Approved sources and age
Approved sources are Malaysia and PRC; NTS countries India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Philippines, Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos; and NAS locations Hong Kong with HKSAR passport, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan. The sector page publishes a minimum application age of 18 and maximum of 62, with permit holders allowed to work until 64, pegged to Singapore’s retirement age. Meet general Work Permit conditions as well as these sector-specific rules.
Quota and all levy categories
The construction quota allows five Work Permit holders for each local employee earning LQS. Rates from 1 January 2024 are listed below; BCA identifies facilities eligible for off-site rates. Without the required certification, approved/issued workers are classed as unskilled at S$900 monthly regardless of source. Partial-month daily levy equals monthly rate × 12 ÷ 365, rounded up to a cent. A skill-status change affects levy from the next month’s first day.
| Category | Monthly S$ | Daily S$ |
|---|---|---|
| NTS higher-skilled | 500 | 16.44 |
| NTS basic-skilled | 900 | 29.59 |
| Malaysia/NAS/PRC higher-skilled | 300 | 9.87 |
| Malaysia/NAS/PRC basic-skilled | 700 | 23.02 |
| Eligible off-site construction higher-skilled | 250 | 8.22 |
| Eligible off-site construction basic-skilled | 370 | 12.17 |
Maintain the R1 proportion
At least 10% of construction Work Permit holders must be higher-skilled R1 before hiring new basic-skilled R2 workers or renewing existing R2 workers. Excess R2 permits are also revoked. Check the percentage in WP Online. LQS and quota-calculation guidance explain the local-employee counts; S Pass limits remain separate.
When levy bonds are required
A levy bond is required for each holder without an existing bond if permits were revoked for unpaid levy, there were at least three late payments in 12 months, a sole proprietorship changed owner, or a new sole proprietorship/partnership or incorporated entity with paid-up capital below S$50,000 is hiring migrant workers. Higher/basic-skilled workers require S$600 each; unskilled S$2,000. Buy bonds for skilled and unskilled workers separately. Identify skill status from the levy-breakdown CSV in the levy service.
Electronic bond payment
Use PayNow Corporate through corporate banking, selecting PayNow to UEN T08GA0019C9W2 and checking the recipient name WORK PASS DIVISION/ AG. Pay multiples of S$600 or S$2,000 separately by skill category, using LBC followed by the CPF submission number as the bill reference, for example LBC123456789A-PTE-01. Enter it in the bank’s payee-reference/remarks field. MOM processes payment within three working days and sends acknowledgement before further transactions. Use the instructed UEN/reference; an unidentifiable payment cannot be processed.
Guarantees, reinstatement and monitoring
Alternatively post an original bank/insurance guarantee and company letter with CPF submission number, contacts and worker count to Levy Section, Work Pass Division, Ministry of Manpower, 18 Havelock Road, Singapore 059764. Processing takes five working days after receipt, followed by postal acknowledgement. After revocation request reinstatement and await emailed approval before proceeding in WP Online to avoid non-refundable fees. MOM can advise on any bond shortfall. Buy a bond for each new worker during monitoring before applying. Monitoring is normally 12 months, or six for new companies; discharge occurs one month afterward with a refund-request notice. Any late payment extends monitoring by 12 months.
Arrival orientation and safety courses
Non-Malaysian first-time or returning IPA construction workers need SIP before issuance. Complete CSOC or Apply Workplace Safety and Health in Construction Sites before issuance, registering after IPA. Complete within two weeks of arrival and pass within three months or risk revocation. Workers with six or fewer years in construction retake/pass every two years; those above six years every four. On renewal the safety certificate must have more than one month remaining.
Interview, application order and CRS
A selected company’s ACRA-registered director must attend MOM’s business-operations interview; details arrive by email. Apply and obtain IPA first, then buy the non-Malaysian security bond, medical insurance and Primary Care Plan. To apply for or renew construction S Passes or Work Permits of any nationality, the company must be in BCA’s Contractors Registration System. Consult BCA for its registration and off-site criteria.
Official source
Written independently from official MOM source material.