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Employment Pass (EP) is a work visa intended for highly qualified foreign professionals and executives working in Singapore with appropriate qualifications and a salary of at least 5 000 SGD (~3 700 USD) per month for all sectors and 5 500 SGD (~4 000 USD) for the financial sector.

Employment Pass benefits:

• Gives the right to live and work in Singapore for the duration of the visa (1-3 years, renewable)
• Can apply for long term visas for family members (wife/husband, children and parents) to live in Singapore
• Can apply for Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) in Singapore for yourself and your family members.
• Can send your children to study in local and international schools in Singapore.
• You are considered to be a tax resident of Singapore (the personal tax rate in Singapore is progressive and ranges from 0% to 22%)
• No quotas or requirements for number of local employees
• Allows you to open a personal bank account with one of the top banks in Singapore with minimum deposit*.

*- For comparison, if you do not have Employment Pass or other long-term visa in Singapore, the minimum amount to open a personal bank account in Singapore begins with a deposit of $ 200 thousand to $ 10 million dollars.

The applicant must also meet the following requirements in order to qualify for Employment Pass:

1. Completed higher education, confirmed by diplomas and certificates
2. Relevant work experience in your specialty
3. Monthly salary of at least 5 000 SGD (~3 700 USD) for all industries and at least 5 500 SGD (~4 000 USD) for the financial sector. The older and more experienced the applicant, the higher his/her salary should be.
4. Good business reputation (no criminal cases and court decisions, bankruptcy records and "black marks" in international information databases)

Recognized expertise in an applicant's field of specialization - awards, interviews, and publications in relevant media - are not required, but greatly increase the chances of obtaining a work visa.

The requirements for a company may vary depending on the stage of development of the company - it is a newly registered company or a company with active operations.

Regardless of whether your company is newly incorporated or has been in operation for a long time, the Singapore Ministry of Manpower may request the following documents:

Information about the company's employer

• Description of company activities on 1-2 pages
• Job description of the candidate
• Bank statements of the company
• Contract for office lease in Singapore
• Signed contracts/invoices to clients
• Employment contract between the candidate and the company with a breakdown of the applicant's salary
• Company website
• Company business plan
• Information on hiring plans
• Other documents requested by the Singapore Department of Labor

The final list of possible documents is individual and depends on the specifics of the employer's company.

Yes, you can apply for a work visa for a newly opened company as long as the following conditions are met:

• The authorized capital of the company must be at least SGD 100,000 (~77,000 USD).
• Your salary must be at least SGD 7,000-8,000 per month (~5,000-5,800 USD).
• Higher education/experience in managerial, highly professional positions, proven by certificates and diplomas, is mandatory.

Each application is reviewed individually by the Ministry of Labor based on a wide range of factors, such as the financial condition of the employer's company, the candidate's salary, work experience, business reputation, recognized industry expertise, and the ratings of the educational institutions the candidate has graduated from.

The issuance of a work visa in Singapore can take anywhere from three weeks to several months.

In the case of refusal by the Singapore Department of Labor, you can appeal against the application.

Once you are denied a visa, you have 3 months to appeal the denial, but you should only do so if you can challenge the reasons for the denial.

You can review the denial information in the company's EP Online Office to learn the reasons for the denial and to find out what to do next. If you applied manually, check the denial letter.

The employer or hired Recruiting Agency can apply for a work visa.

Yes. The Employment Pass holder may also sponsor dependent visas for his/her family members: spouses, unmarried natural and stepchildren under 21, disabled children over 21, unmarried children, and parents of the Employment Pass holder. Dependent visas are linked to the Employment Pass holder and entitle the dependent to reside in Singapore.

To apply for dependency visas for family members you must meet the following criteria:

• Have a valid Employment Pass
• Your salary must be at least SGD 6,000 to sponsor your wife and children at least SGD 12,000 if you plan to bring your parents to Singapore

Below you will find a detailed description of what type of visa is suitable for each category of relatives:

Spouse
Visa type: Dependant's Pass (DP)

Children under 21 years of age, including legally adopted unmarried children
Visa Type: Dependant's Pass (DP)

Common-law spouse
Visa type: Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP)

Unmarried disabled children over 21 years of age
Visa Type: Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP)

Foster children under 21 years of age who are unmarried
Visa type: Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP)

Parents (only for those who have a salary above SGD 12,000)
Visa Type: Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP)

To apply for Dependant Visas (Dependant Pass/Long Term Visit Pass) for family members, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Have a valid Employment Pass
• Salary of at least SGD 6,000 (USD 4,400) to sponsor a spouse and children
• Salary of at least SGD 12,000 (8,800 USD) to sponsor applicant's parents

There is no quota or foreign labor tax for the Employment Pass (unlike the S Pass or Work Permit).

Under Singapore tax law, where a non-Singaporean employee of the Company terminates employment with the Company in Singapore, goes overseas or plans to leave Singapore for more than three months, the Employer must notify the Singapore Revenue Authority (IRAS) at least one month prior to the event, and withhold all monies due to the employee from the date the Employer became aware of the impending termination of employment or departure from Singapore. In Singapore, this process is called Tax Clearance.

For the purpose of IRAS notification, the Employer is required to file the IR21 form at least one month before the non-Singaporean employee leaves for an overseas assignment or leaves Singapore for a period of more than three months.

Find out more about Tax Clearance on the IRAS website

EntrePass is an entrepreneur visa allowing foreigners to start and run a new business in Singapore. This type of work visa is designed for serial entrepreneurs, high-level innovators or experienced investors who want to start a business in Singapore.

• Can apply before company registration
• Gives the right to live and work in Singapore for the duration of the visa (1-2 years, renewable)
• Can apply for long term visas for family members (wife/husband, children and parents) to live in Singapore
• You can apply for Permanent Residence Permit (PRP) in Singapore for you and your family members.
• Can send your children to study in local and international schools in Singapore.
• You are considered to be a tax resident of Singapore (the personal tax rate in Singapore is progressive and ranges from 0% to 22%)
• No quotas or requirements for number of local employees
• No statutory capital requirement
• No wage requirements
• Open to all nationalities.

1. Enables you to open a personal bank account with one of Singapore's top banks with minimum deposit*

*- For comparison, if you do not have EntrePass or other long-term visa in Singapore, the minimum amount to open a personal bank account in Singapore begins with a deposit of $200 thousand to $10 million.