Singapore Foreign Worker Compliance Rules 2026

Being ahead of the curve in the changing labor environment in Singapore is no longer a choice, and it is a survival quality of businesses. We head to 2026 and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has brought landmark changes, such as, no further permits of a particular nature and the implementation of the Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) in its entirety.

As an experienced HR expert or even as a business owner, it is critical to know the Singapore foreign worker compliance rules 2026 to ensure that your business is not debarred and that your talent flow does not suffer.

Landmark Changes

The most significant of the year is the cancellation of the Work Permit (Performing Artiste) in June 2026. This is the culmination of an old tradition where the night life industry and entertainment establishments could employ foreigners on temporary basis.

Important Step: Companies need to complete their plans of transition to the nightlife industry. There will be no new applications after June 1, 2026. The current holders have a time to be held up to the expiration or can ceiling of the permit.
Alternatives: Employers may seek the Work Pass Exempt (WPE) structure in the short-term occurrences or be able to qualify in ordinary S Passes/DPs provided the jobs match the required salary levels.

The New Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) Fair Hiring.

The year, 2026 is the one when the Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) will be in the limelight. It is not merely guidelines anymore, but it is legal requirements.

Discriminatory Hiring Practices 2026.

MO-M has switched to evidence-based due diligence. There should be no discrimination on age, nationality or sex when it comes to job advertisement under Fair consideration Framework (FCF) where the employer must ensure that the rules regarding this are thoroughly adhered to.

The LQS Quota Link: It is not just the foreign worker who is complying, but your core local. Your local PMET as compared to the industry directly influences your eligibility to new EP applications under COMPASS C4.
Grievance Handling: All firms today should have a formal process in handling grievances, which is to be investigated and documented.

Financial Compliance

The compliance cost is also increasing as Singapore is adapting the wages of foreign workers to be equal to the local wages.

EP Qualifying Salary Benchmarks (1 Jan 2026): When renewing, make sure that your executives are at the new Lower salary floors (which start at S$5,600 and rise substantially with age).
S Pass Levy S$650 Standardization: In a move to streamline the system to enhance more productivity, most sectors have replaced Tiered levy with a simple S$650 Tier 1 levy.
MOM Salary Payment Checking (WFS/WPS): Employers are required to use the Workforce Management System (WFS) to pay all the payroll including salaries electronically and within due time to prevent Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) non-compliance fines.

Enhanced Welfare

Singapore is making a second investment on employee welfare which directly impacts your operational expenses.

Improved Shared Parental Leave (SPL).

Beginning 1 April 2026 working parents will be entitled to 10 weeks Shared Parental Leave, an increase over the prior year of 6 weeks.

Compliance Hint: The employers can receive government reimbursement (limited to S$2,500/week), and you need to have a clear system of tracking and providing such leaves so that you can be compliant with SPL Phase 2 standards.

MOM Foreign Worker Housing Requirements 2026.

The housing standards have been tightened under the FEDA (Foreign Employee Dormitories Act).

Pre-eminent Housing Checks: In the case of the non-Malaysian worker, the employer has to submit evidence of houses that are approved before the worker is allowed to arrive.
OFWAS Accuracy: Within 5 days, any alteration of the address by a worker has to be changed through the Online Foreign Workers Address Service (OFWAS).

Remaining out of the Debarment List.

MOM has augmented its desk audit rate in 2026. It is being audit-ready, which implies the maintenance of:

MOM-approved screening provider verification (C2): Make sure that all educational qualifications of EP holders are checked by some agency.
Medical Insurance Compliance: Make sure that all S Pass and Work Permit holders are insured with S 60,000 limit.
Digital Work Pass Verification: Confirm your work pass in real-time using the Passwords application to eliminate the possibility of hire employees with expired or forged work passes.

FAQ

What will occur in case I pay less than the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS)?

Your number of foreign workers will be immediately decreased. Under MOM, CPF data are used to crosscheck LQS payments on a monthly basis; failure of which will initiate automatic “Notice of Infringement.”

Do I require Primary Care Plan (PCP) of all workers?

Construction, Marine or Process (CMP) sector and those in a dormitory only.

I will be able to use the SEPTUM scheme in 2026?

Yes, the SEPTUM scheme extension 3 years will enable the qualifying firms to employ more foreign employees than their normal DRC (Dependency Ratio Ceiling) provided they invest in training local employees.

Final Thought

The Singapore Foreign Worker Compliance Rules 2026 are a move towards a “Quality over Quantity” work force. Through these changes, especially the Workplace Fairness Legislation and the Enhanced Parental Leave, not only has made your business remain within the legal requirements but has also made it a better place to work with local and global talent.

These rules are a marathon to manage but not a sprint. Using MOM Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) regularly and paying close attention to MOM debarment list will help your company to remain on the right side of the law.

Disclaimer:

This article is informative and educative in nature. It is recommended that the readers should confirm the information with their credible sources, including the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website.