Singapore payroll, run properly every month.
Meridium runs monthly payroll for foreign employers in Singapore: salaries, payslips, CPF, the Skills Development Levy and year-end IR8A reporting, handled by one senior contact. Where you want to hire local staff before or instead of setting up your own entity, we can employ them for you as employer of record. Around both sit HR advisory and the work passes that bring your people here.
Payroll: the monthly cycle
Employment in Singapore is well regulated and unforgiving of improvisation: salaries must be paid on time with itemised payslips, CPF contributions are due monthly for local employees, the Skills Development Levy applies to every employee, and employment income must be reported annually on the IR8A. None of this is difficult; all of it is mandatory. We set payroll up once, correctly, and then run it as a quiet monthly cycle: you confirm joiners, leavers and changes, approve the payroll, and we process, pay and file.
Where your corporate bank account is still in progress, salary disbursement runs through Meridium’s local bank account under a documented arrangement, so hiring is never hostage to bank onboarding.
At year end we prepare and file IR8A employment income reporting, and when a foreign employee leaves Singapore we handle tax clearance before their final salary is released.
Employer of record
Sometimes you need someone on the ground before your own company exists, or you want a small local team without running an entity at all. As employer of record, Meridium becomes the legal employer of your local hire: we issue the employment contract, run their payroll, pay CPF and meet the statutory obligations, while you direct their work day to day.
EOR suits local hires, typically Singapore citizens and permanent residents. It is not available for Employment Pass holders, who must be employed by your own Singapore company. When you do incorporate, we plan the move of EOR employees onto your own payroll so their employment continues without a gap.
HR advisory
Behind payroll sits the employment framework: contracts that include the key employment terms Singapore law requires, leave and benefits policies, and the handbook basics. We put these in place at setup and advise as questions come up, from probation and notice periods to terminations. For a fuller reference, our HR and payroll guide covers work passes, CPF, payroll, leave, employee income tax and exits.
Work passes: getting your people here
Every foreign hire needs the right pass, and the right pass depends on the person. The figures below are the current published criteria from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), stated as at the time of writing; MOM revises them periodically, and increases already announced take effect for new applications from 1 January 2027. We confirm the applicable figures before every application.
Employment Pass
The standard pass for professionals, managers and executives. Eligibility runs in two stages: a minimum qualifying salary, currently from S$5,600 a month for the youngest candidates rising progressively with age to S$10,700 at age 45 and above (higher in financial services, from S$6,200 to S$11,800), and then the COMPASS points framework, where an application must score 40 points on attributes of the candidate and the employing firm. MOM’s published processing time is within ten business days for most online applications from Singapore-registered employers. To check the figures for a specific candidate, including the increases from 2027, use our Employment Pass salary calculator.
S Pass
For mid-skilled staff. The qualifying salary currently runs from S$3,300 a month rising with age to S$4,800 at age 45 and above (financial services from S$3,800 to S$5,650). Unlike the Employment Pass, the S Pass carries a workforce quota, currently 10 per cent of the company’s total workforce in services and 15 per cent in construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard and process sectors, and a monthly foreign worker levy of S$650. MOM’s published processing time is within ten business days for most online applications.
Personalised Employment Pass
A pass held by the individual rather than tied to one employer, suited to senior professionals who want flexibility between roles. It currently requires a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 at application, and holders must go on earning at least S$270,000 in fixed salary each calendar year. The pass runs up to three years and is issued once, without renewal. MOM’s published processing time is within six weeks for most cases.
Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) Pass
Singapore’s pass for top-tier talent. The salary route requires a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 over the twelve months before applying (candidates employed overseas must also come from an employer of substantial scale), and an alternative route exists for individuals with outstanding achievements in sports, arts and culture, or academia and research. The pass runs five years and is renewable. MOM’s published processing time is within four weeks for most cases.
EntrePass
For foreign founders building venture-backed or innovative technology businesses in Singapore. There is no minimum salary; instead the founder must hold at least 30 per cent of a Singapore private limited company and show substance through one of several routes: at least S$100,000 raised from recognised investors, support from a government-recognised or internationally renowned incubator or accelerator, registered intellectual property, research collaboration with a local institution, or a track record of having founded and sold a venture-backed business. MOM’s published processing time is within six weeks for most cases.
