Singapore Employment Pass 2027: New Salary, COMPASS Rules

Singapore Employment Pass 2027 brings a higher salary floor for foreign professionals, and the change takes effect in just over six weeks. From 1 January 2027, the minimum qualifying salary for a new Employment Pass application rises from S$5,600 to S$6,000 a month in most sectors, and from S$6,200 to S$6,600 in financial services, with the age-related ceilings rising too. The salary test is only the first of two stages: most applicants must also score at least 40 points under the COMPASS framework, and meeting the salary floor alone does not guarantee approval.

The Singapore Employment Pass 2027 is the work pass for foreign professionals, managers, executives and technicians with a job offer from a Singapore employer, and it is one of the most sought-after work visas in Asia. Singapore has no quota and no levy on the Employment Pass, but the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) applies the salary and COMPASS tests strictly, and it can reject applications that fail either test or that look weak on the role, the qualifications or the employer. This guide explains the Singapore Employment Pass 2027 in full: the new salary thresholds, how COMPASS works, the fees and timelines, and what employers and candidates should do before 1 January 2027.

What Is the Singapore Employment Pass 2027?

The Singapore Employment Pass 2027, known as the EP, is the work pass for foreign professionals, managers, executives and technicians who hold a job offer from a Singapore-registered employer. It is applied for by the employer, or by an employment agency acting for the employer, and it is assessed by the Ministry of Manpower. A first Employment Pass is valid for up to two years, and renewals are valid for up to three years. Holders may bring dependants, subject to a salary condition, and may apply for permanent residence separately, although the EP itself is not a route to permanent residence.

The Singapore Employment Pass 2027 is different from Singapore’s other work passes in that it has no quota and no foreign worker levy. The S Pass, for mid-skilled workers, starts at S$3,300 a month and carries a quota and a monthly levy of S$650. The Work Permit, for lower-skilled workers, is quota-based and sector-restricted. The EP sits above both: it is for professionals, it is not subject to a quota, and its selection is done through the salary floor and the COMPASS points test rather than through a quota. That makes it the pass that most skilled professionals aim for, and also the one where the eligibility tests are the most demanding.

The employer must also comply with the Fair Consideration Framework before applying, which usually means advertising the role on the MyCareersFuture job portal so that Singaporeans can apply first, unless an exemption applies. The application fee is S$105 and the issuance fee is S$225. Online applications are usually decided within 10 business days, although complex cases take longer. The candidate needs a recognised degree or equivalent qualification and a role that is genuinely professional, managerial or executive in nature.

The New Singapore Employment Pass 2027 Salary Thresholds

The Singapore Employment Pass 2027 salary change is the headline for this cycle. The EP qualifying salary is the first stage of MOM’s two-stage test, and it is benchmarked to the top one-third of local PMET salaries, meaning professional, managerial, executive and technical salaries, by age. The floor rises with the candidate’s age, because older and more experienced professionals are expected to earn more.

For new applications submitted before 1 January 2027, and for renewals of passes expiring before 1 January 2028, the minimum is S$5,600 a month in most sectors and S$6,200 in financial services, for candidates aged 23 or below, rising progressively with age to S$10,700 and S$11,800 respectively at age 45 and above.

For new applications from 1 January 2027, and for renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028, the minimum rises to S$6,000 a month in most sectors and S$6,600 in financial services, rising to S$11,500 and S$12,700 respectively at age 45 and above. The full age-by-age table is published on MOM’s eligibility page, and candidates should check the exact figure for their age and sector before applying.

The timing matters, and the Singapore Employment Pass 2027 rules treat new applications and renewals differently. A new application submitted on or after 1 January 2027 must meet the new salary floor. A renewal is assessed against the new salary only if the pass expires on or after 1 January 2028, so a pass expiring in 2027 is renewed under the old salary. There is one more date to know: the new COMPASS C1 salary table, which affects the points awarded for salary, applies to renewals of passes expiring from 1 July 2027. An employer planning a renewal should check both dates, because the salary test and the COMPASS test change on different schedules.

Candidates and employers should also note the direction of travel. The qualifying salary is reviewed regularly and benchmarked against local salaries, so it tends to rise over time. The 2027 increase follows earlier rises, and MOM has signalled that the framework will keep being tightened. A salary that clears the floor today may not clear it at the next renewal, and employers should build that into their planning rather than treating the current figure as permanent.

