Employment Pass Application in Singapore: Step-by-Step Guide for Employers (2026-2027)
By Lucas Seah, Founder of Excellence Singapore Group | Last Updated: July 2026
An Employment Pass (EP) application is filed by the employer or an appointed employment agent, never by the candidate alone, and the candidate must give written consent first. Eligibility is a two-stage test: the candidate must earn at least the qualifying salary for their age, then score at least 40 points under COMPASS. The application fee is S$105, and most online submissions are processed within 10 business days. This guide walks employers and HR teams through the whole process, from the Fair Consideration Framework job advertisement to pass issuance, and flags the higher salary thresholds that hit new applications from 1 January 2027. If you’re still weighing pass types, start with our hub on work passes in Singapore, or get hands-on help from our work visa team.
Key Takeaways
- Only the employer or an appointed employment agent can apply; overseas companies without a Singapore office must file through a local sponsor.
- Eligibility has two stages: the qualifying salary, from S$5,600 a month (S$6,200 in financial services), then a COMPASS score of at least 40 points.
- The application fee is S$105, online outcomes arrive within 10 business days, and issuance costs S$225 per pass.
- From 1 January 2027, new applications need at least S$6,000 (S$6,600 financial services), scaling with age to S$11,500 (S$12,700) at 45 and above.
- Renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028 must meet the new thresholds too.
- Advertise on MyCareersFuture and run MOM’s Self-Assessment Tool before you submit.
Who can apply for an Employment Pass?
Only an employer or an appointed employment agent can submit an Employment Pass application to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The candidate can’t file it personally, and MOM requires the candidate’s written consent before anything goes in. In practice, that means HR files the online submission using the company’s Corppass, or a licensed employment agent files on the company’s behalf. Either way, the company remains responsible for what’s declared.
If you use an employment agent, check that it’s licensed by MOM and be clear about who does what: the agent can prepare and file, but the declarations are made in the company’s name. Many SMEs run their first one or two applications through an agent or a corporate services firm (our guide to choosing an EP application service covers what to look for), then bring the process in-house once HR knows the flow.
Overseas companies without a registered office in Singapore can’t apply directly. They must appoint a Singapore-registered company to act as a local sponsor, and the sponsor files the application on their behalf. Sponsored applications also take much longer to process, which matters for start-date planning, as we cover in the walkthrough below.
What about founders? A founder can sponsor their own EP through their Singapore company once it’s incorporated: the company applies for the founder as its employee, which is why the company must exist first. Our guides on opening a business in Singapore as a foreigner and EntrePass versus Employment Pass map out that route in detail.
Stage 1: meeting the EP qualifying salary
The first eligibility stage is the qualifying salary. A candidate must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$5,600, and the floor increases progressively with age from 23, reaching S$10,700 for candidates aged 45 and above. Financial services roles carry a higher bar, from S$6,200 rising to S$11,800.
Those floors go up for new applications from 1 January 2027. The minimum becomes S$6,000, scaling to S$11,500 at 45 and above, while financial services starts at S$6,600 and scales to S$12,700. Renewals aren’t caught immediately: only passes expiring from 1 January 2028 are assessed against the new thresholds. The table shows both sets of figures at key ages.
| Age | Current minimum (all sectors excl. financial services) | From 1 Jan 2027 (all sectors excl. financial services) | Current minimum (financial services) | From 1 Jan 2027 (financial services) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 or below | S$5,600 | S$6,000 | S$6,200 | S$6,600 |
| 25 | S$6,064 | S$6,500 | S$6,709 | S$7,155 |
| 30 | S$7,223 | S$7,750 | S$7,982 | S$8,541 |
| 35 | S$8,382 | S$9,000 | S$9,255 | S$9,927 |
| 40 | S$9,541 | S$10,250 | S$10,527 | S$11,314 |
| 45 or above | S$10,700 | S$11,500 | S$11,800 | S$12,700 |
One caution: the qualifying salary is only the entry gate. A candidate who just clears the age floor can still fall short at the COMPASS stage, so pressure-test the whole offer, not just the minimum, before you commit to a start date.
