Work Permit (Foreign Worker) - Cancellation & Renewal

Renewal of Work Permit

Employers can login to WP Online to:

• Retrieve the list of workers eligible for renewal, six to eight weeks before their Work Permits expire; and
• Print the online renewal notice(s) for the worker(s) they wish to renew.

With the renewal notice(s), the employer/employment agency may then proceed to renew the Work Permit(s) via WP Online.

Before renewing the Work Permit

Please take note of the following information before renewing the Work Permit:

Note: There are instances where MOM does not grant two years upon renewal of the worker's WP. This happens when the validity of the worker's (a) passport or
(g) Banker's or Insurance Guarantee is less than two years. Click here for more information.

1. Validity of passport
   

   A foreign worker's passport should be valid for at least seven months from the expiry date of the Work Permit.

2. Medical examination
   

   Refer to the renewal notice for prerequisite medical examination (if any). The foreign worker must undergo and pass the medical examination.

3. Dependency ratio
   

   The company should have sufficient full-time local workers to meet the prevailing dependency ratio.

4. Validity of prior approvals

   Valid prior approvals must be secured for:

   1. Companies in the Construction or Process industries
      (Applicable to Work Permit renewal of foreign workers from non-traditional sources or People’s Republic of China); and
   2. Non-sponsoring shipyards and common contractors in the Marine Industry
      (Applicable to Work Permit renewal of foreign workers from non-traditional sources or People’s Republic of China with Work Permits expiring on or after 1 May 2009).
5. E-Renewal notice
   

   The e-Renewal Notice should be completed.

6. Security bond
   

   The security bond form for non-Malaysian foreign workers should be completed. The form must be signed by the partner or sole proprietor of the company.
   
   For Private Limited Companies, it must be signed by a member on the Board of Directors or the General Manager. The signatory's name must appear in the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) printout. If signed by any other persons than the above, an authorisation letter from a member on the Board of Directors will be required.

   • Download Security Bond Form
7. Security deposit
   

   Companies are to furnish a new security deposit or extend the existing security deposit for non-Malaysian foreign workers.

   1. A new security deposit of $5,000 in a Banker's or Insurance Guarantee must be submitted to the Controller of Work Passes. It must be valid for 26 months. Alternatively, the existing Banker’s or Insurance Guarantee may be extended.
      • For the extension of the existing Banker's or Insurance Guarantee, the bank or insurance company should transmit information to Work Pass Division using the same Guarantee Number and for the same foreign worker/existing group of foreign workers. A new security bond Form is not required if the existing Banker's or Insurance Guarantee is used.
      • The Work Permit will only be renewed up to two months before the Banker's or Insurance Guarantee's expiry date, subject to other employment criteria.
   2. The bank or insurance company must transmit the Banker's or Insurance Guarantee details successfully to the Work Pass Division before the e-renewal of the Work Permit. This can be done online once the renewal notice is available via WP Online. The effective date of the Banker's or Insurance Guarantee can be:
      • On or before the day of renewal of the Work Permit; or
      • Post-dated up to one day after the expiry date of the existing Work Permit.
        (For example, if the Work Permit expires on 17 December 2010, the effective date of the Banker's or Insurance Guarantee should be 18 December 2010).
8. Medical insurance
   

   A new medical insurance policy must be provided for the renewal of the Work Permit. Alternatively, the existing medical insurance can be renewed.

   For medical insurance policies taken up or renewed on or after 1 January 2010, the insurance coverage must be at least $15,000 per year for each foreign worker's inpatient care and day surgery. The medical insurance may be purchased from the bank or insurance company that provides the Banker's or Insurance Guarantee for the security deposit.

   • Download Guide to Update Medical Insurance for a Foreign Worker via WP Online
9. Long Term Visit Pass
   

   Long Term Visit Pass holders must extend their passes before their Work Permits are renewed.

Validity period and foreign worker's maximum employment period

The validity period for a Work Permit is generally two years.

However, it will be shorter if:

	The Work Permit will be given until:
The worker's passport expires in less than two years	one month before the passport expires
The Banker's or Insurance Guarantee's (BG/IG) validity is less than 26 months	two months before the SD expires
Note: To get a full two year duration, you must renew or extend the validity of your worker’s passport and BG/IG before you renew the Work Permit. Embassies may impose requirements on the renewal of passports.

Other factors affecting the validity period

The period granted will also be subject to the validity of the Prior Approval (if applicable) and the worker's maximum employment period, whichever is shorter.  

Maximum employment period

Classification of Foreign Workers	Maximum Employment Period in Singapore	Maximum Age Limit
Unskilled foreign workers from Non-Traditional Sources or People’s Republic of China	6 years*	Up to 60 years old subject to maximum employment period in Singapore
Higher Skilled/Skilled foreign workers from Non-Traditional Sources or People’s Republic of China	18 years
Malaysian and foreign workers from North Asian Sources	-	Up to 60 years old

*Employers who wish to employ their unskilled foreign workers beyond the maximum employment period may enroll them for trade tests relevant to their industries.

Note: From 1 January 2012, MOM has revised the maximum period of employment for NTS and PRC basic skilled construction workers. Please click here to find out more.

How to renew Work Permit

Renewing online

Work Permit renewals can be submitted via WP Online. Please ensure that the Work Permit is still valid at the time of application.

Submission of renewal 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.

• Download Guide on e-Renewal of Foreign Worker's Work Permit

Payment of fees

The following fees must be paid to complete the renewal request. You can do so using GIRO (for existing GIRO user), eNETS Credit or Debit.

Fees	Work Permit – $20 per renewal

Collection of Work Permit card

The Work Permit card will be ready for collection four working days after the renewal application has been approved. The card can be collected at Work Pass Services Centre by any of these parties:

• The foreign worker
• The employer
• An authorised representative

Documents required for card collection

1. The original e-Renewal Notification Letter
2. The completed Work Permit renewal application form/e-Renewal notice with the necessary endorsements, if required
3. The worker's original Work Permit card
   
   • The following documents must be produced if the card is lost:
        - A police report on the loss of card; or
        - A declaration letter from the employer on the loss of card.
4. The worker's original passport/travel document
   • If the worker is using a new passport, please bring the old and new passports
5. The completed original security bond form (Applicable to non-Malaysian workers)
6. A letter of authorisation signed by the employer, indicating both the foreigner's and representative's particulars. (Applicable if a representative is coming on the employer’s behalf)
   
   The representative must also bring an official identification document that shows his/her name, NRIC/Travel document number and photo-image, for verification at the point of card collection. Alternatively, please download the Authorisation Form for Card Collection.