Employment Pass Singapore Requirements 2026: Salary, COMPASS

You've found the right hire. They're in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, or Bangkok, they're keen to move to Singapore, and they're ready to start in eight weeks. Now you have to navigate MOM's Employment Pass process: the 2026 minimum qualifying salary, the COMPASS points-based assessment that came in on 1 September 2023, the Fair Consideration Framework job-advertisement rule, the document checklist, and the renewal salary increases announced in Budget 2026.

This guide walks through every step in the order it happens for a Singapore SME hiring foreign talent: salary thresholds, COMPASS scoring, the application flow, family pass options, and the six rejection reasons we see most often.

EP minimum qualifying salary in 2026 (and what changes in 2027)

The MOM Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary (MQS) is the salary floor below which no EP can be issued. It varies by sector and rises with age.

2026 thresholds (in effect now, for young candidates around age 23–25):

Budget 2026 confirmed increases that take effect from 1 January 2027 (new EP applications) and 1 January 2028 (renewals):

MOM does not publish a full age-by-age salary table. The official tool to confirm a specific candidate's MQS is the MOM Self-Assessment Tool (SAT). Run every candidate's age and sector through SAT before sending an offer letter; the difference between approval and rejection often turns on a few hundred dollars at the wrong age band.

If you're hiring in late 2026, build in headroom. Your EP holder's renewal in 2028 will be reassessed against the higher MQS, and a salary that just cleared the 2026 floor may not clear 2028's.

The COMPASS points-based assessment

Meeting the MQS is necessary but not sufficient. Since 1 September 2023, every new EP application (with narrow exemptions) must also score at least 40 points on the COMPASS framework.

COMPASS uses four foundational (anchor) criteria and two bonus criteria.

Foundational criteria (0, 10, or 20 points each)

1. C1 (Salary). Benchmarked against local PMETs in similar roles. Salary well above peer median scores 20; close to median scores 10; below scores 0.
2. C2 (Qualifications). Based on degree quality and institution recognition. A degree from a top-ranked university or a professional charter scores 20; an adequate degree scores 10; below expectations scores 0.
3. C3 (Diversity). Looks at nationality concentration in your firm. A candidate from an under-represented nationality scores 20 or 10; heavily concentrated nationality scores 0.
4. C4 (Support for Local Employment). Measures your company's local PMET share against industry norms. Strong local PMET core or improving trend scores 20 or 10; weak share scores 0.

Bonus criteria (up to 20 points each)

1. Skills Bonus (Shortage Occupation List, SOL). If the role is on MOM's published SOL, the candidate gets +10 or +20 points.
2. Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP). If your firm is recognised as contributing to an Industry Transformation Map (ITM) or named economic priority (often via EDB or EnterpriseSG programmes), +10 or +20 points.

Add up the scores; the candidate needs at least 40. A common pattern for SMEs: 10 + 10 + 0 + 10 = 30 (fail) becomes 10 + 10 + 0 + 10 + 10 = 40 (pass) when the role lands on the Shortage Occupation List.

COMPASS exemptions

A narrow set of applications skip COMPASS but still need to meet MQS and FCF:

• Fixed monthly salary ≥ S$22,500 (aligns with the high-earner exemption that mirrors PEP).
• Intra-corporate transferees (ICTs) under WTO GATS or applicable Free Trade Agreements.
• Short-term EP roles of one month or less.
• A handful of niche regulatory-replacement cases.

For the vast majority of SME EP hires, COMPASS applies. Run the SAT early; if you can see your firm consistently scoring zero on C3 (Diversity) or C4 (Local Employment), the EP path may need a different candidate or a different hiring plan.

The application process step by step

Only a Singapore-registered employer (or a licensed employment agent) can apply for an EP. The candidate cannot apply themselves. Here's the flow for an SME hiring directly.

1. Run the candidate through SAT. Confirm MQS for their age and sector, and get an indicative COMPASS score. If either fails, fix the offer or the role before going further.

2. Post the role on MyCareersFuture for 14 days (Fair Consideration Framework). This is the FCF requirement. The ad must be genuine and reflect the actual role. Common exemptions: salary ≥ S$22,500, ICTs, certain short-term roles.

3. Verify the candidate's foreign degree. MOM expects verification via an approved background-screening provider before or during application. Building this into the timeline avoids a stall.

4. Prepare documents. The standard set:

• Candidate: passport bio-data page (valid ≥ 7 months at application), educational certificates plus verification report, detailed CV, recent passport-style photo (taken within the last 3 months), English translations of any non-English documents.
• Employer: latest ACRA business profile, signed employment contract showing job title, full duties, and fixed monthly salary, MyCareersFuture job ad reference (if FCF applies).

5. Submit via myMOM Portal / EP eService. Logged in via Corppass, assigned the right e-service to whoever in your team or accounting firm submits the application.

6. Pay the application fee. S$105, non-refundable, per application.

7. Wait for the In-Principle Approval (IPA). Online applications typically process in around 10 business days. Plan for up to three weeks; allow up to eight weeks if MOM flags the case for manual review. The IPA letter is valid for six months and allows your candidate to enter Singapore for issuance formalities.

