Employment Pass and COMPASS: how Brits get a work pass in Singapore

Getting an Employment Pass is a two-stage exam: clear the salary bar for your age, then score 40 points.

The short version

• The Employment Pass (EP) is for professionals, managers and executives. Your employer applies, not you [2].
• Stage one is a minimum salary that rises with age: SGD 5,600 a month at 23 or below, up to SGD 10,700 at 45 and over, and more in financial services [1].
• Stage two is COMPASS, a points test. You need 40 points across salary, qualifications, diversity and local hiring, with bonuses for shortage jobs [1].
• The salary bar rises for new applications from 1 January 2027 [1]. Earn SGD 22,500 a month or more and you skip COMPASS altogether [1].
• Not quite there? The S Pass covers mid-skilled roles; the ONE Pass is for top earners on SGD 30,000 a month [4][5].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = SGD 1.7214).

Stage one: the qualifying salary

The figure that counts is your fixed monthly salary, so a fat bonus or a housing allowance doesn't get you over the line. The bar climbs with each year of age from 23 to 45, on the logic that a 40-year-old should be more senior than a graduate [1].

Source for all figures: the Ministry of Manpower's EP eligibility page [1].

The 2027 figures apply to new applications submitted from 1 January 2027 and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028 [1]. If your pass runs out in 2027, the current, lower figures still apply to your renewal.

Fail stage one and that's that: the Ministry of Manpower says candidates below the qualifying salary are ineligible whatever their COMPASS score [1].

Stage two: COMPASS, the points test

COMPASS stands for the Complementarity Assessment Framework. It's a bit like a pub quiz where you need 40 points to get through, and two of the four rounds are about your employer rather than you [1].

How Brits tend to score

• C3 is often kind to Brits. At many firms, British staff are a small slice of the professional headcount, which can mean 20 points. In a London-headquartered bank stuffed with Brits, it may be 0.
• Small firms get a cushion. Firms with fewer than 25 professional, managerial, executive and technical staff (PMETs) score 10 by default on both C3 and C4 [1].
• C2 rewards a good degree. A degree from a top-tier institution is worth 20; the Ministry of Manpower publishes which ones count. A degree from any recognised UK university gets at least 10.
• C5 is the wild card. If your job is on the Shortage Occupation List, that's another 10 or 20, which can rescue an application that's light elsewhere [1].

So a mid-career Brit with a solid degree, at a firm with few other Brits, paid at the 65th percentile for the sector, could reach 10 + 10 + 20 + 10 = 50. That's an illustration, not a promise: your employer can run the Ministry of Manpower's self-assessment tool before applying.

Who skips COMPASS

You're exempt from COMPASS if you earn a fixed SGD 22,500 a month or more (about £13,050), if you're an overseas intra-corporate transferee, or if the role lasts one month or less [1]. Intra-company transfers are common for Brits moved out by a UK employer, though families of some transferees can't get dependant passes, so check before you agree [6].

The application, step by step

1. Your employer advertises the job. Under the fair consideration rules, the role must go on MyCareersFuture so local candidates are considered fairly before an EP application [3].
2. The employer or an appointed employment agent applies online and pays the SGD 105 fee (about £61) [3]. Most online applications get a decision or update within 10 business days; overseas companies without a Singapore office use a local sponsor and wait up to about six weeks [2][3].
3. You get an in-principle approval letter. Book your flight and find a flat, because the pass is issued against a Singapore address [3].
4. Collect the pass within six months of approval. Issuance costs SGD 225 a pass (about £131), and you may need a medical exam [3].
5. Register and collect your card, then apply for your family's passes. See Dependant's Pass and LTVP.

A first EP lasts up to two years, and a renewal up to three. Experienced tech professionals with skills in shortage can get a five-year pass [2].

The other passes: S Pass and ONE Pass

S Pass

The S Pass is for mid-skilled staff, such as technicians and some associate professionals. The bar is SGD 3,300 a month at 23 or below, rising to SGD 4,800 at 45 and over (about £1,900 to £2,800), and SGD 3,800 to SGD 5,650 in financial services (about £2,200 to £3,300) [4]. From 1 January 2027 for new applications, the general range goes up to SGD 3,600 to SGD 5,100 (about £2,100 to £2,950) [4]. Employers pay a monthly levy and face a quota, which is why many prefer to sponsor an EP when they can.

ONE Pass

The Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass is the gold card. You need a fixed SGD 30,000 a month (about £17,400) for the past 12 months, from one employer, or outstanding achievements in sport, the arts or academia [5]. It lasts five years, lets you work for several companies at once and isn't tied to a single job [5]. From 28 January 2027, an AI and tech track opens at SGD 22,500 a month, and can count non-cash pay like share options [5].

What the EP means back home

Your EP is a work pass, not a tax status. The UK taxes by residence, so if you leave properly you'll usually fall outside UK tax on your Singapore salary, but you need to pass the Statutory Residence Test and tell HMRC on form P85. If a UK employer is seconding you, read working abroad for a UK employer as well. The UK and Singapore have a double taxation agreement, so you shouldn't be taxed twice on the same income [8]. Singapore tax is covered in Singapore taxes for Brits, and a tax adviser who knows both countries can check your case.

Foreigners on an EP don't pay into CPF, Singapore's compulsory savings scheme; it applies to citizens and permanent residents [7]. That changes if you later take up PR.

Swapping tips on COMPASS scores and which firms sponsor? Our community group for Brits in Singapore is a good place to ask.

Sources

1. Ministry of Manpower: Employment Pass eligibility (checked 7 November 2026)
2. Ministry of Manpower: Employment Pass key facts (last updated 4 May 2026)
3. Ministry of Manpower: Employment Pass – apply for a pass (checked 7 November 2026)
4. Ministry of Manpower: S Pass eligibility (checked 7 November 2026)
5. Ministry of Manpower: ONE Pass eligibility (checked 7 November 2026)
6. Ministry of Manpower: Dependant's Pass eligibility (last updated 14 March 2024)
7. CPF Board: How much CPF contributions to pay (checked 7 November 2026)
8. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Singapore (last updated 18 February 2026)

Keep reading

• Moving to Singapore as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Dependant's Pass and LTVP: bringing your family
• Permanent residence in Singapore for Brits
• Leaving the UK: telling HMRC, the P85 and your last tax year