You can request for MOM to help transfer your work pass holders if your company is undergoing business restructuring. Make sure you meet the criteria before submitting the request.
Business restructuring scenarios and criteria
| Type of business restructuring |
Requirements |
MOM can help you to |
Changing to another type of business entity
(from sole proprietorship to private limited company or partnership, or vice versa)
|
At least one of the directors, partners or the sole proprietor from the previous company must move to your new company |
Transfer all your work pass holders to your new business entity. |
Undergoing business restructuring
(merger, acquisition, amalgamation or decentralisation of corporate function)
|
Must provide proof of buyer and seller relationship, including legal documents. |
Transfer all your work pass holders to your new company
OR
Only transfer EP holders (and their dependants) and LOC holders to the new company.
|
Renewing a business registration with a different ACRA number but keeping the company name
(i.e. sole proprietorship expired)
|
Sole proprietor from the previous company must either be a director or partner in the new company.
|
Transfer all your work pass holders to your new company.
|
Do not submit a transfer request to MOM if you are:
- Transferring work pass holders to a related company (e.g. sending them to work at a subsidiary or parent company).
- Transferring work pass holders on a specific date.
Instead, you should transfer your Employment Pass, S Pass and Work Permit holders by applying for new work passes for them.
Before you submit a request
| What you need to pay for |
During the process, you must:
- Buy new security bonds if transfer includes non-Malaysian Work Permit holders.
After transfer is complete, you must:
- Pay card replacement fee of $60 per worker to reflect new company name.
- Buy new medical insurance
|
| How long it takes |
Within 2 months, for most cases.
|
| Eligibility |
Companies involved must not have an adverse record with MOM at the point of transfer.
|
| Levy payment |
The normal levy and quota requirements will apply to both companies during the transfer of foreign workers.
Note: The new company should only make CPF contributions for the local employees after the transfer request is approved. Otherwise, the new company may get a higher levy bill than necessary. MOM will not be able to make any levy adjustments if that happens.
|
How to submit a request
| Step |
What to do |
Who does it |
| Declare business activity |
Declare your business activity. It must be in same sector as previous company.
|
New company
|
Renew work passes
|
Renew work passes for those expiring in less than 2 months.
|
Previous company |
| Check pending applications |
Ensure there are no pending work pass applications or renewals for the workers who will be transferred. |
Previous company |
| Print IPA |
Print the IPA letters of all approved work passes applications or renewals.
|
Previous company |
| Prepare documents |
- Undertaking letter (PDF)
- List of foreign workers (in excel format) stating their FIN, name, work pass types, pass expiry date.
Only if prompted:
- CPF form 90 of both companies
- Business restructuring documents
|
Previous or new company |
| Submit the transfer request |
Submit the online form 1.5 to 2 months before the intended transfer.
|
|
After the transfer is completed
The requestor will receive an email upon success of transfer. The new company name will be updated in our records, and can be seen if you scan the worker’s Work Pass cards with the SGWorkPass app.
The new company must then complete the following:
- Start contributing CPF for the transferred local employees.
- Log in to EP Online or WP Online to apply replacement cards for the transferred workers within 28 days. You need to pay replacement fee of $60 per card to ensure that the new company name is reflected on the card.
- Arrange to pay foreign worker levy through GIRO.
- Update medical insurance policy.