Documents Required for a Singapore Employment Pass Application

For a Singapore Employment Pass (EP) application, the required documents are those listed in the application form and uploaded through EP eService by the employer or appointed employment agent. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not publish a single fixed checklist; the documents depend on the candidate’s qualifications, the company’s registration status, and whether the application is made through a local sponsor. You should complete the candidate’s form, upload the supporting documents specified in the application form, and ensure your organisation’s turnover information for the past three years is updated before submitting. If MOM needs more documents after you apply, it will email you with a request, and you must submit them through the designated online form or eService.

Who submits the application and the documents

The EP application must be submitted by an employer or an appointed employment agent (EA). Candidates do not submit the application themselves and do not need to be in Singapore when the application is made. The employer or EA is responsible for uploading the required documents as part of the application.

For a company not registered in Singapore, the process is different. You need to get a local sponsor to submit the application on your behalf. The sponsor downloads the Employment Pass (Sponsorship) application form, completes it in soft copy, gets it signed, and submits it with the supporting documents listed in the form. The sponsor also pays the application fee.

Documents you must prepare before applying

MOM’s guidance on the application process identifies several items you need to have ready before you submit. These are not a substitute for the full document list in the application form, but they are the items MOM explicitly names.

Item	Who prepares it	Purpose
Written consent to apply for EP	Candidate	Confirms the candidate agrees to the application
Candidate’s form	Employer or candidate	Contains information needed for the application; can be sent to the candidate to fill in
Supporting documents listed in the application form	Employer or EA	Evidence of qualifications, experience, and other criteria
Organisation’s turnover information for past 3 years	Employer	Must be updated before submitting the application
Completed and signed application form (for sponsorship route)	Local sponsor	Required for overseas companies without a Singapore-registered office

You should check the application form itself for the exact documents required, as MOM does not list every document type on the public application page.

How to check what documents MOM requests

After you submit the application, MOM will process it or give you an update within 10 business days for standard applications, or within six weeks for most cases involving an overseas company without a Singapore-registered office. If your application is still pending after 10 business days, check your email for a request for additional documents.

If MOM asks for more information or documents, your processing time may take longer than the standard period. You will need to submit the documents through the EP eService. MOM’s instructions are specific: click on ‘Work Passes’ on the left menu, choose the application record, and select ‘Submit documents’. Alternatively, you can select ‘View details’ to see the action required from you. In some cases, MOM’s email will tell you to submit the documents using an online form.

Documents after approval: the in-principle approval letter

If the pass is approved, MOM issues an in-principle approval (IPA) letter. The employer or EA prints the IPA and sends the pass holder’s copy to the candidate. The IPA serves two document-related purposes:

• It is a pre-approved single-entry visa for the candidate to enter Singapore.
• It gives the candidate six months to enter Singapore and get the pass issued.
• It states whether the candidate needs to go for a medical examination after arrival.

For the sponsorship route, MOM emails the IPA letter to the contact person indicated in the application, who then sends the pass holder’s copy to the candidate.

Documents needed to get the pass issued

Once the candidate is in Singapore, the employer or EA must log in to EP eService and provide the required information and documents to get the pass issued. This step must be completed within six months of the IPA. The candidate must be in Singapore when this is done.

At this stage, the employer or EA pays the fees: $225 for each pass and, if applicable, $30 for each Multiple Journey Visa. After the pass is issued, both the candidate and the employer receive a notification letter by email. The notification letter is valid for one month from the date of issue.

What to do next and what to verify

Before you apply, complete the candidate’s form and use the Employment / S Pass Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to get a preliminary indication of whether the candidate is likely to qualify. MOM advises that you should not apply if the SAT shows the candidate does not qualify.

You should also advertise the job opening on MyCareersFuture before applying, as MOM requires employers to consider all applicants fairly.

For the exact document list, open the EP application form and the Employment Pass (Sponsorship) application form if you are using the sponsorship route. The forms specify the supporting documents MOM expects. If MOM contacts you after submission, follow the email instructions precisely and submit the requested documents through EP eService or the online form indicated. Check the official MOM page for the Employment Pass application to confirm the current process and any updates before you submit.