ONE Pass: Documents Required and Templates (SG)

Overseas networks and expertise are the two qualifying pillars behind Singapore’s ONE Pass, a premium work pass that lets top global talent in business, arts, sports, science or academia work, start a company, or sit on boards here without being tied to a single sponsoring employer.

Need help with this? Call, SMS or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133, or email [email protected]. Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.

What Is the Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) Pass?

The ONE Pass is a work pass introduced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on 1 January 2023 for top-tier foreign talent across business, arts and culture, sports, science and technology, and academia and research. Unlike an Employment Pass (EP), which ties a foreign employee to one named employer, the ONE Pass is largely employer-agnostic: a holder can work for more than one Singapore company at the same time, start and run their own business, or take on non-executive board positions, all under a single pass. The trade-off is a higher qualifying bar and a longer validity period of five years, compared with up to two years for a first-time EP.

Because the pass is meant to draw people with strong overseas networks and expertise into the Singapore economy, MOM assesses applicants either against a high fixed salary benchmark or against a track record of outstanding achievement in their field, rather than against a specific job vacancy.

Who Is the ONE Pass For?

The pass suits three broad profiles. First, senior executives and specialists already earning at the top end of the market who want the flexibility to advise, consult or hold multiple appointments in Singapore. Second, founders and entrepreneurs who want to establish or grow a Singapore-based venture without first securing a conventional job offer. Third, individuals with outstanding achievement in arts and culture, sport, or academia and research, who may not meet the salary threshold but can demonstrate recognised distinction in their field, such as major awards, senior academic appointments, or leadership of internationally recognised organisations.

It is not designed for early or mid-career professionals, or for roles that would ordinarily be filled through an S Pass or Work Permit; those pathways remain the correct route for most foreign employees in Singapore.

Eligibility Requirements for the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass

An applicant must meet one of two routes:

Salary route: a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000, or the equivalent for part-time or non-traditional work arrangements, benchmarked against the top five per cent of Employment Pass holders.
Achievement route: demonstrated outstanding achievement in business, arts and culture, sports, science and technology, or academia and research, even where the salary threshold is not met.

Applicants who do not yet have a job offer in Singapore may still apply, provided they can show a strong employment track record; if successful, the pass is issued for two years to allow time to secure employment or start a business, with the fuller five-year validity available on the following renewal once local employment is in place. Family members of a ONE Pass holder are generally eligible for Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass consideration, subject to the usual immigration processing by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

ONE Pass Compared with the Employment Pass

Prospective applicants often ask why they should pursue the ONE Pass rather than a conventional Employment Pass, given that both permit a foreign professional to work in Singapore. The practical differences matter more than the labels. An Employment Pass is tied to a single named employer; if the holder changes jobs, a fresh application must be filed and approved before the new role can start, and the pass typically runs for up to two years on a first grant, renewable in further two or three-year blocks. The ONE Pass, by contrast, is granted for up to five years, does not require the holder to be attached to only one employer, and permits concurrent employment, directorships and self-employment without a fresh application each time a new engagement begins, provided MOM is notified within the stipulated period.

The cost of that flexibility is eligibility. Employment Pass applicants are assessed mainly against the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) points system and a qualifying salary that varies by age, whereas ONE Pass applicants must clear a materially higher fixed salary bar or demonstrate genuinely outstanding achievement, a bar few applicants meet in their first few years of a career. For most foreign professionals moving to Singapore for a single role with a single employer, the Employment Pass remains the more accessible and appropriate route; the ONE Pass is best reserved for senior, highly mobile individuals whose overseas networks and expertise span more than one organisation or sector.

Documents Required for a ONE Pass Application

Because the ONE Pass is assessed holistically rather than against a single job description, the supporting documents matter more than for a routine Employment Pass. A typical application file includes:

Passport particulars page and a recent passport-sized photograph.
A detailed curriculum vitae covering the full employment history, not just the most recent role.
Proof of fixed monthly salary where the salary route is used: the latest employment contract, recent payslips, or a signed offer letter setting out the fixed monthly component.
Evidence of outstanding achievement where the achievement route is used: awards, media coverage, board or committee appointments, published research, or letters of recognition from established industry or academic bodies.
Educational and professional certificates, with certified translations where the original is not in English.
For applicants intending to be employed: the sponsoring company’s latest ACRA business profile and, where relevant, its most recent audited or management financial statements.
For applicants intending to start a business: a business plan or incorporation documents, if the company has already been set up.

Templates that help at this stage include a standardised CV format organised by employer and date range, a cover letter mapping each claimed achievement to a supporting document, and a checklist tracking which documents are certified, translated or still outstanding. A useful discipline is to build the file as a single indexed bundle rather than a loose collection of attachments: a short cover index listing every document, cross-referenced to the specific eligibility criterion it supports, makes the officer’s review faster and reduces the likelihood of a request for further information. Little Big Employment Agency maintains internal templates of this kind for clients preparing a ONE Pass file; these are separate from, and do not replace, the well-established related checklist referenced below.

