Work Permit for foreign worker

What the Work Permit is, and who it is for

The Work Permit is the pass MOM issues to migrant workers in five sectors: construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard, process and services. MOM describes the holders as unskilled or semi-skilled workers. Unlike the Employment Pass and the S Pass, there is no minimum qualifying salary. In exchange, it carries more conditions than any other pass. The worker’s nationality must be on the approved list for the sector. The permit names one employer and one occupation, and the worker may work only for that employer and in that occupation. The employer must buy a security bond, house the worker to a published standard, send them for medical examination and, in most sectors, for an orientation programme and a safety course before the permit can be issued, pay a monthly levy, and bring the worker home at the end.

Work Permit holders cannot bring family members to Singapore. There is no Dependant’s Pass on this route at any salary.

Who may submit the application

An employer or an appointed employment agent must apply. A worker cannot apply for their own permit. A company that has never applied for a Work Permit must first declare its business activity, and MOM assigns it to a sector from that declaration. The sector determines the source countries, the quota, the levy rate, the training requirements and, in construction and process, whether the company is permitted to hire at all.

Age limits and maximum employment period

The worker must be at least 18 years old and below 62 years old when the Work Permit application is made, regardless of nationality. Once employed, a Work Permit holder may continue working until they reach 64, which is pegged to Singapore’s retirement age.

On maximum employment periods, we have to be straight with you about what MOM publishes. The renewal page states that the duration of a renewed permit may be shortened by “the maximum employment period of your workers” and refers readers to the sector rules. The five sector pages, as published on 15 September 2026, set out the age limits, the source countries, the quota and the levy but do not publish a maximum employment period table. The practical constraint most employers meet is therefore the age ceiling of 64, together with the renewal constraints described below. Where a specific maximum period applies to a worker, it is stated on the renewal notice in WP Online, and that is the figure to work from.

Eligibility by sector and source country

MOM divides source countries into three groups. Malaysia sits on its own. The North Asian sources, abbreviated NAS, are Hong Kong holders of an HKSAR passport, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan. The Non-Traditional Sources, abbreviated NTS, are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The People’s Republic of China is treated as its own category.

Table 1. Approved source countries and regions by sector

Sector	Malaysia	PRC	NAS	NTS
Construction	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Marine shipyard	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Process	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manufacturing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only for occupations on the NTS Occupation List
Services	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only for occupations on the NTS Occupation List

Sector qualification, and why it is not a matter of preference

A company does not choose its sector. MOM assigns it, and the criteria are specific.

• Construction. To apply for or renew Work Permits and S Passes for construction workers of any nationality, the company must be registered in the Building and Construction Authority’s Contractors Registration System.
• Manufacturing. The company must have a valid factory notification or registration, use machinery to manufacture or produce items from raw materials, operate in a designated industrial area, and, for food processing, hold a valid Singapore Food Agency licence for a food processing establishment or slaughterhouse. Assembly of ready-made parts, bulk-breaking, changing product colour, basic cutting or trimming, printing alone, repair and maintenance, testing or quality control, and packing or repacking are not manufacturing activities.
• Marine shipyard. The principal business activity must be shipbuilding or ship repair, and the company must qualify as a shipyard or a shipyard-sponsored contractor. Sponsoring shipyards and resident contractors do not need prior approval for NTS or PRC permits; non-sponsoring shipyards and common contractors do. NTS and PRC workers may only be employed in the approved occupations MOM publishes for the sector, and must work within the shipyard’s premises.
• Process. A company providing process construction and maintenance services to plants must be a corporate member of the Association of the Process Industry, be endorsed by it as a PCM contractor, and appear on the PCM Controlled List. NTS and PRC workers in this sector may only be employed as a Process Maintenance and Construction Worker, a Process Maintenance Construction Worker-cum-Driver, or a Driver (Process).
• Services. The principal business activity must be one of the listed service activities, including financial, insurance, real estate, infocomm and business services, transport and storage, retail and wholesale trade, community, social and personal services, hotels, and restaurants, coffee shops, food courts and other approved food establishments. Food stalls and hawker stalls are excluded. Only operators holding a Singapore Food Agency foodshop licence may employ migrant workers, and for a private limited company or a limited liability partnership the licence must bear the company’s name, not an individual’s.

Reclassification is a live risk. A manufacturer that deploys its workers into a retail or food and beverage outlet needs a separate services work pass account. A company that stops meeting the manufacturing criteria can be reclassified into services, where the Dependency Ratio Ceiling falls from 60 per cent to 35 per cent overnight.

The Non-Traditionally Sourced Occupation List

Manufacturing and services firms cannot ordinarily hire from the nine Non-Traditional Sources. The NTS Occupation List is the exception: it names a restricted set of occupations for which those firms may hire NTS workers, subject to three conditions.

The three conditions

• The firm must keep within a sub-Dependency Ratio Ceiling of 8 per cent for NTS Work Permit holders employed in occupations on the list.
• The firm must pay each Work Permit holder performing an occupation on the list a fixed monthly salary of at least S$2,000.
• The Work Permit holder must only perform the occupation stated on their Work Permit.

The S$2,000 condition is the one that changes the economics. It is not a general Work Permit minimum, and it does not apply to Malaysian, PRC or NAS workers, or to NTS workers in construction, marine shipyard or process. It applies specifically to NTS workers hired into manufacturing and services under this list. An employer planning an NTS hire in those two sectors should budget for S$2,000 in fixed monthly salary plus the levy on top.

Table 2. The NTS Occupation List and the conditions attached to each occupation

Occupation	What the firm must hold or satisfy
Cabin attendants	A valid Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Air Operator Certificate, or a Foreign Operator’s Permit while operating scheduled services to or from Singapore
Childcare workers: babysitters and infant caregivers, child or after-school care centre workers, teacher aides	A valid Early Childhood Development Centre licence, or appointment by the Early Childhood Development Agency under the ChildMinding Pilot
Food processing workers, excluding supervisors and general foremen, and excluding tasters, graders, bakers, pastry-cooks and confectionery makers	A valid SFA Food Processing Establishment or Slaughterhouse licence in the firm’s ACRA-registered name
Food services workers: butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers, cooks, food and drink stall assistants, kitchen assistants, waiters	A services-sector work pass account and a valid SFA Food Shop or Supermarket licence in the firm’s ACRA-registered name
Heavy vehicle drivers: bus, lorry and trailer truck drivers	Workers hold a class 4 or 5 licence as at 1 September 2025, and are not driving cars or light goods vehicles, which are class 3
Housekeeping workers and porters	The firm is a licensed hotel
Manufacturing workers: assemblers, machine operators, metal moulders and coremakers, quality checkers and testers, riggers and cable splicers, sheet metal workers, structural metal preparers and erectors, welders and flame cutters	A manufacturing-sector work pass account

On the September 2026 expansion

MOM updated the NTS Occupation List page on 1 September 2026, and Table 2 above reproduces the list as it stands on that updated page. We should be honest about a limit on what we can verify: MOM’s live page publishes the current list but does not, on the page itself, identify which occupations were added at that update. We have not reproduced any claim about which entries are new, because we cannot verify it from MOM’s own published pages. What we can say with confidence is that the list in Table 2, the 8 per cent sub-ceiling and the S$2,000 salary condition are the requirements MOM publishes today.

