The Republic of Singapore is a high-tech and wealthy city-state in Southeast Asia. The country covers 728.3 km2 and comprises the diamond-shaped Singapore Island with some 60 small islets. Singapore is a financial powerhouse with thriving industrial and financial sector, accompanied by superb education, health, transportation, and communications services. The country’s economy is highly dependent on investment capital from foreign multinational corporations.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Singapore.
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The Republic of Singapore is a high-tech and wealthy city-state in Southeast Asia. The country covers 728.3 km2 and comprises the diamond-shaped Singapore Island with some 60 small islets. Singapore is a financial powerhouse with thriving industrial and financial sector, accompanied by superb education, health, transportation, and communications services. The country’s economy is highly dependent on investment capital from foreign multinational corporations.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Singapore.
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2026 and are critical for hiring in Singapore planning:
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2026
| January 1 | New Year’s Day | |
| January 17 - 18 | Chinese New Year | Movable |
| March 21 | Hari Raya Puasa | |
| April 3 | Good Friday | Movable |
| May 1 | Labour Day | |
| May 27 | Hari Raya Haji | Movable |
| May 31 - June 1 | Vesak Day | Movable |
| August 9 - 10 | National Day | |
| November 8 - 9 | Deepavali | Movable |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Singapore is 6 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.
NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.
Singapore’s social security system has three aspects: retirement, healthcare, and social welfare taken care of through the Central Provident Fund (CPF). CPF is a mandatory savings scheme funded by both employers and employees. It covers everything from housing, retirement, healthcare, etc. Employer contribution rates vary based on employee age and residency status. In addition to CPF contributions, employers are also mandated to pay contributions towards skills development in the country.
An overview of employer contributions towards mandatory benefits is given in the table below:
|
Benefits |
Employer Contribution |
Employee Contribution |
|
Central Provident Fund (CPF)* |
17 % (can be reduced to 3.5% based on age and residence status) |
20% |
|
Skills Development Levy (SDL) |
0.25% |
|
|
Work Injury Compensation Insurance |
0.20% |
– |
*Employers and employees contribute 17% and 20%, respectively, of ordinary monthly wages, up to an income ceiling of SGD 8,000.
Contractual working hours (excluding break time and overtime) cannot exceed 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week.
An employee must not be permitted to work overtime for more than 12 hours a day (excluding break times) and 72 hours a month.
Employers must pay at least 1.5 times the hourly basic rate of pay for overtime within 14 days after the last day of the pay period. The overtime rate payable is capped at an hourly rate of S$13.60.
There is no mandatory probation period in Singapore, but common practice is three to six months.
Termination notice periods under contracts of service depend on employees’ employment length:
| Length of Service | Notice Period |
| Less than 26 weeks | 1 day |
| 26 weeks to less than 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 to less than 5 years | 2 weeks |
| 5 years or more | 4 weeks |
Contractual working hours (excluding break time and overtime) cannot exceed 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week.
An employee must not be permitted to work overtime for more than 12 hours a day (excluding break times) and 72 hours a month.
Employers must pay at least 1.5 times the hourly basic rate of pay for overtime within 14 days after the last day of the pay period. The overtime rate payable is capped at an hourly rate of S$13.60.
There is no mandatory probation period in Singapore, but common practice is three to six months.
Termination notice periods under contracts of service depend on employees’ employment length:
| Length of Service | Notice Period |
| Less than 26 weeks | 1 day |
| 26 weeks to less than 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 to less than 5 years | 2 weeks |
| 5 years or more | 4 weeks |
Singapore’s social security system has three aspects: retirement, healthcare, and social welfare taken care of through the Central Provident Fund (CPF). CPF is a mandatory savings scheme funded by both employers and employees. It covers everything from housing, retirement, healthcare, etc. Employer contribution rates vary based on employee age and residency status. In addition to CPF contributions, employers are also mandated to pay contributions towards skills development in the country.