Cost and Timeline

MOM’s standard work pass fee structure applies to the ONE Pass. As a planning guide:

Application fee: S$105, payable when the application is submitted.
Issuance fee: S$225, payable once the pass is approved and before collection.
Typical processing time: three to eight weeks from a complete submission, though achievement-route applications with more extensive supporting evidence can take longer.
Validity: up to five years on a full grant, or two years where the applicant has no local employer at the point of application.
Salary threshold: S$30,000 fixed monthly salary under the salary route, reviewed periodically by MOM.

These figures are MOM’s published fees at the time of writing and should always be verified against the current schedule on the Ministry of Manpower’s website before an application is filed, since work pass fees and thresholds are periodically revised.

Step-by-Step Application Process

1. Confirm the qualifying route (salary or achievement) and gather documentary evidence against that route specifically, rather than a mixed file.

2. Prepare the CV, cover narrative and supporting certificates, obtaining certified translations for any document not in English.

3. If applying through a sponsoring company, ensure the company’s corporate records are current, including its ACRA business profile and, where the entity requires one, its company secretary and statutory filings; a company that is behind on its own filings can slow down the overall application.

4. Submit the application through MOM’s EP Online system, either directly or through an appointed employment agency.

5. Respond promptly to any request for additional information; delays in supplying clarifications are the most common cause of processing time extending beyond eight weeks.

6. On approval, pay the issuance fee and complete the formalities for the pass, including any in-person appointment required by MOM.

7. Where dependants will apply for a Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass, prepare that application in parallel so it can be lodged as soon as the ONE Pass is issued, working with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s requirements for supporting documents.

Common Mistakes and Gotchas

Applying under the salary route with a total remuneration package that looks impressive on paper but has a fixed monthly component below S$30,000; MOM looks at the fixed monthly salary specifically, not variable bonuses or allowances.
Submitting an achievement-route application without third-party corroboration; self-reported claims of seniority or influence carry little weight without independent evidence.
Assuming the ONE Pass removes all notification obligations. Holders who take up new employment or directorships must still inform MOM within a set period, and failing to do so can jeopardise the pass.
Treating the pass as a substitute for proper corporate housekeeping. Founders using the ONE Pass to start a Singapore company still need to meet ordinary company law obligations, including the classification and treatment of financial instruments under prevailing accounting standards; smaller companies handling loans, trade receivables or intercompany balances should review our guide to FRS 109 Financial Instruments in Singapore: Classification and Expected Credit Loss for SMEs early, not after the first audit.
Overlooking the company secretary requirement. Every Singapore private company must appoint a qualified company secretary within six months of incorporation, and ONE Pass holders setting up a new entity often leave this until it becomes urgent; see our guide on how to appoint a Company Secretary in Singapore: Role, Duties and How to Appoint One (2026).
Underestimating the achievement-route evidence burden. Applicants sometimes assume seniority alone is sufficient; MOM and the Economic Development Board (EDB), which is often consulted informally on strategic-sector applications, generally expect documented, verifiable distinction.

Related Guides

This article covers documents and templates; for a fuller breakdown of the qualifying criteria themselves, including how MOM weighs the salary and achievement routes against each other, see our companion guide, Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) Pass: Eligibility and Requirements Checklist. The legal basis for work pass requirements in Singapore sits in the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990, which sets out the framework under which foreign employees must hold a valid work pass to be employed here, and the Immigration Act 1959, which governs the conditions of entry, stay and departure of foreign nationals and is administered by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Applicants and employers should also monitor the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) published guidance directly, since work pass criteria, fees and salary thresholds are reviewed from time to time.

FAQs

Do I need a job offer in Singapore to apply for the ONE Pass? No. An applicant with a strong employment track record may apply without a job offer, though the pass is then issued for two years rather than the full five, to allow time to secure employment or start a business here.

Can a ONE Pass holder work for more than one company? Yes, this is one of the pass’s main features. Holders may take up concurrent employment, directorships, or consultancy work across multiple Singapore entities, subject to notifying MOM of new appointments within the stipulated period.

What is the minimum salary for the ONE Pass? Under the salary route, a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 is required. Applicants who do not meet this threshold may still qualify under the achievement route if they can demonstrate outstanding achievement in their field.

How long does a ONE Pass application take? Typically three to eight weeks from a complete submission, though achievement-route applications with more extensive documentary evidence can take longer, particularly where verification of overseas credentials is required.

Does Little Big Employment Agency provide legal advice on ONE Pass applications? No. Little Big Employment Agency prepares and submits work pass applications and works alongside a panel of corporate and employment law firms for matters requiring formal legal advice; this article is general information only.