- Employment Pass starts at S$5,600/month with no quota or levy; S Pass starts at S$3,300/month with strict quotas and a S$650/month levy (rising to S$6,000 and S$3,600 in Jan 2027).
- All EP applicants earning under S$22,500/month must score at least 40 points on MOM’s COMPASS framework across salary, qualifications, diversity, and local hire share.
- Both passes require a S$6,000/month salary to sponsor a spouse and children, though only EP holders earning S$12,000+/month can sponsor parents.
Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass are the two main work visas Singapore employers use to hire foreign talent. The wrong choice costs time, money, and — if MOM rejects the application — the candidate. Here’s how to pick between them without the guessing.
The core difference: skill level and salary
Employment Pass targets skilled professionals, managers, and executives (PMEs) earning at least S$5,600 monthly (S$6,200 in financial services), scaling up to S$10,700 (S$11,800 in financial services) for candidates aged 45 and above. S Pass covers mid-skilled roles like technicians, associate professionals, and specialist tradespeople earning at least S$3,600 monthly (S$4,000 in financial services), scaling up to S$5,100 (S$5,650 in financial services) by age 45. Above the salary bar, EP applications must also pass the COMPASS points framework.
Side-by-side at a glance your hire qualifies for?
| Requirement | Employment Pass (EP) | S Pass |
| Role Profile | Professionals, Managers, Executives (PMEs), Specialists | Associate professionals, mid-skilled technicians, specialist trades |
| 2026 Minimum Monthly Salary | S$5,600 (Most sectors) S$6,200 (Financial Services) Scales with age to S$10,700 / S$11,800 at age 45+ | S$3,300 (Most sectors) S$3,800 (Financial Services) Scales with age to S$4,800 / S$5,650 at age 45+ |
| From 1 Jan 2027 (New Applications) | S$6,000 (Most sectors) S$6,600 (Financial Services) Scales with age to S$11,500 / S$12,700 at age 45+ | S$3,600 (Most sectors) S$4,000 (Financial Services) Scales with age to S$5,100 / S$5,650 at age 45+ |
| COMPASS Assessment | Mandatory (Min. 40 points; exempt at S$22,500+/month salary) | Not applicable |
| Company Quota Ceiling | No quota limit | 10% of total workforce (Services) 15% of total workforce (Construction, Manufacturing, Marine, Process) |
| Monthly Foreign Worker Levy | None | S$650/month flat across all sectors and tiers (S$21.37/day) |
| Qualifications Needed | Recognised university degree, professional credentials, or specialist expertise | Degree, diploma, or technical certificate (at least 1 year full-time study) + relevant experience |
| Job Advertising (FCF) | 14-day MyCareersFuture ad required (exempt if <10 staff or salary ≥S$22,500) | 14-day MyCareersFuture ad required (exempt if <10 staff) |
| Pass Duration & Renewal | Up to 2 years initially; renewable up to 3 years (up to 5 years for eligible tech shortage roles) | Up to 2 years initially; renewable up to 3 years |
| Family Visas | S$6,000/month: Spouse & children (DP) S$12,000/month: Parents (LTVP) | S$6,000/month: Spouse & children (DP) Not eligible to sponsor parents |
How the COMPASS framework affects Employment Pass approvals
COMPASS scores each Employment Pass candidate on four foundational criteria (salary, qualifications, diversity, and local workforce share) plus optional bonus points for shortage-list skills or strategic economic priorities. Candidates need at least 40 points to pass. Most rejections we see are on the diversity criterion — employers with a heavy concentration of one nationality get docked hard.
How the 40-point COMPASS threshold works:
C1: Salary (0, 10, or 20 points): Benchmarked against local PMET salaries in your sector by age. Meeting the 65th–90th percentile earns 10 points; exceeding the 90th percentile earns 20 points.
C2: Qualifications (0, 10, or 20 points): 10 points for a degree-equivalent qualification; 20 points for a top-tier institution degree or recognized professional qualification.
C3: Diversity (0, 10, or 20 points): Measures whether the candidate’s nationality makes up less than 5% (20 pts), 5–25% (10 pts), or 25%+ (0 pts) of your firm’s PMET staff.
C4: Support for Local Employment (0, 10, or 20 points): Benchmarks your share of local PMETs against your industry peers.
C5 & C6 Bonus Points (+10 to +20 points): Awarded for roles on MOM’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL) or companies partnering in strategic economic programmes.
