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Cancel a Work Permit

You must cancel a Work Permit if your worker no longer works for you.  

At a glance

When to cancel the Work Permit

Within 1 week after the last day of notice.

If your worker has left Singapore and will not return to work for you, you must cancel the Work Permit within 1 week from the departure date.

You do not need to cancel the pass if:

  • The pass holder becomes a Singapore permanent resident.
  • The pass has expired. As long as the pass holder is still in Singapore, you need to request for a Special Pass to give them a valid stay in the meantime. Otherwise, an overstaying fine will be imposed.

Note: Your worker’s levy will be charged until 1 day before the pass cancellation.
Who can cancel Employer or employment agent 
How long it takes Immediate
When levy stops 1 day before cancellation

Note: You will need to provide additional information or documents for your cancellation request if your worker has:

  • Gone missing.
  • Has been arrested.
  • Is helping the authorities in an investigation.
  • Has passed away. 

Before cancelling

Settle all outstanding employment matters

As an employer, you need to:

  1. Give your worker reasonable notice on their upcoming repatriation.
  2. Seek tax clearance from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) at least 1 month before your worker’s last day of employment.
  3. Settle all outstanding employment issues that your worker may raise, including salary payments.

Arrange for repatriation

  1. Ensure your worker has a valid passport.
  2. Discuss and agree in writing with your worker on the following before buying an air ticket:
    • Transit arrangements, such as connecting flights and layover hours
    • The allowance needed to sustain your worker during the transit
  3. Buy a one-way travel ticket with a departure date within 14 days from the Work Permit cancellation.
Note: For air travel, provide baggage allowance and cover all connecting transport costs to the international port of entry in your worker’s home country or the region nearest to their hometown. 

Required information or documents

You will need to provide information or documents for the following scenarios:

If the worker You will need to provide
Is leaving Singapore  A scheduled departure date within 14 days of the Work Permit cancellation. 
Has gone missing

Missing person police report (required only for non-Malaysian workers).

If the worker is not found within 1 month from the date the Work Permit was cancelled, $2,500 (half of the $5,000 security bond) will be forfeited to cover the repatriation and other related costs.
Has passed away
  • Death certificate
  • Airway bill if the ashes or body has been sent back to the home country/region or cremation certificate if the body has been cremated in Singapore
Has been arrested or is helping authorities in an investigation The investigating officer’s contact details.

How to cancel

  1. Log in to myMOM Portal to cancel the Work Permit.
  2. Print the Special Pass and give it to the worker. The stay duration is based on the scheduled departure date in myMOM Portal.
  3. The worker needs to show the Special Pass and a valid passport to the immigration officer when leaving Singapore.
If you need the worker to work only for a short period beyond the Work Permit expiry date, you can request for a short extension of the permit.

To avoid any consequences of overstaying, you must ensure the worker leaves before the Special Pass expires. For non-Malaysians, the security bond will usually be discharged 1 week after the worker's departure, and if all conditions are met.

 
  1. Log in to myMOM Portal to cancel the Work Permit.
  2. Select “Worker has already left Singapore” as the cancellation reason from the drop-down list.

You must cancel the Work Permit within 1 week of the departure date. For non-Malaysians, the security bond will be discharged within 2 weeks after we have verified that the worker has left Singapore, and if all conditions are met.

After cancelling

If your worker is still in Singapore, your worker cannot work, even while waiting to leave Singapore. Your worker’s levy will be charged until 1 day before the cancellation.

Once the Work Permit is cancelled, please cut the card in half and discard it to prevent misuse.

If you have purchased a Primary Care Plan (PCP) for your worker, you must terminate the PCP separately by contacting the Anchor Operator directly. The PCP will not be automatically terminated when you cancel the Work Permit.

No refund will be provided for the termination month, but your worker will continue to have access to primary healthcare services through the Anchor Operator until the end of that month.

Consequences of overstaying

Please ensure that your worker has valid legal stay throughout. Otherwise, an overstaying fine will be imposed. 

If the worker needs more time to leave Singapore, request an extension of the Special Pass before it expires.

It is also a criminal offence for: 

  • Foreigners to remain beyond the expiry date of a visa
  • Companies to employ foreigners without a valid work pass