Open a S'pore bank account on a Work Permit: no deposit, S$2 fees to dodge

You can open a Singapore bank account on a Work Permit, domestic helpers included.

POSB's Payroll Account needs no opening deposit and comes with a debit card. S Pass and EP holders open a regular account with a passport, a pass and proof of address.

Your bank record proves you got paid in full and on time if a dispute reaches MOM.

POSB Payroll Account

POSB, the everyday arm of DBS, built this account for migrant workers and migrant domestic workers on a Work Permit.

POSB's fee guide says domestic workers who open the account through the MOM system or online on the POSB site get the S$2 service charge waived. Ask POSB to confirm the waiver on your account.

From 4 July 2026, Payroll and Work Permit accounts carry a S$7,000 daily limit on money going out. It covers transfers, overseas remittances, ATM and branch cash, PayLah! and GIRO. Incoming salary has no cap, and the limit cannot be raised.

You get a DBS Visa Debit Card. Pull cash in one or two bigger ATM trips and use PayNow instead of the counter.

What to bring

For the Payroll Account:

• a valid passport
• your Work Permit, front and back, or your In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter if the card has not arrived
• a screenshot from the SGWorkPass app
• a mobile number and email that reach you

No SGWorkPass yet? Set it up first with our guide to the free MOM app every Filipino should set up.

No address proof or deposit needed. Apply online or in the DBS digibank app.

New and transferring helpers can get the account set up through the MOM system when the employer applies for the Work Permit. Ask your employer or agency where yours stands.

S Pass and EP holders

DBS and POSB, OCBC and UOB all open regular savings accounts for pass holders. For a DBS or POSB account, bring (DBS, documents required):

1. the biodata page of your passport
2. a valid pass: Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass or Dependant's Pass; the IPA letter from MOM or ICA also works
3. proof of your Singapore address: a phone or utility bill in your name, an employer letter, a tenancy agreement or a bank statement

Date each document within the last three months. Match the name and FIN across everything, and bring originals, not phone photos.

Most banks let you finish on your phone with Singpass. Regular accounts can charge a fall-below fee, so ask the officer for the bank's basic account with no fall-below fee.

Digital banks

Trust, GXS and MariBank run app-only accounts. Some accept pass holders with Singpass; others keep basic accounts for citizens and PRs, so let the app check your pass first.

Your salary, your card

Under the Employment Act, your employer pays salary within 7 days of the end of the salary period and overtime within 14 days (MOM, paying salary). Since 1 April 2016, every covered worker also gets an itemised payslip.

If a Work Permit holder asks for salary paid into a Singapore bank account, the employer must do it under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (MOM).

An employer should never keep your ATM card, hold your PIN or "look after" your bankbook. If that happens, the CDE helpline and the Migrant Workers Office can help. Helpers can check our pay, levy and rest-day guide.

Sending padala

Register for PayNow in your banking app to send and receive money with your mobile number or FIN.

The PayNow link to the Philippines' InstaPay through Project Nexus is still being built. The Bangko Sentral targets mid-2027, so for now padala goes through your bank, a remittance app or a counter. Our piece on PayNow remittance to the Philippines covers the link.

Some kababayans keep a multi-currency wallet like Wise or YouTrip for travel and sometimes a sharper rate. Your salary still needs to land in the bank account MOM sees.

Compare rates each payday and send a small test amount through any new channel first. Start with our guides to sending money to the Philippines, the cheapest way to send money home, making every padala count and timing a strong SGD-to-peso rate.

Plan around your salary with our budget guide and sample budgets.

Keep it safe

Never share your OTP or card PIN with a caller, a friend or an agent. Save your payslip every month.

Leaving Singapore for good? Close or clear the account so no dormant-account fee eats the balance. Check current fees and documents on posb.com.sg or your bank's account-opening page before you apply.