The Employment Pass (EP) allows foreign professionals, managers, and executives (PMETs) to work in Singapore. EP eligibility is administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and assessed under a two-stage framework.

Applicants must satisfy both Stage 1 and Stage 2 requirements unless exempted.

Stage 1: EP Qualifying Salary

To be eligible for an EP, candidates must earn at least the EP qualifying salary, which is benchmarked to the top one-third of local PMET salaries, adjusted by age.

Minimum Qualifying Salary (from 1 January 2025)

Sector	Minimum Salary
All sectors (except financial services)	S$5,600 (rising progressively with age, up to S$10,700 at age 45 and above)
Financial services	S$6,200 (rising progressively with age, up to S$11,800 at age 45 and above)

These salary requirements apply to:

• New EP applications from 1 January 2025

• EP renewals for passes expiring from 1 January 2026

Important: Candidates who do not meet the Stage 1 salary requirement are not eligible for an EP, regardless of how many points they may score under COMPASS.

Stage 2: COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework)

Unless exempted, candidates must pass COMPASS, a transparent points-based system designed to:

• Improve workforce quality

• Promote diversity

• Strengthen the local PMET core

• Provide clarity and predictability for employers’ manpower planning

Passing COMPASS

• Applications must score at least 40 points to pass

COMPASS assesses candidates and employers across multiple criteria, including qualifications, salary competitiveness, workforce diversity, and support for local employment.

Exemptions from COMPASS

Candidates are exempted from COMPASS if they meet any of the following conditions:

• Fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500

• Applying as an overseas intra-corporate transferee

• Employment duration of 1 month or less

Employer Responsibilities

Before submitting an EP application, employers must:

• Meet the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) job advertising requirement

• Consider all candidates fairly, including locals

• Use MOM’s enhanced Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to check EP eligibility in advance

Support Programmes

Fast-growing technology companies expanding into Singapore may be eligible for the Tech@SG Programme, which facilitates access to foreign talent under specific criteria.

Key Takeaways

• EP eligibility follows a strict two-stage process

• Meeting the qualifying salary is mandatory

• COMPASS ensures EP holders complement, not displace, the local workforce

• Higher-paid, short-term, or intra-corporate transferees may be exempted from COMPASS

• Employers must comply with fair hiring and advertising requirements