Work Permit - Before you apply

Housing Requirements

Responsibility of employers to ensure acceptable accommodation for foreign worker

Under Part II, First Schedule of the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations, employers are required to ensure that their foreign workers have acceptable accommodation.

Foreign worker accommodation must meet the various statutory requirements. This includes:

• Proper land use by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Housing Development Board (HDB) or Jurong Town Corporation (JTC);
• Building structural safety standards by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA);
• Fire and safety standards by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF);
• Environmental health requirements by the National Environment Agency (NEA); and
• Drainage and sanitary/sewerage system requirements by the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

Employers who fail to ensure that their foreign workers have acceptable accommodation can be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). Failure to meet the regulatory requirements will also be taken into consideration for all future work passes applications or renewals submitted by the employer.

Employers should refer to MOM's list of Approved Housing.

Notification of Irregularities in foreign worker housing

Should you find any irregularities in foreign worker housing, you may notify the following agencies:

• For irregularities in environmental health:
  National Environment Agency: Call (65) 1800 225 5632 or email Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg
• For irregularities in water quality, improper drainage and sewerage system:
  Public Utilities Board: Call (65) 1800 284 6600 or email
  PUBone@singnet.com.sg
• For irregularities in fire safety:
  Singapore Civil Defence Force: Call (65) 6367 7233 / (65) 6280 0000 or email SCDF
  CSC@scdf.gov.sg
• For irregularities in structural safety:
  Building Construction Authority: Call (65) 6325 7720 or email bca_enquiry@bca.gov.sg

Alternatively, you may contact the Ministry of Manpower at (65) 6438 5122

Registration of foreign worker addresses with MOM

Knowing where foreign workers stay in Singapore is essential for improving the overall management of foreign manpower. The information provided by employers will enable us to reach out directly and quickly to all foreign workers in Singapore should the need arise.

Under Part II, First Schedule of the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations, all employers of Work Permit holders are required to provide updated residential addresses of their foreign workers to us within five days of commencement of employment and subsequently any change in their address.

Employers who fail to register or update their foreign workers address within five days can be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). Failure to meet the regulatory requirements will also be taken into consideration for all future work passes applications or renewals submitted by the employer.

Register the residential address of foreign workers (SingPass required. Takes 10 - 15 minutes)	Log in to OFWAS
User Guide to Online Foreign Worker Address System (OFWAS)	Download

Please have the following information ready before you proceed:

• SingPass ID;
• Company CPF submission number;
• Work Permit number and date of application (see Work Permit card or In-Principle Approval (IPA) Letter); and
• Foreign workers' address.