An overview of employer contributions towards mandatory benefits is given in the table below:
|
Benefits |
Employer Contribution |
Employee Contribution |
|
Central Provident Fund (CPF)* |
17 % (can be reduced to 3.5% based on age and residence status) |
20% |
|
Skills Development Levy (SDL) |
0.25% |
|
|
Work Injury Compensation Insurance |
0.20% |
– |
*Employers and employees contribute 17% and 20%, respectively, of ordinary monthly wages, up to an income ceiling of SGD 8,000.
WorkMotion handles the full employment lifecycle in Singapore through its partner network, from contract generation to monthly payroll remittance, so your company can hire compliantly without registering a local entity.
WorkMotion generates an employment contract aligned with Singapore’s Employment Act 1968, which governs basic terms and working conditions for all employees, local and foreign, working under a contract of service.
The contract covers:
Key Employment Terms (KETs) are issued within the statutory 14-day window from the employee’s start date. No manual drafting or local legal review required on your side.
For foreign nationals joining your team in Singapore, the relevant work pass must be applied for before employment begins. This typically means an Employment Pass (EP) for professionals earning above the qualifying salary threshold, or an S Pass for mid-skilled roles.
WorkMotion’s partner network manages the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) application process, including the COMPASS points-based assessment that applies to EP applications.
Your company does not need to be registered with MOM as an employer. WorkMotion’s entity handles that obligation.
For Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, WorkMotion enrolls the employee in the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme from day one.
As of 2025, the employer CPF contribution rate is 17% for employees up to age 55, with the employee contributing 20%. Contributions apply to ordinary wages up to the S$6,800 monthly Ordinary Wage Ceiling.
WorkMotion calculates and remits both employer and employee CPF contributions to the CPF Board by the 14th of the following month, the statutory deadline.
For foreign employees on work passes, CPF does not apply, but payroll is processed in Singapore Dollars (SGD) with all required deductions handled correctly.
WorkMotion administers all statutory leave entitlements under the Employment Act:
For eligible fathers of children born on or after January 1, 2024, four weeks of paternity leave apply, with the first two weeks mandatory for employers to provide.
WorkMotion also calculates and remits the Skills Development Levy (SDL), which applies to all employees at 0.25% of monthly wages up to S$4,500, alongside CPF contributions each month.
WorkMotion runs payroll in SGD on a monthly cycle. Itemized payslips, mandatory under Singapore law, are issued to each employee.
All statutory filings with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), including annual income reporting, are handled by WorkMotion’s team.
Employment records are maintained for the five-year period required by MOM.
Singapore’s employment framework evolves regularly.
The Workplace Fairness Act, passed in January 2025, is being implemented in phases and will codify anti-discrimination protections that previously operated on a comply-or-explain basis.
The Platform Workers Act took effect in January 2025, creating new CPF obligations for gig economy workers.
WorkMotion monitors regulatory changes from MOM, the CPF Board, and IRAS, and updates employment terms, contribution rates, and payroll calculations accordingly. Your HR team does not need to track these changes independently.
Singapore is one of Asia’s most business-friendly jurisdictions for incorporation, but “fast to incorporate” and “ready to hire compliantly” are not the same thing.
Here is how the two paths compare for a company making its first hire in Singapore.
| Factor | EOR via WorkMotion | Setting Up a Singapore Entity |
| Setup cost | Per-employee monthly fee — no upfront capital outlay | S$315 in ACRA government fees plus corporate service provider fees, nominee director costs, registered address, and company secretary — [TODO: verify total first-year cost range for foreign-owned subsidiary] |
| Time to first hire | Days from signed contract to payroll enrollment | Incorporation itself can take 1–3 business days for straightforward cases, but bank account opening, CPF registration, and MOM employer registration add additional weeks before a hire can start |
| Ongoing legal exposure | WorkMotion’s partner entity carries employer-of-record liability for Employment Act compliance, CPF obligations, and MOM reporting | Your entity is directly liable for all Employment Act obligations, CPF contributions, MOM reporting, and IRAS filings |
| Ongoing admin burden | WorkMotion handles payroll, CPF, SDL, IRAS filings, leave management, and compliance monitoring | Internal or outsourced payroll team required; annual returns to ACRA; ongoing corporate secretary obligations |
| Exit flexibility | Wind down employment through a standard offboarding process — no entity dissolution required | Dissolving a Singapore entity requires a formal ACRA process, outstanding tax clearance, and creditor notification |
EOR through WorkMotion fits companies hiring one to several employees in Singapore, particularly those testing the market, filling a specific role, or expanding regionally without committing to a permanent local structure. The service runs on a transparent per-employee monthly fee, with no setup costs or hidden charges.
