Employers must secure an issued permit or Temporary Permit before work starts.
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will change the start-work rules for employers hiring foreign workers under the sector-based Work Permit scheme from 29 November 2026. Workers will need an issued Work Permit or a Temporary Permit (TP) before starting work. Employers can apply for a TP through the Work Permit eService on myMOM Portal when a worker needs to begin before the full permit is issued.
The scheme covers construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard, process and services, subject to each sector’s source-country and eligibility requirements.
Before 29 November, non-Malaysian workers could start work from their second day in Singapore using an in-principle approval (IPA) letter. Employers of Malaysian workers could apply for a TP through WP Online if a worker needed to start before the Work Permit was issued.
From 29 November, workers covered by the scheme may start only after their Work Permit is issued or their employer obtains a TP letter. For non-Malaysian workers, the new TP application arrangements apply to Work Permit applications and appeals submitted from that date.
Employers may apply on the day the worker needs to start. They may also apply before a non-Malaysian worker arrives, but the TP can only be granted from the worker’s second day in Singapore. Employers of Malaysian workers may apply after receiving the IPA, once the worker is in Singapore.
Eligible TP applications are granted instantly. Employers must download and share the letter with the worker. The foreign worker levy starts on the date the TP is granted, including any applicable levy during the Onboard Programme if the application is made before the worker completes it.
For Indonesian readers, the source-country rules are an important distinction. Indonesia is not listed among the approved source countries for the five sector-based Work Permit sectors. It is also absent from the restricted Non-Traditional Sources (NTS) Occupation List. Indonesia is, however, an approved source country for migrant domestic workers (MDWs), who follow a separate Work Permit process.
Under the MDW process, employers can get the Work Permit issued after the worker arrives and receive a Temporary Work Permit stating whether registration is required. This document is separate from the TP in the November update.
From 29 November, employers can use myMOM Portal’s View/Update Foreigner Profile function to view workers’ particulars, occupation, employment history and security bond status, and to view or update employment details. Changes to workers’ particulars and occupation must still be made through WP Online. MOM is working to make these functions available on myMOM Portal in 2027.
Employers can also extend an IPA through the portal if they cannot bring the worker into Singapore before it expires. If the worker is already in Singapore and needs more time before the Work Permit can be issued, the employer should request a Special Pass. The IPA validity will be extended automatically when the Special Pass is issued.
Source: Singapore Ministry of Manpower
