Changing employer (transfer) in Singapore

Can you change employer without leaving Singapore?

Yes. If you find a new employer who wants to hire you while your current Work Permit or S Pass is still valid, that new employer can apply for a new pass for you without you having to leave Singapore and re-enter. This is often called a "transfer." It is not automatic — your new employer must submit a fresh application through MOM's WP Online (Work Permit) or myMOM Portal (S Pass), and MOM decides based on your eligibility and the new employer's quota.

Important: only an employer (or their employment agent) can submit this application. You cannot apply for a Work Permit or S Pass yourself.

The general rule: your current employer's consent

For most Work Permit transfers, your current employer's consent is required before your new Work Permit can be approved. In practice:

• Your new employer applies through WP Online.
• MOM notifies your current employer, who must log in and either agree or reject the transfer — normally within 5 working days.
• If your current employer refuses, or does not respond in time, the transfer application will not go through (unless one of the exceptions below applies to you).
• Consent aside, your current Work Permit generally needs to still have enough validity left (MOM's sector pages set this at 14 days or more) for the ordinary consent process to apply.

This consent step is one reason it helps to line up your new job and start the paperwork before your current pass is cancelled or you stop working for your current employer.

S Pass transfers work differently: your prospective employer simply applies for a new S Pass through the myMOM Portal, and there is no need to cancel your existing pass first. MOM's S Pass FAQ describes no current-employer consent step for this process.

The no-consent window: Construction, Marine Shipyard, Process & Manufacturing/Services

For existing Work Permit holders from Non-Traditional Sources, North Asian Sources or the People's Republic of China working in the Construction, Marine Shipyard, Process, or Manufacturing/Services sectors, MOM allows a short window in which a new employer in the same sector can apply for you without needing your current employer's consent:

Outside this 40–21 day window, the ordinary rules apply: with 14 days or more of validity left, your current employer's consent is needed as above; with less than 14 days left, the new employer must first request pre-approval from MOM together with a signed consent form from your current employer. You can also only transfer within the same business sector under this scheme — for example, a construction employer cannot hire you this way if you are currently in the services sector.

What your new employer needs to arrange

A transfer is treated as a new pass application, so your new employer still has to do everything a fresh hire would require:

• The application itself — through WP Online (Work Permit) or the myMOM Portal / EP eService (S Pass), checking their available quota and, for S Pass, that you meet the qualifying salary and points criteria.
• A security bond — for each non-Malaysian Work Permit holder, the employer must buy a S$5,000 security bond from a bank or insurer. This is the employer's cost — you cannot be asked to pay for it.
• A medical examination — MOM requires a medical check (screening for tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis and malaria, and whether you are fit to work) before a Work Permit can be issued.

Two things to remember: the foreign worker levy is always the employer's cost, never yours, and your passport must never be withheld by any employer or agent. If you use an employment agency to help you find a new employer, MOM caps the fee an agency may charge a worker at a maximum of one month's salary per year of service, up to two months in total.

If your current employer broke the rules

If your current employer has not paid your salary and you have lodged a valid salary claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), MOM may issue you a Change of Employer (COE) letter. This lets you look for a new employer without needing your current employer's consent while your claim is being resolved.

According to MOM's own figures given in Parliament, about 1,600 COE letters were issued to Work Permit holders with valid salary claims in 2024, and about 1,100 more between January and June 2025 — around 65% of those workers went on to have a new Work Permit approved within the COE's validity period. Not every case succeeds: some workers do not find a new employer in time, or the new employer's application does not meet requirements (for example, insufficient quota).

If the issue is something else — such as illegal deployment, unsafe conditions or other serious breaches of your Work Permit conditions — you can report it to MOM, and MOM will assess your situation individually. There is no guaranteed outcome; every case depends on its own facts, so please treat this as general information, not a promise of any specific result.

Step by step

1. Find a new employer who is willing and eligible to hire you (same sector, if the no-consent scheme applies to you).
2. Your new employer checks their quota and your eligibility, then applies through WP Online or the myMOM Portal.
3. For Work Permit transfers, MOM notifies your current employer, who has 5 working days to consent — unless you fall under the no-consent window or a Change of Employer letter. S Pass transfers do not require your current employer's consent.
4. Once approved, your new employer arranges the security bond and your medical examination as part of issuing the new pass.
5. You may only start working for the new employer once the new Work Permit or S Pass has actually been issued.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my current employer's permission to change jobs?

For Work Permit transfers, in most cases yes: your new employer applies through WP Online, MOM notifies your current employer, and they have 5 working days to give consent. The exceptions are the sector no-consent window and a Change of Employer letter, both explained above. For S Pass transfers, your prospective employer simply applies for a new S Pass through the myMOM Portal — no current-employer consent is required.

What if my current employer refuses?

If none of the exceptions above apply to you, a refusal (or no response within 5 working days) means the transfer application will not proceed at that time. You can keep looking for opportunities and try again closer to your Work Permit's expiry, or seek advice from MOM or MWC about your specific situation.

Can I apply myself?

No — only an employer or their appointed employment agent can submit a Work Permit or S Pass application. Your role is to agree to the new job and, where required, give your consent for the current pass to be handled as part of the transfer.