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Document Checklist

Singapore S Pass Document Checklist (2026)

The S Pass is Singapore's mid-skilled work pass — distinct from the Employment Pass in almost every way that matters for paperwork. It has a lower qualifying salary, uses MOM's Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) rather than the EP's points-based COMPASS framework, and is capped by a sectoral quota (Dependency Ratio Ceiling) with a monthly foreign worker levy the employer must budget for. As with the EP, the employer or a licensed employment agent submits the application through MOM's EP eService, but most of the underlying documents are the candidate's to gather. Confirm current salary thresholds, levy rates and quota figures on mom.gov.sg before applying, since MOM reviews all three periodically — most recently with levy and salary changes that took effect 1 September 2025, and further salary increases due 1 January 2027.

  • 17 documents
  • Updated June 2026

Identity and personal documents

  • Valid passportThe personal particulars page is the one document MOM's S Pass checklist names explicitly — valid well beyond the intended pass period.
  • Passport-sized photographMeeting MOM's photo specifications for the EP eService application.
  • Personal particulars matching the application formFull name, date of birth, nationality and address exactly as on the passport — mismatches are a common cause of a query or delay.

Salary and quota-band evidence (the S Pass's defining criterion)

  • Signed employment contract or offer letterStating a fixed monthly salary at or above the current qualifying floor for the candidate's age and sector: S$3,300/month at age 23 or below, rising on an age scale to S$4,800 at age 45+ in most sectors, or S$3,800 rising to S$5,650 in financial services. Both floors step up again — to S$3,600–S$5,100 and S$4,000–S$5,650 — for new applications from 1 January 2027 and renewals from 1 January 2028.
  • MOM Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) printout or screenshotRun the SAT before applying. MOM states a case that fails it will be rejected outright and the fee is not refunded; a passing result indicates roughly a 90% approval likelihood. Unlike the EP's COMPASS points system, the S Pass SAT checks salary against age/sector bands only — there is no separate points score to assemble evidence for.
  • Note on qualifications: optional, not mandatoryMOM's own S Pass eligibility page states declaring an educational qualification is optional. If you do declare one (it can help justify the role or a higher salary band), it must be genuine and from an institution on MOM's accredited list — don't assume a diploma is a hard legal minimum, but do assume MOM will check what you submit.

Qualification verification, if declared

  • Degree, diploma or technical certificateOnly needed if you choose to declare a qualification. Keep the original or a certified copy ready for verification.
  • Background-screening verification reportIf the issuing institution isn't in MOM's recognised database, the qualification must be verified through one of MOM's approved background-screening platforms before it can be relied on — this step has a lead time, so start it early rather than at the last minute.
  • Certified English translationAny certificate or supporting document not already in English needs the original plus a certified translation submitted alongside it.

Sector-specific professional documents

  • Professional body registration or licenceCertain occupations need sign-off from their Singapore regulator before an S Pass can be issued — for example doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals (via the relevant health professional board), lawyers (Legal Services Regulatory Authority), and professional footballers or coaches. Confirm with MOM whether your occupation needs this before submitting.
  • Company's ACRA business profileConfirms the hiring entity is a legitimately registered Singapore company — MOM's documents-required page lists this alongside the passport page as a standard submission item.

Levy and quota (DRC) — the employer's side, but know it before you accept an offer

  • Confirm the firm has quota headroomEvery S Pass sits inside a Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC): in the services sector the S Pass sub-quota is 10% of total headcount within an overall foreign-workforce ceiling of 35%; in manufacturing the sub-quota is 15% within a 60% ceiling, and construction/process sit at 15% within 83.3%. A firm already at its sub-quota cannot hire another S Pass holder regardless of how strong the candidate's paperwork is — this is worth asking the employer about before relying on an offer.
  • Monthly foreign worker levyThe employer pays this, not the candidate, but it affects whether a role is viable: the S Pass levy was harmonised to S$650/month across all tiers from 1 September 2025 (previously a lower Basic/Tier 1 rate of S$550 applied to some headcount bands).
  • Local Qualifying Salary awarenessQuota calculations count only local employees paid at or above the Local Qualifying Salary (rising from S$1,600 to S$1,800/month from 1 July 2026) as part of the local headcount — a firm with many low-paid local staff may have less real quota room than its headcount suggests.

After approval

  • In-Principle Approval (IPA) letterIssued once MOM approves the application — needed to enter Singapore if the candidate isn't already there.
  • Entry and formalitiesComplete any required medical check-up and the pass issuance formalities once in Singapore; the physical S Pass card is issued through EP eService after the candidate's particulars are confirmed.
  • Settling-in requirementNew S Pass holders are generally expected to complete MOM's orientation/settling-in requirement — confirm the current requirement for your situation on mom.gov.sg, since it has changed format over time.

Tips

  • Run MOM's Self-Assessment Tool yourself before accepting an offer — a candidate who clearly fails the SAT on salary or age band should not expect the employer's application to succeed, no matter how strong the CV.
  • Ask the employer directly whether they have quota (DRC) headroom left in their sector before you commit — a hiring freeze caused by a maxed-out quota has nothing to do with your paperwork and everything to do with the firm's existing headcount.
  • Don't assume a diploma is mandatory — MOM lists educational qualifications as optional for the S Pass. Declaring one you can't verify quickly through an accredited institution or background-screening platform can slow the application down for no benefit.
  • If your occupation needs sign-off from a Singapore professional body (health, legal, sport), start that registration process in parallel with the work pass application — it often takes longer than the S Pass review itself.
  • The qualifying salary and levy both step up on fixed future dates (1 January 2027 for salary, already changed 1 September 2025 for levy) — if your start date is close to a threshold, confirm which figure applies to your specific application or renewal date on mom.gov.sg.
  • This is a document checklist, not legal advice — MOM is the only authoritative source for current thresholds, quota tables and required forms; confirm everything here against mom.gov.sg before you submit.

Requirements change — always confirm the current list with the official source before you submit.

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