FAQs on entry approvals for foreign employees and SHN requirements

Yes.

All pass holders must obtain entry approvals from the relevant government agencies to enter Singapore. Upon entry, they need to serve Stay-Home Notice (SHN).

However, those conveying essential services or supplies (e.g. lorry drivers or vegetable supply truckers) coming from Malaysia by land or sea crossing are exempted from the entry approval and SHN requirements.

For:

• Existing work pass holders who are Malaysians or Malaysia permanent residents and entering Singapore by land, you can bring them in under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) scheme.
• All other pass holders, including those on in-principle approval (IPA), Dependant’s Pass, Long Term Visit Pass and Letter of Consent (LOC), must continue to obtain MOM’s entry approval to enter Singapore.

To request for MOM’s entry approval, you must:

1. Ensure you and your pass holders can fulfil the additional requirements and responsibilities to bring the pass holders into Singapore. This includes paying for their COVID-19 test and stay at the dedicated SHN facility, if applicable.
   
   If your work pass holders have dependants who are not employed (i.e. not issued a work pass, including LOC), they must fulfil their responsibilities towards their dependants.
2. Use our entry approval calculator to plan when to request for MOM’s entry approval. Requests received by 12pm are for arrivals within the next 30 days.
3. Ensure there are available flights/transport and the pass holders can travel to Singapore on their planned arrival date before requesting for MOM’s entry approval.
   
   If the request is approved, please note that you must pay for the pass holders’ COVID-19 test and stay at the dedicated SHN facility, if applicable, even if they do not enter Singapore as planned.
4. Request for MOM’s entry approval.
   
   

   For new or existing	Who needs to request for MOM's entry approval
   Work pass holders, including those with LOC*	Employer
   DP or LTVP* holders who are not employed	Local sponsor i.e. employer of EP / S Pass holder

   ^* Those with LTVPs issued by ICA need to request for ICA’s entry approval, even if they have LOCs issued by MOM.
   
   

   If you submit the request	Get outcome
   From Monday to Friday, by 12pm	Same day
   From Monday to Friday, after 12pm	Next working day
   On weekends or public holidays	Next working day

5. Wait for MOM's approval. Once you have obtained our approval, you should confirm the flight / transport immediately.

Pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in:

• Brunei
• New Zealand

For pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in Brunei or New Zealand before entering Singapore, they must take a COVID-19 test upon arrival at the airport ($300 including GST). To reduce the waiting time at the airport, employers are strongly encouraged to register and make payment for the test before the pass holders leave for Singapore. 

The pass holders are not required to serve Stay-Home Notice (SHN). 

Pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in certain countries / regions:

• Australia, excludes the state of Victoria
• Macao
• Mainland China
• Malaysia
• Taiwan
• Vietnam

For pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in any of the above countries / regions before entering Singapore, they must comply with the following upon arrival:

1. Serve a 7-day SHN at a:
   • Suitable place of residence that is occupied only by them or their family members
   • Hotel
   Pass holders are not allowed to serve SHN in dormitories or in premises that are occupied by non-family members. Their SHN accommodation must also fulfil the prevailing SHN advisory and guidelines. Check MOH’s website for the latest updates.
2. Take a swab test before their SHN is over.
   • They will get an SMS to inform them when to take the test.
   • Children who are 12 years old and below do not need to take the test.
   • Employers must pay for the test (up to $200 including GST).

All other pass holders

The pass holders must comply with the following upon arrival:

1. Serve a 14-day SHN at a dedicated SHN facility.
   
   • Once they arrive, they will be informed of the location and sent directly to the facility.
2. Take a swab test before their SHN is over.

• They will get an SMS to inform them when to take the test.
• Pass holders who departed from or visited India within the last 14 days before entering Singapore must take a serology test (i.e. non-fasting blood test) during their SHN.
• Children who are 12 years old and below do not need to take the serology and swab tests.
• Employers must pay for the following:

• 14-day stay at the dedicated SHN facility ($2,000 including GST)

• All COVID-19 tests (up to $200 including GST)

For more details on the SHN requirements, please refer to MOH’s FAQs or contact the SHN helpline at 6812 5555.

