Bringing your family to S'pore in 2026: the S$6,000 rule, S$330 pass fees and school bills

To bring your family to Singapore on a Dependant's Pass, you need S$6,000 fixed monthly salary.

The rule covers Employment Pass and S Pass holders. Fees run S$330 per pass, and most applications clear within three weeks.

School fees for a Filipino child then add S$7,140 to S$13,080 a year, so budget past the pass itself.

The salary rule

You must hold an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass and earn at least S$6,000 a month, fixed.

MOM counts basic salary plus fixed allowances written into your contract, like a set housing allowance.

It does not count overtime, bonuses, commissions, variable allowances, reimbursements or your employer's CPF.

A payslip that tops S$6,000 only after a heavy overtime month does not qualify. Check the fixed line.

Work Permit holders, kasambahay included, cannot sponsor family on either pass.

Who each pass covers

Our guide to bringing your parents covers the parent route and the visitor option.

Fees and timing

A Long-Term Visit Pass costs the same. A wife and one child come to about S$660 before visa fees.

Most dependants of EP and S Pass holders get an outcome within three weeks. Dependants of PEP, EntrePass and EP (Sponsorship) holders take up to six weeks.

How to apply

You do not file it yourself. Your employer or its employment agent submits it through the EP eService on the myMOM Portal.

Hand HR complete scans of:

• PSA marriage certificate for your spouse
• PSA birth certificate for each child, naming you as parent
• passport bio-data pages for everyone
• an official English translation of any document in another language

A missing page can stall the application, so send everything at once and follow up.

School fees

Dependant's Pass children can enrol in government and government-aided schools at international-student rates. The Philippines sits in the cheaper ASEAN tier.

A small miscellaneous fee sits on top. Two children across both levels come near S$20,000 a year, before uniforms, books and transport.

These rates close MOE's 2024 to 2026 schedule, so 2027 fees may rise.

Can your spouse work?

Not on the Dependant's Pass alone. An employer must get your spouse one of these:

• an Employment Pass or S Pass, if your spouse meets its criteria
• a Dependant's Pass Work Permit, with no minimum salary but a monthly levy the employer pays

A Letter of Consent now applies only to DP holders who set up their own business.

If your budget needs two incomes, confirm your spouse can land a qualifying role before you move.

Renewal

Your family's passes are tied to yours and renew with it. MOM rechecks that you still earn S$6,000 fixed.

EP holders now face the full COMPASS test with the grace period over. A pay cut or move to a lower-paying job can put your family's passes at risk.

What to do

Find your fixed monthly figure on your latest payslip. If it clears S$6,000, gather the PSA certificates and ask HR to file.

Subtract school fees for each child and fold the result into your cost-of-living budget. Confirm current figures on the MOM Dependant's Pass pages and MOE fees page.