- MOM sets no rule on where an EP holder's salary must be banked.
- The EP eligibility page is silent on payment method as at August 2026.
- The Employment Act allows salary to be paid by bank transfer or cheque, within 7 days.
- Evidence that the full declared salary was paid on time, whatever the account.
Does MOM accept salary crediting to an overseas bank account, such as a Wise, Revolut or Airwallex account, when you sponsor an Employment Pass? As at August 2026, MOM publishes no rule requiring an EP holder’s salary to be paid into a Singapore bank account, or into any specific type of account. The Ministry sets a fixed monthly salary and checks that it is met, so what matters is proving the declared salary was actually paid in full and on time, which you can show from a Sleek Business Account or a multi-currency provider alike.
Does MOM accept a Wise, Revolut or Airwallex account for Employment Pass salary?
There is no published MOM rule that accepts or rejects any named provider. The Employment Pass framework is built around a salary figure, not a bank, so no Employment Pass salary bank account requirement points to a particular brand. If you can evidence that the fixed monthly salary was paid in full and on time, the account you used is not something MOM’s published rules turn on.
So when a founder asks “does MOM accept a Wise account?”, or asks about using Revolut for an Employment Pass in Singapore, the honest answer is that MOM neither approves nor forbids it by name. The same is true for Airwallex salary crediting: MOM’s rules are about the money reaching the employee, not the rails it travels on.
What do MOM’s Employment Pass salary rules actually require?
MOM’s Employment Pass eligibility page sets a qualifying fixed monthly salary that rises with age, plus a COMPASS points test. In general sectors the minimum is S$5,600 a month, rising to S$10,700 at age 45 and above; in financial services, it starts at S$6,200, rising to S$11,800. COMPASS requires 40 points across its six criteria, C1 to C6.
COMPASS is a separate test from the salary floor. An application can clear the minimum salary and still fall short on points, or earn its points through qualifications, diversity, and local hiring. Very high earners are treated differently: as at August 2026, applicants on a fixed monthly salary of S$22,500 or more are exempt from COMPASS, and none of these criteria mentions a bank or a payment method.
These are the numbers you are evidencing when the account question comes up. All figures below are from MOM, as at August 2026, and the thresholds increase from 1 January 2027.
| Employment Pass minimum fixed monthly salary As | s at August 2026 | From 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| General sectors (from age 23) | S$5,600 | S$6,000 |
| General sectors (age 45 and above) | S$10,700 | S$11,500 |
| Financial services (from age 23) | S$6,200 | S$6,600 |
| Financial services (age 45 and above) | S$11,800 | S$12,700 |
Source: MOM Employment Pass eligibility, as at August 2026. COMPASS pass mark: 40 points.
What don’t the Employment Pass rules say about where salary is paid?
Here is the part founders rarely hear stated plainly. As at August 2026, MOM’s Employment Pass eligibility page does not specify how or where the salary must be paid or credited. It refers to a fixed monthly salary but sets no requirement about bank accounts, account location, or payment method.
That silence is a finding, not a loophole. It means that whether you can pay an EP holder’s salary to a foreign bank is not answered by the pass rules at all, because those rules stop at the salary figure. The MOM fixed monthly salary bank question sits under a different law.
Where do the salary payment rules actually live?
Salary payment obligations sit under the Employment Act, not the pass framework. MOM’s rules on paying salary say salary can be paid directly into your bank account or by cheque, and must be paid within 7 days after the end of the salary period, or within 14 days for overtime.
Those rules do not state that the account must be in Singapore, do not force a specific provider, and are silent on overseas or e-money accounts as at August 2026. One rule that does not apply here is worth flagging: MOM’s requirement to pay salary electronically into an account is specific to S Pass holders and does not extend to Employment Pass holders. For the wider framework, see our guide to the Employment Act.
What do you have to be able to evidence at application and renewal?
Think in terms of evidence, not permission. At application, renewal, or if MOM queries a case, the real test is whether the declared fixed monthly salary was genuinely paid to the pass holder. A clean, traceable record showing the full amount reaching the employee on schedule is what does the work, whatever the account brand.
In practice, a defensible record has three things that agree with each other: the employment contract or letter stating the fixed monthly salary, an itemised payslip for each month, and an account statement showing that exact amount received by the pass holder. When those three line up month after month, the account provider becomes a detail. When they do not, no choice of bank will save the file.
This is where salary crediting becomes a payroll question as much as a banking one. Running payroll services properly gives you dated payslips and payment records that line up with the salary declared to MOM. It also keeps separate obligations tidy, such as payroll taxes and CPF in Singapore for any local hires.
How should you treat Wise, Revolut and Airwallex accounts?
