Personalised Employment Pass Application (Singapore)

A Personalised Employment Pass Application in Singapore supports an application to the relevant authority for the approval or registration sought.

The PEP is available to two categories of applicants: (1) existing Employment Pass holders in Singapore who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500; and (2) overseas foreign professionals who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 in their current overseas employment. The S$22,500 salary threshold (applicable from September 2023) makes the PEP one of the most exclusive work pass categories in Singapore, targeting C-suite executives, senior professionals, and highly specialised technical experts.

Unlike the standard Employment Pass — which is tied to a specific employer and must be cancelled when the pass holder leaves that employer — the PEP allows the holder to switch employers in Singapore without applying for a new work pass. The PEP holder must notify MOM within 5 business days of starting employment with a new employer. This employer portability is the PEP's defining feature and provides flexibility for senior professionals exploring multiple career opportunities in Singapore.

The PEP is issued for a non-renewable period of 3 years. PEP holders who wish to continue working in Singapore after the 3-year period must apply for an Employment Pass sponsored by their employer under the standard EP framework, subject to MOM's COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) scoring criteria. The COMPASS framework, introduced on 1 September 2023, applies to all new EP applications and assesses candidates on four foundational criteria (salary, qualifications, diversity, and support for local employment) plus bonus criteria (skills shortage, strategic economic priorities).

PEP holders are subject to specific conditions: they cannot start a business or be self-employed in Singapore (the EntrePass category caters to entrepreneurs); they must maintain employment in Singapore — a PEP holder who is unemployed for more than 6 consecutive months must surrender the PEP; and their dependants (spouse and children) may apply for Dependant's Passes, with the spouse eligible for a Letter of Consent (LOC) to work in Singapore. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) processes the PEP holder's entry into Singapore and issues the Multiple Journey Visa (where applicable) for travel.

A related Employment Pass Application Support document addresses the standard EP application process, while an EntrePass Application Support document addresses the entrepreneur work pass category.

The PEP is distinct from the recently introduced Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass), which targets top talent earning at least S$30,000 per month and offers a 5-year validity period with the ability to concurrently start, operate, and work for multiple companies in Singapore. PEP holders who do not meet the ONE Pass salary threshold but earn at least S$22,500 remain eligible for the PEP as the appropriate premium work pass category. Both the PEP and ONE Pass reflect MOM's tiered approach to attracting global talent to support Singapore's economic competitiveness.

A Personalised Employment Pass Application is needed whenever a high-earning foreign professional wishes to obtain employer-portable work authorisation in Singapore under MOM's PEP scheme.

Existing Employment Pass holders earning S$22,500 or more per month who wish to gain employer portability should apply for a PEP before leaving their current employer. The PEP allows the holder to change employers without applying for a new EP, avoiding the risk of the new EP application being rejected under MOM's COMPASS framework. Senior professionals who are considering career transitions — moving between multinational corporations, joining a Singapore startup, or taking on advisory roles across multiple organisations — benefit from the PEP's flexibility.

Overseas foreign professionals earning S$22,500 or more per month who wish to relocate to Singapore should apply for a PEP if they have not yet secured employment with a specific Singapore employer. The PEP allows the applicant to enter Singapore and commence employment without requiring employer sponsorship at the application stage — the applicant applies in their own name rather than through an employer. Once in Singapore, the PEP holder has 6 months to secure employment before the unemployment condition is triggered.

Senior professionals relocating to Singapore as part of a regional or global role who may work for multiple entities within a corporate group should consider the PEP as an alternative to the standard EP. Under the standard EP framework, the pass holder must be sponsored by a single Singapore employer, and any change of employer requires a new EP application. The PEP eliminates this constraint, allowing the holder to serve multiple Singapore entities within the same corporate group without the administrative burden of multiple EP applications.