One further practical point. The Job Flexibility Scheme, which lets services-sector Work Permit holders multi-task across occupations, does not apply to workers employed under the NTS Occupation List. An NTS worker hired as a kitchen assistant must work as a kitchen assistant.

Quota: the Dependency Ratio Ceiling and the sub-quotas

The Dependency Ratio Ceiling is the maximum proportion of a company’s total workforce that may be made up of Work Permit and S Pass holders combined. MOM expresses it as a percentage for services and manufacturing, and as a ratio of workers per local employee for construction, marine shipyard and process. They are the same idea stated two ways.

Table 3. Dependency Ratio Ceiling, sub-quotas and how MOM expresses the limit

Sector	DRC	Also expressed as	S Pass sub-quota	Other sub-quotas
Construction	83.3%	5 Work Permit holders per local earning the LQS	15%	At least 10% of construction permit holders must be Higher-Skilled (R1)
Process	83.3%	5 Work Permit holders per local earning the LQS	15%	None published
Marine shipyard	75%	3 Work Permit holders per local earning the LQS	15%	None published
Manufacturing	60%	Percentage of total workforce	15%	PRC 25%; NTS Occupation List 8%
Services	35%	Percentage of total workforce	10%	PRC 8%; NTS Occupation List 8%

How MOM works out the total workforce

The total workforce is the latest three-month average number of local employees earning at least the Local Qualifying Salary, plus the number of issued Work Permit holders, plus the number of issued S Pass holders. The Local Qualifying Salary is S$1,800 a month, or a gross hourly rate of at least S$10.50 for locals working fewer than 35 hours a week.

Table 4. How a local employee counts towards quota entitlement

Monthly salary of the local employee	Counts as
At least S$1,800	1 local employee
At least S$900 but below S$1,800	0.5 local employee
Below S$900	Not counted

Singaporeans and permanent residents employed under a contract of service count, including the company’s own director. Business owners of sole proprietorships and partnerships do not count, and neither do platform workers. A local may count towards the quota of up to two companies, but declaring the same employee under two CPF accounts of the same company to manufacture quota is a specific infringement under the Act.

The local count is updated every Saturday and visible the next working day, and it is a three-month average, so a new local hire improves quota only after the first full month of salary and CPF has been declared and paid. Late or non-payment of CPF and salary declarations reduces quota and can push existing workers into higher levy tiers. Payroll and CPF are handled by our affiliate Raffles Corporate Services, and on this pass the connection between payroll discipline and hiring capacity is direct.

If the quota is exceeded

Where a company exceeds its quota, the excess shows in WP Online, and new applications and renewals may be rejected. The employer may cancel the excess permits to come back inside the limit. If it does not, the excess work passes will be revoked and the company will not be allowed to hire new foreign workers for six months. Where MOM has reduced a DRC, companies already above the new ceiling are allowed to keep the excess workers until those permits expire, but may not apply for or renew permits in excess of the ceiling.

Levy rates by sector and skill tier

The levy is payable monthly, by GIRO, from the day the permit is issued until it is cancelled, expires or is revoked. Services and manufacturing use tiered rates that rise as the employer approaches its ceiling. Construction, marine shipyard and process use flat rates that differ by source country and skill level. In every sector the daily rate, which applies only where the worker did not work a full calendar month, is the monthly rate multiplied by 12, divided by 365, rounded up to the nearest cent.

Table 5. Work Permit levy rates, services and manufacturing, in Singapore dollars per month with the daily rate in brackets

Sector and tier	Basic-skilled	Higher-skilled
Services, Basic Tier or Tier 1, up to 10% of total workforce	450 (14.80)	300 (9.87)
Services, Tier 2, above 10% to 25%	600 (19.73)	400 (13.16)
Services, Tier 3, above 25% to 35%	800 (26.31)	600 (19.73)
Manufacturing, Basic Tier or Tier 1, up to 25% of total workforce	370 (12.17)	250 (8.22)
Manufacturing, Tier 2, above 25% to 50%	470 (15.46)	350 (11.51)
Manufacturing, Tier 3, above 50% to 60%	650 (21.37)	550 (18.09)

Table 6. Work Permit levy rates, construction, marine shipyard and process, in Singapore dollars per month with the daily rate in brackets

Sector and category	Monthly rate
Construction, NTS, Higher-skilled	500 (16.44)
Construction, NTS, Basic-skilled	900 (29.59)
Construction, Malaysia, NAS and PRC, Higher-skilled	300 (9.87)
Construction, Malaysia, NAS and PRC, Basic-skilled	700 (23.02)
Construction, Off-site, Higher-skilled	250 (8.22)
Construction, Off-site, Basic-skilled	370 (12.17)
Construction, Unskilled, any source country	900 (29.59)
Marine shipyard, Higher-skilled	350 (11.51)
Marine shipyard, Basic-skilled	500 (16.44)
Process, NTS, Higher-skilled	300 (9.87)
Process, NTS, Basic-skilled	650 (21.37)
Process, Malaysia, NAS and PRC, Higher-skilled	200 (6.58)
Process, Malaysia, NAS and PRC, Basic-skilled	450 (14.80)

Two points on the construction table. The Unskilled rate of S$900 applies where a permit is approved or issued without the required certification, regardless of source country. Off-site rates apply only to facilities that the Building and Construction Authority recognises under its off-site levy scheme.

Getting to the higher-skilled rate

The gap between basic-skilled and higher-skilled is large, and it is the single biggest lever an employer has over its levy bill. The routes differ by sector.

• Services and manufacturing. Academic qualifications, being a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia for Malaysians, a high school certificate for NAS workers or a diploma for PRC workers; or a Skills Evaluation Test Level 1 or National ITE Certificate; or a relevant Workforce Skills Qualification; or the Market-Based Skills Recognition Framework, which requires a fixed monthly salary of at least S$1,600 and at least four years of work in Singapore as a Work Permit holder. In hotel, retail and food and beverage, non-Malaysian workers must also reach level 4 of the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy listening and speaking assessments, unless they qualify under the Market-Based framework.
• Marine shipyard. The same academic and Skills Evaluation Test routes, or an endorsed trade test at 3G and above in welding, or the Market-Based framework at a fixed monthly salary of at least S$1,200 with at least two years in Singapore as a Work Permit holder.
• Process. The framework was tightened with effect from 1 January 2026. A worker needs two Workforce Skills Qualifications courses, one Level 2 deep-skilling course and one safety course, plus one of: a fixed monthly salary of at least S$1,200; at least four years of employment in Singapore; or employment by a company holding at least a Bronze rating under the Productivity Certification Framework. The skills courses require a Proficiency Test and Refresher every two years; the safety course does not. Process workers previously on R1 who could not meet the new requirements by 31 December 2025 were moved to the basic-skilled rate from 1 January 2026.
• Construction. A separate Higher-Skilled (R1) framework applies, and at least 10 per cent of a company’s construction permit holders must be R1 before it can hire any new Basic-Skilled (R2) construction worker or renew an existing one. Permits of excess R2 workers are revoked.