Treat these as a category, not a verdict. Wise, Revolut and Airwallex are multi-currency and e-money accounts rather than traditional banks, and MOM’s published wording refers to a bank account without defining whether an e-money account qualifies. The safe position is not to argue the label but to keep a payment record clear enough that the salary is obviously paid in full and on time.
It also helps to keep the salary flow separate from general business spending. A dedicated account, or at least a clear payment reference on each transfer, makes the monthly salary easy to point to later. That holds whether the account is a traditional bank, a neobank, or a multi-currency provider.
If your underlying question is really which account to open, that is a product decision, not a compliance one. Compare options through our guides on choosing a business bank account in Singapore and on multi-currency business accounts, then keep the evidence discipline whichever you pick.
Why does this matter most for founders paying themselves?
The person asking this is usually the first EP holder in a company they own. That compresses the employer and the employee into one decision: you set your own fixed monthly salary, and you pay it to yourself. If you already move money through Wise or Revolut, the pull is to route your EP salary the same way, so the record-keeping matters even more.
The fix is simple discipline, not a different bank. Pay the exact declared amount, on time, every month, and keep the statement that proves it. If you are still mapping out the pass itself, start with how to get an Employment Pass.
There is also a currency point for founders paid from abroad. If the salary is declared in Singapore dollars, check that the amount actually received matches that figure after any conversion, not before. A payment that lands short because of an FX margin is harder to defend than one that clearly meets the declared sum.
What do employers commonly do, and why isn’t that a rule?
It helps to separate habit from rule. Many employers do use a Singapore bank account because it simplifies GIRO, CPF for local staff, and reconciliations, but none of that is a MOM salary-crediting requirement for an EP holder. A common setup is a preference, not an obligation.
So do not let “everyone uses a local bank” harden into a rule in your head. If a requirement is not in MOM’s published guidance, treat it as one option among several, and choose on practicality rather than on a rule that does not exist.
How do you get a definitive answer from MOM?
If your situation is unusual, ask MOM rather than infer. You can put a specific question to MOM through its official contact channels, or through your employer’s EP correspondence, describing the exact account and payment method you intend to use. A written answer for your own facts beats any general article, including this one.
How do you choose an account, and why is that separate from MOM?
Which account to open is a different decision from whether MOM accepts it, and it should be made on fees, currencies, and fit. Choose on supported currencies, FX margins, payout speed, and how well it plugs into your accounting, then apply the same evidence discipline on top. The compliance question and the product question rarely have the same answer, and conflating them is how founders end up with the wrong account for the right reason.
For the wider picture on sponsoring and paying staff, see our hub on visas and hiring employees in Singapore.
How Sleek helps with Employment Pass salary and payroll
Sleek runs the pass application and payroll together, so the salary you declare to MOM is the salary that actually gets paid, on time, with a record to match. If you want the pass and the pay-run handled as one workflow, our Employment Pass application support and payroll team can set it up around whatever accounts you already use.
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FAQs on mom salary crediting overseas bank account
Is Revolut okay to show the Ministry of Manpower?
As at August 2026, MOM publishes no rule that names or bans Revolut for Employment Pass salary. What the framework cares about is that the declared fixed monthly salary was paid in full and on time. Keep a clear record showing the salary reaching the pass holder’s account, and that is what you would show if asked.
What counts as "fixed monthly salary" for an Employment Pass?
Fixed monthly salary is the regular monthly amount you commit to paying the EP holder, excluding variable or non-guaranteed components. MOM uses this figure to test eligibility against the qualifying salary and COMPASS. It has to be genuinely paid, not just stated on the application.
Do I need a corporate bank account before I can apply for an EP?
MOM’s EP eligibility rules do not require a corporate bank account to be open before you apply. You will, however, need some way to pay the salary once the pass is issued. Payroll and statutory items such as CPF for local staff are easier to run once an account is active.
Does CPF apply to an Employment Pass holder's salary?
No. CPF contributions are only required for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, not Employment Pass holders. That is a payroll point rather than a salary-crediting one, and it does not change where an EP salary can be paid.
What is the minimum Employment Pass salary from 1 January 2027?
From 1 January 2027, the general-sector minimum rises to S$6,000 a month and the financial-services minimum to S$6,600, both increasing with age. As at August 2026, the current minimums are S$5,600 and S$6,200. Budget for the higher figures if a renewal or new application falls after that date.
Do you think two weeks is enough to open the company and bank account?
Incorporation itself is fast, but opening an account and running a first compliant pay-run can take longer depending on verification. If timing is tight, line up your account and payroll before the first salary is due. That way the first EP salary payment is clean and evidenced from day one.
