Singapore S Pass

The S Pass allows Associate Professionals and Technicians (APTs) to work in Singapore.

Candidates need to earn with prevailing salaries and have the relevant qualifications and work experience.

• Fixed monthly salary comparable to top one-third of local APT salaries. This is a minimum of $3,150 (and increases progressively with age, up to $4,650 for those in mid-40s).
• Candidates in the financial service sector need higher salaries to qualify.

Employment Pass & S Pass – advertising requirements under the Fair Consideration Framework

Employer must advertise on MyCareersFuture at: www.mycareersfuture.gov.sg  for at least 14 calendar days w.e.f. 01-Sep-2022 unless MOM has explicitly exempted the company or job from this requirement.

• Consider all candidates fairly before you apply for an S Pass.
• Before applying for an S Pass, you should advertise the job on MyCareersFuture and consider all candidates fairly.
• This is expected of all employers.

Click here to learn about FCF requirements

	Singapore Passes available for Skilled And Semi-Skilled Workers
	Comparison of All Skilled And Semi-Skilled Work Passes And Work Permits In Singapore

Upcoming changes to S Pass eligibility

MOM will be raising the qualifying salaries and levies for S Pass holders, to uplift the quality of S Pass holders to the top one-third of our local APT workforce. These changes will apply progressively from 1 September 2022. S Pass quotas will also be updated from 1 January 2023.

Changes to S Pass qualifying salaries

The minimum qualifying salary for S Pass applications will be raised in three steps, as follows. Older candidates will continue to require a higher salary to qualify.

Changes to S Pass levy rates

The S Pass Basic / Tier 1 levy rate will also be raised in three steps, as follows:

Changes to S Pass quota

Key facts on S Pass in Singapore

The S Pass allows mid-level skilled staff to work in Singapore. Candidates need to earn with prevailing salaries and have the relevant qualifications and work experience.

Get an overview and key facts about the S Pass for hiring technical staff to work in Singapore.

 Eligibility for S Pass

Only eligible candidates will be considered for an S Pass. Criteria include earning a salary of at least $3,150, which is benchmarked against the top one-third of the local associate professionals and technicians (APT) salaries by age.

Who is eligible

The S Pass is for foreign employees across all nationalities or citizenships who:

• Have a job offer in Singapore.
• Earn a fixed monthly salary comparable to the top one-third of the local APT workforce by age, as shown below:

Upcoming changes to S Pass eligibility criteria

There will be further changes to the S Pass qualifying salary on 1 September 2025.

Note:

• You cannot employ foreign workers to work at a food stall in a hawker centre, coffee shop or food court. Such operations are small scale and should be manned by owners or family members.

Qualifications

You will be asked to provide details of qualifications and work experience when submitting your candidate’s work pass applications. MOM does not accept qualifications from unaccredited institutions.

To check if an institution is accredited, you can approach background screening companies.

Self-Assessment Tool (SAT)

Use the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to check a candidate’s eligibility before you apply.

If the SAT shows that the candidate is not eligible, you shouldn’t apply for the S 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.

Objectionable or Ineligible Occupations for an S Pass in Singapore

The list of objectionable occupations includes masseurs, bar and lounge hostesses. Food stall owners with an Singapore Food Agency (SFA) or National Environment Agency (NEA) licence are also not eligible to apply for an S Pass.

Who can apply

An employer or authorised third party has to apply for a candidate’s S Pass.

Appeal against rejection

Can I appeal against a rejected S Pass application?

You have 3 months to appeal an unsuccessful S Pass application, but you should do so only if you can address the reasons for rejection.

MOM has tightened the criteria for the S Pass to raise the overall quality of Singapore foreign workforce. Unfortunately, not every application will be successful.

You can check the rejection advisory in EP Online to view the reasons for rejection and advice on what to do next. If you applied manually, check the rejection letter.

When to appeal

You should only appeal if you can address the issues in your rejection advisory. There will be no change in the outcome unless there is new information in the appeal.

To help you make your decision:

• Use the Self­-Assessment Tool (SAT) to get an idea of whether the applicant qualifies
• Check the rejection advisory for the steps you need to take

You need to submit your appeal within 3 months of getting the rejection. If you miss this time period, you will have to submit a new application.