Stage 2: COMPASS in brief
The second stage is COMPASS, the Complementarity Assessment Framework points test. An application needs at least 40 points to pass, earned across salary relative to sector norms, qualifications, workforce diversity, and the firm’s support for local employment, with bonus points available for shortage occupations and strategic economic priorities.
This post stays focused on the process, so we won’t unpack the scoring here. For a worked score and criterion-by-criterion mechanics, use our COMPASS framework calculator guide. For what the 2026 salary benchmarks mean for your offers, read our COMPASS salary benchmarks post.
Some applications skip COMPASS entirely. A candidate is exempt if they earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, are applying as an overseas intra-corporate transferee, or are filling a role lasting 1 month or less. Everyone else is scored, and that includes renewals, which have been assessed under COMPASS since September 2024.
Before you apply: FCF advertising and the Self-Assessment Tool
Under the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF), most employers must advertise the role on MyCareersFuture before submitting the EP application, and must consider all applicants fairly on merit. Keep records of how candidates were screened, shortlisted and interviewed. MOM takes fair hiring seriously, and FCF non-compliance is a common trigger for rejections and for closer scrutiny of a company’s future submissions.
Before you pay the fee, run the candidate through MOM’s Self-Assessment Tool. It gives an indicative read on whether the salary clears the age-based floor and how the COMPASS position looks. The tool isn’t a guarantee, but a clear fail is a strong signal to rework the offer, the role, or the candidate profile before you apply.
Get the sequencing right too. The advertisement comes first, the fair evaluation of local applicants follows, and only then does the EP application go in. Filing before the advertising requirement is satisfied is an avoidable own goal that delays the hire and puts the company on MOM’s radar.
Step-by-step EP application walkthrough
Gather the paperwork before you open the eService: the candidate’s passport details, educational certificates and signed candidate form, plus the company’s information with 3 years of turnover data updated. Documents not in English need an accompanying translation. Having everything ready in one sitting avoids the half-submitted application that stalls for weeks.
Here’s the full sequence for a standard online application by a Singapore-registered company.
- Get written consent. The candidate must agree in writing to the application before you file. Keep the signed consent on record.
- Complete the candidate form. The candidate fills in and signs the form covering personal particulars, qualifications and employment history. Check every entry against the passport and certificates, because inconsistencies cause delays and rejections.
- Submit via the EP eService on myMOM. Log in with Corppass, upload the supporting documents, and file the application. If your company has no Corppass access yet, our Corppass for foreigners guide shows how to set it up without Singpass.
- Update your company turnover information. Make sure 3 years of company turnover information is current in the system, as MOM considers the company’s profile when assessing the application.
- Pay the S$105 application fee. The fee is S$105 per application, payable at submission.
- Wait for the outcome. Online applications are processed within 10 business days. Applications filed through a local sponsor for an overseas company without a Singapore office take about 6 weeks.
- Print the In-Principle Approval (IPA). If approved, the IPA letter doubles as a pre-approved single-entry visa, valid for 6 months, which the candidate uses to enter Singapore.
- Get the pass issued. Once the candidate is here, request issuance and pay S$225 per pass, plus S$30 for each Multiple Journey Visa if one is needed.
- Register fingerprints and photo if required. The notification letter states whether registration is needed. The EP card is delivered within 5 working days after registration.
After issuance, the practical work starts: payroll, benefits, and the employee’s own obligations such as personal income tax filing. Eligible family members may join the holder on a Dependant’s Pass; our Dependant’s Pass guide covers the options, including DP holders who want to work or run a business.
Renewal, and planning around 1 January 2027
An EP can be renewed for up to 3 years at a time, and each renewal is assessed on the criteria in force at that point, including COMPASS. The date to circle is 1 January 2028: renewals of passes expiring from that date must meet the higher 2027 salary thresholds. A pass that cleared the bar comfortably in 2025 may need a pay rise at its next renewal, so review salaries against the new floors well before expiry.