Where a worker’s skill status changes, the new levy rate starts on the first day of the following month. In process and services MOM upgrades the worker automatically once the requirements are met, without an application.

The 2028 levy framework changes

MOM has announced changes to the levy framework from 2028 and has said it will release implementation details in due course. The changes are published sector by sector, and they are not uniform.

Table 7. Announced levy changes from 2028

Sector	Change	New monthly rate
Services	Tier 1 and Tier 2 merged into a single tier	Merged tier: S$600 basic-skilled, S$400 higher-skilled
Manufacturing	Tier 1 and Tier 2 merged into a single tier	Merged tier: S$470 basic-skilled, S$300 higher-skilled
Marine shipyard	Basic-skilled rate raised	S$500 rises to S$600
Process, Malaysia, NAS and PRC	Basic-skilled rate raised	S$450 rises to S$600
Process, NTS	Basic-skilled rate raised	S$650 rises to S$800
Construction	No change published on MOM’s construction sector page as at 15 September 2026	Not applicable

The merger of Tier 1 and Tier 2 is often described as simplification. For most employers it is an increase. A services company that keeps its Work Permit headcount below 10 per cent of its workforce currently pays S$450 for a basic-skilled worker. Under the merged tier that becomes S$600, a rise of a third, with no change in behaviour on the employer’s part. Manufacturing sees the same pattern at a smaller scale, from S$370 to S$470. Only the higher-skilled services rate at Tier 2 stays where it is, at S$400.

The planning conclusion is straightforward. Employers with time to move workers from basic-skilled to higher-skilled status before 2028 will absorb the change far more easily than those who wait, because the higher-skilled rate remains meaningfully below the basic-skilled rate in every sector and tier.

Worked example: a manufacturing company, now and from 2028

Take a manufacturing company with 20 local employees who each earn at least the Local Qualifying Salary, so 20 count in full. The manufacturing Dependency Ratio Ceiling is 60 per cent and the S Pass sub-quota is 15 per cent.

Step 1: the combined ceiling

Foreign workers count in the total workforce as well as against it. With 20 locals and 30 foreign workers the total workforce is 50, and 60 per cent of 50 is exactly 30. The company can therefore hold a maximum of 30 Work Permit and S Pass holders combined.

Step 2: the S Pass sub-quota

Fifteen per cent of 50 is 7.5, so the company can hold up to seven S Pass holders. Assume it holds five, leaving 25 Work Permit holders, all basic-skilled, for a total workforce of 50.

Step 3: the monthly levy bill today

Manufacturing Tier 1 runs up to 25 per cent of the total workforce, which is 12.5 workers. Tier 2 runs from there to 50 per cent, which is 25 workers. Tier 3 covers the balance up to 60 per cent.

Table 8. Illustrative monthly levy for the worked example, current rates and announced 2028 rates

Component	Headcount	Rate now	Cost now	Rate from 2028	Cost from 2028
Work Permit, Tier 1	12	S$370	S$4,440	S$470	S$5,640
Work Permit, Tier 2	12	S$470	S$5,640	S$470	S$5,640
Work Permit, Tier 3	1	S$650	S$650	S$650	S$650
S Pass holders	5	S$650	S$3,250	S$650	S$3,250
Total per month	30		S$13,980		S$15,180
Total per year	30		S$167,760		S$182,160

The merged tier costs this company an extra S$1,200 a month, or S$14,400 a year, for exactly the same workforce. If the same company moved 12 of its basic-skilled workers to higher-skilled status before 2028, those 12 would sit at S$300 in the merged tier rather than S$470, saving S$2,040 a month against the 2028 position.

Two caveats, stated plainly. The tier allocation above is our illustration of how the bands work; MOM computes the actual allocation and the authoritative figures are your levy bill and the quota balance in WP Online. And MOM has said it will publish implementation details for the 2028 changes, so the commencement date should be checked before any budget is signed off.

The security bond and the levy bond

The security bond

An employer must buy a S$5,000 security bond for each non-Malaysian Work Permit holder it employs. The cost cannot be passed to the worker. The bond is a binding pledge to pay the Government if the employer or the worker breaches the Work Permit conditions or the security bond conditions, and it takes the form of a banker’s or insurer’s guarantee naming the Ministry of Manpower as beneficiary. Banks use MOM’s MOM_SB_MW template and insurers use MOM_SB.

Timing is unforgiving. The bank or insurer must send the bond details to MOM, which takes up to three working days, and the bond must be in effect on the day the worker arrives. If it is not, the immigration officer will refuse entry, MOM cannot backdate the effective date, and the worker has to be sent home immediately at the employer’s cost. The worker’s Foreign Identification Number, which the bank or insurer will ask for, is assigned within three working days after approval, and the In-Principle Approval has to be regenerated to show it.

Table 9. Security bond: discharge and forfeiture

Situation	Outcome
Permit cancelled, worker returned home, no breach of conditions	Discharged, usually 1 week after the worker leaves Singapore
Worker had already left before cancellation	Discharged within 2 weeks after MOM verifies departure, if all conditions met
Worker goes missing and is not found within 1 month of cancellation	S$2,500, being half the bond, forfeited to cover repatriation and related costs
Breach of the Work Permit conditions or the security bond conditions	Bond may be forfeited
Salary not paid on time	Bond may be forfeited
Failure to send the worker home when the permit expires, is revoked or is cancelled	Bond may be forfeited
Failure to send a CMP worker to the Onboard programme	Bond may be forfeited

An employer is not liable for a worker’s own violations, such as those relating to pregnancy, if it can prove that it informed the worker of the Work Permit conditions they must comply with, and that it reported the violation when it first became aware of it. Keeping a signed acknowledgement of the conditions on file, in a language the worker reads, is therefore not paperwork for its own sake.

The construction levy bond

A separate levy bond applies in the construction sector in defined circumstances: where permits have been revoked for unpaid levies and no bond is in place; where the employer has been late with levy payments at least three times in a 12-month period; where a sole proprietorship has changed owner; or where a new business entity is being set up to employ migrant workers, meaning a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or an incorporated business with paid-up capital of less than S$50,000.