How COMPASS Works: Earning 40 Points

The second stage of the Singapore Employment Pass 2027 assessment is COMPASS, the Complementarity Assessment Framework, a points system that scores the application on the candidate and the employer together. Most applications need at least 40 points to pass. The framework has four foundational criteria, each scored from 0 to 20 points, and two bonus criteria. The foundational criteria are salary relative to sector peers, qualifications, diversity of the firm’s workforce, and support for local employment. The bonus criteria cover skills in shortage and strategic economic priorities.

The salary criterion, known as C1, awards points based on how the candidate’s fixed monthly salary compares with the salaries of local PMETs in the same sector, in the candidate’s age group. Scoring zero points below the 65th percentile, 10 points up to the 90th percentile, and 20 points above it. This is a separate test from the qualifying salary floor: passing the floor does not automatically earn C1 points, and a candidate can clear the salary floor but still score zero on C1. That is why the salary figure in an EP application needs to be set with both tests in mind, not just the minimum.

Candidates earning a fixed monthly salary of S$22,500 or more are exempt from COMPASS altogether and are assessed on salary alone. Everyone else must reach 40 points across the criteria, and the points can come from any combination: a strong salary, a good qualification from a recognised institution, a firm with a diverse professional workforce, or a firm with a strong record of hiring locally. MOM publishes a Self-Assessment Tool that lets employers check the salary and COMPASS position before filing, and using it is the single best way to avoid a rejection. A candidate who does not meet the stage-one salary will not be eligible for an EP regardless of the COMPASS points they could have scored.

Who Should Apply Now, and Who Should Wait

The Singapore Employment Pass 2027 salary rise creates a clear deadline. An employer with a candidate who meets the current S$5,600 floor but not the new S$6,000 floor should apply before 1 January 2027, because an application submitted before that date is assessed under the current thresholds. Waiting until January means the candidate must earn at least S$6,000, and the employer must either raise the offer or accept that the application will fail the first stage. The same logic applies to the age-related ceilings: a candidate in their forties whose salary clears the current ceiling but not the new one should be filed before the change.

For candidates who already meet the 2027 thresholds, there is no reason to rush, and the application can be made in the normal way. For candidates who meet neither threshold, the options are to negotiate a higher salary, to consider the S Pass if the role and salary fit, or to look at other destinations. Graduates weighing Singapore as a study destination should also read our guide to the Nanyang President’s Graduate Scholarship 2027, which offers full tuition and S$4,300 a month for a PhD at NTU.

Employers should also check the Fair Consideration Framework position before filing. The role will usually need to have been advertised on MyCareersFuture, and MOM looks at whether Singaporeans were fairly considered. An application that fails the framework will be rejected even if the salary and COMPASS scores are strong. The employer’s record matters too: MOM assesses the firm’s share of local professionals and its hiring practices as part of COMPASS, so a firm with a weak local hiring record will find it harder to get an EP approved than a firm with a strong one.

Dependants, Permanent Residence and the Bigger Picture

An Employment Pass holder can bring dependants, but the salary condition is higher than the EP floor. To bring family on a Dependant’s Pass, the holder must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000. That figure is separate from the EP qualifying salary, and it applies even though the EP itself can be held at S$5,600 until the end of 2026. Holders who want their family to join them should check the dependant salary condition as well as the EP threshold, because the two are often confused.

The Singapore Employment Pass 2027 does not lead automatically to permanent residence. An EP holder may apply for permanent residence separately, through the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and the application is assessed on its own merits, including the length of stay, salary, family ties and contribution to Singapore. Many EP holders do become permanent residents, but it is a separate decision, and holding an EP is not a guarantee. The EP is a work pass, and its purpose is to let a foreign professional work in Singapore for a specific employer, not to confer residence rights by itself.

The wider context is that Singapore is becoming more selective about foreign professionals. Parliamentary data published on 4 November 2026 showed that S Pass and Employment Pass employment each declined by 900 in the second quarter of 2026, while Work Permit employment grew, and the declines were concentrated in professional services, financial services and information and communications.

The government has been clear that it wants foreign professionals who complement the local workforce, not replace it. For candidates, that means the EP is still open, but the bar is rising, and the 2027 salary increase is part of that trend. Our guide to the highest paying jobs in the USA and UK 2026 compares salaries across the major destinations, and our guide to remote jobs in the USA 2026 covers an alternative for professionals who can work from anywhere.

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