S'pore Work Permit age limit now 64, with no cap on years worked

The Work Permit age limit rose to 64 on 1 July 2026, and there is still no cap on years worked.

MOM pegs the limit to Singapore's retirement age, which moved from 63 to 64 on the same day. New applicants must be below 62 when they apply.

For a Filipino construction worker, cook or cleaner in his late 50s, that can mean several more years of padala.

What changed

Two limits used to end a Work Permit: a maximum employment age of 60, and a maximum period of employment of 14 to 26 years, set by sector and skill.

MOM removed the maximum period of employment on 1 July 2025. Your permit can keep renewing for as long as you stay eligible and your employer applies.

On the same date MOM raised the maximum employment age to 63 and set the new-application limit at 61, two years below the retirement age. The old rule required non-Malaysian applicants to be below 50.

On 1 July 2026 both numbers moved up one year, to 64 and 62.

Who it covers

The new limits apply to Work Permit holders in construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard, process and services.

Migrant domestic workers follow separate rules. MOM says a helper must be 23 to below 50 at her first application, and a helper aged 50 or above can renew only until she turns 60.

There is no limit on how many years a kasambahay can work for the same employer, but 60 remains the general age ceiling.

Employment Pass and S Pass holders sit outside these age rules.

What stays the same

Renewal is your employer's application, not yours. Staying longer is allowed, not guaranteed.

Older workers cost more to insure. Since 1 July 2025, medical insurance premiums for Work Permit and S Pass holders differ for workers above 50, and employers must buy at least S$60,000 of yearly cover for each worker.

Levies, sector quotas and the rules on changing employers all still apply. Each permit runs up to two years at a time.

A route to better pay

The Philippines is a Non-Traditional Source country. MOM's NTS Occupation List lets services and manufacturing firms hire higher-skilled NTS workers at a fixed monthly salary of at least S$2,000.

Cooks, heavy vehicle drivers and manufacturing operators joined the list on 1 September 2025. MOM is adding eight more occupations in food services, social services and air transport from September 2026.

What to do

1. Check your date of birth and pass expiry in the SGWorkPass app or on the MOM website.
2. Near 60 and want to stay? Ask your employer about renewal months before your pass lapses, and point to the new limit of 64.
3. In a role on the NTS list? Ask whether your employer can move you onto it and its S$2,000 floor.
4. Verify any renewal promise at the source. Treat it like a job offer that sounds too good.

MOM's enquiry line is 6438 5122, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm.