Reduce EP Holder Salary: The MOM Request, Re-Qualification Test and Risk to Family Passes

Short answer: An employer can reduce EP holder salary, or S Pass salary, only by asking MOM at least one month before the lower pay starts. The holder must still meet the qualifying salary at the new figure, or the pass should be cancelled. A salary that no longer supports family passes means MOM revokes them.

This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. For matters needing legal advice, we work with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms.

For a Singapore work pass holder, a lower salary is not only a payroll matter. It changes whether the pass still qualifies and whether the holder’s family can stay. This guide explains how to reduce EP holder salary, and S Pass salary, without breaking MOM’s rules, as at 2 November 2026.

Can an employer reduce EP holder salary without telling MOM?

No. MOM’s pages for the Employment Pass (EP) and the S Pass both say the employer must notify MOM when it lowers or raises a pass holder’s salary. A pay cut agreed privately with the employee, and never reported, leaves the salary on MOM’s records higher than the pay actually received.

This rule applies to EP and S Pass holders. Work Permit holders follow a different process, which is not covered here. See the MOM page on notifying changes to an Employment Pass and the equivalent page for the S Pass.

What salary must the pass holder still meet after a cut?

The pass holder must keep meeting the qualifying salary for the pass held, and the qualifying salary rises with age. MOM’s page also says the holder must continue to qualify “with the revised salary”. The table shows the figures that matter this winter (all sectors except financial services, which have higher figures on MOM’s pages).

Pass and age	Current (as at 2 November 2026)	New applications from 1 January 2027; renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028
EP, age 23 or below	S$5,600	S$6,000
EP, age 30	S$7,223	S$7,750
EP, age 35	S$8,382	S$9,000
EP, age 45 or above	S$10,700	S$11,500
S Pass, age 23 or below	S$3,300	S$3,600
S Pass, age 30	S$3,777	S$4,077
S Pass, age 35	S$4,118	S$4,418
S Pass, age 45 or above	S$4,800	S$5,100

Source: MOM, Eligibility for Employment Pass (updated 28 April 2026) and Eligibility for S Pass (updated 1 September 2026). Our full EP and S Pass salary by age tables list every age from 23 to 45.

The right-hand column matters for timing. The current figures still govern new applications until 31 December 2026 and renewals of passes expiring before 1 January 2028. A holder who clears the current figure after a cut may not clear the 2027 figure when a new pass is needed.

What counts as salary for this test?

MOM counts the fixed monthly salary, which is basic monthly salary plus fixed monthly allowances. Pay that varies from month to month does not count.

Per MOM, variable allowances, overtime, bonuses, commission, annual wage supplements, stock options, dividends, in-kind payments, reimbursements, productivity incentives, employer CPF-type contributions and gratuity on discharge are excluded. If the fixed part falls, the test applies to the lower fixed figure. MOM’s fixed monthly salary FAQ sets out the full list.

How do you file the MOM request to lower a salary?

File an online request with MOM at least one month before the date the lower salary is meant to start. Check eligibility first, because a request that fails the test leads to cancellation, not approval.

1. Run the holder’s age, role and proposed salary through MOM’s Self-Assessment Tool. MOM’s FAQ on reducing salaries advises doing this before submitting the request. Our guide to using the MOM Self-Assessment Tool shows the steps.
2. Choose an effective date at least one month after the day you plan to submit.
3. Submit the salary reduction request through the form linked from MOM’s notification page for that pass (EP or S Pass).
4. Wait for MOM’s response before the lower pay starts. MOM’s pages do not describe the reply, so treat this as a safeguard.
5. Keep the signed salary variation, the revised contract and the MOM request together for the next renewal.

MOM’s pages do not carve out temporary or part-time reductions, so treat a downturn cut, or a part-time switch that lowers fixed monthly salary, the same way.

What if the pass holder no longer qualifies at the lower salary?

MOM’s instruction is to cancel the work pass and apply for a new work pass based on the holder’s eligibility. A pass cannot stay in place on a salary below its qualifying level.

Situation	What the employer does
Holder still qualifies at the lower salary	File the request at least 1 month ahead, keep records and renew as normal.
Holder qualifies for the pass held today, but not for a 2027 renewal or new application	Plan the next pass now: a different pass type, a restored salary at renewal or a change of role.
Holder does not qualify at the lower salary	Do not reduce under the existing pass. Cancel and reapply on actual eligibility (or restructure the pay).
Cut would drop pay below the family pass thresholds	Check the S$6,000 and S$12,000 thresholds first. MOM revokes passes that no longer qualify.

If the EP is cancelled, MOM states that all related passes issued to family members are also cancelled and cannot be reinstated. The employer must cancel within 1 week after the last day of notice, and may request a Short-Term Visit Pass of up to 90 days for a holder still in Singapore. A cancelled holder cannot work, even while waiting to leave (per MOM, Cancel an Employment Pass). Our work pass cancellation and repatriation guide covers the steps and costs.

