Work passes
Singapore work passes
Singapore's work passes for professionals are issued by MOM, and which one fits depends mostly on salary and role. The Employment Pass is for professionals, managers and executives and uses a qualifying salary plus the COMPASS points test; the S Pass is for skilled technicians, with a lower salary floor and an employer quota and levy; the ONE Pass is for top earners and exceptional talent; the EntrePass is for founders. Family members follow on a Dependant's Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass.
Key takeaways
- Employment Pass: qualifying salary from S$5,600 rising with age, then COMPASS (40 points).
- S Pass: qualifying salary from S$3,300; the employer needs quota and pays a S$650 monthly levy.
- ONE Pass (S$30,000 a month or outstanding achievement) and EntrePass (founders) are applied for by the candidate; EP and S Pass by the employer.
- Family: a Dependant's Pass from a sponsor salary of S$6,000; parents on an LTVP from S$12,000 for EP holders.
- EP and S Pass holders are named in ICA's PR categories; the other passes are not.
The passes compared
| Pass | For | Headline criterion | Who applies | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Pass | Professionals, managers, executives | Qualifying salary by age, then COMPASS | Employer or agent | Up to 2 years, renewals up to 3 |
| S Pass | Associate professionals and technicians | Lower qualifying salary by age; employer quota and levy | Employer or agent | Up to 2 years, renewals up to 3 |
| ONE Pass | Top talent in business, arts, sports, research and (from 2027) AI and tech | S$30,000 a month, or outstanding achievement | The candidate, or employer or agent | Up to 5 years |
| EntrePass | Founders of venture-backed or innovative companies | Company and innovation criteria; no minimum salary | The founder | Up to 1 year, later renewals up to 2 |
| Dependant's Pass | Spouse and children under 21 of an EP or S Pass holder | Sponsor earns at least S$6,000 | Employer or agent | Follows the main pass |
| Long-Term Visit Pass | Other family of work-pass holders (MOM), or family of citizens and PRs (ICA) | Depends on which LTVP | Employer (MOM) or the citizen or PR sponsor (ICA) | Follows the main pass (MOM), or set by ICA |
Two more passes sit at the edges. The Personalised Employment Pass, for a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, is issued once and is not tied to an employer — it is compared on the Employment Pass page. The Tech.Pass stops taking new and renewal applications from 28 January 2027, when the ONE Pass gains an AI and Tech track. The Work Permit, for semi-skilled work, is outside this guide; its link to PR is covered on Work Permit to PR.
Employment Pass guides
- Employment Pass: eligibility and how it works — The two-stage test, who applies, duration, family.
- COMPASS explained — Every criterion and band, the exemptions, and what MOM republishes each year.
- How an EP application works — Job advert, documents, fees, timeline, in-principle approval.
- Employment Pass renewal — The window, the criteria and which tables apply on your expiry date.
- Employment Pass appeal — Who may appeal, within what time, and what MOM needs to see.
- COMPASS calculator — MOM's qualifying salary and C1 benchmarks applied to one application.
From a work pass to permanent residence
A work pass and PR are decided by different agencies on different tests. ICA's PR category “Holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass” covers the two employer-sponsored passes directly; MOM says ONE Pass holders may also apply; a Dependant's Pass holder has three distinct routes. The PR guides by pass start from ICA's categories: Employment Pass to PR, S Pass to PR, ONE Pass to PR and Dependant's Pass to PR.
Would this salary clear the Employment Pass test?
The qualifying salary for the exact age and sector, and a COMPASS points range from your answers — against MOM's published tables.
Official sources referenced
- MOM — Key facts on Employment PassMOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- MOM — Key facts on S PassMOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- MOM — S Pass quota and levy requirementsMOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- MOM — Key facts on Overseas Networks & Expertise PassMOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- MOM — Key facts for EntrePassMOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- MOM — Eligibility for Dependant's PassMOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- MOM — Eligibility for Long-Term Visit Pass (family of EP and S Pass holders)MOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- ICA — Long-Term Visit Pass (eligibility, fees, processing, renewal)ICA · accessed 27 September 2026
- MOM — Eligibility for Personalised Employment PassMOM · accessed 27 September 2026
- EDB — Tech.Pass (closing to new and renewal applications from 28 January 2027)Other · accessed 27 September 2026
- ICA — Becoming a Permanent Resident (eligibility, documents, fees, processing)ICA · accessed 2 September 2026Primary page for eligibility routes, assessment factors, fees (S$100; S$20 + S$50 + S$50 at completion) and the 'within 6 months' processing statement.
Editorial information
- Written by
- SingaPR Editorial Team — Research & editorial
- Reviewed by
- SingaPR Immigration Research Desk — Fact review against ICA/MOM sources
- Published
- 27 September 2026
- Facts verified
- 27 September 2026 (re-checked at least every 90 days)
Revision history
- 2026-09-27 — First published after verification against MOM, ICA and EDB pages fetched on 27 September 2026.
SingaPR is a private, independent information and self-assessment platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or any Singapore Government agency. Nothing on this site is legal advice or a guarantee of any immigration outcome.