Renewals, dependants and departures
A pass is not a one-off event. Renewals fall due, family members need Dependant’s Passes or Long-Term Visit Passes, and employees eventually leave, which triggers cancellation and, for foreign staff, tax clearance before the final salary is released. All of it sits on the same compliance calendar as the rest of your file, watched by the same named contact.
Setup planner
Relocating people or hiring locally first?
The setup planner shows whether you need your own entity before your first hire, how the Employment Pass fits your timeline and when employer of record is an option. It takes about two minutes.
What's included
- Payroll setup, then monthly processing with itemised payslips, approved by you before anything is paid
- CPF registration and monthly contributions for local employees
- Skills Development Levy and, for S Pass holders, the foreign worker levy
- IR8A and annual employment income reporting, including tax clearance for departing foreign staff
- Salary disbursement through Meridium's local bank account where your own account is not yet open
- Employer of record (EOR) for local hires, before or instead of your own Singapore entity
- Employment contracts, key employment terms and HR policy foundations
- Work pass advice, applications, renewals and cancellations across all pass types
How it works
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Payroll setup
Payroll is configured, CPF registration is completed and contracts are in place before the first payday.
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Monthly cycle
You confirm the month's changes and approve the payroll; we process salaries, contributions and payslips, and disburse through our local account where yours is not yet open.
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Year end
IR8A employment income reporting is prepared and filed, and departing foreign employees receive proper tax clearance before their final pay.
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Work passes
For each foreign hire we advise the right pass, prepare and file the application, and manage it to a decision, then track renewals.
What we need from you
- Details of each hire: role, salary, nationality and start date
- Monthly payroll changes: joiners, leavers, bonuses and adjustments
- Company CPF submission access, or a mandate letting us set it up
- For work pass candidates: passport details, qualifications and employment history
Common questions
What does your payroll service cover?
The full monthly cycle: salary calculation, itemised payslips, CPF contributions, the Skills Development Levy and any foreign worker levy, salary disbursement, and the year-end IR8A reporting. You confirm the month's changes and approve the payroll before anything is paid.
What is an employer of record (EOR)?
An arrangement in which Meridium is the legal employer of your Singapore hire and runs their contract, payroll, CPF and statutory obligations, while you direct their day-to-day work. It lets you hire locally before your own entity exists, or without setting one up at all, and the employee can later move to your own payroll.
Can we use EOR for an Employment Pass hire?
No. Our EOR service is for local hires. A foreign professional on an Employment Pass needs to be employed by your own Singapore company, which we can incorporate and then run payroll for.
What is CPF and does it apply to foreign employees?
The Central Provident Fund is Singapore's mandatory savings scheme. Contributions are required for employees who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents, and are not payable for work pass holders. Getting the split right is basic payroll hygiene, and we handle it.
What is IR8A?
The annual reporting of each employee's employment income to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, prepared by the employer. We prepare and file it as part of the payroll service, and handle the related tax clearance process when a foreign employee leaves Singapore.
Can you pay our staff before our corporate bank account is open?
Yes. Bank account opening is often the slowest step of a market entry, and salaries cannot wait for it. Where required, we disburse net salaries through Meridium's local bank account under a documented arrangement, so your team is paid on time from day one.
Which work pass does my hire actually need?
It depends on salary, qualifications, role and your company's profile, and applying for the wrong pass wastes weeks. That assessment is the first thing we do for every foreign hire, in writing, before anything is filed.
How long do work pass applications take?
For online applications by a Singapore-registered employer, MOM publishes a processing time of within ten business days for most Employment Pass and S Pass cases, with longer published timelines for other situations and pass types. Processing times are MOM's, not ours, and we set expectations candidate by candidate at scoping.
Do salary thresholds change?
Yes, MOM revises qualifying salaries periodically and has announced increases taking effect for new applications from 1 January 2027. The figures on this page are current as at the time of writing; we confirm the applicable figures for each hire before filing.
Discuss payroll, HR and EOR with a senior adviser.
A scoping call costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You will speak with one of our directors, not a sales team.