a paperwork irregularity. It is an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990. For a first-time applicant the Letter of Consent runs for the shorter of one year from issue and the Dependant’s Pass expiry, and on renewal to the Dependant’s Pass expiry. It ends when the business is no longer active, in which case it must still be cancelled within a week.

The renewal condition is the most important paragraph on this page for anyone planning a business on a Dependant’s Pass. At renewal the holder must have at least three months of validity left on the Dependant’s Pass, and must have hired at least one Singaporean or permanent resident earning at least the prevailing Local Qualifying Salary who has received CPF contributions for at least three consecutive months preceding the submission date. The Local Qualifying Salary is S$1,800 a month for a full-time local working 35 to 44 hours a week, or S$10.50 an hour gross below 35 hours.

Two traps sit inside that wording. Three consecutive months of CPF contributions means the hire must be in place roughly four months before the renewal date, not in the month you file. And MOM specifies a Singaporean or permanent resident, so a foreign employee does not count however well paid. Renewal can be filed up to six months before expiry, and should be done alongside the Dependant’s Pass.

Table 5. Letter of Consent routes compared

Feature	LOC for ICA LTVP and LTVP+	Pre-approved LOC	LOC for DP business owners
Who it is for	Spouse or child under 21 of a citizen or PR, on an ICA pass	Spouse or child under 21 of a citizen or PR, on an ICA pass	DP holder who owns an ACRA-registered business
Job offer needed first	Yes	No	Not applicable
Who applies	Employer or employment agent	The holder, through ICA	The DP holder, or an employment agent
Self-employment	Per the terms of the LOC	Not allowed	Allowed, that is its purpose
MOM fee	Free	Free	Free
Processing time	1 week for most cases	Outcome emailed within a week	Within 4 weeks for most cases
Renewal condition	LTVP valid 3 months, up to 6 months before expiry	Requested when the LTVP or LTVP+ is renewed	DP valid 3 months, plus 1 local on CPF for 3 months at LQS

Anyone taking this route also becomes a director or shareholder under the Companies Act 1967, which requires at least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore. Our affiliate Raffles Corporate Services handles incorporation and the resident director arrangement, and we handle the pass.

Documents, fees and timelines

For dependants of EP and S Pass holders, the employer or an appointed employment agent files. For PEP and EntrePass dependants, the main pass holder files. For EP (Sponsorship) dependants, the local sponsor files. A dependant cannot apply for their own pass.

Table 6. Documents required

Document	Applies to
Passport personal particulars page	Every applicant, plus the parent’s page for a child sharing a passport
Marriage certificate, or birth certificate showing parents’ names	Spouse or child on a DP
Adoption order or other relevant documents	Legally adopted child on a DP
Verification of Vaccination Requirements from the CDA	Foreign-born children aged 12 and below on a new DP or LTVP. Not needed for existing DP, LTVP or Student’s Pass holders
Common-law certificate, notarised affidavit or embassy letter	Common-law spouse on an LTVP, any one of the three
Medical practitioner’s letter or report	Disabled child aged 21 or above on an LTVP
Custody court order and letter from the other biological parent	Stepchild under 21 on an LTVP, both required
Certified English translation	Any non-English document, uploaded with the original as one file

MOM treats a pass that has expired or been cancelled for more than 30 days as a new application, which brings the vaccination verification back into play for a child aged 12 and below. That is why our fee schedule carries a separate line for it.

Table 7. Fees and timelines, MOM and ICA

Item	Amount or duration
MOM application fee, DP or LTVP	S$105 per pass, on submission
MOM issuance fee, DP or LTVP	S$225 per pass, new and renewal
Multiple Journey Visa	S$30 each, where required
Card replacement	S$65.40 damaged, S$109 first loss, S$327 subsequently, inclusive of GST
Outcome, dependants of EP and S Pass holders	Within 3 weeks for most cases
Outcome, DP for EP (Sponsorship), PEP or EntrePass dependants	Within 6 weeks for most cases
Outcome, LTVP for PEP and EntrePass dependants	Within 8 weeks for most cases
IPA validity, new	6 months for an EP dependant, 2 months for an S Pass dependant
Appeal window	Within 3 months of rejection, at least 3 weeks to process
ICA LTVP	S$45 at submission, S$60 issuance, S$30 MJV if applicable
ICA Student’s Pass	S$45 processing, S$60 issuance, S$30 MJV if applicable

Renewal, cancellation and the end of the principal pass

Renewal can be applied for up to six months, or 180 days, before expiry, and must be applied for before the expiry date. For EP (Sponsorship) and EntrePass dependants the window is three months. Miss it and a fresh application is required. Renewing early costs nothing, because the renewed pass starts when the current one expires. MOM states that applications are evaluated against current criteria and that renewals are not guaranteed, so a sponsor whose salary has fallen below the threshold should expect that to be assessed.

