Singapore working holiday (Work Holiday Pass)

You must be aged 18 to 25 when you apply and be an undergraduate or graduate of a university in one of the ten listed countries or regions, recognised by its government. Undergraduates must have been resident full-time students there for at least three months before applying; graduates must have been resident full-time students. MOM confirms that citizenship of that country is not required. The programme holds 2,000 pass holders at any one time. Work in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture or law requires registration with the relevant board.

Graduates upload the passport personal particulars page and their degree certificate or transcripts. Undergraduates upload the passport page, a university letter dated within three months of the application stating matriculation, name, nationality and date of birth, a copy of the student card and, if they are international students there, a copy of their student visa. Files must be PDF or JPEG under 2 MB each; non-English university papers need the original plus an English translation certified by the university.

Apply online to MOM no more than three months before your planned travel date; most applications are decided in about three weeks, and within four weeks in most cases. If approved you receive an in-principle approval (IPA) letter by e-mail, valid six months; the pass must be issued within three months of its date. You must be in Singapore for issuance: online in EP eService with Singpass, otherwise by appointment at the Employment Pass Services Centre. You pay S$175 (plus S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa where needed) and provide a Singapore address that meets MOM's housing requirements, the declaration form attached to the IPA and a return ticket leaving before the six months end.

Once issued you get a notification letter, valid one month, that lets you work and travel in and out of Singapore while waiting for the card. If the letter says so, register fingerprints and photo at the Employment Pass Services Centre within two weeks; bring your passport, the appointment and notification letters and a phone with a local number and the Singpass and SGWorkPass apps. The card is delivered within five working days after registration or document checks, and the digital work pass is available in SGWorkPass.

The pass lasts six months and cannot be renewed; to apply again you must wait 12 months from the day you last held it. Family members cannot get passes on your Work Holiday Pass. To keep working in Singapore you need another work pass, such as an Employment Pass applied for by an employer.