Personalised Employment Pass (PEP): Who Qualifies

The Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) is the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) work pass for high-earning professionals who want the freedom an ordinary work pass does not give: it belongs to you, not your employer, so you can switch jobs without reapplying and even take time between roles. That flexibility comes with strict salary tests and one hard limit — it is issued only once and cannot be renewed. Here is exactly who qualifies and how it works, with MOM’s current figures.

Who qualifies for a PEP

You can apply for a PEP if you earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 — a figure MOM benchmarks to the top 10% of Employment Pass holders. You do not need an employer to sponsor you: a candidate who meets the criteria applies directly.

Two profiles qualify:

• High-earning EP holders already in Singapore, whose current fixed monthly salary clears S$22,500.
• Overseas foreign professionals, provided their last drawn salary was within the past six months of the application.

What counts as “salary” is narrow. MOM’s fixed monthly salary means your basic pay plus fixed monthly allowances only — it excludes bonuses, commission, variable allowances, overtime and employer CPF. A package that looks like S$22,500 on paper can fall short once the variable parts are stripped out, so check the structure, not just the headline number.

The two salary tests

The PEP has a monthly entry test and an annual test you must keep meeting:

MOM’s PEP salary thresholds and duration.

• To get in: a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500.
• To keep it: a fixed salary of at least S$270,000 per calendar year, regardless of how many months you actually worked that year.

That annual floor is the one people underestimate. Because it is not pro-rated, a gap between jobs or a mid-year pay dip can pull you under S$270,000 for the calendar year even if your monthly rate looked fine.

Who cannot get a PEP

The PEP is deliberately closed to several groups. You are not eligible if you are:

• An Employment Pass holder under the sponsorship scheme.
• A freelancer, or someone who intends to work freelance.
• A sole proprietor, partner, or a director who is also a shareholder in an ACRA-registered company.

What you can and cannot do on a PEP

The pass trades employer-independence for activity limits.

You can:

• Hold a job in any sector, and change jobs without reapplying.
• Stay in Singapore for a continuous period of up to six months without a job while you look for the next role.
• Bring eligible family members (see below).
• Skip the foreign-worker levy and quota entirely.

You cannot:

• Start a business or do any entrepreneurial activity — that needs an EntrePass or the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass.
• Work in restricted occupations such as media and religion.
• Skip professional registration — a PEP does not let you practise medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture or law without the usual licensing.

How long it lasts (and why you cannot renew)

A PEP is granted for up to three years, and here is the defining limit: it is not renewable — MOM issues it only once. When it is close to expiring and you want to keep working in Singapore, you must move to an Employment Pass or S Pass. Helpfully, you do not have to cancel the PEP first for an employer to apply for that new pass.

How to apply, step by step

Because the PEP is not employer-sponsored, you (or an appointed employment agent) drive the application:

1. Prepare your documents (below) and complete the online application.
2. Pay the S$105 application fee by Visa, Mastercard or Amex.
3. Wait up to six weeks for the outcome; you can check status after two weeks. Cases needing more documents take longer.
4. Get your In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter if approved. The IPA is a pre-approved single-entry visa giving you six months to enter Singapore and have the pass issued; it also says whether you need a medical exam.
5. Get the pass issued while you are in Singapore, paying S$225 per pass (plus S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa if needed). You then receive a notification letter, valid one month, that already lets you start work and travel.
6. Register fingerprints and photo if the letter requires it, and the card is delivered within five working days of registration or document checks.

Documents you will need

Along with your passport personal-particulars page, MOM asks for salary evidence that matches your situation:

• Working in Singapore: payslips for 3 consecutive months, the latest 3 months of bank statements showing salary credited, and your most recent IRAS Notice of Assessment.
• Working overseas, or not currently working: payslips for 6 consecutive months and the latest 6 months of bank statements, plus your employment contract and most recent tax statement.

Non-English documents must be uploaded together with an English translation in a single file.

Bringing your family

PEP holders can sponsor family members:

• A legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21 (including legally adopted) on a Dependant’s Pass.
• A common-law spouse, unmarried stepchildren under 21, and the holder’s parents on a Long-Term Visit Pass.

MOM suggests applying after your PEP is approved: family passes take about six weeks to process, and you lose each application fee if the PEP itself is rejected.

If you lose your job: the six-month rule

The PEP lets you stay up to six months without work — but that window is also a cliff. If you are unemployed for more than six months at any point, you must cancel the pass. Keep an eye on the calendar from the day a job ends, and remember the annual S$270,000 test keeps running in the background.

Cancelling your PEP

You need to cancel the PEP if you are unemployed beyond six months, or within one week of leaving Singapore permanently. You do not cancel it if you merely change employers (just notify MOM), become a permanent resident, or the pass has already expired.

Before cancellation, your employer must get IRAS tax clearance at least one month before you leave the job. Cancellation is irreversible and automatically cancels all family passes issued under your PEP. If you are still in Singapore when the pass ends, request a Short-Term Visit Pass (valid up to 90 days) through the eService to keep your stay legal.

PEP vs EP vs ONE Pass

• Employment Pass: tied to one employer, passes a salary floor and the COMPASS points test, and is renewable. Best if you have a standard professional job. See Employment Pass eligibility.
• PEP: for high earners (S$22,500/month), not tied to an employer, lasts up to three years but cannot be renewed, and bars business ownership.
• ONE Pass: a five-year, renewable personalised pass for top talent (from S$30,000/month) that does allow running companies. See the ONE Pass guide.

If you want employer-independence for a defined stretch and do not plan to start a business, the PEP fits. If you need to renew long-term or build a company, the ONE Pass is the better personalised option.

Annual salary declaration and tax

One duty is easy to forget: you must notify MOM of your annual income by 31 January of the following year. You may also be liable for income tax depending on your tax residency — a separate IRAS matter from your pass.

What this means for your move

• Confirm your fixed monthly salary clears S$22,500, and that you can sustain S$270,000 a year including any gaps between jobs.
• Treat the pass as a time-limited benefit — plan the switch to an EP or S Pass before it expires.
• If founding a company or freelancing is part of your plan, choose a different pass.

Weighing your options? Compare Employment Pass eligibility, read the ONE Pass guide, and once you are here, set up your Singpass to handle the admin.

General information only, from MOM, with the date each figure was checked. We are not an immigration agent; the final decision on any pass rests with MOM. Confirm the current rules on the official MOM page for your own case.