Work pass requirements in Singapore: what applicants must know

In Singapore, a foreign national generally needs a valid work pass before starting work, and the employer — not the employee — is the party that applies for it. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is the agency that issues work passes, and it provides a set of eServices through which employers and employment agencies (EAs) submit applications, check status, renew passes, appeal rejections and update details. The main exception to the work pass requirement is a narrow exemption for certain foreign students holding an ICA Student’s Pass, who may work without a pass during vacations or, under conditions, during the school term. If you are a foreign national planning to work in Singapore, your employer must first determine which pass type applies to you, then use the correct eService to apply; you cannot simply present yourself for work without a pass.

What a work pass is and who needs one

A work pass is the authorisation issued by MOM that allows a foreign national to work in Singapore. The pass types that appear in MOM’s eServices catalogue include the Employment Pass (EP), S Pass, Work Permit (for migrant workers, migrant domestic workers, performing artistes and confinement nannies), Training Employment Pass, Training Work Permit, EntrePass, Personalised Employment Pass, Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass, Work Holiday Pass, Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass and Letter of Consent.

If you are a foreign national and do not hold one of these passes, you are not permitted to work. MOM states plainly that it is an offence for a foreign student to work in Singapore without a valid work pass. The obligation to apply falls on the employer or employment agency, not on the worker. In the case of a Student’s Pass holder who has completed studies and whose Student’s Pass has expired, MOM says the person will need to get a work pass to work in Singapore and that the employer will need to apply for it.

The work pass exemption for foreign students

MOM sets out a specific exemption from the work pass requirement for foreign students holding an ICA Student’s Pass, but only if they are studying at an institution on MOM’s published list. The exemption has two distinct parts: working during vacation and working during the school term.

Working during vacation

You can work during your vacation without a work pass if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You are a full-time matriculated or registered student in one of the institutions listed by MOM.
• You hold a Student’s Pass issued by ICA.
• You are aged 14 years and above.

You need not notify MOM before you start work. The list of institutions is long and includes government and government-aided secondary schools and junior colleges, independent schools, special education schools, polytechnics, universities (including NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SUSS, SIT and Yale-NUS), international schools (such as Anglo-Chinese School (International), Australian International School, Canadian International School, Dulwich College, Tanglin Trust School and United World College of South East Asia), and several foreign-linked institutions such as INSEAD, ESSEC Business School (Singapore), S P Jain School of Global Management and Waseda Shibuya Senior High School.

If you are from one of those institutions and are waiting for your final examination results or convocation, you can also work without a work pass if the waiting period falls within your vacation.

Working during the school term

You can work during the school term without a work pass if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You are a full-time matriculated or registered student in one of the institutions listed by MOM.
• You hold a Student’s Pass issued by ICA.
• Your work meets one of these requirements: it is for a maximum of 16 hours a week, or it is under an industrial attachment or internship programme conducted by your university or educational institution (the attachment can be compulsory or elective but must contribute towards your graduation requirements).

Again, you need not notify MOM before you start work. The list of institutions for school-term work is narrower than the vacation list: it covers polytechnics, universities, and several specialised institutions (such as Digipen, LaSalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Mountbatten Vocational School, and the Sorbonne-Assas International Law School – Asia), but does not include the secondary schools, junior colleges or most international schools that appear on the vacation list.

When the exemption does not apply

Two situations are important. First, exchange students in Singapore are not allowed to work at all under the exemption. Second, if you are a foreign student coming to Singapore under a training attachment programme, you should apply for a Training Work Permit, a Training Employment Pass, or be in the Work Holiday Programme. If you want to take a leave of absence during your school term to do additional industrial attachments that do not contribute towards your graduation, you must apply for a work pass.

How to apply for a work pass

The application process is run through MOM’s eServices, and the correct eService depends on the pass type. For the Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass and Letter of Consent, employers or employment agencies use the Employment Pass eService. MOM states that this eService allows the user to submit an application for those pass types, and also to issue, renew or cancel a pass (all pass types except Work Permit).

The estimated time to complete an application through the Employment Pass eService is 10 to 20 minutes. For Work Permit matters, MOM directs business employers and employment agencies to Work Permit Online (WPOL), and employers of migrant domestic workers or confinement nannies to the separate work permit transactions service.