The amount is S$600 for a higher-skilled or basic-skilled worker and S$2,000 for an unskilled worker, and the two must be bought as separate payments. Payment is by PayNow Corporate to MOM’s unique entity number or by banker’s or insurance guarantee, taking three working days and five working days respectively to process. The monitoring period is usually 12 months, or six months for new companies, and the bond is discharged one month after it ends. Any late payment during the monitoring period extends it by a further 12 months.

Medical insurance, work injury cover and the Primary Care Plan

Medical insurance and the S$60,000 floor

An employer must buy and maintain medical insurance for every Work Permit holder, and the cost cannot be passed to the worker. The cover must include inpatient care and day surgery, including hospital bills for conditions that are not work-related, and must be at least S$60,000 a year for each worker. Where a plan carries sub-limits, whether for inpatient care, day surgery or per medical condition, each sub-limit must meet that annual minimum on its own. A plan advertised as offering S$60,000 of cover but capping any single condition at S$20,000 does not comply.

MOM’s enhanced requirements came in two stages. From 1 July 2023 the annual claim limit rose to at least S$60,000, with claims above S$15,000 co-paid 75 per cent by the insurer and 25 per cent by the employer. From 1 July 2025 policies must also use standardised allowable exclusion clauses, must be priced across two age bands, being 50 and below and above 50, and must provide for the insurer to pay the hospital directly once a claim is admitted.

Insurance details must be submitted online before the permit is issued or renewed, and kept current. A limited co-payment arrangement with the worker for medical bills is permitted only if the co-pay does not exceed 10 per cent of the worker’s fixed monthly salary, runs for no more than six months in every two years of employment, and is explicitly in the employment contract or collective agreement with the worker’s full consent.

Work injury compensation insurance

This is a separate statutory duty. Under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 an employer must insure all employees doing manual work, regardless of salary, and all employees doing non-manual work earning S$2,600 a month or less. Almost every Work Permit holder falls within the first limb. Since 1 January 2021 the policy must be issued by a designated insurer and comply with MOM’s compulsory terms, and the employer must confirm coverage and provide accurate headcount, occupation and wage information at least 21 days before the policy starts. Under-declaring headcount can leave workers uninsured and affect all claims. Failure to provide adequate insurance is an offence carrying a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

The Primary Care Plan

The Primary Care Plan is mandatory for Work Permit holders, other than migrant domestic workers, who either stay in dormitories that can accommodate seven or more workers, or work in the construction, marine shipyard or process sectors based on the employer’s declared business activity. It is optional, and encouraged, for everyone else.

Where required, the employer must buy it before the permit can be issued or renewed, and must declare the purchase in WP Online. It may only be bought from MOM’s appointed Anchor Operators, according to the zone in which the workers live, and runs for 12 months, renewing automatically unless terminated. Cancelling the permit does not cancel the plan: the employer must contact the Anchor Operator separately, no refund is given for the termination month, and the worker keeps access until the end of that month. MOM has announced enhancements to the plan from 1 April 2027.

Housing and accommodation standards

Providing proper housing is a Work Permit condition, not a courtesy. MOM conducts regular inspections at the declared residential addresses of Work Permit holders, and states that employers who fail in these responsibilities may face prosecution, bans on future Work Permit applications and renewals, and forfeiture of security bonds.

The employer’s three duties

• Provide housing that meets MOM’s requirements, pay the rent on time, and renew the housing contract or find alternative accommodation before it expires.
• Register and update the worker’s residential address and mobile number in the Online Foreign Workers Address Service, before the permit is issued and again before renewal, and update any change within five days.
• Where caterers are engaged for workers’ meals, ensure the cooked meals are safe to eat and delivered on time.

The address registration is a renewal blocker as well as a compliance duty. MOM asks that the address and mobile number be registered at least an hour before the online renewal is submitted.

Table 10. Types of housing and who may live in them

Housing type	Who may be housed	Occupancy limits
Purpose-Built Dormitories	Migrant workers generally	Set by the licensed dormitory operator
Factory-Converted Dormitories	Ancillary FCDs house the owner’s or lessee’s workers, sub-contractors’ workers or workers on site; single employer-operated secondary FCDs house the employer’s own or sub-contractors’ workers	Set by the operator and the conversion approval
Construction Temporary Quarters	Construction workers on that particular project	Structure is demolished or removed at the end of the project
Temporary Occupation Licence quarters	Construction workers on that particular project	Set by the licence
Workers’ Quarters at Farms	Workers employed by the farm owner	Set by the approval
HDB flats	Work Permit holders who are Malaysian or work in services. Non-Malaysian manufacturing permit holders may rent bedrooms but not a whole flat	Whole flat: 4 occupants for 1-room or 2-room, 6 for 3-room, 6 for 4-room or bigger, temporarily raised to 8 for 4-room or bigger from 22 January 2024 to 31 December 2028. Bedrooms: none for 1-room or 2-room, 1 for 3-room, 2 for 4-room or bigger
Private residential premises	All foreign employees	6 unrelated persons per property, temporarily raised to 8 for premises of 90 square metres or larger from 22 January 2024 to 31 December 2028

For HDB flats the owner must register the workers as tenants with HDB before they move in, otherwise the address cannot be registered in OFWAS. Flats rented from HDB under the public rental scheme cannot be sublet. For private premises, first-time landlords complete a one-time declaration in the Foreign Worker Tenant Enquiry Service. Where a property already shows former occupants who have moved out, the homeowner must remove them through that service before a new address registration will go through.

One additional requirement is easy to miss. Where video recording devices are installed in the unit, the employer must inform the workers of the devices and where they are placed, and must ensure they are not installed in areas that compromise privacy or modesty, such as bathrooms and sleeping areas.

Pre-entry housing check

For non-Malaysian male Work Permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors who are on an In-Principle Approval, the employer must submit an online form for a pre-entry housing check. Only after MOM approves that request can the employer book an Onboard centre slot, which must be done at least four days before the worker’s arrival and before the flight is booked.

The Settling-In Programme, Onboard centre and safety courses

The Settling-In Programme

The Settling-In Programme is a compulsory one-day orientation. Workers who meet the criteria must attend before their Work Permit can be issued.

