Setting Up a
Representative Office

Singapore Employment Pass

The Employment Pass (EP) is the main type of Singapore work visa issued to foreign professionals, managerial personnel (managing directors, general managers, CEOs), executives or specialists who wish to work in Singapore.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) allows foreign professionals to apply for a Singapore Employment Pass after they have incorporated their Singapore company to enable them to live and work in Singapore. The EP neither falls under any quota system nor is there a monthly levy charge for EP.

You may apply for a Singapore Employment Pass (EP) , if:

• You are a foreign entrepreneur, professional or managing director of a Singapore company and wish to relocate to Singapore to manage your company operations;
• You are a locally-incorporated Singapore company and need to hire foreign employees;
• You have an employment offer from a prospective Singapore employer. In this case, you will need the company to expedite the EP application on your behalf.

Employment Pass Eligibility Requirements

Singapore Employment Passes are carefully assessed by the Ministry of Manpower by taking into consideration a number of factors such as the applicant’s qualifications, working experience, job profile, economic contribution, employer’s track record and the value add of the applicant to the Singapore workforce.

To be considered for an Employment Pass, you must have a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,000 and possess one or more of the following:

• Acceptable educational qualifications e.g diploma or degree
• Professional qualifications
• Specialist skills
• Work related experience

The Ministry of Manpower evaluates each application based on the individual’s merits. Other factors that are also considered include:

• Salary of applicant
• Age of applicant
• Role & responsibilities
• Reputation of the company
• Company’s paid-up capital
• Applicant’s citizenship
• Employer’s track record

Having a recognised educational qualification does not guarantee a successful EP application as the applicant also needs to satisfy other criteria such as relevant work experience and/or professional skills.

Similarly, an applicant who does not possess a recognized educational qualification may not necessarily be rejected an EP if he possesses other compensating qualities.

Pass Types

There are three categories of Employment Pass: P1, P2 and Q1 Pass.

The P Passes are for foreigners seeking managerial, executive or specialist jobs.

• P1 Pass – for applicants earning a fixed monthly salary of at least S$8,000.
• P2 Pass – for applicants earning a fixed monthly salary of at least S$4,500 and possessing recognised qualifications.
• Q1 Pass – for applicants earning a fixed monthly salary of at least $3,000 and possessing recognised qualifications.

Employment Pass Eligibility Summary Table

Important Note:

With effect from 1 st January 2012 the qualifying salary requirements for the EP has been increased.

1. WEF 1 January 2012, the EP salary threshold was raised to S$8,000, S$4,500 and S$3,000 for the P1, P2 and Q1 pass respectively, while the S pass salary threshold remained at S$2,000. For existing EP and S pass holders whose passes expired on or after 1 January 2012, and are affected by these changes, MOM will grant a one-off renewal of up to 2 years per the earlier thresholds.

2. Pass holders who have applied/who apply for renewal before/after 1 January 2012 are treated equally and given the same one-off renewal. Subsequent renewal applications will be assessed based on the prevailing work pass criteria.

Passes for Family Members

All Employment Pass holders can apply for Dependant Pass and/or Long-Term Social Visit Pass for their family members.

Dependant Pass

Both P and Q1 Pass holders can apply for Dependant Pass for their:

• Spouse
• Unmarried children under 21 years of age

If you are an Employment Pass or an EntrePass  holder, your spouse is eligible to work in Singapore as a Dependant Pass holder. However, your prospective employer is required to apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) with Ministry of Manpower. (Note: Not eligible for S Pass holders)

Long-Term Social Visit Pass

P Pass holders may also apply for Long-Term SocialVisit Pass for their:

• Common law spouse
• Unmarried daughters above 21 years of age
• Handicapped children
• Step-children
• Parents/parents-in-law

A Snap Shot

Procedure and Timeline

Rikvin submits all Employment Pass applications electronically to Ministry of Manpower as the application process is shorter. This way, you will also learn of your application outcome sooner. The process consists of the following steps:

1. Obtaining authorization code to submit application online for newly incorporated company. Upon submission, it takes about 7-14 days for Ministry of Manpower to send the authorization code.
2. Submission of application online. It takes Ministry of Manpower between 1-15 working days to process the application.
3. Upon receiving the In-principle Approval (IPA) notification, we will make arrangement for the collection of your EP.

Documents Required for Employment Pass

Rikvin requires the following documents for submission of Employment Pass application in Singapore:

• Resume or CV stating your educational and employment history (download Singapore Employment Pass Application form)
• Copies of educational certificates and past employment testimonials
• A copy of the personal particulars page of your passport

* Any documents that are not in English must be translated into English by an official translation service.

Approval and Collection of Employment Pass

Once the application is approved, the Ministry of Manpower will issue an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter via email. The IPA letter must be produced upon collection of the EP at the Work Pass Division at Ministry of Manpower. An IPA letter is valid for six months from the date of notification of approval.

To collect your EP you will be required to present:

• A copy of the IPA letter
• Recently taken passport size photograph
• Original passport with the entry embarkation cards
• Medical exam report* (if the In-Principle Approval states that you require one)
• Any other documents that are requested in the approval letter

* You may get a medical examination done in your own country through an established clinic/hospital or in Singapore. Most clinics in Singapore provide medical examination and report within a day.

Entry Visa into Singapore

If you are overseas and require an entry visa to Singapore, your IPA letter will include a single journey entry visa. Upon your arrival in Singapore, we will make an appointment with Ministry of Manpower on your behalf for finger printing. Upon completing the procedures, your pass will be ready in 4 working days.

You may collect the pass at Ministry of Manpower personally or authorize Rikvin to collect it on your behalf.

Approval of Employment Pass Application

Singapore Employment Pass Validity

The validity period of an EP varies for:

• First-time applicants – up to two years
• Employment Pass renewals – up to three years

Rejection of Employment Pass Application

In the event that your Employment Pass application is rejected by MOM, Rikvin will investigate why your application has been rejected. Based on the reasons provided by MOM, we will submit an appeal that will address the issues outlined by MOM and also include additional documents as per their request, if any. Please note that it may take three weeks or more to process an appeal, depending on the complexity of the case.

Change of Employer

Employment Pass holders must apply for a new pass whenever they change employers. There is no need to cancel the existing pass prior to application for a new pass. Ministry of Manpower evaluates each application for a new pass based the applicant’s qualifications, work experience, and employer credentials. A new pass will be issued once the old pass is cancelled.

Renewal of Employment Pass

The Ministry of Manpower will mail an Employment Pass Renewal Form to your employer’s address two months before your EP expires. You should submit the renewal application at least  four weeks prior to the expiration of your EP. Once approved, your employer will receive a letter of notification and the new pass is ready for pick up at the Ministry of Manpower.

Permanent Residence Eligibility

EP pass holders of P1, P2 and Q status are eligible to apply for Permanent Residence through Professional, Technical & Skilled Workers scheme. There is no designated waiting period but since one of the documents required is six months of salary record, hence it is advisable to wait for at least six months prior to application. It is, however, advisable for Q1 pass holders wait for at least two years before applying for permanent residence.

Important Information About Personalised Employment Pass:

For existing EP holders and overseas professionals that meets certain criteria, Singapore has introduced a new type of employment pass named Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) that is not tied to any employer. For more details, please refer to Singapore Personalised Employment Pass page.

Foreign entrepreneurs and corporations,who wish to form a Singapore company are required to appoint a professional firm to act on their behalf. The employment pass application can only be submitted to the relevant authorities once the company has been incorporated.

The timeline of forming companies in Singapore is fully computerized and as a result, the actual formation of the entity can be accomplished within three hours, if all documents are in place. Time may vary if you are not physically present in Singapore to sign on the documents. To form a Singapore company and secure your Employment Pass, please refer here for more information Singapore Company Registration + Employment pass application.

Singapore Representative Office Registration Requirements

A Representative Office provides a foreign company interested in establishing operation in Singapore an avenue to assess business opportunities in Singapore market. It is also ideal for a foreign company that is interested in promoting its brand and to work with its local agents and distributors. It is a short-term setup (for up to three years), and it is not permitted to engage in commercial revenue-generating activities such as concluding contracts and opening of Letter of Credit.

Taxation of Singapore Representative Office

A Singapore Representative Office cannot engage in commercial revenue-generating activities, and therefore need not file for annual tax returns. However, income earned by the staff of the Representative Office including the Chief Representative is subject to Singapore personal income tax.

What you need to know before registration

Name: The Representative Office name must be the same as the parent company.

Shareholders: The parent company must own 100% of the Representative Office.

Chief Representative: Singapore Representative Office must have at least one representative who can be Singapore resident or foreigner staff member. Rikvin can assist you in the application of Employment Pass for the foreign staff member relocating to Singapore to run the Representative Office operations.

