---
title: "Singapore Employment Pass for Indonesians: Salary, COMPASS"
description: "Employment Pass rules for Indonesians: an age-based minimum salary rising from 2027, COMPASS points, routes from Indonesia and red flags."
lang: en
canonical: "https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/singapore/employment-pass/"
datePublished: "2026-10-07"
dateModified: "2026-10-07"
sources:
  - "https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility"
  - "https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/budget2025/cos-2025-factsheet-on-foreign-workforce-policies.pdf"
  - "https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/press-releases/2026/factsheet-on-foreign-workforce-policies-03032026.pdf"
  - "https://www.mom.gov.sg/faq/employment-agencies/how-will-foreign-workers-know-the-amount-that-they-are-expected-to-pay-the-singapore-ea"
  - "https://peraturan.go.id/files/uu18-2017bt.pdf"
  - "https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf"
---

> Markdown version of https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/singapore/employment-pass/. Cite that HTML page and its update date.

# Working in Singapore on an Employment Pass: requirements, minimum salary and COMPASS

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by [Kaiser Khan](https://kariraman.com/en/authors/kaiser-khan/) (editor), 8 October 2026 Updated and verified 7 October 2026

Open **Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives**

**Open to professionals of all nationalities who meet the salary threshold and COMPASS.** The salary threshold rises for new applications from 1 January 2027.

Status as of 7 October 2026 [Ministry of Manpower, Singapore](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility)

## Summary

- The Employment Pass (EP) is Singapore's work pass for professionals, managers and executives, applied for by the employer.
- Candidates must pass two stages: a minimum fixed salary by age, then the COMPASS points test with at least 40 points, unless exempted.
- The EP salary threshold for new applications rises from 1 January 2027.
- Before a new EP application, the employer must meet the Fair Consideration Framework job-advertising requirement.

**Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis**

| Route | Run by | Official link | Who pays placement costs | Legal basis |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives<br>Employment Pass | Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer; Through a licensed P3MI agency<br>Ministry of Manpower, Singapore | [Official source](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility) | Through a P3MI, the employer bears placement costs; worker costs must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Independent applications follow this route’s specific cost rules. See the cost rules | [Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)](https://peraturan.go.id/files/uu18-2017bt.pdf) 7 October 2026<br>[Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)](https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf) 7 October 2026 |

[See this route in the comparison table](https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/compare/#singapura-employment-pass)

## What do you need to work in Singapore through Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives?

Placement channels from Indonesia for working in Singapore through Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives: Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer; Through a licensed P3MI agency. Age limits: at least 18 years.

- **Placement channels from Indonesia:** Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer; Through a licensed P3MI agency An independent migrant worker goes without an agency, only to a legal-entity employer, and must report to the labour office and the Indonesian mission. This is not the same as an individual employer (a household), or an individual who places migrant workers, which is banned.
- **Age:** at least 18 years
- **Job types:** Professional, managerial and executive jobs with an offer from a company in Singapore

## What does working in Singapore through Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives cost, and who pays?

For placement through a P3MI on the Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives route to Singapore, the employer bears placement costs; any costs charged to the worker must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Independent applications follow the route-specific cost rules below.

1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. [Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)](https://peraturan.go.id/files/uu18-2017bt.pdf) 7 October 2026
2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. [Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)](https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf) 7 October 2026
3. **Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.**

### Cost rules for this route

- **Singapore agency fees:** If you use a Singapore employment agency, it may collect no more than one month of fixed salary for each year of service, capped at two months' salary. [Ministry of Manpower, Singapore](https://www.mom.gov.sg/faq/employment-agencies/how-will-foreign-workers-know-the-amount-that-they-are-expected-to-pay-the-singapore-ea) 7 October 2026
- **P3MI charges in Indonesia:** If you go through a P3MI, placement-cost components are borne by the employer unless a lawful exception applies, and any cost charged to you must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. [Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)](https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf) 7 October 2026

## What is the minimum pay for working in Singapore through Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives?

**Official floor**

| Area or group | Official floor | Approximate rupiah value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Employment Pass, age 23 or below<br>Applies to: New Employment Pass applications from 1 January 2025 until before 1 January 2027, all sectors except financial services | SGD 5,600.00<br>per month<br>Minimum qualifying salary for a work pass, not a minimum wage<br>In force from 1 January 2025<br>2025 data | about IDR 78,258,684<br>rate as of 8 October 2026 |
| Employment Pass, age 23 or below (from 2027)<br>Applies to: New Employment Pass applications from 1 January 2027 and renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028, all sectors except financial services | SGD 6,000.00<br>per month<br>Minimum qualifying salary for a work pass, not a minimum wage<br>In force from 1 January 2027 | about IDR 83,848,590<br>rate as of 8 October 2026 |
| Employment Pass, age 45 or above<br>Applies to: New Employment Pass applications from 1 January 2025 until before 1 January 2027, all sectors except financial services | SGD 10,700.00<br>per month<br>Minimum qualifying salary for a work pass, not a minimum wage<br>In force from 1 January 2025<br>2025 data | about IDR 149,529,986<br>rate as of 8 October 2026 |
| Employment Pass, age 45 or above (from 2027)<br>Applies to: New Employment Pass applications from 1 January 2027 and renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028, all sectors except financial services | SGD 11,500.00<br>per month<br>Minimum qualifying salary for a work pass, not a minimum wage<br>In force from 1 January 2027 | about IDR 160,709,798<br>rate as of 8 October 2026 |

[Ministry of Manpower, Singapore](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility) 7 October 2026 [Ministry of Manpower, Singapore](https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/budget2025/cos-2025-factsheet-on-foreign-workforce-policies.pdf) 7 October 2026 [Ministry of Manpower, Singapore](https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/press-releases/2026/factsheet-on-foreign-workforce-policies-03032026.pdf) 7 October 2026

## Which visa do you need to work in Singapore through Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives?

**Employment Pass**: the work pass the employer applies for at Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for professionals, managers and executives. [Official source](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility)

## What are the steps to work in Singapore through Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives?

1. Get a written job offer from a company in Singapore with a fixed salary at or above the EP threshold for your age.
2. The employer meets the Fair Consideration Framework job-advertising requirement, then checks eligibility with MOM's Self-Assessment Tool.
3. The employer applies for the EP. It is assessed on the minimum salary and, unless exempted, on COMPASS.
4. If you go independently, make sure you are registered for social security and report to the labour office and the Indonesian mission.