What happens to Dependant’s Passes and parents’ passes when pay falls?

MOM revokes any existing Dependant’s Pass (DP) or Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) tied to the work pass if the holder fails the criteria for those privileges at the revised salary. The thresholds are fixed monthly salary figures.

Family member	Pass	Salary threshold (per MOM, as at 2 November 2026)
Legally married spouse; unmarried children under 21	Dependant’s Pass	At least S$6,000 fixed monthly salary (EP or S Pass)
Common-law spouse; unmarried step-children under 21; handicapped unmarried children aged 21 and above	Long-Term Visit Pass	At least S$6,000 (EP)
Parents	Long-Term Visit Pass	EP holders earning at least S$12,000

A cut from S$12,500 to S$11,500 therefore ends parent LTVP eligibility, even though the EP still qualifies. A cut from S$6,300 to S$5,800 ends family passes entirely. Read the MOM page on passes for families of EP holders and our guide to family relocation, Dependant’s Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass before agreeing to a figure near these lines.

What do the numbers look like in practice?

Three examples show the test. All use figures from the table above (all sectors except financial services) and assume the holder is the stated age when assessed.

• EP holder aged 35, from S$9,500 to S$8,600: S$8,600 is above S$8,382, so the pass still qualifies under today’s rule and for a renewal of a pass expiring before 1 January 2028. It is below S$9,000, so a new application from 1 January 2027 would not qualify. The Dependant’s Pass is safe above S$6,000.
• EP holder aged 35, from S$9,500 to S$7,900: below S$8,382, so the pass no longer qualifies. The employer cancels and reapplies on actual eligibility. Any new application would also fail the age-35 figure, now and from 1 January 2027, so the realistic options are a different pass or a role at a higher salary.
• S Pass holder aged 30, from S$4,200 to S$3,900: above S$3,777, so the pass still qualifies today, but below the S$4,077 that applies from 1 January 2027 to new applications and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028.

These are arithmetic checks against MOM’s tables, not a prediction of any MOM decision. Use the Self-Assessment Tool for the actual person.

How does a salary cut interact with the January 2027 qualifying salary rise?

The 2027 figures apply to new applications from 1 January 2027 and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028, so a cut made now can look fine today and fail at the next pass event. Plan the cut with the holder’s pass expiry date in front of you.

A pass expiring in March 2027 renews under the current figures. One expiring in March 2028 renews under the 2027 figures. Our EP renewal walkthrough explains what MOM checks at renewal.

The reverse direction is simpler. MOM says an employer need not inform it immediately of a raise, and can indicate the new salary at renewal, unless it is applying for dependant privileges. For an S Pass raise tied to a dependant application, MOM asks for the holder’s itemised payslips for the past 3 months and a clear copy of the latest IRAS statement.

Why does MOM care if pay is cut or paid below the declared figure?

The salary declared in a work pass application is a basis for approval, and MOM prosecutes false declarations. In a case announced on 16 October 2026, two individuals were found guilty of paying two EP holders between S$800 and S$2,300 a month, far below declared monthly salaries of S$5,100 and S$7,350.

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990, a false declaration in a work pass application carries a fine of up to S$20,000, up to 2 years’ imprisonment, or both. MOM may also bar convicted entities or individuals from employing foreign workers, and says it has stepped up investigations (per MOM, press release of 16 October 2026). The lesson for a pay cut is simple: if the real fixed monthly salary changes, the MOM record changes too.

Before any cut, match payslips, bank transfers and MOM’s record month by month. Our guide to retrenchment with an Employment Pass covers the cancellation path if cost-cutting goes further than pay.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cut an EP holder’s salary with the employee’s agreement but without MOM’s approval?

No. The employee’s consent does not replace the notification. MOM’s guidance is that the employer must notify it when lowering a pass holder’s salary, at least 1 month before the intended date. Separately, the employment contract governs whether the cut is allowed as a matter of employment law, so get the variation in writing and take legal advice if the employee objects.

How far in advance must I tell MOM about a lower salary?

At least 1 month before the date you intend to lower the salary, for both the EP and the S Pass (per MOM, as at 2 November 2026).

Do I need to tell MOM when I give an EP holder a pay rise?

Not immediately. MOM says an EP raise can be indicated when you renew the pass, unless you are applying for dependant privileges, in which case the holder must notify MOM before applying.

What if the new salary is below the qualifying salary for the holder’s age?

Then the pass should be cancelled and a new pass applied for based on eligibility. Cancelling an EP also cancels the family passes tied to it, and they cannot be reinstated.

Does the January 2027 rise affect an existing pass straight away?

MOM applies the 2027 figures to new applications from 1 January 2027 and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028. A salary cut still triggers the notification and the qualification check.

Cutting a pass holder’s pay near a threshold is a decision worth checking before it takes effect. Contact Little Big Employment Agency for pass, PR and citizenship applications. Email [email protected], or Call/SMS/WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. For payroll records and accounting support, see Raffles Corporate Services.

Last reviewed: 2 November 2026. The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency.