SINGAPORE – Upcoming New Housing Checks for Work Pass Holders

Effective 14 September 2018, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in Singapore is checking work pass applicants’ residential addresses when issuing passes.

When an employment agent issues a request to issue a work pass, MOM will only approve the request if the applicant’s address meets relevant housing requirements.

Housing Requirements

There are various types of housing that a foreign employee can live in, each with its own set of requirements. These include:

HDB Flats

Public housing flats managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which may be rented out as a whole flat or by rooms, subject to HDB’s approval.

Requirements:

• Ensure that the HDB flat owner registers the employees as tenants with HDB before they move in; and
• Employees can use HDB’s eService to check if the flat owner has registered them as tenants of the flat.

Private Residential Premises (PRPs)

Private properties such as condominiums, landed residential properties, terrace houses, semi-detached houses, bungalows, residential units in shop houses, etc.

Requirements:

• Download and get the PRP owner to complete the occupant’s declaration form for home owners; and
• Email both the completed form and PRP owner’s IRAS property tax statement to MOM.

Action Items

Employers are advised to carry out due diligence on their foreign employees’ housing to ensure they meet the housing requirements and to avoid penalties.