Singapore S Pass + Work Permit Levy Tier 2027 Calculator

Estimate Singapore foreign worker levy by tier for 2027 — S Pass, Work Permit in manufacturing, services, construction. Apply DRC (Dependency Ratio Ceiling) tier rules to predict monthly hiring cost.

Monthly Levy Bill
Annual Levy Bill
Per Worker Monthly
Pass + sector
Tier applied
Monthly levy per worker
Number of foreign workers
Monthly total levy
Annual total levy
DRC check (within quota?)
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Singapore's foreign worker levy is a monthly per-worker fee paid by employers, varying by pass type, sector, and quota tier (Basic vs Mid vs MYE). The system caps how many foreign workers you can hire relative to local headcount via the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC). For 2027, S Pass minimum qualifying salary is SGD 3,150 (SGD 3,650 in financial services), and levy rates climb sharply once you exceed Basic Tier quota.

Pass Type and Tier Structure

S Pass: mid-skilled technicians, technologists, junior professionals. Minimum salary SGD 3,150 (2026+). Levy SGD 550-800/month. Work Permit (Manufacturing/Services): lower-skilled production and service staff. Levy SGD 250-800/month depending on tier and sector. Work Permit (Construction/Marine/Process): project-based labor, uses MYE (Man-Year Entitlement) quota system. Levy SGD 300-600/month. Each pass has Basic, Mid, and Max tier rates — exceeding Basic increases per-worker levy without increasing your DRC quota. The right strategy is to stay in Basic Tier whenever possible.

DRC, Quota Compliance, and Penalties

The Dependency Ratio Ceiling caps foreign workers as a percentage of total local + foreign headcount: ~10% for S Pass Services, ~18% for S Pass Manufacturing, ~35% for WP Services, ~60% for WP Manufacturing. Exceeding DRC blocks new pass applications and renewals. To raise DRC, hire more local citizens or PR (each local = one quota slot for the foreign worker ratio). Levy is billed monthly via GIRO from your nominated bank account. Late payment incurs 2% monthly interest. Repeated default can trigger pass cancellation, hiring ban (1-2 years), and disqualification from government tenders. Levy is also subject to GST.

Last updated May 2026. Sources: CPF Board, IRAS, MOM.