Construction Sector

Construction Sector: Foreign Worker Work Permit Requirements

Employ foreign workers for the construction sector, you will have to meet specific requirements for worker’s source country or region, quota, and levy.

These requirements are additional and specific to the construction sector. You should refer to the more general conditions and requirements for Work Permit as well.

You must buy a security bond for each non-Malaysian foreign worker you employ. You can buy the bond at any bank or insurance company.

What is a security bond

A security bond is a binding pledge to pay the government if either you or your worker breaks the law or Work Permit conditions. The bond is in the form of a banker’s or insurer’s guarantee.

You must buy a $5,000 security bond for each non-Malaysian Work Permit holder you employ. You cannot ask your worker to pay for the bond.

When to buy the bond

Before your worker arrives in Singapore, you must:

  1. Buy a security bond.
  2. Get your insurer to send us the security bond details. It takes up to 3 working days.
  3. Ensure that the security bond takes effect when your worker arrives.
  4. Log in to WP Online to check the security bond status and print the security bond acknowledgement letter. Send your worker a copy of the letter.

If you do not complete the steps above, your workers will be refused entry into Singapore and you will have to pay to send them home immediately.

When will the bond be discharged

You will be discharged from the security bond liability for a worker only if you meet all of these conditions:

  • You have cancelled the Work Permit.
  • The worker has returned home.
  • You did not breach any of the conditions of the security bond.

If all conditions are met, the security bond will usually be discharged one week after the worker left Singapore.

You’ll be notified by post when the security bond is discharged.

When the bond will be forfeited

Your security bond may be forfeited if any of these happens:

  • You or your worker violates any of the conditions of the Work Permit or security bond.
  • You don’t pay your worker’s salary on time.
  • You fail to send your worker home when the Work Permit is expired, revoked or cancelled.
  • Your worker goes missing.

You will not be liable for your workers’ violations (such as those relating to pregnancy) if you can prove that you have:

  • Informed them of the Work Permit conditions they must comply with.
  • Reported a violation when you first become aware of it.

You need to buy a medical insurance plan for each foreign worker you employ. You also need to submit the insurance details online before the Work Permit can be issued.

What it should cover

As an employer, you must buy and maintain medical insurance coverage of at least $15,000 per year for each Work Permit holder.

The insurance should cover inpatient care and day surgery, including hospital bills for conditions that may not be work related.

You can have a co-pay arrangement with the Work Permit holder only if all of the following are met:

  • The medical treatment is not for work-related inpatient expenses.
  • The co-pay amount is reasonable and does not exceed 10% of the worker’s monthly salary.
  • The duration co-payment does not exceed 6 months.
  • The co-payment option is explicitly in the employment contract or collective agreement and has the worker’s full consent.
You cannot pass on the cost of purchasing the medical insurance to Work Permit holders.

Submit insurance details

You need to submit medical insurance details online before you request to issue or renew a Work Permit, and when the details change.

To update the information, log in to WP Online.

You need to keep the following information up to date:

  • Name of Insurer
  • Insurance policy number
  • Insurance policy commencement date
  • Insurance policy expiry date

You need to send your workers for a medical examination before their Work Permit is issued.

Clinics will likely resume medical examinations for pass issuance in Phase 2 (Safe Transition period). Workers will be given more time to complete their medical examinations. You can proceed to get Work Permits issued without your workers’ medical results.

Please do not make an appointment for card registration until your workers have completed their medical examinations. We will email you when to send them for their medical examinations closer to Phase 2.
In the meantime, we will automatically extend the expiry date of their notification letters to give them more time for the card registration. They can remain in Singapore with their notification letters. Workers who telecommute or work in permitted services approved by MTI may use the letters as proof of the validity of their passes.

Requirements for the check-up

You must send your workers for a medical examination by a Singapore-registered doctor within 2 weeks of their arrival in Singapore. Bring along the medical examination form when the worker goes for the tests.

The worker must pass the examination, and you need the completed medical form to get the Work Permit issued. Those who fail the examination will have to be sent home.

The medical examination screens the worker for 4 types of infectious diseases (tuberculosis, HIV, syphilis and malaria) and checks if they are fit to work.

You can send your workers for more tests if you have specific concerns about their health.

You must pay your foreign worker the monthly salary that you declare to us. You need to pay the salary within 7 days of the end of the month.

As part of the Work Permit application, you must declare the fixed monthly salary that the Work Permit holder will be receiving.

When to pay

You must pay the salary that your worker is due each month, no later than 7 days after the last day of that month.

The salary period must not exceed 1 month.

How to pay

You can pay the salary either by cash or by crediting the wages directly into the worker’s bank account.

If you both agree that you should keep the bank account book, you need to allow the worker to check the book to make sure that payments are made regularly.

You must keep a record of the monthly salary and be able to produce this record if requested.

Salary adjustments

You should consider raising your worker’s salary periodically as a reward for good performance and loyalty in service.

Apart from monthly wages, you may also consider offering your worker a contract gratuity as an incentive.

You should negotiate the amount of gratuity with the worker. You can pay it at the end of an agreed period of employment, which should be before the Work Permit expires.

CPF is not required

You do not need to make Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for your foreign workers.

You will get an in-principle approval if your Work Permit application is approved.

What is in-principle approval

An in-principle approval (IPA) is one of the requirements for getting foreign workers to Singapore.

You will get an IPA letter when your Work Permit application is approved.

The validity of the IPA will be mentioned in the letter. This is the window you have to bring the foreign worker to Singapore.

To check the validity of an IPA, use Work Permit or IPA Validity Check via WP Online (Non-login).

Extend an IPA

Processing time: Immediate

You can extend the IPA for up to 1 month if you need more time. You are allowed to extend the IPA only once.

To extend an IPA, log in to WP Online to make the request at least 1 week before the IPA expires.

If approved, you can print the extended IPA online.