As the global situation evolves, Singapore will continue to adjust its border measures to manage the risk of importation and transmission to the community. Employers and pass holders planning to enter Singapore must comply with the prevailing entry approval requirements, including paying for the stay at the dedicated SHN facility and COVID-19 test, where applicable.

For the latest updates, please check out our latest advisories and MOH’s website regularly.

Since 9 April 2020, the Government has borne the costs of stay at dedicated SHN facilities for travellers entering Singapore, except for those who left Singapore from 27 March 2020 in disregard of the prevailing travel advisory. The Government has also borne the costs of the large majority of COVID-19 tests.

Going forward, as we re-open our borders to more international travel, those who enter Singapore would have to bear the costs of fulfilling entry requirements, as part of the cost of travel in a COVID-19 world.

The charges are as follows:

If the entry approval request is approved, please note that you must pay for the charges above, even if your pass holders do not enter Singapore as planned.

They are in effect for arrivals from 17 June 2020, 2359 hrs.

After the pass holder has entered Singapore, you will receive an email with payment instructions and a link for you to make payment using credit card. You must make payment no later than 7 days after the pass holder’s arrival.

The test will be scheduled a few days before the end of the SHN period, at a designated community testing facility. You will receive information on the scheduled appointment slot and venue via an SMS notification.

Employers should not submit multiple requests for an employee within the same application window (from 12:01pm today to 12pm tomorrow) using the same or different arrival dates. We will only process the first request and notify you on the outcome for it, and disregard the rest.

Employers will receive the outcome by email.

The email approval must be sent to the pass holder. They must show a print-out of this approval to the airline staff upon check-in before boarding the plane and at the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) checkpoint upon arrival in Singapore.

We advise employers to submit a new work pass application for such workers after the situation stabilises.

Employers can get a levy waiver for Work Permit or S Pass holders who are given quarantine orders by MOH, as it is a form of hospitalisation leave.

Apply for levy waiver

Employers can get a levy waiver for foreign employees on home or overseas leave up to 90-day cap if they are unable to return due to travel restrictions.

You can apply for levy waiver after the worker enters Singapore.

No, pass holders must complete their SHN before their employers can send them for any of the above-mentioned issuance-related procedures. If their Short-Term Visit Passes (STVP) are expiring soon, for:

• Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependant’s Pass or Long Term Visit Pass holders, please request for time to do the issuance while the pass holders serve SHN. Submit your request within 1 week before the STVP expires. 
• Work Permit holders, we will automatically extend their STVP and in-principle approvals by 2 weeks. Please note that no letters will be issued for this extension.

MOM will not hesitate to take enforcement measures against any parties who do not comply with the SHN requirements. Measures include criminal proceedings, work pass revocations and withdrawal of work pass privileges.

For Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependant’s Pass or Long Term Visit Pass holders, please request for an extension of their STVP within 1 week before it expires.

For Work Permit holders, we will automatically extend their STVP by 2 weeks. Please note that no letters will be issued for this extension.

Employers can request to extend their pass holders’ stay in Singapore if they need more time to send them home (e.g. unable to get flights or pass holders are on Stay-Home Notice). Please submit your request within 1 week before the pass holder's Special Pass or Short-Term Visit Pass expires. 

Any foreign employee or his/her dependant who leaves Singapore from 27 March 2020, will be deprioritised for entry approval, and could see significant delays before they are allowed to return to Singapore.

If your foreign employee leaves Singapore from 27 March 2020 and subsequently develops symptoms within 14 days of returning to Singapore, you are responsible for any COVID-19 treatment costs that your foreign employee incurs in Singapore if your foreign employee is a Work Permit of S Pass holder. This is in line with employers’ responsibilities under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.