An Employment Pass renewal in Singapore is not a formality. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) re-assesses the pass against the same eligibility bar as a new application — qualifying salary, COMPASS points and your firm’s local workforce mix all get looked at again. Because those numbers move with your candidate’s age and with MOM’s annual recalibration, a pass that sailed through three years ago can fall short at renewal. This checklist works backwards from expiry, so you catch the gaps while there is still time to fix them.

Why your EP renewal is a full re-assessment, not a rubber stamp

A renewal is judged against the current eligibility criteria, not the ones in force when the pass was first granted. That means the qualifying salary, the COMPASS score and your company-level workforce data are all re-tested. Two things change quietly between grants: your candidate is older, so the age-indexed salary bar has risen, and MOM refreshes the COMPASS C1 salary benchmarks every August. A renewed EP is valid for up to 3 years, so getting it right buys another full cycle. The practical takeaway is to start six months out, not six weeks.

When the renewal window opens: filing up to 6 months before expiry

You can apply to renew an EP up to 6 months before it expires, and the application must be submitted before the expiry date. EPs issued under the sponsorship scheme have a shorter runway — renewals can be filed 3 months before expiry and take up to 6 weeks to process. Standard renewals filed through the myMOM Portal are processed, or given an update, within 10 business days. Do not wait for the last week: if a fixable issue surfaces (a salary short of the current bar, a weak COMPASS criterion), you want weeks of margin to correct it before the pass lapses.

Month 6–5: re-check the qualifying salary against your candidate’s current age

The EP qualifying salary scales with age, so a holder who cleared the bar at 30 faces a higher one at 33 or 35. Until 31 December 2027, renewals are assessed on salaries from S$5,600 a month at age 23 or below, rising progressively to S$10,700 at age 45 and above. In financial services the range runs from S$6,200 to S$11,800. Pull each renewing employee’s date of birth, map it to the current threshold, and compare it to their actual fixed monthly salary. If a pay review is due, aligning it before you file removes the single most common reason renewals stumble. For the full age curve, see our 2026 EP salary thresholds breakdown.

Month 5–4: run a COMPASS pre-score — where renewals typically lose points

Every EP expiring from 1 September 2024 must pass COMPASS to be renewed, so score the application before you file it. COMPASS awards points across four foundational criteria and two bonus criteria; an application needs 40 points to pass. Renewals most often lose points on C1 (salary, because the age-indexed benchmark has moved) and C4 (local employment, if your Singaporean and PR headcount has thinned). Some roles are exempt from COMPASS altogether — a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, an overseas intra-corporate transferee, or a role filled for one month or less. Our COMPASS framework explainer walks through each criterion in detail.

Month 4–3: close the gaps (salary, C5 Shortage Occupation bonus, local workforce mix)

If the pre-score is short of 40, you have three main levers — salary, the C5 skills bonus, and your local workforce. Raising the fixed monthly salary can move C1 from 10 to 20 points; check that any increase clears both the age-indexed qualifying salary and the COMPASS benchmark. The C5 bonus awards up to 20 points where the role sits on MOM’s Shortage Occupation List — confirm the current list rather than relying on last year’s, as it is reviewed periodically. C4 rewards a healthy share of local employees; note that the Local Qualifying Salary has been S$1,800 a month since 1 July 2026, and local staff paid below the qualifying bands count for less (1.0 at S$1,800 or more, 0.5 between S$900 and S$1,800, nil below S$900). Underpaid local headcount quietly weakens your C4 score. See our note on the 2026 LQS increase for how the bands work.

Month 3–2: documents checklist and filing via the myMOM Portal

A renewal needs less paperwork than a first application — qualification verification is one-time. If you verified the candidate’s qualifications for the original EP, you do not repeat it at renewal. The core documents are:

• The personal-particulars page of the candidate’s passport.
• Your company’s latest ACRA business profile.
• Qualification verification proof only if it was never provided — accepted evidence includes selected background screeners with an MOM verification reference number, official government or institution portals, professional-body letters, or an .opencerts digital certificate. Bare certificates, notarised copies and school letters are not accepted.

