From first hire to steady state, without an HR department.
Meridium takes a foreign employer from first Singapore hire to a running operation: compliant employment contracts, HR policy foundations, monthly payroll with CPF and IR8A obligations met, and the work passes that bring your people here. One senior contact runs all of it.
From first hire to steady state
Employment in Singapore is well regulated and unforgiving of improvisation: key employment terms must be issued in writing, salaries must be paid on time with itemised payslips, CPF contributions are due monthly for local employees, and employment income must be reported annually on the IR8A. None of this is difficult; all of it is mandatory. We set it up once, correctly, and then run it as a quiet monthly cycle.
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.
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.
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.
What's included
- Employment contracts and the key employment terms Singapore law requires
- HR policy foundations: leave, benefits and the handbook basics
- Payroll setup, then monthly processing with itemised payslips
- CPF registration and monthly contributions for local employees
- 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
- Work pass applications, renewals and cancellations across all pass types
- Advice on which pass fits each hire before any application is filed
How it works
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Setup
Contracts and policies are put in place, payroll is configured, and CPF registration is completed before the first payday.
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Monthly cycle
You confirm the month's changes; we process salaries, contributions and payslips, and disburse through our local account where yours is not yet open.
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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.
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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.
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
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.
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.
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 and HR with a senior adviser.
A scoping call costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You will speak with a senior practitioner, not a sales team.