Singapore’s employment framework is clear and well-documented, but foreign employers consistently miss the same compliance requirements.
These are the ones that generate MOM complaints, CPF arrears, and work pass complications.
Foreign employers often assume CPF applies to everyone on their Singapore payroll. It does not.
CPF contributions are mandatory only for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. Employees on Employment Passes, S Passes, or Work Permits are not covered by CPF.
Getting this wrong in either direction — contributing for ineligible employees or failing to contribute for eligible ones — creates reconciliation problems and potential MOM penalties.
WorkMotion’s payroll setup distinguishes employee status from day one and applies the correct contribution rules automatically.
The Employment Act requires employers to issue written Key Employment Terms to every employee within 14 days of their start date. This is not optional and is not satisfied by a verbal agreement or an offer letter alone.
The KETs must cover salary, working hours, leave entitlements, notice periods, and other prescribed terms.
WorkMotion generates compliant contracts that satisfy this requirement before the employee’s first day, not as an afterthought.
A foreign national cannot legally begin work in Singapore before their work pass is approved.
This is a common sequencing error: companies agree a start date, then begin the EP application in parallel. MOM does not allow this.
WorkMotion manages the application timeline to ensure the pass is approved before the employee’s first working day, including the COMPASS evaluation that applies to Employment Pass applicants.
Singapore’s Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) requires employers to advertise most job vacancies on the MyCareersFuture portal for at least 14 days before submitting an EP application for a foreign candidate.
Employers who pre-select a foreign hire without following this process risk having their EP application rejected and their work pass privileges curtailed. MOM enforcement in this area has become increasingly active.
WorkMotion’s team flags this requirement during the hiring process so your company does not inadvertently trigger a compliance issue.
Singapore law mandates that employers issue itemized payslips to every employee, either on payday or within three working days. The payslip must show gross salary, all deductions, and net pay.
Many foreign employers treat payslips as an administrative courtesy rather than a statutory obligation.
WorkMotion issues compliant payslips automatically with every payroll cycle.
If a Singapore-based employee is retrenched, employers are expected to follow MOM’s Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment.
Employees with at least two years of service are eligible for retrenchment benefits, though the Employment Act does not specify a fixed amount. It must be agreed or follow industry norms.
Employers who handle retrenchment without following the advisory process risk MOM scrutiny and damage to their work pass privileges.
WorkMotion’s team advises on the correct process before any offboarding begins.
A B2B SaaS company headquartered in Germany or the Netherlands wants to hire a regional sales director or solutions engineer in Singapore to cover the APAC market.
Setting up a Singapore subsidiary for one or two hires adds months of setup time and ongoing compliance overhead, and the same overhead repeats every time the team expands to a neighbouring market like the Philippines.
WorkMotion’s EOR service covers both, letting the company hire through one partner network, get employees on payroll in days, and test each market before committing to a local entity.
Singapore has a deep pool of specialized technology talent, particularly in fintech, AI, and digital infrastructure, that is difficult to source domestically in European or US markets.
A UK-based fintech or US AI company with a specific technical role to fill uses WorkMotion’s EOR services in Singapore to hire the candidate compliantly without navigating MOM registration, CPF setup, or IRAS filings independently.
The hire gets a locally compliant contract and full statutory benefits from day one.
An e-commerce company based in the Netherlands or Belgium is building a customer success or operations team to support Southeast Asian markets.
Singapore is the natural hub: English-speaking, well-connected, and talent-rich.
Rather than incorporating locally before the team is proven, the company uses WorkMotion’s Singapore EOR service to hire two to five people, run compliant payroll in SGD, and scale the team based on performance.