Note: Companies with fewer than 25 PMET employees automatically score a default 10 points each on C3 (Diversity) and C4 (Local Employment), meaning small startups only need to secure 20 points across Salary (C1) and Qualifications (C2).
Sleek’s Singapore visa service handles COMPASS scoring, MOM submission, and follow-ups end to end.
Which pass fits which hire
The decision usually comes down to salary and role level. Software engineers, finance managers, and senior technical roles typically fit EP. Technicians, junior operations staff, and skilled trade roles usually go S Pass. If a candidate’s salary is just under S$5,600 but the role is EP-level, most employers stretch the offer rather than downgrade to S Pass — the levy + quota cost adds up over the pass duration.
The payroll math: When stretching for an EP costs the same as an S Pass
Neither Employment Pass nor S Pass holders receive employer CPF contributions, which makes the S Pass Foreign Worker Levy a direct payroll tax on mid-skilled foreign hires. Because MOM charges a flat S$650 monthly levy (S$21.37 per day for partial months) on every S Pass holder, paying a mid-level hire S$4,950 on an S Pass actually costs your company S$5,600 per month—the exact 2026 qualifying salary for an Employment Pass, without burning an S Pass quota slot. Once the 1 January 2027 thresholds take effect, that break-even point shifts to a S$5,350 S Pass salary (+ S$650 levy = S$6,000 EP minimum). Employers must also provide S Pass holders with mandatory medical insurance covering at least S$60,000 per year, a statutory requirement that does not apply to EP holders.
How MOM calculates your S Pass quota:
Services sector (10% cap): S Pass holders cannot exceed 10% of your total workforce. In practice, you need 9 full-time local staff on payroll to unlock 1 S Pass slot.
Manufacturing, Construction, Marine Shipyard, and Process (15% cap): S Pass holders are capped at 15% of your total workforce (counted within your sector’s overall Dependency Ratio Ceiling), requiring roughly 6 full-time local staff for your first S Pass hire.
The S$1,800 Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) rule: Effective 1 July 2026, a Singapore Citizen or PR only counts as 1 full local worker toward your S Pass quota if they earn at least S$1,800 per month (locals earning S$900 to S$1,799 count as 0.5 of a worker). Existing EP holders are excluded from the quota calculation altogether.
3 steps before submitting to MOM:
Clear the 14-day Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) window: Employers with 10 or more total staff must advertise the role on MyCareersFuture for 14 consecutive calendar days before filing an EP or S Pass application (exempt if the role pays S$22,500+ monthly). Editing the salary range or job title mid-posting restarts the 14-day timer.
Prepare education verification proof (where required): If you declare post-secondary diplomas or degrees to score COMPASS points on an EP application (or to support an S Pass application), MOM requires verification proof from an accredited background-screening agency.
Run MOM’s Self-Assessment Tool (SAT): Always test the candidate’s age-adjusted salary benchmark and your company’s COMPASS score on SAT before issuing a binding offer letter.
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FAQs: Employment Pass vs S Pass Singapore: Which One Fits Your Hire?
What's the minimum salary for an Employment Pass in Singapore?
In 2026, the minimum qualifying salary for an Employment Pass is S$5,600 per month for most sectors and S$6,200 per month for financial services. Thresholds scale progressively with age, reaching S$10,700 (most sectors) and S$11,800 (financial services) at age 45+. From 1 January 2027, the floor rises to S$6,000 for most sectors (up to S$11,500 at age 45+) and S$6,600 for financial services (up to S$12,700 at age 45+) for new applications.
Can I switch from S Pass to Employment Pass?
Yes, if your salary and qualifications meet the Employment Pass benchmarks and your application scores at least 40 points under the COMPASS framework. Your employer must submit a fresh EP application on your behalf, as candidates cannot self-convert. Online applications typically take 10 business days to 3 weeks to process.
How does the S Pass quota work?
Employers in the Services sector can hire S Pass holders up to 10% of their total workforce, while Construction, Manufacturing, Marine Shipyard, and Process sectors are capped at 15%. Since 1 September 2025, MOM harmonised the monthly S Pass levy to a flat S$650 per holder (S$21.37 per day) across all sectors and quota tiers. To count as 1 full local employee toward your quota, a Singapore Citizen or PR must earn at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) of S$1,800 per month.
