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SINGAPORE: Work Pass Exempt Activities No Longer Limited to 60 Days
March 10, 2017
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in Singapore has removed the limit of 60 days for Work Pass Exempt Activities, with immediate effect.
Now, the duration of a Work Pass Exempt Activity depends on the Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) issued at the point of entry for between 14 and 90 days, and at any rate cannot exceed a cumulative total of 90 days in a calendar year (e.g. 3 stints of 30 days).
For work beyond the STVP duration, a work pass should be obtained from MOM.
What is the Work Pass Exemption?
Certain short-term work activities in Singapore may be performed without a work pass for a period of up to 90 days (with a cap of 90 days cumulative in a calendar year).
Eligible activities include providing expertise or specialised skills for commissioning or auditing new plant and equipment, or installing, dismantling, transferring, repairing, or maintaining any equipment or machine.
The expertise or specialised skills should be of a kind that is not available in Singapore, or that is to be provided by the authorised service personnel of the manufacturer or supplier of the equipment.
Other work pass exempt activities include arbitration or mediation services, exhibiting, journalism, junket activities, location filming and fashion shows, performances, organising or conducting seminars and conferences, sports and tour facilitation.
Attending meetings, retreats, seminars, conferences and exhibitions as a participant does not require a work pass or an exemption.
Our advice
Employees travelling to Singapore to perform work pass exempt activities should ensure that they do not overstay their Short-Term Visit Pass.
For advice and information on Singaporean immigration, please email us at [email protected].