Any non-English document must be submitted as a professional translation combined with the original in a single file. Unlike a new application, a renewal does not require a fresh MyCareersFuture job advertisement as part of the filing — the 14-consecutive-day advertising requirement only re-appears if a renewal is rejected and you have to lodge a new application (subject to the usual exemptions, such as companies with fewer than 10 employees or salaries of S$22,500 and above).

Fees and processing time: what MOM charges and how long it takes

MOM charges S$105 per application and S$225 to issue the pass, plus S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa where needed; most renewals return a decision within 10 business days. Sponsorship-scheme renewals take up to 6 weeks. Build the longer of these windows into your runway so a renewal never risks lapsing while it is still being assessed.

If the renewal is rejected: the 3-month appeal window and what actually changes outcomes

You can appeal a rejected EP renewal within 3 months of the decision through the EP eService, and 85% of appeals are processed within 6 weeks. MOM is explicit that there will be no change in outcome unless the appeal contains new information that addresses the rejection advisory — so a bare request to reconsider will fail. Read the advisory, identify the specific shortfall (usually salary or a COMPASS criterion), and fix it: a higher committed salary, an updated Shortage Occupation List match, or a stronger local workforce position. After the 3-month window closes, an appeal is no longer possible and you must file a fresh application, which re-introduces the MyCareersFuture advertising step unless an exemption applies.

Planning around the 1 Jan 2027 / 1 Jan 2028 salary threshold step-up

Higher EP qualifying salaries take effect for new applications from 1 January 2027 and for renewals from 1 January 2028 — so a renewal filed in 2027 is still assessed on today’s bar. The general-sector floor rises from S$5,600 to S$6,000 at age 23 and from S$10,700 to S$11,500 at age 45 and above; financial services moves from S$6,200 to S$6,600 and from S$11,800 to S$12,700 across the same span. If a renewal falls due in early 2028, model the new figure now and phase salary increases across your next two review cycles rather than absorbing the whole step-up at once.

What Asprin handles for S$748 all-in

Asprin files EP renewals for a fixed S$748, inclusive of MOM’s fees and the Multiple Journey Visa — no hidden extras. A named specialist reviews the case, runs the salary-against-age and COMPASS pre-checks described above, flags any gap while there is still time to close it, prepares the documents and files through the myMOM Portal. New EP applications are S$1,078 all-in on the same basis. Asprin holds MOM EA Licence 25C3163 and works to a same-business-day service standard. For the wider work-pass picture, our complete EP guide for 2026 and the work passes service page cover the full range.

EP renewal FAQ: quick answers

How early can I renew an EP?

Up to 6 months before expiry for a standard EP, and 3 months before for EPs under the sponsorship scheme. The application must reach MOM before the pass expires.

Does COMPASS apply to renewals?

Yes. Every EP expiring from 1 September 2024 must meet COMPASS at renewal, which means scoring at least 40 points or qualifying for an exemption.

Do I need to re-verify the candidate’s qualifications?

No, if they were verified for the original application — qualification verification is one-time.

Do I have to advertise the job again on MyCareersFuture?

Not as part of a renewal filing. The 14-consecutive-day advertising requirement only returns if a renewal is rejected and you lodge a new application, unless an exemption applies.

What happens if the renewal is rejected?

You can appeal within 3 months through the EP eService, but only new information that addresses the rejection advisory will change the outcome. After 3 months, a fresh application is required.

Sources and further reading

• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Renew an Employment Pass
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — EP eligibility, qualifying salary and COMPASS
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — EP documents required
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — EP application fees
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Appeal against a rejected EP application
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Fair Consideration Framework and advertising
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Local Qualifying Salary
• Asprin — COMPASS framework explained (2026)
• Asprin — 2026 EP salary thresholds