PEP holders whose 3-year PEP is approaching expiry must transition to an employer-sponsored Employment Pass — the PEP cannot be renewed. The employer must apply for an EP on the PEP holder's behalf through MOM's EP Online (EPOL) system at least 6 months before the PEP expires, to allow sufficient processing time. The EP application will be assessed under the COMPASS framework, and the employer must satisfy the Fair Consideration Framework advertising requirement by posting the vacancy on the MyCareersFuture portal for at least 14 days before applying for the EP.

Foreign professionals who also wish to bring their family to Singapore should note that PEP holders earning S$22,500 or more (which is the minimum PEP threshold) automatically qualify to sponsor Dependant's Passes for their spouse and children. A related Letter of Consent for Dependant Pass Holder allows the PEP holder's spouse to work in Singapore.

A Singapore Personalised Employment Pass Application compliant with the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A), MOM's PEP eligibility criteria, and MOM's administrative requirements must include the following elements. The forms-legal.com Personalised Employment Pass Application template covers all information required by MOM's PEP application form and supporting documentation checklist.

Applicant identification requires the applicant's full name as shown on the passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, gender, residential address (current country of residence), Singapore address (if applicable), email address, and contact telephone number. The applicant's educational qualifications — institution name, qualification title, and year of graduation — must be stated, as MOM verifies qualifications against its list of acceptable institutions.

Employment and income details must demonstrate that the applicant meets the S$22,500 monthly salary threshold. For existing EP holders in Singapore, the application must state the current employer's name and UEN, the applicant's current job title, and the current fixed monthly salary as shown on the EP application records and the latest payslip. For overseas applicants, the application must state the current overseas employer's name and country, the applicant's job title, and the current fixed monthly salary — supported by the last 6 months of payslips, the employment contract, or an employer's letter confirming the salary.

Singapore employment plans should describe the applicant's intended employment in Singapore — the target industry, the type of role sought, and any confirmed or prospective employment offers. While the PEP does not require the applicant to have secured employment at the time of application, MOM considers the applicant's employment plans as part of the overall assessment. Applicants who have received a confirmed offer from a Singapore employer should state the employer's name, UEN, and the offered salary.

Supporting documentation typically includes: a copy of the applicant's passport (bio-data page); the latest payslips (6 months) from the current or most recent employer; the employment contract or employer's letter confirming salary and job title; educational qualification certificates; the current Employment Pass details (for existing EP holders converting to PEP); and a recent passport-sized photograph meeting ICA's specifications.

Declaration must include the applicant's confirmation that all information provided is true and accurate, and acknowledgment that providing false information in a work pass application is a criminal offence under Section 22(1)(d) of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A), punishable by a fine up to S$20,000 or imprisonment up to 2 years or both. The applicant must also declare any previous immigration violations, criminal convictions, or work pass cancellations in Singapore or any other country.

Fee payment: The PEP application fee is currently S$105 (non-refundable), payable online through MOM's PEP application portal. Upon approval, an issuance fee of S$225 is payable when the PEP card is collected from MOM's Employment Pass Services Centre. A related S Pass Application Support document addresses the mid-level work pass category, and a Termination Letter may be needed to document the end of the PEP holder's previous employment.

Dependant information: PEP applicants who wish to bring their spouse and children (below 21 years of age) to Singapore should include the dependants' details in the application or file separate Dependant's Pass applications concurrently. The PEP holder's spouse may apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) to work in Singapore — the LOC allows the spouse to work for any employer without requiring the employer to apply for a separate work pass. The PEP holder must earn at least S$22,500 per month (the PEP minimum, which exceeds the S$6,000 threshold for Dependant's Pass eligibility), automatically qualifying for dependant sponsorship.

Previous immigration history must disclose any previous work pass applications in Singapore (approved or rejected), any previous immigration violations or overstay incidents, and any criminal convictions in Singapore or overseas. MOM conducts thorough background checks, and failure to disclose material information may result in the PEP application being rejected or, if discovered after approval, the PEP being revoked under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A). Under Singapore law, the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A) and Section 8 of the Employment Act 1968 (Cap. 91) govern the core requirements for this type of document.