If you hold a Dependant’s Pass and want to earn an income in Singapore, the rules changed in 2021 and are widely misunderstood. The Letter of Consent (LOC) is no longer a way to take a job — it is now a route for DP holders who run their own business. This guide sets out what still works, what has replaced the old employment route, and which path fits your situation.

What is a Letter of Consent (LOC) and who is it for?

A Letter of Consent is a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) approval that lets a Dependant’s Pass holder run their own business in Singapore. It is not a work pass in its own right; it sits on top of an existing DP and permits a specific activity — operating a business the holder owns. A DP is issued to the spouse or child of an Employment Pass or S Pass holder who meets the minimum qualifying salary, so the LOC applies to that dependant population.

The critical point, missed by many older guides, is scope. The LOC today covers business owners only. If a DP holder wants to be someone’s employee, the LOC is not the mechanism — a separate work pass is required, as explained below.

The big change: DP holders can no longer work as employees on an LOC (since 1 May 2021)

Since 1 May 2021, all Dependant’s Pass holders who wish to work as an employee in Singapore — including part-time or temporary jobs — must apply for a relevant work pass. The employment LOC was discontinued, so there is no longer any route by which a DP holder simply obtains an LOC and starts a job.

This matters because the internet is full of pre-2021 advice describing an “employment LOC” where the employer applies, the pass is free, and its validity tracks the DP. That arrangement no longer exists as an LOC. Those same features — employer applies, no minimum salary, validity tied to the DP — now describe the DP-Work Permit instead. If a recruiter or forum tells a DP holder they can start work “on an LOC”, treat it as out of date and check the current requirement.

Working as an employee today: your own EP or S Pass, or a DP-Work Permit

A DP holder who wants to be an employee has two practical options. First, qualify for a work pass in your own name: an Employment Pass or S Pass, which the hiring company applies for and which then becomes your primary pass (you would give up dependant status if you meet the criteria). Second, the employer can apply for a DP-Work Permit, which has no minimum salary and whose validity is tied to the Dependant’s Pass.

• Employment Pass or S Pass: the standard professional and mid-skill routes. These carry salary thresholds and, for the EP, the COMPASS points test — see the salary and points figures further down.
• DP-Work Permit: the employer applies; there is no minimum salary; the permit’s validity is tied to the DP and lapses if the DP ends.

For a side-by-side of the pass types, see our EP vs S Pass vs Work Permit comparison.

The business-owner LOC: who qualifies (director with 30% shareholding, ACRA-registered)

The LOC is available to a DP holder who owns or runs their own business, provided the business is registered with ACRA and the holder occupies a qualifying role. MOM requires the DP holder to be one of the following:

• A sole proprietor;
• A partner in a partnership;
• A company director holding at least 30% shareholding in the company; or
• A member of a Company Limited by Guarantee.

The 30% shareholding threshold is the point most first-time founders trip on: a directorship alone is not enough — the DP holder must hold at least a 30% stake. If you are setting up the company from scratch, plan the shareholding at the point of incorporation so the structure supports the LOC.

How to apply for a business-owner LOC: free, DP holder applies, timeline

There is no application fee for the LOC — MOM charges nothing. The DP holder applies themselves through the EP eService on the myMOM Portal, or appoints an employment agent to file on their behalf. Note the applicant is the DP holder (or their agent), not an employer.

A DP holder starting a brand-new business can obtain the initial LOC before hiring anyone — the local-hire condition below applies at renewal, not at first application.

Renewing your LOC: the local-hire condition (1 local at LQS S$1,800, 3 months of CPF)

At renewal, the LOC carries a local-hire requirement that does not apply to the first application. The business must, at the point of the renewal application, have hired at least 1 Singaporean or Permanent Resident who earns at least the prevailing Local Qualifying Salary and has been receiving CPF contributions for at least 3 consecutive months preceding the submission date.

The Local Qualifying Salary is at least S$1,800 per month gross, in effect since 1 July 2026. In practice this means you should plan to have a local employee on payroll — with CPF paid — for a clear three-month run-up before you renew. An LOC can be renewed up to 6 months before it expires, renewal is free, and the DP must have at least 3 months’ validity remaining.

What the LOC lets you do — and its limits

The LOC lets you operate your own ACRA-registered business — run its operations, act as its director or proprietor, and draw income from it. It does not confer any permanent-resident-type rights, and it does not let you take up separate employment with another company; for that you would need your own work pass.

• The LOC is tied to the underlying Dependant’s Pass. It lapses if the DP is cancelled or expires.
• It authorises running your own business, not working as an employee elsewhere.
• If you are setting up the company, opening a corporate bank account is always at the bank’s discretion — an LOC does not guarantee approval.

PLOC and other consent routes: how they differ (LTVP/LTVP+ holders)

The Pre-approved Letter of Consent (PLOC) is a different scheme and is not for DP holders. It is for Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP or LTVP+) holders who are spouses or children of Singapore citizens or permanent residents. It is offered when applying for or renewing the LTVP/LTVP+ with ICA, certain occupations are barred, and both the holder and the employer must meet requirements before work starts.

The takeaway: if you hold a DP, the PLOC does not apply to you — your route is the business-owner LOC, or a work pass in your own name. Do not treat the two as interchangeable.

LOC vs getting your own Employment Pass: which path fits you

If your goal is to build and run your own company, the LOC is the lighter path — it is free, you apply yourself, and there is no MyCareersFuture advertising step for your own role. If your goal is a salaried job with an employer, you need an Employment Pass or S Pass instead. The EP qualifying salary is S$5,600/month in the general sector (S$6,200 for financial services) at age 23, scaling with age to S$10,700/S$11,800 at age 45 and above; new applications from 1 January 2027 rise to S$6,000/S$6,600 at age 23, with renewals assessed from 1 January 2028.

For the full EP picture — thresholds, points and process — see our complete Employment Pass guide and the COMPASS framework explained.

How Asprin helps: LOC filing and EP applications

Asprin files the business-owner Letter of Consent application for S$420, handling the eligibility check, document preparation and submission so the shareholding and business-registration criteria are met the first time. Where your goal is salaried work rather than running a business, we also file Employment Pass and S Pass applications, and we can incorporate the company and set the shareholding so a director-founder clears the 30% threshold for the LOC.

A named specialist reviews your case and quotes a fixed fee the same business day.

Sources and further reading

• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Letter of Consent for Dependant’s Pass business owners
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — LOC eligibility
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Renew, cancel or replace an LOC
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Apply for a Letter of Consent
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Dependant’s Pass: working in Singapore
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Pre-approved Letter of Consent (PLOC)
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Local Qualifying Salary
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — Employment Pass eligibility
• Asprin — Work passes in Singapore
• Asprin — EP vs S Pass vs Work Permit