There’s one favourable exception. Experienced tech professionals with skills in shortage may be granted a 5-year pass, which gives employers a longer runway between renewals and more certainty for critical roles.
The chart below shows how the current age-based floors compare with the thresholds that apply to new applications from 1 January 2027, for all sectors except financial services.
For hires close to the cut-off, timing matters. A new application submitted in 2026 is assessed on the current thresholds, while the same candidate applying from 1 January 2027 faces a floor that’s roughly S$400 to S$800 higher depending on age. If you expect the hire to renew beyond 2028, budget the 2027 numbers from day one rather than negotiating a raise under deadline pressure later.
Renewals deserve the same discipline as new applications. Diarise expiry dates across your EP headcount, rerun the numbers against the 2027 floors and the holder’s age at renewal, and start conversations about pay adjustments early. Waiting until the renewal window opens leaves no room to fix a shortfall.
What if the application is rejected?
Most rejections trace back to a handful of causes: the fixed salary misses the qualifying floor for the candidate’s age, the COMPASS score falls short of 40 points, the documents are incomplete or inconsistent (names, dates or qualifications that don’t match across forms), or the company’s workforce profile and FCF compliance raise concerns about fair hiring.
You can submit an appeal through the EP eService. Before you do, identify the specific rejection reason and fix it: raise the fixed salary, strengthen the local hiring record, or correct and complete the paperwork. An appeal that simply resubmits the original application usually fails. Where the gap is structural, say a COMPASS shortfall the company can’t close quickly, it’s often smarter to rework the role or revisit the candidate mix than to appeal on hope.
Prevention beats appeal. Run the Self-Assessment Tool, reconcile every document against the passport, keep the FCF records tidy, and confirm the turnover information is current before filing. In our experience, applications fail on process far more often than on the candidate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Employment Pass application cost?
The application fee is S$105 per application, paid when you submit through the EP eService. If the application is approved, issuing the pass costs a further S$225 per pass, plus S$30 for each Multiple Journey Visa where applicable. Employment agents charge their own service fees on top of MOM’s fees.
How long does an EP application take in Singapore?
Most online applications filed by Singapore-registered companies are processed within 10 business days. Applications for overseas companies without a Singapore office, filed through a local sponsor, take about 6 weeks. Complex cases can take longer, so build buffer into the candidate’s start date.
What documents are needed for an EP application?
You’ll generally need the candidate’s passport details, educational certificates, company information including 3 years of turnover data, and the signed candidate form. Some roles and nationalities require additional supporting documents, and MOM lists the full set in the EP eService when you apply.
What salary do I need for an EP in 2026 and 2027?
In 2026 the qualifying salary starts at S$5,600 a month (S$6,200 in financial services) and rises with age to S$10,700 (S$11,800) at 45 and above. For new applications from 1 January 2027 it starts at S$6,000 (S$6,600), rising with age to S$11,500 (S$12,700).
Can I appeal a rejected Employment Pass application?
Yes. Appeals are submitted through the EP eService. An appeal only succeeds if it addresses the reason for rejection, so fix the underlying issue first, whether that’s the salary, the COMPASS score, missing or inconsistent documents, or the company’s fair hiring record.
Does COMPASS apply to EP renewals?
Yes. Renewals have been assessed under COMPASS since September 2024, alongside the qualifying salary for the holder’s age. Renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028 must also meet the higher salary thresholds that take effect in 2027, so review scores and salaries well before expiry.
Get your Employment Pass application right the first time
A rejected EP costs weeks, and sometimes the candidate. Our work visa team handles the FCF advertising, the salary and COMPASS pre-checks, the document preparation and the submission itself, so the application clears MOM on the first pass. Talk to Excellence Singapore and we’ll map the fastest compliant route to getting your hire on board.