Cancellation is required when the holder plans to leave Singapore to live elsewhere, and can be submitted up to 14 days in advance. If they have already left permanently, the pass must be cancelled within a week of departure unless it has expired. It is not needed where the pass has expired, where the main work pass is being cancelled, or where the holder has become a permanent resident. Before cancelling, the employer must buy an air ticket with check-in luggage and pay connecting transport to the port of entry nearest the holder’s hometown, unless the holder agrees in writing to bear that cost. That duty extends to the dependant, not only the employee.

When the main work pass is cancelled, the family passes go with it and cannot be reinstated, and any related Letter of Consent or Work Permit is cancelled too. That cascade is written into the Work Passes Regulations 2012: where a pass issued by the Controller of Immigration expires unrenewed or is cancelled, any in-principle approval or work pass held by that foreigner also ceases to be valid. A Letter of Consent has no independent life.

A Short-Term Visit Pass can be requested at cancellation to cover the wind-down: up to 90 days for a Dependant’s Pass holder, up to 30 days for a Long-Term Visit Pass holder. The overstaying offence is in the Immigration Act 1959: remaining unlawfully for up to 90 days carries a fine of up to S$4,000 or imprisonment of up to six months or both, and beyond 90 days, imprisonment plus caning of at least three strokes, or a fine of up to S$6,000 where caning cannot be imposed.

Children: newborns, turning 21 and the Student’s Pass

A birth in Singapore must be registered with ICA within 14 calendar days. The parents then receive the birth certificate and an ICA advisory note confirming a Special Pass allowing the newborn to stay for 42 days from birth, within which they must obtain a passport and apply for an immigration pass. MOM states the consequence plainly: any delay beyond 42 days is an offence under the Immigration Act. If the passport is not ready, the application can still be filed with proof of the passport application.

The Dependant’s Pass covers unmarried children under 21, and there is no adult version. MOM’s position, stated for PEP and ONE Pass families and applied generally, is that passes for family are not available for children who are married or over 21, and that they may obtain their own work pass if they wish to work here. The twenty-first birthday is therefore a planning date. The options are a Student’s Pass if the young adult is in full-time education here, their own Employment Pass or S Pass if they qualify, a Long-Term Visit Pass if they are an unmarried disabled child, or departure. Marriage before 21 also ends the pass. Start eighteen months out, because an Employment Pass at a young age must clear both the age-graded qualifying salary and COMPASS. See also our page on the Singapore PR application.

On the Student’s Pass, ICA is explicit that holders of a valid Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass or Immigration Exemption Order do not need one for full-time, non-religious studies, and may enrol in any school within the duration of their existing pass. The corollary matters: if that pass expires or is cancelled during the course, a Student’s Pass must be applied for to continue studying. Applications go in online at least two months and not more than three months before the course begins, and ICA recommends applying before arrival because the stay cannot be extended during processing. Processing is within one week, or two weeks where a visa is required. The pass is digital only, and part-time, evening and weekend courses are not eligible.

The law underneath all of this

Table 8. The legal framework for family passes and work rights

Instrument	What it governs here
Immigration Act 1959	Entry and departure, entry permits, passes, lawful stay, and the offence of remaining after a pass is cancelled or expires
Immigration Regulations	The classes of pass, their conditions and cancellation
Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990	Work passes, the prohibition on working without one, employer duties, offences, penalties and debarment
Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations 2012	The categories of work pass including the letter of consent, and the schedules of conditions and fees
Companies Act 1967	The resident director requirement where a pass holder runs a company
Employment Act 1968	Statutory employment protections for employees, including foreign employees

Immigration Act 1959 and the Immigration Regulations

MOM names the Immigration Act as the legislation behind both passes. The Immigration Regulations list the classes of pass that entitle a person to enter and remain temporarily, and the dependant’s pass provision is the one that matters. It allows the pass to be issued to the spouse or dependent child of a work pass holder, provides that its validity must not exceed the period of the principal’s work pass, and makes it subject to the condition that the holder must not engage in any paid employment, or any business, profession or occupation, without a work pass from the Controller of Work Passes. That condition is the source of everything on this page about work rights.

An entry permit is a different instrument: a non-citizen who wishes to be a permanent resident applies for one, and it authorises entry once within a specified period or, if the holder is already here, continued stay. A pass is temporary permission; an entry permit is the instrument of permanent residence. The Act also provides that a person must not remain in Singapore after a permit is cancelled or a pass expires or is cancelled, and gives the Controller express power to cancel the passes of the family and dependants of a person whose own pass has been cancelled. That is the statutory basis for the cascade MOM describes.

Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 and the Work Passes Regulations 2012

Section 5 provides that nobody may employ a foreign employee without a valid work pass, that a foreign employee must not be in employment without one, and that nobody may employ one otherwise than in accordance with the pass conditions. An employer in breach faces a fine of at least S$5,000 and not more than S$30,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both, with heavier mandatory penalties on a second conviction. The employee faces up to S$20,000, two years, or both. Not knowing the person was a foreigner is no defence unless the employer proves due diligence, which requires having checked the passport or travel document.

Section 10 catches the Dependant’s Pass holder who trades without a Letter of Consent: a foreigner must not be a self-employed foreigner without a valid work pass, on the same penalty. Section 22 adds the general offences, including contravening a pass condition, at up to S$10,000 or 12 months or both, and a false or misleading declaration to the Controller, at up to S$20,000 or two years or both. Section 7 lets the Controller vary, suspend or revoke a pass and debar a person from applying for one for a fixed period, having regard among other things to whether they act in concert with, or are an associate of, a debarred person. Associate is defined widely enough to reach spouses, relatives, partners and controlled companies.

The Work Passes Regulations 2012 list the categories of work pass, letter of consent included, which makes it a work pass in law rather than a lesser permission. Regulation 11 ties it to the immigration pass and obliges the holder to engage only in what is specified, to obtain prior consent before anything else, and to notify the Controller within seven days when the employment or the immigration pass ends. Of the eight schedules, the Fourth Schedule carries the conditions of the work permit, its first part covering employers of domestic workers, including upkeep, food, medical treatment and safe working conditions. We say that precisely because it is often cited loosely: the Fourth Schedule is the Work Permit schedule, not the Employment Pass one. The Sixth Schedule does the equivalent for the employment pass, defining fixed monthly salary, requiring payment within seven days of the salary period, barring the employer from taking any benefit from an employment agency, and requiring cancellation and written notice within seven days after employment ceases.

Companies Act 1967 and Employment Act 1968

A Dependant’s Pass holder who becomes a director or shareholder is subject to the Companies Act 1967 like anyone else. Every company must have at least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore; a director must be a natural person aged at least 18 and of full legal capacity; and a director must not resign unless a resident director remains. Where a company trades without a resident director for more than six months, a member who knows it is doing so becomes personally liable for the debts contracted in that period.

Foreign employees are employees. The Employment Act 1968 defines an employee as a person working under a contract of service, and includes a workman; seafarers and domestic workers are excluded, but nationality is not a criterion, so a spouse on a DP-Work Permit and an LTVP holder on a Letter of Consent are covered. Part 4, on rest days and hours of work, is tiered by salary rather than by pass: it applies to workmen earning not more than S$4,500 a month and to non-managerial, non-executive employees earning not more than S$2,600.

Frequently asked questions

What salary do I need to bring my family to Singapore?

A fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000 to sponsor a spouse or child, and at least S$12,000 to sponsor a parent. MOM assesses your own salary, not combined household income.

Can my spouse work on a Dependant’s Pass?

Not on the Dependant’s Pass itself. An employer must apply for an Employment Pass, S Pass or DP-Work Permit. If your spouse owns an ACRA-registered business as a sole proprietor, partner, or director with at least 30 per cent shareholding, they can instead apply for a Letter of Consent to operate it.

What is the difference between MOM’s LTVP and ICA’s LTVP?

MOM’s LTVP is for the family of a work pass holder and covers common-law spouses, stepchildren, disabled adult children and parents. ICA’s is for the family of a citizen or permanent resident. Only the ICA version gives access to a Letter of Consent.

What is LTVP+ and how do I get it?

The LTVP+ is issued by ICA to certain foreign spouses of citizens and permanent residents, and for work purposes is treated like an ICA-issued LTVP. ICA publishes no standalone eligibility page for it, so we do not state criteria the authority has not published.

How much does a Dependant’s Pass cost?

MOM charges S$105 to apply and S$225 to issue each pass, with S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa where required. Our fee is S$600 for a new Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass and S$200 for a renewal, with an additional S$280 for a Dependant’s Pass child aged 12 or below.

How long does a Dependant’s Pass application take?

Within three weeks for most EP and S Pass dependants, six weeks for EP (Sponsorship), PEP or EntrePass dependants, and eight weeks for a Long-Term Visit Pass in the PEP and EntrePass cases.

Can I bring my parents to Singapore?

Yes, on MOM’s Long-Term Visit Pass, if your fixed monthly salary is at least S$12,000. It covers your own parents. Parents-in-law are not covered, and ICA’s citizen and PR route excludes them too.

Can my unmarried partner join me?