Registered Address: Every business registered in Singapore is required to have a registered office address. The registered address must be a physical address and cannot be a PO Box. Use of residential address is allowed for certain types of business.

Registration of a Singapore Representative Office

Rikvin is Singapore’s leading specialist in registration of companies. We can set up your Representative Office within 5 working days provided you have all required documents in order.

Upon approval of the application of your Singapore Representative Office, Rikvin can also assist you in the application of Employment Pass for the Chief Representative who plans to relocate to Singapore to run the Representative Office operations. The approval process by Ministry of Manpower of Singapore is approximately 3-5 weeks.

Approval and Renewal Information

International Enterprise Singapore takes about 5 business working days to approve each application. Once approved, it will send a Letter of Approval via email. The registration is valid for one year and subject to an annual renewal.

International Enterprise Singapore sends out a renewal notice two months prior to the expiry of the registration. It is mandatory for the renewal to be completed seven days before the expiration date. A representation office must upgrade to a Branch Office or a Subsidiary Company after a period of three years.

Opening of a Corporate Bank Account

Once the Representative Office has been incorporated, you may open a corporate bank account with any of the local or international banks based in Singapore, and in some cases, overseas.

If you are unable to come to Singapore, you may choose a bank that allows opening of a corporate bank account without your presence. Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC are two of the international banks that allow you to open a bank account without you having to be Singapore.

Post Registration – What you need to know

Registration of Singapore Central Provident (CPF): The Singapore Central Provident Fund or CPF is a compulsory pension fund scheme in which the employer and employee contribute a percentage of the monthly salary to the fund. CPF contribution by the employer is mandatory for all local employees who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents earning more than S$50 a month. The maximum CPF contribution rate for employer and employee is 14.5% and 20% respectively and can be lower depending on certain factors such as employee age, permanent resident status, etc. CPF contribution for foreign employees is not required.

Registered Office Hours: You must have a registered office address and the office must be open to public for minimum of three hours per day during normal business hours on weekdays.

Registration Number: Business registration number must be on all letterheads, invoices, billings or other documents used for official business communications.

Custom Registration: If your Representative Office plans to import and export of product samples in and out of Singapore, you will need to register with the Singapore Customs and obtain a CR Number or commonly known as Custom Registration.

Step 1 – Submit Incorporation order form.

Please provide us your email address and we will email you the necessary incorporation forms.

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Provides us with

• Copy of the parent Company’s Certificate of Incorporation
• Copy of the parent Company’s latest annual report and audited accounts
• Duly endorsed undertaking to abide by the Terms and Conditions governing Representative Offices in Singapore

Upon receipt of the above from you, we will

• Follow-up with you to clarify queries (if any) and advise accordingly
• Send you an invoice for our services.

Step 2 – Make Payment

Upon receiving the payment for our services, we will collate and prepare the necessary documents and submit to the authorities for review and their approval. Once the representative application has been approved, we will proceed with employment pass application.

Step 3 – Apply for Employment pass

Rikvin submits all Employment Pass (EP) applications electronically to Ministry of Manpower (MOM) as the application process is shorter, and subsequently you will also learn of your application outcome sooner.

The process consists of the following steps:

• Application to obtain MOM authorization code to submit application online. Upon submission, it takes about 7-14 days for Ministry of Manpower to send the authorization code.
• Submission of EP application online. It takes MOM between 1-15 working days to process the application.
• Upon receiving the In-principle Approval notification, we will make arrangement for the collection of your EP.

Generally the approval process is simple as long as the required documents are valid and the intended Representative Office activities are within the scope allowed. In some cases, International Enterprise Singapore may request for additional information for further clarifications.

Required Documents for Representative Office Registration

To register a Singapore representative office a completed application along with supporting documents must be filed with International Enterprise Singapore. The processing time for the application is approximately 5 working days.

The following documents are required when registering a representative office in Singapore:

• Completed application
• Copy of the parent Company’s Certificate of Incorporation
• Copy of the parent Company’s latest annual report and audited accounts
• Duly endorsed undertaking to abide by the Terms and Conditions governing Representative Offices in Singapore

In the event when the annual report and audited accounts are not available (for example when the parent company is relatively new), you can self-declare the needed information and provide other supporting details such as company brochures, contracts, website, etc. to support your application. All documents submitted must be in English or an official English translation of the documents.

Generally the approval process is simple as long as the required documents are valid and the intended Singapore Representative Office activities are within the scope allowed. In some cases, International Enterprise Singapore may request for additional information for further clarifications.