If you’re moving to Singapore on an Employment Pass or S Pass, your spouse and children don’t automatically get to live there with you — they need their own status, and for most families that status is the Dependant’s Pass (DP). Eligibility hinges almost entirely on one number: your salary as the main pass holder. Here’s how the DP actually works in 2026, including the route that lets a DP holder work in Singapore too.
Who qualifies as the main pass holder
A Dependant’s Pass is only available if the main applicant already holds (or is simultaneously applying for) an Employment Pass, S Pass, EntrePass, or Personalised Employment Pass, and meets the Ministry of Manpower’s minimum income test:
- A fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000. This is based on the main pass holder’s own salary only — MOM does not consider combined household income, and it excludes variable pay like bonuses, commissions, overtime, and reimbursements. Only basic monthly salary plus fixed monthly allowances (such as a guaranteed housing or food allowance) count toward the S$6,000 threshold.
- Sponsorship by an established, Singapore-registered company — typically the same employer that sponsors the main pass holder’s work pass.
There’s an important carve-out worth knowing before you plan around this route: Employment Pass holders who entered under certain intra-corporate transfer arrangements (for example, under WTO GATS commitments or specific free trade agreements) face restrictions on bringing dependants, so it’s worth confirming your specific pass category with your employer’s HR or immigration team before assuming DP eligibility.
Who counts as a dependant
The Dependant’s Pass covers:
- Your legally married spouse
- Your unmarried children under 21, including legally adopted children
Unmarried children 21 or older, parents, and other relatives don’t qualify for a DP — parents of work pass holders instead fall under the separate Long-Term Visit Pass framework, which has its own, generally stricter, eligibility rules and is assessed case by case.
Application process and timeline
The employer (not the family member directly) submits the Dependant’s Pass application through MOM’s myMOM portal, alongside or after the main pass holder’s own application. MOM typically processes Dependant’s Pass applications within three to four weeks. Once approved, MOM issues an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter, which the dependant uses to enter Singapore; the actual pass is then issued after arrival and completion of any required formalities.
Unlike Singapore’s S Pass, the Dependant’s Pass has no quota and no employer levy — approval depends solely on the main pass holder meeting the salary and sponsorship conditions above, not on any broader foreign-worker headcount the employer is managing.
Can a Dependant’s Pass holder work in Singapore?
Not automatically — a DP on its own doesn’t carry work rights. To take up employment, a DP holder needs a separate Letter of Consent (LOC), which the prospective employer applies for on the DP holder’s behalf. Two LOC pathways exist:
- Standard employment LOC — for a DP holder taking up a regular job with a Singapore employer, once that employer has confirmed the role and applied through MOM.
- Business-owner LOC — for a DP holder who wants to start or run their own business in Singapore, which has its own separate eligibility and application track through MOM.
Because the LOC application sits with the employer rather than the individual, DP holders looking for work should treat “will you sponsor a Letter of Consent” as a standard part of any job search conversation in Singapore, the same way work-visa sponsorship comes up elsewhere.
Renewal and validity
A Dependant’s Pass is generally issued to match the validity of the main pass holder’s Employment Pass or S Pass, and needs to be renewed alongside it. If the main pass holder’s own pass lapses, is revoked, or isn’t renewed, the linked Dependant’s Pass(es) lapse too — so a DP is never more secure or longer-lasting than the primary applicant’s own work pass.
What it doesn’t cover
If a family member doesn’t meet DP criteria — an unmarried child who’s just turned 21, for instance, or a parent hoping to relocate too — the Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) is the fallback route MOM directs families toward, though it comes with narrower eligibility and is assessed more restrictively than the DP.
FAQ
Does the S$6,000 threshold change based on how many dependants I’m bringing? No — S$6,000 is the flat minimum fixed monthly salary regardless of whether you’re bringing one dependant or several; there’s no sliding scale by family size.
Can my Dependant’s Pass holder spouse start working immediately after arriving? No — they need an employer to apply for a Letter of Consent first. A DP alone doesn’t authorise employment in Singapore.
What happens to the Dependant’s Pass if I change jobs? Your new employer needs to sponsor a fresh Employment Pass or S Pass application, and your dependants’ passes are generally re-linked to the new sponsorship — check with MOM or your new employer’s HR team about timing so there’s no gap in your family’s status.
Can same-sex or unmarried partners get a Dependant’s Pass? No — MOM’s DP eligibility is limited to legally married spouses under Singapore’s recognition of marriage; unmarried or same-sex partners are not eligible for this pass category.
This is preparation guidance, not legal advice — Dependant’s Pass eligibility depends on your specific pass category, salary structure, and employer sponsorship, so confirm your situation against the official MOM Dependant’s Pass eligibility page before applying. Join the VisaMet waitlist for early access to our document screening tools once we launch.
Sources: MOM — Dependant’s Pass; MOM — Dependant’s Pass: Eligibility; MOM — Letter of Consent for Dependant’s Pass holders who are business owners.