Raffles Consulting Services
Prepare for a Singapore ONE Pass renewal using the five-year salary or operating-company test, annual notifications and family timing.
A Singapore Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass can be renewed for five years at a time. The holder may apply up to six months before expiry, but the evidence is built across the preceding five years. Start tracking the renewal route, Singapore income or company employment record, annual notifications and family pass dates well before the application window opens.
The renewal test is not the same as the initial application test. MOM currently gives two renewal routes: an average fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 over the past five years in Singapore, or a Singapore-based company started and operated by the holder that employs at least five locals at the required salary level.
Choose the likely renewal route early
Under the salary route, the MOM eligibility page requires average fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 over the past five years in Singapore. Keep monthly records by employer and reconcile them to annual income information and tax records. Other income should not be casually relabelled as fixed monthly salary.
Under the business route, the holder must have started and be operating a Singapore-based company that employs at least five locals. Each local must earn gross monthly salary at least equal to the prevailing Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary. Check the live EP figure when preparing the renewal because it can change over a five-year pass period.
A holder may have facts relevant to both routes. Keep both records until one clearly supports the renewal. MOM assesses applications, and meeting a published threshold does not promise approval.
Keep a five-year salary schedule
The salary schedule should list each month, employer, role, fixed monthly salary, payroll evidence and any gap. Reconcile annual totals to Notices of Assessment or tax returns where available. Identify overseas remuneration, director fees, dividends, bonuses and non-cash awards separately so the renewal calculation is not distorted.
If the holder changes employers or works for more than one organisation, retain the contracts, payslips and role dates for each. The ONE Pass allows work for multiple companies, but the renewal record still needs to show which amounts form fixed monthly salary in Singapore.
Keep a business-route schedule
For the operating-company route, retain incorporation and ownership records, board role, evidence that the company is operating, payroll records and the five local employees used for the test. Record citizenship or permanent-resident status and gross monthly salary for each relevant month.
The salary benchmark for those employees is the prevailing EP minimum, not an amount fixed when the company was incorporated. A staff member who leaves or falls below the live benchmark can affect the count. Review the schedule quarterly and before any material payroll change.
| Period | Salary route | Operating-company route |
|---|---|---|
| Years one to four | Monthly fixed-salary ledger and tax reconciliation | Operating records, local headcount and salary checks |
| Annual notification | Confirm employers, occupations and total annual income | Confirm professional activities and company role |
| Twelve months before expiry | Calculate the five-year average and resolve gaps | Test five qualifying locals against the current EP minimum |
| Six months before expiry | Prepare and submit when the window opens | Prepare and submit when the window opens |
| After approval | Coordinate issuance and family renewals | Coordinate issuance and family renewals |
Treat annual notifications as part of the record
MOM’s ONE Pass notification page says holders may be required to report employer and occupation details, total annual income for the previous calendar year and other professional activities. A holder who receives the email must complete the exercise.
Save the email, submitted information, acknowledgement and copy of the submission. Reconcile the notification to the salary or business schedule before submitting it. A mismatch that is easy to explain now may be difficult to reconstruct several years later.
Update residential address or mobile number within two weeks of a change. Keep passport details and expiry current in EP eService. Current contact information matters because MOM uses the recorded email to notify holders about annual submissions.
Plan for gaps and changes honestly
A ONE Pass holder can remain in Singapore during a period of unemployment, but MOM says long unemployment without a valid reason may affect pass status. The annual information is used to understand professional activity and assess renewal. Record the dates, reason, job search, business work or other professional activity accurately.
Do not create a temporary salary, employment record or local headcount solely for the application. Payroll, bank, tax and company records should support the facts throughout the period claimed.
A salary-route example
Assume a holder worked for two Singapore employers across five years and had a four-month gap. The file should show monthly fixed salary from each employer, the months with no salary and the five-year average calculated on the applicable period. Annual tax documents can support the schedule but should not replace the fixed-salary analysis because total income may include other items.
If the average is near S$30,000, review the definition and supporting records with care. Do not assume a bonus, dividend or overseas payment belongs in fixed monthly salary without a proper basis.
Coordinate family pass timing
MOM states that dependants’ passes are tied to the main ONE Pass, which can be valid for up to five years. If the main pass is renewed, family passes may also be renewed if the family members meet the applicable criteria. Put every family pass expiry, passport expiry, school or travel constraint into the six-month plan.
A family should avoid making an irreversible travel or housing decision on the assumption that renewal will be approved by a particular date. Keep reasonable contingency time and follow the official application status.
Watch future routes without mixing them into today’s test
MOM announced a separate ONE Pass route for artificial intelligence and technology talent from January 2027, with further detail to follow, including renewal criteria. An existing holder should use the live renewal rules that apply to the chosen route when applying rather than blend an announced future track into a current calculation.
Our Employment Pass renewal guide covers the employer-sponsored EP process, while the family pass comparison explains dependant routes. The Singapore Immigration and Relocation hub connects work-pass and family planning.
The best renewal file is built month by month. By the time the six-month window opens, the holder should be checking a complete record, not trying to recreate five years from email and bank statements.