8. Complete issuance in Singapore. Once your candidate arrives, submit the issuance request, arrange any required medical examination, and book biometrics at the Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC). Issuance fee: S$225. Add S$30 if a Multiple Journey Visa is needed.

9. EP card mailed. The physical card arrives at the registered local address.

Renewal and the 2028 salary uplift

The first EP runs up to two years (sometimes three). Renewals run up to three years. At renewal, COMPASS is reassessed and the candidate must continue to meet the MQS in force at that date.

The most-missed planning point in 2026: EPs that renew on or after 1 January 2028 will be assessed against the higher S$6,000 / S$6,600 floors (with age progression), not the salary you originally hired at. If you hire today at S$5,800 to a 27-year-old in a non-financial role, the candidate must be paid at least S$6,000 (plus any age progression by 2028) at renewal. Build in salary headroom or be prepared to give a raise at renewal time.

Family: Dependant's Pass, LTVP, and LOC

Your EP holder can sponsor family members at specific salary thresholds.

Each DP and LTVP is a separate application with its own fee. The LOC is the spouse's right-to-work permission; without it, a DP or LTVP holder cannot legally work in Singapore.

Six common rejection reasons we see SMEs hit

1. COMPASS score below 40. Salary not competitive enough vs peers, weak company diversity profile, or no Skills/SEP bonuses. Run SAT before the offer letter.

2. Salary below age-specific MQS. Offering S$5,600 to a 35-year-old in non-financial services is a near-certain rejection. SAT flags the gap immediately.

3. Role not clearly PMET. Inflated titles with weak duties ("Marketing Manager" with a job description that reads as social media admin) trigger rejection. The job description should justify the salary.

4. Missing or unverifiable documents. Foreign degrees not verified through an approved vendor, missing transcripts, inconsistent passport stamps, or poor English translations cause stalls or outright rejection.

5. Inconsistent employment history. Unexplained gaps, contradictory employment dates between CV and reference checks, or signs of a "shell" arrangement (no real role at the SG employer) get flagged.

6. Employer profile drags the candidate down. Even a strong candidate can fail COMPASS if your firm's C3 (nationality concentration) or C4 (low local PMET share) sits at zero. Founders often blame the candidate; the cause is the employer side of the score.

A second-order note for first-time hirers: getting Corppass set up properly before submitting your first EP saves real time. Your Admin needs to authorise the right e-service on EP Online or the application stalls at submission. Our Corppass setup guide walks through the role assignment.

EP vs S Pass vs ONE Pass

Three pass types cover most SME hiring decisions.

For most SME hires, EP is the right answer. S Pass works for mid-skill technical roles where the lower salary floor matters and the quota and levy fit your sector. ONE Pass is rare and applies to a narrow set of top executives.

Frequently asked questions

I'm offering S$5,600 to a 35-year-old non-financial candidate. Is that enough? No. S$5,600 is the MQS for young candidates only. A 35-year-old needs a higher salary on the age-progressive scale. Use MOM's SAT to see the exact minimum for that age and sector; if the offer is below, the EP will be rejected even if COMPASS points are good.

My candidate clears the MQS easily. Can MOM still reject the EP? Yes. EP requires both the age-specific MQS and a COMPASS score of at least 40. Failing either, or failing the FCF advertising requirement, leads to rejection.

Do I always need to advertise on MyCareersFuture before applying? Usually yes: a 14-day FCF advertisement on MyCareersFuture is required for most EP applications. You may be exempt if the salary is at least S$22,500 or the candidate is an intra-corporate transferee under specific rules. Check MOM's FCF guidance before skipping the ad.

Can my foreign hire apply for the EP themselves? No. Only a Singapore-registered employer or an authorised employment agent can apply. The candidate provides documents but cannot submit the application.

When can my EP holder bring family to Singapore? Once the EP holder's fixed monthly salary is at least S$6,000, they can sponsor a Dependant's Pass for legal spouse and unmarried children under 21. At S$12,000+, they may sponsor LTVPs for common-law spouse, step-children, and parents (subject to MOM approval).

How should I plan for the 2027 and 2028 salary changes? If you hire in late 2026 close to the MQS floor, set an internal review for the 2028 renewal so the candidate's salary clears the new S$6,000 (non-financial) or S$6,600 (financial) plus age progression. Either build in headroom upfront or plan the renewal-time raise so the EP stays compliant.

Hiring soon? We help with the application paperwork and what comes after

For most of the founders we work with, the EP isn't the only piece. There's also setting up Corppass for the candidate's first-day filings, getting payroll right so the employee's salary, CPF, and tax records match the EP terms, and lining up the IR8A annual return and IR21 tax clearance processes for when employees join and leave.

If you'd rather hand the company-side compliance off and focus on the hire, book a free consultation. We handle payroll, CPF, IR8A and IR21 for our clients each month, and we run point as the second Corppass Admin so EP issuance and ongoing filings stay clean.

The goal is for the hire to land, hit the ground running, and for the compliance plumbing to be invisible to both of you.