Foreigners who wish to enter Singapore would want to take note that although Singapore is liberal when it comes to attracting global talent to come to Singapore to work, there are equally tight controls when it comes to foreigners who enter Singapore to work without proper permits, or foreigners who stay beyond the duration of the approved work permit period.

The Ministry of Manpower or MOM (18 Havelock Road Singapore 059764; for employment assistance, Tel: (+65) 6883 5885) is the government agency that administers the registrations and permits for foreigners wishing to stay in Singapore for employment purposes (work passes). The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority or ICA (10 Kallang Road Singapore 208718; Tel: (+65) 6391 6100 – 24-hour Call Center) issues entry visas for foreigners and handles many citizenship matters such as issuance of identity cards and traveling passports. Birth and death registrations are also handled by the ICA.

For an overview of Singapore's policy regarding entry into Singapore, refer to ICA's website at www.ica.gov.sg/services_centre. Foreigners who posses travel documents from a list of countries require either a business or social visit visa in order to enter Singapore. Depending on the type of visa you are applying for (business or social visit), you are required to submit different forms and documents. Foreigners who enter Singapore on a social visit visa are not permitted to engage in any form of business or employment. There is a fee for the issuance of a visa. The visa process can be applied for electronically via ICA's website.

The Singapore government takes a progressive view on attracting foreign talent to work in Singapore. There are different work pass schemes foreigners can apply to, to obtain permission to legally work in Singapore. The Employment Pass (P and Q Pass) are meant for foreign professionals, specialists, managers and executives; the S-Pass is meant for middle-level skilled manpower while the R-Pass is meant for foreigners who do not qualify for the S-Pass. The Training Employment Pass (TEP) is meant for foreigners who are in Singapore for training purposes. The EntrePass is meant for entrepreneurs who are interested to start a business in Singapore. For accompanying spouses and families, there is the Dependent Pass / Letter of Consent (DP/LOC) and the Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP). The Ministry of Manpower website on Employment Pass provides useful information and guidelines on how to apply and the eligibility requirements for the different types of work pass schemes highlighted. The website also provides guidelines on how to renew and what to do when there is a change in employer. Many services can be applied for (e.g. renewal of work pass, cancellation, change of travel documents) online at the website.

Work Permits (WP) is another category of permits issued by the MOM. This permit is meant for employees who earn a basic salary of not more than SGD$1,800. Work Permits are usually processed by employers, as there are certain obligations employers are required to fulfill when engaging foreigners to work for them.

Expatriates who have worked and lived in Singapore for a number of years on an Employment Pass, and enjoy living and working in Singapore do consider taking up permanent residency or even citizenship in Singapore. The benefits for becoming a Singapore citizen or a Singapore permanent resident summarized in a document provided by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) can be viewed here. If you are a male expatriate, or have sons, take note that all Singaporean and Permanent Residency males are liable for National Service under the Enlistment Act. There are some exemptions, but in general, all males aged 16 and above are required to do 2 years of full-time National Service, followed by 40 days of Operationally Ready National Service per year until age 40 or 50 years, depending on your rank.

For questions or information relating to Visas, Residency or Immigration, visit the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority Web site at http://app.ica.gov.sg/index.asp. For further information on obtaining citizenship or permanent residency, you may wish to check with the Citizen Services Center at ICA Building

10 Kallang Road

(Next to Lavender MRT station)

Singapore 208718.

Pregnant foreigners who wish to give birth in Singapore may do so, but will need to seek approval from ICA for a long-term visit pass. For more information, click here.