Table 11. Settling-In Programme requirements

Item	Requirement
Who must attend, manufacturing	All non-Malaysian Work Permit holders working in Singapore for the first time
Who must attend, construction, marine shipyard and process	All non-Malaysian Work Permit holders working in Singapore for the first time, and holders of an In-Principle Approval returning to work more than two years after the cancellation date of their last work pass
Exemption from 1 August 2025	Non-Malaysian CMP permit holders returning within two years of the cancellation date of their last work pass
When, manufacturing and female CMP workers	Within 2 weeks of arrival in Singapore
When, male CMP workers	At the Onboard centre on arrival
Where, manufacturing and female CMP workers	MWC Recreation Club at Soon Lee, registered through the Migrant Workers’ Centre website
Duration	1 day
Languages	English, Bengali, Burmese, Mandarin, Tamil, Thai and Vietnamese
Documents the worker must bring	The full set of the In-Principle Approval letter, physical or digital, and the passport

The programme covers local practices and social norms, employment laws and rights, working safely and work injury compensation, key mobile applications, financial guidance including remittance and avoiding unlicensed money lenders, the Primary Care Plan and medical centres, preventive and mental health, and the recreation centres available to migrant workers.

The Onboard centre

All non-Malaysian male Work Permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors who enter Singapore on an In-Principle Approval complete an Onboard programme at MOM’s Onboard centre for up to three days, directly after arrival. Failing to send a CMP worker to the Onboard programme is one of the grounds on which MOM may forfeit the security bond.

Safety courses

Sector safety courses must be completed before the permit can be issued.

• Construction. The Construction Safety Orientation Course, or Apply Workplace Safety and Health in Construction Sites.
• Marine shipyard. The Shipyard Safety Instruction Course for Workers (General Trade), or Apply Workplace Safety and Health in Shipyard (General Trade).
• Process. The Oil Petroleum Safety Orientation Course for all workers, plus the Construction Safety Orientation Course for anyone carrying out construction of process plants.
• Manufacturing. The Metalworking Safety Orientation Course, or Apply Workplace Safety and Health in Metal Work, for workers handling metals and machinery in the metalworking industry.

Workers must complete the course within two weeks of arrival and pass it within three months of arrival, or the permit may be revoked. During employment, workers with six years or less in the sector retake and pass the course every two years, and those with more than six years every four years. At renewal the certificate must be valid for more than one month on the day of renewal, or the permit will not be renewed. That last point catches out more renewals than anything else in this section.

Applying: steps, timelines and MOM fees

Applications are submitted through the Work Permit eService on the myMOM Portal. Non-Malaysian workers cannot be in Singapore during the application.

Table 12. Work Permit application timeline

Stage	Timing	Who acts
Obtain the worker’s written consent and submit the application	Same day	Employer or employment agent
MOM outcome	Within 1 week for most cases	MOM
Pre-entry housing check and Onboard centre booking, for non-Malaysian male CMP workers	Booking at least 4 days before arrival and before the flight is booked	Employer
Buy the security bond for non-Malaysian workers	Details take up to 3 working days to reach MOM; must be in effect on arrival	Employer
Buy medical insurance, work injury cover and, if required, the Primary Care Plan	Before issuance	Employer
Register the worker for the Settling-In Programme where required	Once the arrival date is known	Employer
Medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor or an appointed Anchor Operator	Within 2 weeks of arrival	Employer arranges
Get the permit issued, newly arrived Malaysian	After entry, before the due date on the In-Principle Approval	Employer or agent
Get the permit issued, newly arrived non-Malaysian	After entry, within 14 days from arrival	Employer or agent
Notification letter validity	1 month from issue	Worker
Fingerprint and photo registration, if required	Within 1 week after the permit is issued	Worker
Card delivery	Within 5 working days of registration or document verification	MOM

Where the permit cannot be issued in time, for example because medical results or a new passport are outstanding, a Malaysian worker’s In-Principle Approval expiry can be extended in WP Online before the due date, and for a non-Malaysian worker a Special Pass can be requested, which extends the In-Principle Approval automatically.

Check the worker’s particulars on the In-Principle Approval against the passport before the flight is booked. A misspelt name means the worker is denied entry, and correcting it after the fact is slower and more expensive than checking it beforehand.

Permit duration

A Work Permit is usually valid for two years, but is shortened by whichever of the following bites first: the worker’s passport expiry, where the permit runs only to one month before it; the security bond validity, where the permit runs only to two months before the bond expires; the validity of any prior approval; and the worker’s maximum employment period. To obtain a full two-year permit at renewal, the passport needs at least 25 months of validity and the security bond at least 26 months.

Table 13. MOM fees and our published service fees

Item	Amount	When
MOM application fee	S$35 per application	On submission
MOM issuance fee	S$35 per permit	On issuance
MOM renewal fee	S$35 per renewal	On renewal
Security bond	S$5,000 per non-Malaysian worker	Before arrival
Construction levy bond, higher-skilled or basic-skilled	S$600 per worker	Where a levy bond is required
Construction levy bond, unskilled	S$2,000 per worker	Where a levy bond is required
Card replacement, damaged	S$65.40	As needed, inclusive of GST
Card replacement, lost or stolen, first time	S$109	As needed, inclusive of GST
Card replacement, lost or stolen, subsequent	S$327	As needed, inclusive of GST
Our service fee, new Work Permit application	S$300	Includes MOM fees and one appeal if rejected
Our service fee, Work Permit renewal	S$150	Excludes MOM fees such as issuance
Our service fee, updating particulars with MOM	S$80 per change	As needed

If the application is rejected

An appeal must be submitted within 30 days of the rejection, and only the prospective employer or the employment agent who submitted the application may appeal. MOM will not deal with the candidate or anyone else. MOM publishes that 90 per cent of appeals are processed within three weeks. An appeal only changes the outcome if it provides new information or shows that the rejection reason has been addressed. Miss the 30 days and a fresh application is required, assessed against the criteria prevailing at that time. Note the difference from the S Pass, where the appeal window is three months.

Renewal, transfer and cancellation

Renewal

A Work Permit is renewed 7 to 12 weeks before it expires. WP Online lists the workers eligible for renewal and produces the renewal notice. The fee is S$35 per renewal and the outcome is immediate.

Before renewing, the employer needs a scanned copy of the passport personal particulars page including any amendment pages, a new security bond for non-Malaysian workers with the form completed and the details already sent by the bank or insurer, extended or replaced medical insurance, the renewal notice and application form printed from WP Online, and a completed full medical examination form where the renewal notice requires one. The security bond’s effective date may be post-dated by up to one day after the current permit expires. Where the Primary Care Plan applies, it must be bought after the renewal notice arrives and declared in WP Online before renewal.

Renew late and the levy continues to run after expiry, and levy penalties or an overstaying fine, or both, may be imposed. Where more time is genuinely needed, a short extension of up to one month may be requested in WP Online within the two weeks before the permit expires, either to allow a late renewal or to keep the worker working briefly before cancellation. The extension is not available where the worker is not eligible for renewal. A separate appeal route exists where a worker is refused renewal, and, like the rejection appeal, it succeeds only on new information.

