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To qualify for a Singapore Employment Pass (EP), the candidate needs a job offer, a fixed monthly salary that meets the floor for their age, and 40 COMPASS points unless exempt. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) gives the floor as S$5,600 at age 23 or below up to S$10,700 at 45 and above for most sectors.
Checked against MOM's eligibility page, which MOM last updated on .
What does the candidate have to meet?
MOM runs a two-stage test and the candidate must clear both.
- Salary stage. The fixed monthly salary must meet the EP qualifying salary. MOM benchmarks this to the top third of local professional, manager, executive and technician salaries, by age.
- COMPASS stage. The candidate must reach at least 40 points, unless one of the exemptions below applies.
Passing the salary stage alone does not give the pass. The reverse is also true: strong COMPASS points cannot make up for a salary under the floor. For the age-by-age list, see the Employment Pass salary page.
| Sector | Before | From |
|---|---|---|
| Most sectors, age 23 or below | S$5,600 | S$6,000 |
| Most sectors, age 45 and above | S$10,700 | S$11,500 |
Financial services has its own, higher scale. We list it in the salary guide rather than repeat it here.
What does the employer have to do?
The employer, or an employment agent it appoints, is the applicant. The candidate cannot file alone. Before applying the employer must advertise the job on MyCareersFuture and consider all candidates fairly under the Fair Consideration Framework. The employer also needs access to MOM's eServices, which runs through Corppass. Our Corppass guide covers the setup.
MOM also assesses the employer inside COMPASS. Two of the six criteria look at the firm: how diverse its professional team is (C3) and how many locals it employs in professional roles (C4). A company with a narrow team can lose points there even when the candidate is strong.
What are the COMPASS criteria?
| Code | Criterion | Points |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Salary | 0 to 20 |
| C2 | Qualifications | 0 to 20 |
| C3 | Diversity | 0 to 20 |
| C4 | Local employment | 0 to 20 |
| C5 | Skills bonus (shortage occupations) | 10 to 20 |
| C6 | Strategic economic priorities bonus | 10 |
The scoring detail sits in our COMPASS guide. This page only keeps the table so you can see the shape of the test.
Who skips COMPASS?
MOM names three exemptions:
- a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500
- an overseas intra-corporate transferee
- a role lasting one month or less
These exemptions are for the points test. MOM's eligibility page does not say they waive the salary stage, so confirm your case with MOM.
Are there other conditions?
A few points come up often in MOM's pages.
- No quota, no levy. MOM states there is no foreign worker levy or quota for the EP.
- Real qualifications. MOM may ask for qualifications to be verified, so declare only what you can prove.
- Medical insurance is the employer's choice for an EP, not a rule.
- The pass follows one employer. An EP holder works for the employer named on the pass. If you plan to run a company, read Can an EP holder start a business.
If an application fails, the letter explains why and the employer can appeal. See work pass rejection.
Should a founder use the EP?
The EP is for employees. A founder who wants to run and own the business usually looks at the EntrePass, and a director-employee case is covered on the company director page.
Do you need a provider?
Not by law. Some employers use an agent to run the checks before filing, especially for COMPASS. If you want that help, use the quote form on this page. We pass your request to suitable providers and may earn a referral fee. The criteria above come from MOM and not from any provider.
Sources
- MOM, Employment Pass eligibility: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility (two stages, salary floors, COMPASS points, exemptions).
- MOM, Employment Pass key facts: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/key-facts (no levy or quota, medical insurance, who applies).