Before applying, an employer may use the Employment / S Pass Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to get a preliminary indication of whether a candidate is likely to get an Employment Pass or S Pass. The SAT is also an eService, with an estimated completion time of 10 to 20 minutes. Note that the SAT gives only a preliminary indication; it does not guarantee an outcome.

Employers must also register for a Work Pass Account Registration (WPAR) if they do not already have one. The WPAR eService, with an estimated completion time of 10 to 20 minutes, allows business employers to register for online accounts including Work Permit Online and Employment Pass Online, and to declare their business activity.

Checking status, renewing and appealing

Once an application is submitted, employers can check the status of a work pass application or the validity of a work pass through the “Check work pass and application status” eService. MOM states that no log in is required for this service and that it takes 1 to 5 minutes. Work Permit holders can also check their salary information through the same service.

Renewals are handled through the same eServices used for applications. For example, the Employment Pass eService allows employers to issue, renew or cancel a pass. For Work Permit renewals, MOM provides separate appeal eServices: one for business employers or employment agents (for migrant workers) and one for employers of migrant domestic workers.

Appeals are also conducted through eServices. MOM lists the following appeal routes:

Appeal type	Who can appeal	eService link
Rejected EntrePass / Personalised Employment Pass / Work Holiday Pass, or related Dependant’s Pass / Long-Term Visit Pass	Persons or EAs	go.gov.sg/pass-appeal
Revoked Work Permit / IPA, or request to proceed with a Work Permit application (Construction & Process)	Employers or EAs	go.gov.sg/appeal-wp-cp
Revoked Work Permit / IPA, or request to proceed with a Work Permit application (Manufacturing)	Employers or EAs	go.gov.sg/appeal-wp-mfg
Revoked Work Permit / IPA, or request to proceed with a Work Permit application (Marine shipyard)	Employers	go.gov.sg/appeal-wp-marine
Revoked Work Permit / IPA, or request to proceed with a Work Permit application (Services)	Employers or EAs	go.gov.sg/appeal-wp-svc
Refund of overstaying fines (business employers or EAs)	Business employers or EAs	go.gov.sg/refund-os
Refund of overstaying fines (MDW employers)	Employers	go.gov.sg/refund-os-fdw
Renewal of Work Permit (business employers or EAs)	Business employers or EAs	go.gov.sg/renew-work-permit
Renewal of Work Permit (MDW employers)	Employers	go.gov.sg/renew-work-permit-mdw

Each of these appeal eServices has an estimated completion time of 5 minutes.

Other eServices you may need

Beyond the core application and appeal services, MOM provides several other eServices that employers, EAs or pass holders may need during the life of a pass. These include:

• Request to amend application details after a pass is approved (for EP, S Pass and Training Employment Pass).
• Request to amend the occupation of an Employment Pass or S Pass holder.
• Update salary details of Employment Pass or S Pass holders.
• Update pass holder personal particulars (excluding Work Permit holders).
• Submit requested documents for a work pass application or appeal.
• Apply secondary directorship for an Employment Pass holder.
• Cancel an Employment Pass (Sponsorship).
• Extend notification letter validity, card registration period or change collection date for Employment Pass holders.
• Request for approval to transfer work pass holders due to business restructuring.
• Request for more time to get a pass issued or renewed, or to send a pass holder home.
• Submit proof that a work pass holder is undergoing tuberculosis treatment.
• Enquire about Employment Pass, S Pass or other pass matters.

Employers can also use the myMOM Portal, which MOM describes as a central place to view and access eServices, workforce information and perform transactions with one login. The SGWorkPass mobile app allows persons to use a digital work pass to support their employment in Singapore.

What to do next and what to verify

If you are a foreign national seeking to work in Singapore, the first step is to confirm with your prospective employer which pass type applies to your situation. The employer must then register for the appropriate online account (if not already registered) and submit the application through the correct eService. If you are a Student’s Pass holder, check whether your institution is on MOM’s published list and whether your proposed work falls within the vacation or school-term conditions before you start work.

Before relying on any of the details in this article, verify the current requirements on the official MOM pages. The eServices catalogue at mom.gov.sg/eservices lists all available services and their estimated completion times. The Employment Pass eServices and forms page at mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eservices-and-forms sets out the specific eServices for EP and S Pass matters. The work pass exemption for foreign students page at mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work-pass-exemption-for-foreign-students contains the full list of institutions and the precise conditions. MOM updates these pages, so always check the live versions before acting.