Transfer to a new employer

There is no general transfer of a Work Permit. The new employer applies for a new permit and the existing one is cancelled. Several sectors have specific routes for taking on an existing worker without bringing in someone new: the construction, process and marine shipyard sectors each publish a route for hiring an existing Work Permit holder already in Singapore, and manufacturing and services publish a route for hiring an existing PRC Work Permit holder. Construction and process also allow a worker to be cross-deployed temporarily to another contractor in the same sector.

Cancellation

The permit must be cancelled within one week after the last day of the notice period, or within one week from the departure date if the worker has already left Singapore and will not return. Cancellation is immediate and the levy is charged until one day before it. There is no need to cancel if the holder becomes a permanent resident, or if the permit has already expired, though in the latter case a Special Pass must be requested to give the worker lawful stay.

Additional information is required where the worker has gone missing, has been arrested, is assisting in an investigation, or has died. For a missing worker, a missing person police report is required for non-Malaysians, and if the worker is not found within one month from the cancellation date, S$2,500 of the S$5,000 security bond is forfeited to cover repatriation and related costs. Where the worker has died, a death certificate and either an airway bill for the return of the body or ashes, or a cremation certificate, are required.

Once the permit is cancelled the worker cannot work, even while waiting to leave. The card must be cut in half and discarded, and any Primary Care Plan terminated separately with the Anchor Operator.

Repatriation duties

Repatriation is the employer’s responsibility and the employer’s cost, and it is not something the worker may be asked to fund. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act the cost of repatriating a foreign employee at any time is one of the costs the employer must bear and may not recover.

Before buying a ticket, the employer must ensure the worker holds a valid passport, then discuss and agree in writing with the worker the transit arrangements, including connecting flights and layover hours, and the allowance the worker needs to sustain themselves during transit. The employer then buys a one-way travel ticket with a departure date within 14 days of the Work Permit cancellation, provides baggage allowance, and covers all connecting transport costs to the international port of entry in the worker’s home country or the region nearest their hometown.

The employer must also give reasonable notice of the upcoming repatriation, seek tax clearance from IRAS at least one month before the worker’s last day of employment, and settle all outstanding employment issues, including salary. Where employer and worker cannot agree on the repatriation destination, MOM can assist with the dispute rather than the employer deciding unilaterally.

Failing to send a worker home when the permit expires, is revoked or is cancelled is expressly a ground for forfeiting the security bond, and overstaying exposes the worker to criminal liability under the Immigration Act 1959, which we set out below.

The law behind the Work Permit

The Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990

Section 5(1) states that a person must not employ a foreign employee unless the foreign employee has a valid work pass. Section 5(3) adds that a person must not employ a foreign employee otherwise than in accordance with the conditions of that employee’s work pass. That second limb is where most Work Permit exposure sits. Deploying a permit holder to a different company, to a different occupation, or to a site outside the permitted sector is an offence even though the worker holds a valid permit.

Section 5(4) and (5) close the obvious escape route: it is no defence to say you did not know the employee was a foreigner unless you also prove due diligence, and due diligence is not made out unless the passport, document of identity or other travel document was checked.

Two provisions widen the net beyond the direct employer. Section 6 provides that where a foreigner is found at any premises, the occupier is presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have employed them. Section 6A provides that an occupier of a work place who has control of access must not permit any foreigner without a valid work pass to enter or remain there, and creates presumptions that the occupier had that control, permitted the entry, and knew the foreigner had no valid pass. Those presumptions are not rebutted merely by showing the defendant did not know the person was a foreigner. For main contractors and site occupiers this is the provision that makes sub-contractor compliance their problem too.

Section 7 gives the Controller of Work Passes the power to issue a pass with or without conditions, to issue an In-Principle Approval subject to conditions, and at any time to vary or revoke conditions, cancel an In-Principle Approval, suspend or revoke a pass, or under section 7(5)(d) to debar a person from applying for or being issued with a work pass for a fixed period. Section 7(6) expressly allows the Controller to impose conditions on the employer that continue to apply to the foreign employee after the pass has been cancelled, revoked or expired. That is the statutory basis for the repatriation duty surviving the end of the permit.

Section 11 authorises the levy, provides that it continues until the pass expires or is suspended, revoked or cancelled, imposes a daily penalty on unpaid levy capped at 30 per cent of the outstanding amount, and makes the levy recoverable as a debt due to the Government. Section 12 states that a work pass is valid only in respect of the employer and the employee named in it, and only for the trade, sector, occupation or type of employment specified or otherwise approved. Section 13 requires an employer handed a pass at the end of employment to return it to the Controller within seven days, and section 14 requires a lost, destroyed or defaced pass to be reported within seven days.

The Work Passes Regulations 2012 and the Fourth Schedule

The detailed conditions are in the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations 2012. Regulation 4 governs Work Permits and points to the Fourth Schedule, which is structured as follows:

• Part I and Part II contain the conditions and regulatory conditions for the employer of a worker whose occupation is stated as domestic worker.
• Part III contains the conditions, and Part IV the regulatory conditions, to be complied with by the employer of every other Work Permit holder. This is the Part that governs ordinary business employers.
• Part V contains additional regulatory conditions for the employer where the occupation on the permit is construction worker or construction worker-cum-driver.
• Part VI and Part VII contain the conditions and regulatory conditions to be complied with by the worker.

Regulation 3 applies the equivalent conditions at the In-Principle Approval stage, before the permit is issued, so an employer is already bound before the worker lands. The distinction between a condition and a regulatory condition matters: breaching a condition is a criminal offence prosecuted in court, while breaching a regulatory condition is a prescribed infringement dealt with administratively by the Controller through a financial penalty. Both may be accompanied by debarment.

Regulation 12 is the source of the security bond. It provides that the Controller may require such security as the Controller thinks necessary to be furnished, and regulation 13 provides that where the Controller is satisfied that a work pass holder, an employer or a sponsor has failed to comply with any condition specified in respect of security furnished under regulation 12, the Controller may direct the forfeiture of the security or any part of it. The S$5,000 figure, the guarantee templates and the forfeiture grounds set out earlier on this page are the administrative expression of those two regulations.

Regulation 14 and the Seventh Schedule set the fees. Regulation 20A sets out what the Controller may consider when deciding on debarment: whether the person has contravened the Act, the Employment Act 1968, the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 or the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006 in a way that affects their suitability as an employer, and whether the person has made reasonable efforts to provide fair employment opportunities to Singapore citizens.

