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You check an Employment Pass (EP) application in one of two ways. The employer or appointed agent looks it up in the EP eService on MOM's myMOM Portal. The candidate can use MOM's public "Check work pass and application status" page, which needs no login, only a date of birth and a FIN or passport number. MOM says standard online applications get a result or an update within 10 business days.
Checked on Ministry of Manpower (MOM) pages. SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com is an independent guide and has no access to your MOM record.
Which MOM service shows an Employment Pass application?
The EP is applied for by the employer or an appointed employment agent, so the full application record sits in the employer's account. MOM's EP apply page says status is checked online in the EP eService, after 10 business days on the standard route or after 6 weeks on the EP (Sponsorship) route.
The public page is a second route for the candidate. MOM describes it as a way to see the status of a work pass application or the validity of a work pass, with no login. If your employer filed the application, ask them to check first, because the account holder sees more detail than you will.
| Route | Who uses it | What it needs | Login |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP eService on myMOM Portal | Employer or agent | Corppass access to the company account | Yes |
| Check work pass and application status | Candidate, employer, landlord | Date of birth and FIN or passport number | No |
| SGWorkPass app | Pass holder | Digital pass set-up after issue | Singpass for salary details |
The Corppass step is covered in our Corppass guide.
How do you use the public status page?
- Open MOM's "Check work pass and application status" service.
- Enter the date of birth.
- Add the FIN, or the passport or travel document number if you do not have a FIN yet.
- Read the result. You can save it as a PDF, and MOM says the saved file carries a timestamp.
MOM says the service runs 24 hours. It shows applications from the last 6 months. A pass that was cancelled or expired more than 6 months ago will not show. If the page shows nothing, first check that the details match the application, as a passport number typed with a different format is a common cause.
When should you check the status?
Too-early checks only show "in progress". Use MOM's own timings as a guide.
| Stage | MOM timing |
|---|---|
| Standard online application | Processed or given an update within 10 business days |
| Overseas company not registered in Singapore | Within 6 weeks for most cases |
| In-principle approval (IPA) | Candidate has 6 months to enter Singapore and get the pass issued |
| Fingerprints and photo, if asked | Within 2 weeks |
| Card delivery | Within 5 working days after registration |
Pass issuance itself is immediate once the employer submits the details and pays the S$225 issuance fee. The application fee of S$105 is paid when the application is submitted.
What do the results mean?
MOM's pages we read do not list a glossary of status wording, so we do not guess at one. Three outcomes matter in practice. An approval letter (IPA) means you can move to the next stage. A request for more information means the employer has to respond through the eService. A rejection is followed by reasons in the letter. Our page on work pass rejection explains the options after a refusal.
What if the status stays pending past 10 business days?
MOM says it processes or gives an update within that window, so a pending status after 10 business days normally means MOM asked for something or is still assessing. Let the employer read the message in the portal. If an agent filed it, ask the agent for the exact request. Candidates should not file a second application, since that can create confusion with the first.
Salary checks after approval run through the SGWorkPass app. MOM's status page notes that salary details for Work Permit holders need a different input, the Date of Application from the IPA letter.
Do you need a provider to check status?
No. Both routes are free, and the details come from your own application. Some firms handle the full filing, and they will report status for you. If you want that, use the quote form on this page. We pass your request to suitable providers and may earn a referral fee. The next step for most readers is the application guide, which lays out the sequence from consent to card.
Sources
- MOM, apply for an Employment Pass: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/apply-for-a-pass (10 business days, 6 weeks, S$105, S$225, IPA validity, card timing).
- MOM, Check work pass and application status: https://www.mom.gov.sg/eservices/services/check-work-pass-and-application-status (no login, inputs, 6-month window, PDF).
- MOM, Employment Pass eServices and forms: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eservices-and-forms (employer and agent route).
