FAQs on entry approvals and SHN requirements for foreign employees

Yes.

All pass holders (work pass holders and dependants) must obtain entry approvals from the relevant government agencies to enter Singapore.

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 Stay-Home Notice (SHN) requirements.

To request for MOM’s entry approval to bring pass holders into Singapore, you must:

1. Ensure your company and the pass holders can fulfil the entry approval requirements. This includes paying for their COVID-19 tests and stay at the dedicated SHN facilities, 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.
   

   If you submit the entry approval 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
   From 10 February 2021, after 12pm, to 11 February 2021	15 February 2021

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 tests and stay at the dedicated SHN facilities, 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 submit the entry approval request
   Work pass holders, including those with LOC*	Employer
   DP or LTVP* holders who are not employed (i.e. not issued a work pass, including LOC)	Sponsor (i.e. Employer of Employment Pass (EP) / S Pass holder)

   ^* Foreigners with LTVPs issued by ICA need to request for ICA’s entry approval, even if they have LOCs issued by MOM.
5. Wait for MOM's approval. Once you have obtained our approval, please complete these steps:
   • Confirm the flight / transport immediately and arrange for the pass holders to enter Singapore.
   • For all (both new and existing) Work Permit, Training Work Permit and S Pass holders, you must buy a COVID-19 medical insurance for them before they arrive in Singapore. The insurance must have a coverage of at least $10,000 for medical expenses if the workers develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore. 
     
     Please check with your insurer whether your workers’ existing medical insurance plans meet the required coverage. If not, you can consider these insurers.
   • For all other pass holders (e.g. EP holders or dependants), they are encouraged to buy medical insurance with the appropriate coverage before entering Singapore as they are responsible for their medical expenses if they develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore.

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.

Pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in:

• Australia, excluding New South Wales state
• Brunei
• Mainland China
• New Zealand
• Taiwan
• Vietnam

Pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in any of the above places before entering Singapore, and did not transit through other countries/regions, must take an on-arrival COVID-19 test* in Singapore ($160 per person including GST). 

After the test, the pass holders must proceed directly to and remain isolated in their place of residence or a hotel until they have obtained a negative test result. If tested negative, they are not required to serve Stay-Home Notice (SHN).

Pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in:

• Macao
• New South Wales (Australia)

Pass holders who spent the last 14 consecutive days in any of the above places before entering Singapore, and did not transit through other countries / regions, must comply with the following:

1. (Only for those entering Singapore from 24 January 2021, 23:59 hours) Take an on-arrival COVID-19 test* in Singapore ($160 per person including GST). 
   
   
   Please follow the registration and payment instructions for the on-arrival COVID-19 tests. Otherwise, the pass holders may be denied entry into Singapore. Your company’s subsequent entry approval requests may also be rejected.
2. Serve a 7-day SHN at a:
   • Suitable place of residence that is occupied only by them or their family
   • 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.
3. Take another COVID-19 test* during their SHN. 
   • Pass holders will get an SMS to inform them when to take the test.
   • Employers must pay for the test (up to $200 per person including GST).

All other pass holders

For all other pass holders, they must comply with the following:

1. Take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test* within 72 hours before departure. Pass holders who have recovered from COVID-19 are also subject to this requirement.
   
   Pass holders need to present a valid negative test result, in English and from laboratories that are internationally accredited or recognised by the respective countries or regions’ Government, to enter Singapore. The test memo must also state these details:
   • Test result
   • Date PCR test was taken
   • Pass holder's name and either date of birth or passport number, as stated in their passport. If the particulars on the memo are not in the passport (e.g. memo states identification number, instead of passport number), the pass holder must produce the relevant identification documents for verification.
2. (Only for those entering Singapore from 24 January 2021, 23:59 hours) Take an on-arrival COVID-19 test* in Singapore ($160 per person including GST).  
   
   
   
   • Work Permit and S Pass holders in the Construction, Marine shipyard and Process sectors are already subject to the on-arrival COVID-19 tests. For such workers, please refer to our email (sent by no-reply@mom.gov.sg) to affected companies on 17 January 2021 for more details.
   • For all other pass holders, please follow the registration and payment instructions for the on-arrival COVID-19 tests. Otherwise, the pass holders may be denied entry into Singapore. Your company’s subsequent entry approval requests may also be rejected.
3. Serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities.
   • Once they arrive, they will be informed of the location and sent directly to the facilities.
   • For pass holders who meet the criteria to serve their 14-day SHN at a place of residence (as stated below), you can request for them to do so during the entry approval application.
4. Take another COVID-19 test* during their SHN. 
   • Pass holders will get an SMS to inform them when to take the test.
   • Employers must pay for the following:
     • Stay at the dedicated SHN facility ($2,000 per person including GST)
     • Test (up to $200 per person including GST)

* Children who are 6 years old and below this year are exempted from the COVID-19 tests.

Criteria for pass holders to serve 14-day SHN at a place of residence

During the entry approval application, for pass holders who meet all of these conditions, you can request for them to serve their 14-day SHN at a place of residence, instead of the dedicated SHN facilities:

• Occupy the place of residence alone or only with household members, including any foreign domestic workers, with the same travel history, arrival date and SHN duration. Pass holders are not allowed to serve the 14-day SHN in hotels.
• Spent the last 14 consecutive days in any of these places before entering Singapore, and did not travel to other countries / regions:
  • Fiji
  • Hong Kong
  • Sri Lanka
  • Thailand

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 limit 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 serving SHN at the dedicated SHN facilities and paying for it, where applicable. 

For pass holders who have recovered from COVID-19, they should only depart for Singapore at least 21 days after their first positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Otherwise, they will be denied boarding on flights to Singapore.

The Government will no longer cover pass holders' treatment costs if they develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore. This is regardless of when they left Singapore.

As an employer, you are responsible for your workers’ medical expenses. To help you manage these expenses, you must buy a COVID-19 medical insurance for all Work Permit, Training Work Permit and S Pass holders before they arrive in Singapore. 

The insurance must meet these requirements:

• Covers at least $10,000 for medical expenses if the worker develops COVID-19 symptoms or tests positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore.
• Covers workers on work pass in-principle approvals (IPAs).

For all other pass holders (e.g. Employment Pass holders or dependants), they are encouraged to buy medical insurance with the appropriate coverage before entering Singapore as they are responsible for their medical expenses if they develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore.

As the terms and conditions of medical insurance plans vary, you should check with your insurer whether your workers’ existing plans meet the requirements.

If not, you need to buy a new insurance or top-up the coverage. You can consider these insurers.

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.

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

For employees on home or overseas leave, employers can apply for levy waiver (for up to 90 days) when the employees return to 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, the validities of their STVPs and in-principle approvals will be automatically extended 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.

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 pass holders (foreign employees or dependants) who leave Singapore from 27 March 2020 will be deprioritised for entry approval, and could see significant delays before they are allowed to return to Singapore.

For all pass holders, new and existing, entering Singapore from 1 January 2021, the Government will no longer cover their treatment costs if they develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore. This is regardless of when they left Singapore.

Find out who is responsible for the treatment costs.