Penalties

Table 14. Maximum penalties under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990

Conduct	Provision	Penalty
Employing a foreign employee without a valid work pass	Section 5(1), penalty in 5(6)(a)	Fine of at least S$5,000 and not more than S$30,000, or imprisonment up to 12 months, or both
Second or subsequent conviction, individual	Section 5(6)(b)(i)	Fine of at least S$10,000 and not more than S$30,000, and imprisonment of not less than 1 month and not more than 12 months
Second or subsequent conviction, body corporate	Section 5(6)(b)(ii)	Fine of at least S$20,000 and not more than S$60,000
Worker working without a valid work pass	Section 5(7)	Fine up to S$20,000, or imprisonment up to 2 years, or both
Employing otherwise than in accordance with the pass conditions	Section 5(8)	Fine up to S$10,000
Breaching a condition of the permit or In-Principle Approval	Section 22(1)(a), penalty in 22(1)(h)	Fine up to S$10,000, or imprisonment up to 12 months, or both
False or misleading statement or information to the Controller	Section 22(1)(d), penalty in 22(1)(i)	Fine up to S$20,000, or imprisonment up to 2 years, or both
Selling, forging or unlawfully altering a permit or In-Principle Approval, or letting another person use one	Section 22(1)(e), penalty in 22(1)(i)	Fine up to S$20,000, or imprisonment up to 2 years, or both
Failing to return a surrendered pass within 7 days, or to report a loss within 7 days	Section 22(1)(g), penalty in 22(1)(j)	Fine up to S$10,000
Demanding or receiving money from a worker as consideration for employment	Section 22A(1), penalty in 22A(2)	Fine up to S$30,000, or imprisonment up to 2 years, or both
Inflating the employer’s foreign employee entitlement	Section 25(1)	Financial penalty up to S$20,000
Breaching a regulatory condition	Section 25(2)	Financial penalty up to S$10,000
Providing inaccurate information without intent to mislead	Section 25(3)	Financial penalty up to S$20,000
Passing employer-borne costs to the worker	Section 25(4), read with 25(6)	Financial penalty up to S$20,000
Failing to comply with a prescribed duty	Section 25A(2)	Financial penalty up to S$10,000
Failing to comply with a direction from the Controller	Section 25B(2)	Fine up to S$10,000, or imprisonment up to 12 months, or both

Section 25(6) lists the costs the employer must bear and may not recover from the worker: work pass application, issuance, renewal and reinstatement fees, other than those specifically prescribed as recoverable; the cost of furnishing any security required by the Controller, which is the security bond; the cost of buying and maintaining the required medical insurance; the cost of required medical examinations; the levy and any penalty on it; the cost of training required by the employer or the Controller; and the cost of repatriating the worker at any time. Deducting any of these from salary, demanding them, or arranging matters so the worker bears them, attracts a financial penalty of up to S$20,000.

Section 22A goes further and treats the taking of money from a worker as a criminal offence in its own right, with a fine of up to S$30,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both. Section 22A(3) creates a presumption: where a person deducts, demands or receives any sum from a foreign employee that is not one of a short list of lawful deductions, they are presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have taken it as consideration for the employment. The lawful list includes deductions authorised under sections 26 to 32 of the Employment Act 1968, and any fee an employment agency licensed under the Employment Agencies Act 1958 may lawfully charge and receive.

Section 25(5) is worth a specific mention for quota. An act or omission that inflates the employer’s foreign employee entitlement includes failing to ensure that the company’s CPF contribution record as employer reflects only Singapore citizens and permanent residents actually employed by it, at the correct rate. Inflating the CPF record to buy quota is an infringement, not a clerical matter.

The Employment Act 1968

Work Permit holders are employees working under a contract of service and are covered by the Employment Act in the same way as local employees. The Act excludes seafarers, domestic workers, and statutory board employees and civil servants, but not foreign employees generally.

Part 4, which provides for rest days, hours of work, overtime and related conditions of service, applies to a workman doing manual labour earning a monthly basic salary of S$4,500 or less, and to a non-workman covered by the Act earning a monthly basic salary of S$2,600 or less. Basic salary excludes overtime, bonus, annual wage supplement, productivity incentive payments, reimbursements and allowances.

The Act’s own First Schedule lists occupations that are workmen regardless of the nature of any particular day’s work, and the list reads like a Work Permit roster: cleaners, construction workers, labourers, machine operators and assemblers, metal and machinery workers, train, bus, lorry and van drivers, train and bus inspectors, and workmen employed at piece rates at an employer’s premises. In practice, the great majority of Work Permit holders are within Part 4, which means the rest day, hours of work and overtime provisions apply to them in full.

The Work Injury Compensation Act 2019

The duty to insure is dealt with above. It is worth restating the shape of it, because it is a duty to insure rather than a duty to compensate only when insured. An employer that fails to insure remains liable to compensate a worker who makes a valid claim, and separately commits an offence carrying a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both. A conviction under this Act is also a matter the Controller may weigh when deciding whether to debar an employer from hiring work pass holders at all.

The Immigration Act 1959

A Work Permit gives permission to work. Lawful stay is governed separately by the Immigration Act 1959. Section 15 provides that a person must not remain in Singapore after the cancellation of a permit or certificate, or after the expiry or notified cancellation of a pass, unless otherwise entitled or authorised to remain. Contravening it without reasonable cause is an offence. Where the person remains unlawfully for 90 days or less, the penalty is a fine of up to S$4,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, or both. Where the period exceeds 90 days, the penalty is imprisonment of up to six months and caning with not less than three strokes, or, where caning is not available under the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, a fine of up to S$6,000 in lieu of caning.

This is why the Special Pass and the 14-day departure window matter so much. Cancelling the permit ends the right to work immediately. Without a valid immigration pass it also ends lawful stay, and the consequences fall on the worker as well as on the employer’s security bond.

Debarment

Debarment under section 7(5)(d) prevents a company from applying for or being issued with work passes for a fixed period. MOM does not publish a fixed tariff. It states that each case is assessed on its own merits, that the period reflects the severity of the offence, and that the employer is told the period. MOM lists the conduct that generally attracts debarment: physical or psychological abuse of workers; deliberately attempting to cover up fatal or serious accidents, including moving the injured or deceased from the scene; repeated convictions under section 51 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006 for accidents resulting in fatalities; deliberately defying a Stop Work Order and allowing work to continue without rectifying unsafe conditions; illegally employing or deploying migrant workers; exploiting migrant workers, including failing to pay salary or to provide basic Employment Act benefits such as annual leave, public holidays and rest days; and committing fraud to obtain work passes, such as forging educational certificates or deliberately falsifying information.

Separately, and as a mechanical consequence rather than a penalty, a company that exceeds its quota and does not correct the excess will have the excess work passes revoked and will be unable to hire new foreign workers for six months. Housing failures carry their own exposure: MOM states that non-compliance may lead to prosecution, bans on future applications and renewals, and forfeiture of security bonds.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a minimum salary for a Work Permit?

There is no general qualifying salary. There is one exception: a Work Permit holder from a Non-Traditional Source performing an occupation on the NTS Occupation List in the manufacturing or services sector must be paid a fixed monthly salary of at least S$2,000.

What are the age limits?

The worker must be at least 18 and below 62 when the application is made, regardless of nationality. A Work Permit holder may continue working until they reach 64, which is pegged to Singapore’s retirement age.