Who can appeal

Only the employer or the authorised third party who submitted the application can make enquiries or appeals. MOM will not entertain enquiries or appeals from the candidate, or anyone else.

Submit an appeal

When: Within 3 months of rejection

You can make an appeal through EP Online.

After making your appeal, you can log in to EP Online to:

• Check the status of your appeal.
• Print the outcome letter.

MOM will not be able to discuss appeal matters in person due to the high volume of appeals.

How long it takes

85% of appeals are processed within 3 weeks.

You can always log in to EP Online to check your appeal status.

Passes for Family Members

Pass holders who have a fixed monthly salary of at least $6,000, are eligible for a Dependant’s Pass for their spouse and children. If you are legally married or have children, you may be eligible for a Dependant’s Pass.

From 1 January 2018, work pass holders will need to meet a minimum salary criteria of $6,000 to enjoy dependant privileges.

Employers can submit the application together with the S Pass application or separately at a later date.

Stages of Pass

Get an idea of what you need to do before, during and after you apply for an S Pass.

Before Applying:

• Know the eligibility and requirements
• Know your quota and levy
• Declare business activity (applicable for first time employers)
• Check the documents required for applying

Before candidate arrives in Singapore:

• Apply for pass

After candidate arrives in Singapore

• Buy medical insurance and submit details
• Get the pass issued

• Register fingerprints and photo
• Receive the pass card

As and when required:

• Notify with any changes
• Renewal of pass
• Replace a lost or damaged pass card
• Cancel a pass

S Pass medical insurance requirements

Before you can issue or renew an S Pass, you must buy medical insurance for the pass holder and submit the details online.

What it should cover

As part of an employer’s S Pass medical obligations, you must buy and maintain medical insurance for your S Pass holders as long they are under your employment.

The insurance coverage must be at least $15,000 per year and cover inpatient care and day surgery.

Co-pay arrangement

You can have a co-pay arrangement with the S Pass holder only if all of the following are met:

• The medical treatment is not for work-related inpatient expenses.
• The co-pay amount is reasonable and does not exceed 10% of the worker’s monthly salary.
• The duration co-payment does not exceed 6 months.
• The co-payment option is explicitly in the employment contract or collective agreement and has the worker’s full consent.

Note:

You cannot pass on the cost of purchasing the medical insurance to S Pass holders.

Submit insurance details

You need to submit medical insurance details online before you request to issue or renew an S Pass, and when the insurance details change.

You can submit the medical insurance details through:

WP Online

EP Online – you can submit the details when you issue the S Pass.

You need to keep the following information up to date:

• Name of insurer
• Insurance policy number
• Insurance policy commencement date
• Insurance policy expiry date

MOM encourages you to get a WP Online account to make it easier for you to update your employees’ medical insurance. Registration is free.

Click the below link to learn more about upcoming enhancement of Medical Insurance to S Pass & Work Permit holders including Domestic Helpers

Enhanced Coverage For SP, WP-FW & WP-FDW

Primary Healthcare System and Primary Care Plan (PCP) For CMP S Pass holders

From 1 April 2022, under Primary Healthcare System (PHS), you must buy a Primary Care Plan (PCP) for eligible workers. You can buy from Anchor Operators (AOs).

Before COVID-19, migrant workers lacked access to accessible and affordable healthcare services near their residence, workplaces and recreational areas. COVID-19 has exposed the care and systemic gaps in migrant workers’ healthcare services.

The PHS provides integrated healthcare services for eligible workers.

A PCP is mandatory for Work Permit holders (excluding MDWs) and S Pass holders who:

• Stay in dormitories.

OR

• Work in CMP sectors.

All eligible workers must have PCP by 31 March 2023, even if their renewal is after 31 March 2023.

A PCP is optional if your worker doesn’t stay in a dormitory, or doesn’t work in a CMP sector. However, MOM strongly encourages you to buy PCP for your workers for better protection against unexpected healthcare bills.

If your workers are not covered under a PCP, they can still get medical help at any MOM Medical Centres based on their fees.

Learn more about PCP) For CMP S Pass holders

Please refer to MOM website at www.mom.gov.sg or www.cpf.gov.sg for more detailed information and up-to-date guidelines with regulations.

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.