Applying for Singapore Employment Pass

6 min readSep 5, 2018

Finally, I got to start my career abroad in Singapore by working at Shopee! (see here). Just like any other country, you need to apply for a work visa/pass in order to work legally. Singapore offers several types of work passes, depending on your job and salary. In this article, I will share my experience on getting an Employment Pass. Hope this experience helps!

Work Passes Types: S Pass vs. Employment Pass

There are many types of work passes that MOM offers. You can check them here. The website’s information is arranged really well and can be easily understood. While there are a lot of types, the two most popular types are S Pass and Employment Pass (EP). In summary, here are the two most important differences (as of 2018).

EP is for skilled jobs, with minimum monthly salary of $3,600. S Pass is for mid-skilled jobs, with minimum monthly salary of $2,200.
EP does not have foreign worker levy or quota, while S Pass has it.

I’m not sure if there’s any disadvantage of holding S Pass instead of EP. If you earn $6,000 or above, both passes holders can bring their family dependents to the country as well.

You can use this self-assessment tool (SAT) provided by MOM to check if you’re eligible for S Pass or EP. As for me, the SAT said that I was eligible for either S Pass or EP. Nonetheless, your company should know which one suits you the best.

EP Application Process

1. Applying EP Online

Note that only your employer can apply on behalf of you for S Pass and EP. Before applying, my employer only asked two documents.

Scan of my passport
EP form listed here. My employer specifically told me to only fill Part 2A, 4, 5, 6, 7A, and 8.

Yes, those are all the requirements! I did not even have to submit my transcript. Note that each employer might require different documents. The other parts will be filled by your company.

As stated on MOM’s website, the application usually is approved within 3 weeks. As an applicant, you can check your status online at this site without logging in. Below are the steps.

For the “Requestor’s Particulars”, fill in the “NRIC No” with your passport number. You also need to give your name.
Next, choose the travel document option, and fill it with your passport number again.

Here’s an example of the inquiry’s outcome.

With the current system, there are four possible statuses for your EP application.

Pending.
Pending inputs from vetting agencies. Expected outcome is 2 months from the Date of Application.
We need inputs from other agencies to process this application. In most instances, the outcome will be available in 4 weeks’ time. Some cases may take longer.
Approved/Rejected

The status update is apparently very random. There’s no definite time on each status update. I recently found a thread on expat.com forum (here) where people share their experiences on getting S-Pass or EP. Below are some timelines shared on the forum.

Person A:

May 22: Pending
May 29: Pending input from vetting agencies
Jun 1: We need input from other agencies
Jun 11: Approved

Person B:

May 17: Pending
May 23: Pending inputs from vetting agencies
Jun 1: We need input from other agencies
Jun 4: Approved

And finally, here’s my timeline.

Jul 30: Pending
Aug 1: We need input from other agencies**
Aug 16: Approved
** I’m not sure if I skipped the “pending inputs” stage or not… I did not check on Jul 31

Mine took 13 working days since the date of application. My friend has the same date of application, but his took 14 working days. Based on all the timelines, it will generally take around 2–4 weeks.

2. IPA

After your application is approved, MoM will issue an in-principle approval (IPA) to your employer. Your employer then should send you the pass holder’s IPA copy to you on the day you’re approved. I got my IPA on the same day as my online status got approved. My friend, however, did not get his IPA on Friday when he was already approved on that day. Employer said they had not received his IPA yet. He finally got his IPA on Monday, even though the IPA issuance date was on Friday. Just check with your employer as soon as your status is approved.

This letter can be used as a single-entry visa to Singapore (unless if your country can enter Singapore visa-free). IPA can also be used to secure an apartment before you obtain an EP, shown as a proof of residential to create bank account, etc.

3. Entering Singapore

For citizens who cannot enter Singapore without visa, you need to print your IPA and bring it along with your passport and Singapore Immigration Card (given before entering SG) to the immigration officer. If you do not require visa, e.g. ASEAN citizens, you do not need to present your IPA. Still, it’s better to print it just in case something happens.

The officer will take the disembarkation portion and give you the other portion (as shown in picture). Do not lose this portion. You need to give this to Employment Pass Service Centre along with other required documents.

4. Notification Letter

Upon arrival, my employer requested me to take photo of both sides of the embarkation portion to issue my notification letter. I sent the photos to my employer and my notification letter was issued on the same day 😃. This letter basically tells you that you’re ready to work and you’ve asked your work pass to be issued. You need to make a card registration appointment soon with MoM. Note that this letter is only valid for 1 month. Also, you are now legal to work in Singapore while you’re waiting for your card 😄 (unless you do not proceed to register your card).

The notification letter states what you need to bring upon card registration. Here’s mine:

This Notification Letter
Passport
IPA + other documents that IPA requires you
Declaration Form (your employer should give you this alongside with your IPA and notification letter)
Embarkation card portion

As an addition, after getting your notification letter, you can safely go back and forth to/from Singapore. If the immigration officer asks you, show this notification letter.

5. Card Registration

My employer was the one who registered me for a card registration appointment, so I cannot tell you how to do it. Some people have to make their own appointments. I think this is the appointment website, please explore it by yourself.

My appointment was made at 11.45. The registration is done at Employment Pass Service Centre (EPSC) at The Riverwalk, Clarke Quay. Note that it’s not at MoM’s office! I came to my office first to collect the required documents which are already signed by me and my employer. There’s also this additional card registration letter that I need to present to EPSC as well. I arrived at EPSC at 11.30 and got a queue ticket by scanning my card registration letter there.

I only waited like 5 minutes before my name was called. The first step was to take a photo. I just needed to sit on a high stool in front of a white wall. It was so fast that I didn’t even have the chance to smile… Then, I met the immigration officer who stamped everything quickly, asked me to scan both of my thumbs’ fingerprints, and told me that I’ll need to collect the card from my office within 4–5 working days. Done! Even though my appointment was supposed to start at 11.45, I finished everything at 11.40 😅.