Workforce Mobility & Immigration in Singapore
Employment Pass applications under the COMPASS points framework, S Pass and Work Permit sponsorship, and levy/quota planning for foreign headcount.
SingaporeCurrency
SGD (Singapore dollar)
Free movement
Not applicable — work permit generally required for all nationalities
Main non-EU route
Employment Pass under the COMPASS points framework (floor S$5
Registration deadline
Typically within 1–2 weeks of arrival
Housing — single employee
~S$3,000–4,000/month (1-bed condo, city fringe/central; furnished units command a S$300–500 premium)
Housing — family of four
~S$8,000–14,000/month (3-bed condo, Core Central Region — Orchard/Holland/Bukit Timah); S$5,500–9,000/month in the Rest of Central Region
Moving workforce into Singapore
Singapore applies a flat 17% corporate tax rate and a one-tier system under which dividends are exempt from further tax in the shareholder's hands, alongside a 9% Goods and Services Tax (GST). Incorporation is fast — a Private Limited Company can be registered with ACRA in as little as one to three business days, with a minimum paid-up capital of S$1 — and there is no general statutory minimum wage, only sector-specific floors under the Progressive Wage Model and a Local Qualifying Salary threshold tied to foreign worker quota eligibility.
Discuss your Singapore relocation planSingapore is not an EU/EEA member
Employment Pass under the COMPASS points framework (floor S$5,600/month, S$6,200 financial services; ≥S$22,500 largely exempt from scoring) is the main route for skilled hires; CPF applies only to Citizens/PRs — Employment Pass, S Pass and Work Permit holders are excluded, with S Pass/Work Permit instead subject to a separate Foreign Worker Levy
Confirm the right route for a hireWhat sits with the company
Once the right to work is confirmed, payroll registration follows — see our Payroll & Workforce Management in Singapore guide for the employer registration steps that come next.
Set up a relocation processWhat it costs to house a relocating employee
Figures below are indicative for Singapore, Singapore's primary market for relocating employees — a company relocating multiple staff should budget by destination city, not a single national number.
| Item | Single employee | Family of four |
|---|---|---|
| Typical apartment | 1-bedroom | 3-bedroom |
| Rent (Singapore) | ~S$3,000–4,000/month (1-bed condo, city fringe/central; furnished units command a S$300–500 premium) | ~S$8,000–14,000/month (3-bed condo, Core Central Region — Orchard/Holland/Bukit Timah); S$5,500–9,000/month in the Rest of Central Region |
| Security deposit | Market convention (unregulated): 1 month's deposit + 1 month's advance rent for a 1-year lease; 2 months' deposit + 1 month's advance for a 2-year lease | Market convention (unregulated): 1 month's deposit + 1 month's advance rent for a 1-year lease; 2 months' deposit + 1 month's advance for a 2-year lease |
Frequently asked questions
Talk to a Singapore mobility expert
The CPF/foreign-workforce divide is the single most consequential planning variable for companies budgeting Singapore headcount, precisely because it is a binary switch tied to residency status rather than a graduated cost. Total employment cost should be modelled by headcount composition — local versus Employment Pass versus S Pass/Work Permit — not by a blended average that obscures which cost applies to which hire.