Singapore gives you access to one of Asia’s strongest talent markets, but hiring compliantly requires navigating CPF obligations, work pass applications, MOM reporting, and the Employment Act’s specific requirements for contracts, payslips, and leave entitlements.
WorkMotion handles all of that through its partner network in Singapore, so your company can onboard a new hire in days without registering a local entity or building in-country HR infrastructure from scratch.
Whether you’re making your first hire in Singapore or expanding a regional team, WorkMotion’s EOR service covers the full employment lifecycle, including compliant contracts, payroll in SGD, statutory benefits, and ongoing compliance monitoring.
To estimate the total cost of employment for your Singapore hire before you commit, use WorkMotion’s Employment Cost Calculator.
Skip the entity setup. Book a demo to see how WorkMotion gets your first Singapore hire fully compliant and on payroll in 3–5 business days.
WorkMotion provides EOR services in Singapore through its partner network rather than a directly owned entity. This means your employee is legally employed by WorkMotion’s established local partner, which holds the necessary registrations with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the CPF Board. The compliance obligations, including contracts, payroll, CPF contributions, and statutory filings, are handled through that local structure, so your company does not need to register as an employer in Singapore.
CPF contributions apply only to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, not to foreign employees on Employment Passes or S Passes. For eligible employees, the employer contribution rate is 17% of ordinary wages for employees up to age 55, on top of the employee’s own 20% contribution, applied to monthly wages up to the S$6,800 Ordinary Wage Ceiling. WorkMotion’s Singapore EOR service calculates and remits both employer and employee CPF contributions to the CPF Board by the statutory 14th-of-the-month deadline, so your finance team does not need to manage this separately.
The Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) requires most employers to advertise open roles on Singapore’s MyCareersFuture portal for at least 14 calendar days before submitting an Employment Pass application for a foreign candidate. Skipping this step, or pre-selecting a foreign hire before the advertising window closes, can result in EP rejection and restrictions on future work pass applications. When you hire through WorkMotion’s Singapore EOR service, the team flags this requirement early in the process so the advertising timeline is built into your hiring plan rather than discovered after a start date has been agreed.
Under the Employment Act, annual leave accrues based on length of service, starting at seven days in the first year and increasing to 14 days after eight or more years. Employees are also entitled to paid sick leave (up to 14 days outpatient and 60 days hospitalization per year, subject to service length), 11 paid public holidays, and Government-Paid Maternity Leave of 16 weeks for eligible mothers. For children born on or after January 1, 2024, fathers are entitled to four weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave, with the first two weeks mandatory for employers to provide. WorkMotion administers all of these entitlements as part of the standard EOR service in Singapore.
The Employment Act covers all employees in Singapore working under a contract of service, with no salary cap for core protections such as paid leave, notice periods, and payslip requirements. However, certain provisions, including overtime pay and rest day entitlements, apply specifically to employees earning up to S$2,600 per month (workmen) or S$4,500 per month (non-workmen). Managers and executives earning above S$4,500 are covered for core protections but not for these additional provisions. WorkMotion generates employment contracts that reflect the correct tier of protections for each hire based on their role and compensation.
Termination in Singapore must follow the notice period specified in the employment contract, or payment in lieu of notice, and comply with the Employment Act’s requirements around valid grounds for dismissal. Employees with at least two years of service who are retrenched are eligible for retrenchment benefits, though the Employment Act does not prescribe a fixed amount; MOM’s Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower sets the expected norms. WorkMotion’s team advises on the correct process before any offboarding begins, including MOM notification requirements and work pass cancellation timelines for foreign employees.
When comparing EOR service providers in Singapore, the key questions are whether the provider operates through a properly registered local entity or partner, how they handle CPF administration and MOM compliance, and what support model they offer when issues arise. WorkMotion is the first and only EOR provider to achieve IEC Gold Compliance Certification, independently audited across 1,000+ checkpoints covering licensing, employment law, payroll, data protection, and more, and delivers a 97.7% client satisfaction rate backed by dedicated Customer Success Managers and local HR professionals.
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