Singapore S Pass: Application, Cancellation and eServices Guide

The S Pass is a work pass for mid-skilled foreign employees in Singapore, and applications must be submitted online by an employer or an appointed employment agent. The application is made through the Employment Pass eService on myMOM Portal, and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) says applications are processed or given an update within 10 business days. You cannot apply as an individual; the employer or a licensed employment agent must act for you. This page sets out what the application involves, what happens after approval, and what you must do if the pass needs to be cancelled.

Who can apply and what the employer must do first

The application must be submitted by the employer or an appointed employment agent (EA). Candidates do not need to be in Singapore when the application is submitted, but the employer must obtain written consent from the candidate to apply for the S Pass.

Before applying, the employer must also:

• Advertise the job opening on MyCareersFuture and consider all candidates fairly.
• Declare the business activity online if the company has never applied for a Work Permit or S Pass before.
• Ensure the company has an account with the Central Provident Fund Board, which is used to calculate the S Pass quota.
• Update the organisation’s turnover information for the past 3 years before submitting the application.

The candidate’s passport must be valid for at least 7 months. The S Pass duration granted will only be up to 1 month before the expiry date of the passport.

Submitting the application and the fees

The employer or EA submits the application using the EP eService. MOM states the processing time as: processed or given an update within 10 business days. If the application is still pending after 10 business days, MOM may email a request for additional documents, and the processing time can then take longer than 10 working days.

The application fee is $105, payable by GIRO, Visa, Mastercard or Amex. The employer can select the option to be considered for both the EP and the S Pass when submitting.

You can check the application status online after 10 business days. No login is required to check the status of a work pass application or the validity of a work pass.

If the pass is approved: the IPA and arrival steps

If the application is approved, MOM issues an in-principle approval (IPA) letter. The employer prints the IPA and sends the pass holder’s copy to the candidate. The IPA is a pre-approved single-entry visa that gives the candidate 60 days to enter Singapore and get the pass issued. It also states whether the candidate needs a medical examination after arrival.

Before the candidate arrives, the employer must:

• Ensure the candidate complies with the latest travel requirements.
• Buy medical insurance and work injury compensation insurance, if applicable.
• Buy the Primary Care Plan (PCP) for workers who stay in dormitories that can accommodate 7 or more workers, or who work in the CMP sectors. If the candidate requires PCP, the employer must declare on EP eService that the PCP has been bought before the S Pass can be issued.

S Pass holders are encouraged to complete the Cultural Orientation Programme (COP) before they start work.

Getting the pass issued

The candidate must be in Singapore when the pass is issued, and this must happen within 60 days of the IPA. The employer or EA logs in to EP eService and provides the required information and documents. The issuing fee is $100 per pass, payable by GIRO, Visa, Mastercard or Amex. Processing is immediate.

Once the pass is issued, both the employer and the candidate receive a notification letter by email. The notification letter is valid for 1 month from the date of issue and allows the candidate to start work and travel in and out of Singapore while waiting for the pass card. It also states whether the candidate needs to have fingerprints and photo taken for card registration.

If the candidate needs more time to complete card registration, the employer can request to extend the validity of the notification letter. After fingerprint and photo registration or document verification, the card is received within 5 working days.

Cancelling an S Pass

The S Pass must be cancelled if the pass holder no longer works for the employer. The cancellation request must be submitted within 1 week after the last day of notice, and can be submitted up to 14 days in advance. Cancellation is immediate unless it is an advance cancellation request.

The employer does not need to cancel the pass if the pass holder becomes a Singapore permanent resident, or if the pass has expired. If the pass has expired but the pass holder is still in Singapore, the employer must request a Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) to give them a valid stay; otherwise an overstaying fine will be imposed. An STVP can be requested upon cancellation or within a day after the S Pass expiration date, and grants valid stay for up to 30 days.

Before cancelling, the employer must:

• Give the pass holder reasonable notice of upcoming repatriation.
• Seek tax clearance from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) at least 1 month before the last day of employment.
• Settle all outstanding employment issues, including salary payments.
• Buy an air ticket with check-in luggage and pay for all connecting transport costs to the international port of entry in the pass holder’s home country or the region nearest to their hometown, unless the pass holder agrees in writing to bear the cost.

The employer should also check airline boarding requirements and the home country’s embassy website for entry requirements before booking the flight.

After cancellation, the worker cannot work, even while waiting to leave Singapore. The card should be cut in half and discarded. If a Primary Care Plan was purchased, it must be terminated separately by contacting the Anchor Operator; it is not automatically terminated when the pass is cancelled. No refund is provided for the termination month, but the worker continues to have access to primary healthcare services until the end of that month.

Once the pass is cancelled, all related passes issued to family members are also cancelled and cannot be reinstated.

eServices and forms you will use

MOM provides a range of eServices for S Pass matters, all accessed through the myMOM Portal or the EP eService. The table below summarises the main services and their estimated completion times.

eService	What it does	Estimated time
Employment Pass eService	Submit applications for EP, S Pass, Dependant’s Pass, LTVP or Letter of Consent; issue, renew or cancel a pass	10–20 mins
Check work pass and application status	Check application status or pass validity; no login required	1–5 mins
Employment / S Pass Self-Assessment Tool (SAT)	Preliminary indication of whether a candidate is likely to get an EP or S Pass	10–20 mins
Quota Calculator	Calculate how many Work Permit and S Pass holders the company can hire	5–10 mins
myMOM Portal	Centrally view and access eServices and workforce information with one login	10–20 mins
Update salary details	Update salary details of EP or S Pass holders	10 mins
Request to amend application details	Amend application details after pass approval (EP, S Pass, TEP)	5 mins
Submit requested documents	Submit documents requested for an application or appeal	5 mins
Request for more time	Request more time to get the pass issued/renewed or send the pass holder home	5 mins

Other services include making or managing appointments at MOM Services Centre or Employment Pass Services Centre, checking and paying foreign worker levy, and submitting quota-related requests.

What to check on the official pages

The exact figures and rules in this article come from MOM’s official pages. Before you act, verify the current requirements on the official S Pass pages, because MOM updates them. In particular, check the eligibility criteria, quota and levy rates, and the current application and issuing fees on the S Pass application page. The cancellation rules and the STVP process are set out on the cancel an S Pass page. If you are an employer, also review the full list of eServices and forms on the S Pass eServices and forms page to ensure you use the correct channel for each transaction.