PASSPORT CONTROLSingapore
RECOMMENDED ROUTE 路 Employment PassFixed monthly salary at or above the age-progressive minimum qualifying salary; higher for older/more-experienced candidates and for the financial-services sector.
Alternatives to the recommended route
What the file has to contain
These are the documents the authorities expect for the lead route. This is a reference list, not an eligibility check: whether any one item is met depends on your own situation. Items marked for apostille must be legalized before they will be accepted.
EP is employer-sponsored; the employer submits the application.
S$5,600/mo general or S$6,200/mo financial services (2026), scaling up with age.
Points from individual attributes (salary, qualifications) and firm attributes (diversity, local employment support), plus bonus points for shortage occupations.
Degree or professional experience; MOM may request certified/translated copies of certificates.
Singapore is NOT a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Foreign public documents for use in Singapore are legalised via the traditional consular chain (notarisation + authentication by the issuing country's foreign ministry + endorsement by the Singapore embassy/consulate). MOM work-pass applications are employer-driven online submissions and generally do NOT require apostille/legalisation of personal documents at the application stage; certified true copies/translations are requested only if MOM asks.
From paperwork to residence card
The recorded process folds into stages, each listing the real steps it covers. Timing depends on your consulate and is not fixed, so no week estimates are shown here.
Prepare and legalize
- Secure a job offer from a Singapore employer
- Employer runs a self-assessment (SAT) and posts on MyCareersFuture if required
Lodge the application
- Employer submits the EP application online
- MOM assesses salary + COMPASS; issues In-Principle Approval (IPA)
Decision and collection
- Pass issued; complete formalities (card registration, medical if required)
The law says
Official rules, verified against government text.
- Income requirement
- $4,150 / month (USD)
Fixed monthly salary at or above the age-progressive minimum qualifying salary; higher for older/more-experienced candidates and for the financial-services sector. - Initial duration
- Up to 2 years (first-time), up to 3 years on renewal
- Renewal
- Renewable so long as salary keeps pace with the age-progressive minimum and the candidate/firm continues to meet COMPASS (applies to renewals from Sept 2024).
- Maximum stay
- No fixed maximum; renewable indefinitely while criteria are met
- Tax status
- Employment income earned for work in Singapore is taxable in Singapore. Tax residency turns on the 183-day rule; residents taxed on a progressive scale (top marginal 24% for chargeable income above S$1,000,000, YA2024 onward). Non-residents' employment income taxed at 15% or resident rates, whichever is higher. Genuinely foreign-sourced income received by individuals is generally not taxed.
- Processing time
- Most EP applications processed within ~1-3 weeks (online submission by employer)
- Official cost
- Government fees: application S$105 (~USD 78) + issuance S$225 (~USD 167) = ~USD 245; optional Multiple Journey Visa S$30. Employer typically pays.
- Official source
- COMPASS framework
The street says
16 SIGNALSWhat applicants report, kept separate from the official numbers.
Voices from the field
Pros And Cons Of Moving To Singapore (2026) | Honest ExpatSam In Singapore 路 2026-01-27
New EP applications from January 2027 face a S$6,000 minimum monthly salary (up from S$5,600), with financial services hitting S$6,600
I've been offered a local contract in Singapore and would love your perspective on the offer I've been provided. To me, on paper...
Processed for 1 year+ before we were rejected. Need to apply a few times and waiting period is 12~14 months every time.
jahtna 路 2026-05-15. Six things every expat should know before moving to Singapore, aimed at newcomers underestimating the passes and costs.
Open the full source file (4)
- COMPASS frameworkGOV 路 MOM 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- Eligibility for Employment PassGOV 路 Ministry of Manpower (MOM) 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- Individual Income TaxGOV 路 IRAS 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- Overseas Networks & Expertise PassGOV 路 MOM 路 accessed 2026-08-03
For most remote workers, the route that matters is the Employment Pass, which requires a fixed monthly salary at or above an age-progressive minimum starting around USD 4,150, with higher bars for older or more experienced candidates and for financial-services roles. There is no dedicated digital-nomad visa, so the paperwork is real but manageable if you clear that salary threshold and secure a sponsoring employer. If you have serious capital instead, the Global Investor Programme can grant permanent residence directly, but that route is reported but not officially confirmed and demands a qualifying investment of at least S$10 million.