Personalised Employment Pass

Singapore Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)

The Personalised Employment Pass is for high-earning Employment Pass holders and overseas professionals. It is not tied to an employer and offers greater flexibility than an Employment Pass.

	Comparison of all Professional Passes (EntrePass, EP. PEP, Tech.Pass & ONE Pass

Key facts on Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) in Singapore

Get a quick overview of the Personalised Employment Pass to decide if it is the right pass for you.

Who it is for	High-earning Employment Pass holders or overseas foreign professionals who meet the eligibility criteria.
Who can apply	Either by candidate directly or by authorised Employment Agency
Minimum salary	Current EP holders: at least $22,500 a month. Overseas foreign professionals: at least $22,500 a month. With effect from 01-Sep-2023: $22,500 for all candidates (i.e., including existing EP holders & overseas foreign professionals)
What is the duration	Up to 3 years.
Is it renewable	No. The PEP is issued only once.
Passes for family	Available for certain family members of pass holders.
Foreign worker levy or quota	No foreign worker levy or quota required.
Relevant legislation	Conditions of Work Pass Employment of Foreign Manpower Act

Note: If your PEP is expiring, you will need to get an Employment Pass or S Pass to continue working in Singapore. You do not have to cancel the existing PEP for your employer to apply for the new pass.

Eligibility and requirements for Personalised Employment Pass

Eligible high-earning foreign professionals can apply for a Personalised Employment Pass. Pass holders have greater job flexibility than with other work passes. However, they need to meet certain requirements to hold the pass.

Who is eligible

You can apply for a Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) if you are:

• An overseas foreign professional and your last drawn fixed monthly salary overseas was at least $22,500 a month w.e.f. 01-Sep-2023. Your last drawn salary should have been within 6 months before you apply.
• An Employment Pass holder earning a fixed monthly salary of at least $22,500 a month w.e.f. 01-Sep-2023.

Who is not eligible

You are not eligible for the PEP if you are:

• An Employment Pass holder under the sponsorship scheme.
• A freelancer or foreigner who intends to work on a freelance-basis.
• A sole proprietor, partner or where a director is also a shareholder in an ACRA-registered company.
• A journalist, editor, sub-editor or producer.

Note: You are not allowed to start a business or conduct any form of entrepreneurial activity while on a PEP. If you intend to do so, you should apply for an EntrePass or Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass).

Requirements of the pass

To keep holding a PEP, you must:

• Not be unemployed in Singapore for more than 6 months at any time. Otherwise, you will need to cancel the pass.
• Earn a fixed salary of at least $270,000 per calendar year, regardless of the number of months you are in employment.
• If you applied for your PEP before 1 September 2023, you must earn a fixed salary of $144,000 per calendar year, regardless of the number of months you are in employment.
• Notify MOM with the following:
  • When you start or leave a job.
  • If you change your contact details, such as local contact person or address.
  • Your annual fixed salary. You need to declare it to MOM by 31 January of every year.

Benefits of the PEP

The PEP gives you greater job flexibility than other work passes:

• You can generally hold a job in any sector. However, the PEP does not exempt you from complying with registration requirements to practise in Singapore for professions such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture, law, etc.
• You do not need to re-apply for a new pass if you change jobs; you only need to notify MOM.
• You can stay in Singapore for a continuous period of up to 6 months without a job to search for new employment.

Passes for family members

If you hold a PEP, you can bring in your family members on these passes:
Dependant’s Pass for your:

• spouse (legally married).
• children under 21 years of age.

Long Term Visit Pass for your:

• common-law spouse.
• unmarried handicapped children above 21 years old.
• unmarried stepchildren under 21 years old.
• parents.

You need to submit a separate application for each family member even if they currently hold a Dependant’s Pass or Long Term Visit Pass. You can submit their applications along with the PEP application.

How to hire a PEP holder? How to notify the authority?

You can hire a Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) holder the same way you would hire a Singapore citizen or PR, as long as your company hasn’t been restricted by MOM against employing foreigners on a work pass.
If you’ve hired, or have ceased to employ a PEP holder, inform MOM by:

1. Completing the PEP notification form.
2. Email the completed form to mom_pep_notification@mom.gov.sg.

 

What is the upcoming changes to Salary criteria for PEP?

The salary criterion for the PEP will also be raised to $22,500 a month for oversea professionals and existing EP holders. These changes will be implemented from 01 Sep 2023. Going forward, the Ministry Of Manpower (MOM) will review the threshold annually against the benchmark, taking into account prevailing economic conditions.

 

Notify MOM Of Changes Of Particulars For PEP Holders Find out when you need to notify MOM, including updates to employment status or employer, passport changes, and declaring salary. Learn more about notification MOM of any changes of particulars of PEP holders

Cancellation of Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) You need to cancel your Personalised Employment Pass if you have been out of work for more than 6 months. You also need to discard the cancelled pass card. Learn more about Cancellation of Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) On PEP Your burning Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) are answered here which would lead you to have a clear picture of features of PEP in Singapore. Learn more about FAQ on Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)

 

ACHI BIZ is one of the licensed Employment Agencies in Singapore. We will assist your work pass related applications and appeals at our level best with the regulatory authority Ministry Of Manpower (MOM) for successful outcome.

Please refer to our GUIDES for more information, SERVICES to meet your requirements or CONTACT us if you wish to avail these or many other services.