The order and timings are editor estimates, not promises.

## Which schools or training lead to Singapore?

The education and training routes linked to working in Singapore through Employment Pass for professionals, managers and executives: Bachelor's degree (S1) in Indonesia, Scholarships for Indonesians.

- [**Bachelor's degree (S1) in Indonesia: when jobs require one and how to check a university**](https://kariraman.com/en/education/bachelors-degree/)
- [**Scholarships for Indonesians: LPDP, Chevening, Australia Awards, DAAD, MEXT and GKS**](https://kariraman.com/en/education/scholarships/)

## How is the Employment Pass salary threshold set?

MOM benchmarks the Employment Pass salary threshold to the top one-third of local professional, manager and executive pay by age. It rises step by step from the youngest age band to age 45 and above. The pay table on this page shows the thresholds for the youngest and oldest age bands, for new applications before and after 1 January 2027. The financial services sector has higher thresholds, and the threshold for each age is listed on MOM's official page.

## What are the warning signs of offers to Singapore through this route?

- You are promised a guaranteed EP if you pay. MOM assesses applications on the salary threshold and COMPASS, and the employer applies.
- The fixed salary in the offer is below the EP minimum for your age, but the recruiter still promises an EP. [Ministry of Manpower, Singapore](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility) 7 October 2026
- A Singapore agency asks for more than MOM's fee cap. [Ministry of Manpower, Singapore](https://www.mom.gov.sg/faq/employment-agencies/how-will-foreign-workers-know-the-amount-that-they-are-expected-to-pay-the-singapore-ea) 7 October 2026
- Someone asks for cash or a transfer to a personal account that is not written in the Placement Agreement. [Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)](https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf) 7 October 2026

[How to check a P3MI agency in 5 steps](https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/check-a-licensed-agency/) [Learn the signs of trafficking through job offers](https://kariraman.com/en/job-scams/human-trafficking/)

- **Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI)** Overseas recruitment, illegal agents and migrant-worker protection [0800-1000](tel:08001000) [+62-21-29244800](tel:+622129244800) [WhatsApp 0811-8080-141](https://wa.me/628118080141) [kp2mi.go.id](https://kp2mi.go.id/)
- **Peduli WNI (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)** Help for Indonesian citizens in trouble or danger abroad [+62-812-9007-0027](tel:+6281290070027) [WhatsApp +62-812-9007-0027](https://wa.me/6281290070027) [peduliwni.kemlu.go.id](https://peduliwni.kemlu.go.id/beranda.html)

**KarirAman is 100% free. We never ask for money. [Our no-fee policy](https://kariraman.com/en/no-fees/)**

Not legal advice. Always check SISKOP2MI before you sign up.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is COMPASS?**

COMPASS is the points system MOM uses as the second stage of the Employment Pass assessment. An application needs at least 40 points. The criteria cover salary compared with local pay in the same sector, qualifications, nationality diversity in the company, the company's support for local employment, and bonuses for scarce skills and strategic economic priorities.

**If my salary is high enough, will I definitely get an EP?**

Not necessarily. The minimum salary is only the first stage. Unless exempted, the application must also pass COMPASS. According to MOM, candidates who do not meet the minimum salary are not eligible for an EP, whatever their COMPASS points.

**Can I go on an EP without a P3MI agency?**

Yes, as an independent migrant worker, because the employer is a legal entity (Law 18/2017 Article 63). The employment risks are yours, and you must report to the labour authority and the Indonesian mission. Every migrant worker must also be registered for social security.

## Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published 7 October 2026 Updated 7 October 2026

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: 8 October 2026.

## Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

1. [Eligibility for Employment Pass (qualifying salary and COMPASS)](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility) Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed 7 October 2026
2. [Factsheet on foreign workforce policy announcements at COS 2025](https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/budget2025/cos-2025-factsheet-on-foreign-workforce-policies.pdf) Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed 7 October 2026
3. [Factsheet: foreign workforce policy announcements at COS 2026](https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/press-releases/2026/factsheet-on-foreign-workforce-policies-03032026.pdf) Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed 7 October 2026
4. [How will foreign workers know how much they have to pay the Singapore employment agency (EA)?](https://www.mom.gov.sg/faq/employment-agencies/how-will-foreign-workers-know-the-amount-that-they-are-expected-to-pay-the-singapore-ea) Ministry of Manpower, Singapore · accessed 7 October 2026
5. [Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia](https://peraturan.go.id/files/uu18-2017bt.pdf) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed 7 October 2026
6. [Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia](https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed 7 October 2026

**How to cite**

KarirAman (2026). Working in Singapore on an Employment Pass: requirements, minimum salary and COMPASS. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/singapore/employment-pass/

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- [Panduan Warga passport guide](https://panduanwarga.org/en/guides/indonesian-passport-m-paspor/)
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CariTalent and PanduanHewan are Kode Nirlaba projects; Panduan Warga and The Cast Index are independent publications with the same founder. CourseToJob is a study-guide site with the same owner, run by Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd.