Work Permit (Foreign Worker) - After you apply
Changes to Work Permit In-Principle Approval (IPA) letters
From June 2011, the Work Permit In-Principle Approval (IPA) letters for foreign workers (non-domestic) will carry new features. There will be separate letters for workers and employers, and the letters will also be in the workers’ native language. This is part of our on-going efforts to make our communications to employers and their foreign workers clearer and more transparent.
For a preview of the upcoming changes, please download the 
Employer’s Kit. More details will be released later.
Upon approval of Work Permit application
Upon approval of the Work Permit (WP) application, the employer should:
- Send the foreign worker for a medical examination;
- Request for the issuance of the Work Permit; and
- Register the foreign worker’s address with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Medical examination
The foreign worker has to undergo and pass a medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor within 14 days of arrival (including Sunday/Public Holidays) in Singapore. The Work Permit will only be issued if the foreign worker passes the medical examination. Foreign workers who are unable to pass the medical examination, which includes those who have been diagnosed with active pulmonary Tuberculosis and/or HIV, will have to be repatriated.
The medical examination screens the foreign worker for four types of infectious diseases (Tuberculosis, HIV, Syphilis and Malaria) that are of public health concern. It also serves to check that the foreign worker is generally fit to work at the point of examination. However, even if the foreign worker passes the medical examination, it does not mean that he/she is free from all illnesses. Employers with specific concerns may wish to send the foreign worker for other tests as they deem appropriate.
Employers who wish to know the results of the medical examination may obtain a copy of the completed report directly from the examining doctor.
Request for issuance of Work Permit
Online request
You can request for the issuance of the Work Permit via WP Online according to these timings:
- For a Malaysian worker or foreign worker changing employer, please refer to the scheduled date stated in the IPA letter.
- A Non-Traditional Source/North Asian Source/PRC worker: Within 14 days of arrival in Singapore.
Submission of issuance requests via WP Online is only available from 8am - 8pm (Monday to Friday), 8am - 2pm (Saturday), excluding public holidays. You can view the outcome of your request immediately after submission.
Payment of fees
The following fees must be paid to complete the issuance request. You can do so using GIRO (for existing GIRO user), eNETS Credit or Debit.
| Fees |
Work Permit – $20 per issue |
More information
Registering the foreign worker’s address
Employers are required to register the residential addresses of Non-Traditional Source/North Asian Source workers with MOM within five days of starting work.
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