Only eligible candidates will be considered for an Employment Pass. Criteria include a minimum qualifying salary of $4,500 a month and acceptable qualifications. Use the Self-Assessment Tool to check a candidate’s eligibility before you apply.
Who is eligible
The Employment Pass is for foreign professionals who:
- Have a job offer in Singapore.
- Work in a managerial, executive or specialised job.
- Earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $4,500 (older candidates need higher salaries to qualify).
- Earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $5,000 (older candidates need higher salaries to qualify) for candidates in the financial services sector.
- Have acceptable qualifications, usually a good university degree, professional qualifications or specialised skills.
Application for an Employment Pass is open to all nationalities.
Use the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to check if the candidate qualifies for the pass.
If you are a fast-growing tech company that is newly expanding to Singapore and the region, you may be eligible for the
Tech@SG Programme.
Acceptable qualifications
We do not accept qualifications from unaccredited institutions.
To check if an institution is accredited, you can approach background screening companies.
We encourage you to use the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to get an indication of whether a candidate meets the Employment Pass requirements. Candidates can also use the tool to assess their eligibility.
If the SAT shows that the candidate is not eligible, you shouldn't apply for the Employment Pass because it will be rejected.
If the SAT shows that the candidate is eligible, there is around a 90% chance that the candidate will get a pass.
Who can apply
To promote fair employment practices and improve labour market transparency, employers making Employment Pass applications must first advertise on MyCareersFuture and fairly consider all candidates. Find out more about the advertising requirements.
An employer or authorised third party has to apply for a candidate’s Employment Pass.
If you are an overseas employer that does not have a registered office in Singapore:
- You need to get a Singapore-registered company to act as a local sponsor and apply on your behalf.
- The local sponsor must submit the application.
The candidate will still need to meet the Employment Pass criteria.