The number of S Pass holders you can hire is limited by a quota. You must also pay a monthly levy for these workers.
What is the foreign worker levy
The foreign worker levy, commonly known as “levy”, is a pricing mechanism to regulate the number of foreign workers in Singapore.
As an employer, you must pay the levy for all your S Pass holders. The levy liability starts from the day the S Pass is issued and ends when the pass is cancelled or expires.
You have to pay the levy using GIRO.
Quota requirement
If you have never applied for a Work Permit or S Pass, you need to declare your business activity for calculating your quota.
Under the existing quota, the number of S Pass holders your company can hire is capped at:
- 10% of the company’s total workforce in the services sector.
- 15% in the construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard and process sectors.
Calculate your quota or refer to the Guidelines on the Calculation of Quota and Levy Bill.
Levy rate
For the services sector, the levy rate is as follows:
|
Tier
|
Quota %
|
Monthly levy rate
|
Daily levy rate
|
|
Basic / Tier 1
|
Up to 10% of the total workforce
|
$450 |
$14.80
|
If you temporarily exceed the 10% S Pass quota for the services sector due to workforce attrition, you will be charged the Tier 2 levy rate for the excess S Passes.
For all sectors (excluding services), the levy rate is as follows:
|
Tier
|
Quota %
|
Monthly levy rate
|
Daily levy rate
|
|
Basic / Tier 1
|
Up to 10% of the total workforce
|
$450 |
$14.80 |
|
Tier 2
|
Above 10% to 15% of the total workforce
|
$650
|
$21.37 |
Levy rates are regularly reviewed and adjusted as required. See the upcoming changes in S Pass levy rates and quota.
Note: The daily levy rate applies only to S Pass holders who did not work for a full calendar month. The daily levy rate is calculated as follows: (Monthly levy rate x 12) / 365 = rounding up to the nearest cent.