Which countries can I hire from?

Construction, marine shipyard and process may hire from Malaysia, the People’s Republic of China, the North Asian sources and the Non-Traditional Sources. Manufacturing and services may hire from Malaysia, the People’s Republic of China and the North Asian sources, and from the Non-Traditional Sources only for occupations on the NTS Occupation List.

What is the NTS Occupation List sub-quota?

Firms must keep within a sub-Dependency Ratio Ceiling of 8 per cent for NTS Work Permit holders employed in occupations on the list. That sits inside the overall Dependency Ratio Ceiling for the sector.

How much is the security bond, and can I recover it from the worker?

S$5,000 for each non-Malaysian Work Permit holder, in the form of a banker’s or insurer’s guarantee with MOM as beneficiary. You cannot ask the worker to pay for it. Under section 25(6) of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 the cost of furnishing security is a cost the employer must bear, and passing it on attracts a financial penalty of up to S$20,000.

When is the security bond discharged?

Usually one week after the worker leaves Singapore, provided the permit has been cancelled, the worker has returned home and no bond condition has been breached. Where the worker had already left before cancellation, it is discharged within two weeks of MOM verifying departure.

How much medical insurance do I need?

At least S$60,000 a year for each Work Permit holder, covering inpatient care and day surgery including non-work-related conditions, with every sub-limit meeting that figure on its own. Since 1 July 2025 the policy must also use standardised exclusions, be priced across two age bands and provide for direct payment to hospitals.

Who must buy the Primary Care Plan?

Employers of Work Permit holders, other than migrant domestic workers, who stay in dormitories that can accommodate seven or more workers or work in the construction, marine shipyard or process sectors. It must be bought and declared before the permit can be issued or renewed, and it must be terminated separately with the Anchor Operator when the permit is cancelled.

Who has to attend the Settling-In Programme?

Non-Malaysian Work Permit holders in manufacturing who are working in Singapore for the first time, and non-Malaysian holders in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors who are first-timers or who hold an In-Principle Approval and are returning more than two years after their last work pass was cancelled. Since 1 August 2025, CMP workers returning within two years are exempt.

How long does a Work Permit application take?

Within one week for most cases. Issuance is immediate once the worker has arrived and the requirements are met, and the card is delivered within five working days of registration or document verification.

When do I renew, and what does it cost?

Between 7 and 12 weeks before the permit expires, at S$35 per renewal, with an immediate outcome. Renew late and the levy keeps running, with levy penalties or an overstaying fine, or both, possible. A short extension of up to one month can be requested within two weeks of expiry where a renewal cannot be completed in time.

Can a Work Permit holder transfer to a new employer?

There is no transfer of the permit itself. The new employer applies for a new permit. Construction, process and marine shipyard have published routes for hiring an existing Work Permit holder already in Singapore, and manufacturing and services have a route for hiring an existing PRC Work Permit holder.

What must I pay for when sending a worker home?

A one-way ticket with a departure date within 14 days of cancellation, baggage allowance, and all connecting transport costs to the international port of entry in the worker’s home country or the region nearest their hometown. You must also agree the transit arrangements and transit allowance with the worker in writing beforehand, give reasonable notice of repatriation, obtain IRAS tax clearance at least a month before the last day of employment, and settle all outstanding employment matters.

Can Work Permit holders bring their family to Singapore?

No. Family passes are not available on the Work Permit. An employee who needs family accompaniment would need to qualify for an S Pass at a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000, or an Employment Pass, before a Dependant’s Pass becomes possible.

What changes in 2028?

In services and manufacturing, the current Tier 1 and Tier 2 merge into a single tier, priced at S$600 basic-skilled and S$400 higher-skilled in services, and S$470 basic-skilled and S$300 higher-skilled in manufacturing. The marine shipyard basic-skilled rate rises from S$500 to S$600. In process, the basic-skilled rate rises from S$450 to S$600 for Malaysian, NAS and PRC workers, and from S$650 to S$800 for NTS workers. MOM has said it will release implementation details in due course.

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 Work Permit applications for Singapore employers, and we handle renewals, appeals, transfers and cancellations.

What we do, and what stays with you

We confirm your sector classification and its consequences, check the worker’s source country and occupation against what your sector actually permits, check your quota and sub-quota position and your levy exposure before anything is filed, sequence the security bond, insurance, Primary Care Plan, Settling-In Programme and safety course so nothing blocks issuance, file the application, and manage the exchanges with MOM through to issuance and card collection. The employment decision, the salary, the housing arrangements and the employment terms stay with you, because they are yours to make.

Our published fees

A new Work Permit application is S$300, which includes the fees payable to MOM and one appeal if the application is rejected. A renewal is S$150, which excludes MOM fees such as the issuance fee. Updating particulars with MOM is S$80 per change. Disbursements such as translation or certification are extra and are paid direct to the provider. The levy, the security bond, the insurance premiums and the repatriation costs are yours by law and cannot lawfully be included in any agency fee or recovered from the worker.

What we will not do

We do not promise approvals. MOM decides every application on its merits and no agency controls that. We do not take money from workers in connection with their employment, because section 22A of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 makes that a criminal offence and because it is wrong. Where we think an application is unlikely to succeed as it stands, we will say so and tell you what would need to change. Payroll and CPF administration belong to our affiliate Raffles Corporate Services, which matters here because accurate, timely CPF declarations are what your quota is built on. Where a matter needs legal advice we refer it to an independent Singapore law firm under a separate engagement.

Talk to our team about a Work Permit application, or read our employer compliance guide for the wider duties that come with hiring migrant workers.

Official sources

• MOM: Key facts on Work Permit for migrant worker
• MOM: Work Permit conditions
• MOM: Construction sector Work Permit requirements
• MOM: Manufacturing sector Work Permit requirements
• MOM: Marine shipyard sector Work Permit requirements
• MOM: Process sector Work Permit requirements
• MOM: Services sector Work Permit requirements
• MOM: Non-Traditional Sources Occupation List
• MOM: Security bond requirements for migrant worker
• MOM: Medical insurance requirements for migrant workers
• MOM: Settling-in Programme for Work Permit holders
• MOM: Various types of housing and their specific requirements
• MOM: Employer’s responsibilities for migrant worker housing
• MOM: Apply for a Work Permit
• MOM: Renew a Work Permit
• MOM: Cancel a Work Permit
• MOM: Local Qualifying Salary
• MOM: Work injury compensation insurance
• Singapore Statutes Online: Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990
• Singapore Statutes Online: Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations 2012
• Singapore Statutes Online: Immigration Act 1959

Figures checked against MOM guidance and Singapore Statutes Online on 15 September 2026. Eligibility and approval depend on the individual application, and the Ministry of Manpower decides every case. This page is general information and not legal advice. See our legal and referral information.