5 steps on how to renew E pass Singapore

Working in a first world country is a great opportunity especially for those who live in developing countries. Not every first world country easily accepts foreign workers in their country. Some of them have demanding requirements that only very exceptional people can pass. However, Singapore, in particular, doesn’t impose difficult requirements. As long as you have a job offer in Singapore, you can get an E pass Singapore visa.

The E Pass is an employment visa that is long-term and meant for foreign professionals. It is a work visa that allows the holder to bring their family to Singapore. In addition, it is one of the requirements for permanent residency in Singapore. Furthermore, this is a renewable work pass. If you are already an E Pass holder, here are the 5 steps on how to renew your E Pass.

Step 1: Find out when you can renew your E pass Singapore card

An E pass Singapore holder should renew their work visa before it expires. They can already start the renewal process six months before the expiry date. The E Pass holder must renew early. That is because if you missed the deadline, you will have to re-apply again for this employment visa. 

If you renew your pass earlier, it doesn’t mean that your old pass is no longer valid. It also doesn’t imply that your new E pass Singapore card validity will start the moment it is approved. The validity date of the new work visa will start when your old employment visa expires. Thus, even if you renew your E Pass months before the expiry date, the validity of the new one will not commence yet.

Step 2:  Complete renewal employment form

Once you confirm when you can start to renew your pass, the next thing to do is to apply for the E pass Singapore renewal. Similar to applying for the pass, your employer or the employment agent is the one who will apply on your behalf. If you are not part of the EP sponsorship, your employer can apply online through EP Online. They will need to fill in the renewal form and upload the documents mentioned in the form. Then, your employer needs to pay for the employment visa which costs S$225 each. Once payment is done, you can now proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Send E pass Singapore renewal form via mail or EP Online

The next step in the renewal E pass Singapore process is sending the form and the supporting documents. If you are a regular E Pass holder, your employer can submit the renewal application via the EP Online. Most of the time, it will only take three weeks to get approved for the employment visa renewal.

If you became an E pass Singapore holder through an EP sponsorship, you will need to send your renewal application via mail post. You also need to attach the supporting documents as stated in the renewal form. Then, you need to send everything to the Work Pass Division of the Ministry of Manpower, located at 18 Havelock Road Singapore 059764. The result of your employment visa renewal will be emailed to the contact person noted in the form.

Step 4: Get the IPA letter

If your E pass Singapore renewal is successful, the next step is to get the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter. This will be valid for three months therefore, you need to get the pass renewed before the expiry date of the IPA or the existing employment visa. There will be instructions in the IPA that will guide you on how to get the renewed pass. 

Step 5: Check notification letter

After receiving the new E Pass, you need to check the notification letter. That is because it has instructions on what to do with the existing E pass Singapore card. If you are advised to get a new card, you will have to cut the old E Pass card in half. This should be discarded to prevent misuse. If you are advised to continue using the existing E Pass employment visa, you must keep it. If you decide to return it 

to get a new card even if it is not advised, you will have to pay S$60 to replace the E Pass card.

Renewing your E pass Singapore card is not difficult to accomplish. After all, your employer can do this online. However, if there are more E Pass holders in your company that need to renew, this can take a lot of time. That is why it is recommended that your employer avail the assistance of a work pass agency.