Possibly, on MOM’s Long-Term Visit Pass as a common-law spouse. You will need a common-law marriage certificate, a notarised affidavit from your home country or region, or an embassy letter. A relationship not legally recognised anywhere will not qualify.

What happens to my child’s Dependant’s Pass when they turn 21?

It ends, and there is no adult version. The options are a Student’s Pass, their own Employment Pass or S Pass, a Long-Term Visit Pass if they are an unmarried disabled child, or departure. Plan at least a year ahead.

What happens to my family’s passes if I lose my job?

All family passes are cancelled with your work pass and cannot be reinstated, and any Letter of Consent or Work Permit held on the back of a Dependant’s Pass goes too. A Short-Term Visit Pass can be requested at cancellation: up to 90 days for a Dependant’s Pass holder, up to 30 days for an LTVP holder.

Do I need to renew the Letter of Consent when I renew the Dependant’s Pass?

Yes, and do both together, because the Letter of Consent cannot outlive the Dependant’s Pass. At renewal you need at least three months of validity left on the Dependant’s Pass and at least one Singaporean or permanent resident hired at the Local Qualifying Salary of S$1,800 with CPF contributions for three consecutive months before submission.

My baby was born in Singapore. What do I do?

Register the birth with ICA within 14 calendar days. A Special Pass allows the newborn to stay for 42 days from birth. Within that time, get a passport from your embassy and apply for the Dependant’s Pass. A delay beyond 42 days is an offence under the Immigration Act.

Does my child need a Student’s Pass if they already have a Dependant’s Pass?

No. ICA confirms that holders of a valid Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass or Immigration Exemption Order do not need one for full-time, non-religious studies. If that pass expires or is cancelled mid-course, a Student’s Pass must then be applied for.

Can a Dependant’s Pass holder volunteer?

Yes, with no work pass, provided no payment is involved and the activity is for a charitable purpose.

How we can help

Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd is an employment agency licensed by the Ministry of Manpower, EA Licence 19C9790. We prepare and file Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass and Letter of Consent applications, and we handle renewals, appeals and cancellations.

Table 9. Our published fees for family passes

Service	Our fee	Notes
Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass, new	S$600	Per pass. MOM fees are separate
Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass, renewal	S$200	Per pass. MOM fees are separate
Additional, Dependant’s Pass child aged 12 or below	S$280	Covers the vaccination verification workstream
Letter of Consent, new	S$300	MOM charges no fee for the Letter of Consent
Letter of Consent, renewal	S$150	MOM charges no fee for the Letter of Consent

We check the sponsor against the applicable threshold before anything is filed, sort which family members fall under which pass, tell you where the evidence is thin, assemble and check the documents including translations, file, and manage the exchanges with MOM through to card delivery. Where a Letter of Consent is in play we map the renewal condition to a date and tell you when the local hire has to be in place.

We do not promise approvals. MOM decides every application on its merits, ICA decides its own, and no agency controls either. Where we think an application is unlikely to succeed as it stands, we will say so and tell you what would need to change. We do not file ICA applications that require a citizen or permanent resident sponsor to act through their own Singpass. Where a matter needs legal advice, such as a custody order for a stepchild, we refer it to an independent Singapore law firm.

Talk to our team about a family pass application, or read more on the MOM Long-Term Visit Pass, the Employment Pass and the S Pass. For incorporation and the resident director requirement behind a Letter of Consent business, see our affiliate Raffles Corporate Services.

Official sources

• MOM: Eligibility for Dependant’s Pass
• MOM: Working in Singapore for Dependant’s Pass holders
• MOM: Apply for a Dependant’s Pass
• MOM: Getting a Dependant’s Pass for a newborn
• MOM: Eligibility for Long-Term Visit Pass
• MOM: Documents required for Long-Term Visit Pass
• MOM: Eligibility for LOC for DP holders who are business owners
• MOM: Eligibility for LOC for ICA-issued LTVP and LTVP+ holders
• MOM: Eligibility for Pre-approved Letter of Consent
• MOM: Work passes for holders of LTVPs issued by ICA
• MOM: Local Qualifying Salary
• ICA: Becoming a Long-Term Visit Pass holder
• ICA: Becoming a Student’s Pass holder
• Singapore Statutes Online: Immigration Act 1959
• Singapore Statutes Online: Immigration Regulations
• Singapore Statutes Online: Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990
• Singapore Statutes Online: Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations 2012
• Singapore Statutes Online: Companies Act 1967
• Singapore Statutes Online: Employment Act 1968

Figures checked against MOM, ICA and Singapore Statutes Online guidance on 15 September 2026. Eligibility and approval depend on the individual application, and the Ministry of Manpower and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority decide their own cases. This page is general information and not legal advice. See our legal and referral information.