Singapore Raises Local Qualifying Salary, Widens Work Permit Source Countries
A higher wage floor for local workers, an expanded list of eligible source countries for operationally-dependent sectors, and staged levy and EP/S Pass salary increases are all landing through 2026 and into 2027.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has released its 2026 Certificate of Service factsheet, and it carries several changes that matter directly to foreign workers on, or applying for, a Work Permit.
Local Qualifying Salary rises July 2026
From July 1, 2026, the Local Qualifying Salary — the minimum wage a local worker must earn to count toward a company's Work Permit or S Pass quota — rises from S$1,600 to S$1,800 per month. This is a quota mechanism, not a foreign-worker wage floor, but it directly affects how many foreign workers a company can sponsor relative to its local headcount.
Source countries widen for operationally-dependent sectors
Separately, MOM is expanding the list of eligible source countries for Work Permit holders in sectors classified as operationally dependent on foreign labour. This opens more placement pathways in construction and skilled-trade sectors going forward.
Levies and EP/S Pass salaries also climbing
Monthly levy rates for Basic-Skilled (R2) Work Permit holders are set to rise by roughly S$100–150 in the marine shipyard and process sectors. On the higher-skilled end, Employment Pass and S Pass minimum qualifying salaries are rising in stages starting January 2027: the all-sector minimum moves from S$5,600 to S$6,000, and the financial services minimum moves from S$6,200 to S$6,600.
- Local Qualifying Salary: S$1,600 → S$1,800/month (from Jul 1, 2026)
- Work Permit source-country list widened for operationally-dependent sectors
- R2 Work Permit levies in marine shipyard and process sectors: up ~S$100–150/month
- EP/S Pass all-sector minimum salary: S$5,600 → S$6,000 (from Jan 2027)
- EP/S Pass financial-services minimum salary: S$6,200 → S$6,600 (from Jan 2027)
The widened source-country list is genuinely good news for construction and skilled-trade placements. But the higher Local Qualifying Salary means employers now need a stronger ratio of local hires to sponsor foreign workers, so having a well-documented, employer-ready case matters more than ever when competing for a limited number of Work Permit slots.
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