Employer of Record in Singapore
Employ Singapore citizens and permanent residents without your own entity. TopSource employs them in Singapore and handles the contract, CPF, payroll and IRAS reporting.
Why hire in Singapore through an EOR
Singapore offers a deep pool of professional talent, English as the language of business and one of the simplest payrolls in Asia. Hiring there without a Singapore company means using an Employer of Record: it employs your hire under the Employment Act, pays CPF and reports to IRAS while you direct the work. It covers Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Foreign nationals who need a work pass are a different case, explained below.
| Parameter | Statutory requirement | EOR management |
|---|---|---|
| Who an EOR can employ | Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Work passes are for foreigners working for Singapore-based companies | Your hire is employed by TopSource in Singapore |
| CPF | Employer 17% and employee 20% up to age 55, on wages up to S$8,000 a month | Paid every month through CPF EZPay |
| Income tax | No monthly withholding. Employment income reported to IRAS by 1 March | Filed under the Auto-Inclusion Scheme |
| Contract | Key employment terms in writing within 14 days of the start date | Issued before day one |
| Notice | Set by the contract and the same for both sides; one day to four weeks where it is silent | Contracts written to the Employment Act |
Figures for 2026, verified in October 2026.
Hire in Singapore without setting up an entity
Singapore payroll is light on contributions and strict on process. CPF is the only significant employer cost, there is no income tax withholding, and the Employment Act sets clear rules on contracts, pay dates and payslips. The work is in the detail: CPF by age band, the bonus ceiling, the 1 March filing and tax clearance when a permanent resident leaves.
Who you can hire through an EOR matters as much as the payroll. Singapore citizens and permanent residents can be employed by an EOR for an overseas company. Foreign nationals can’t: the Ministry of Manpower states that work passes are for foreigners working for Singapore-based companies, and that an Employer of Record which applies for one so that a foreigner can be based in Singapore while working for an overseas company commits an offence.
TopSource employs your Singapore citizens and permanent residents for you. We issue a compliant contract, set your hire up for CPF, run payroll and report to IRAS, so you can hire in Singapore without incorporating. When you need foreign hires there, we help you set up your own company.
Calculate Your Employee Costs in Singapore
Enter a gross annual salary to see the employer’s statutory cost in Singapore for 2026: CPF at 17% for a citizen, or a permanent resident from the third year, aged 55 or below, on wages up to S$8,000 a month, plus the Skills Development Levy at 0.25%, capped at S$135 a year. Bonuses have their own CPF ceiling and are not included.
Employment Cost Calculator
*Indicative figures only and not definitive legal advice. Local regulations change frequently. Consult an expertSingapore
| British Pound | Singapore | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary (per month) | ||
| Employer Contributions | ||
| Total Cost (Annual) | ||
| Total Cost (Monthly) |
How EOR in Singapore works: the process through TopSource
Employer Costs in Singapore at a Glance
Employer Costs in Singapore Explained
A Singapore employee costs about 17% on top of salary up to the CPF ceiling, and less above it. Employer CPF is 17% for staff aged 55 and below, on wages up to S$8,000 a month, and the Skills Development Levy adds at most S$135 a year. On S$8,000 a month, the employer pays S$16,455 a year on top of S$96,000 of salary, 17.1%. There is no payroll tax and no employer pension beyond CPF.
EOR or entity setup: which one fits your Singapore plan?
Incorporating a Singapore private limited company is quick: S$300 to register with ACRA, share capital from S$1, a registered office in Singapore, at least one director who is ordinarily resident there and a company secretary within six months. The ongoing work is what costs: CPF, payroll, annual filings and IRAS reporting of your own. An EOR makes sense for citizens and permanent residents while you test the market or hire a first small team. Your own company makes sense once headcount justifies it, and it is the route for foreign hires who need a work pass.
| Factor | TopSource Singapore EOR | Your own Singapore company |
|---|---|---|
| Who you can hire | Singapore citizens and permanent residents | Anyone with the right work pass |
| Speed to hire | Days | Registration in days, then a bank account, CPF and IRAS set-up |
| Set-up | None | S$300 ACRA fee, a resident director and a company secretary |
| Best fit | 1-10 citizens or PRs, market entry | Foreign hires, scaled operations |
Consider an EOR if you’re:
- Hiring Singapore citizens or permanent residents for a company based abroad
- Testing the Singapore market before incorporating
- Hiring a first small team without appointing a resident director
- Needing CPF, payroll and IRAS reporting running from the first month
Why TopSource for Employing in Singapore
TopSource for Employer of Record, global payroll or any other of our services represent a simpler, more reliable and transparent option.
We don’t hide fees or sneak price increases. We don’t lock you in for employees you don’t use. But we do give you a dedicated point of contact, available on the phone so you get answers fast, including on the questions Singapore raises, from CPF age bands and the bonus ceiling to IR21 tax clearance and work passes. We blend HR advisory with in-market expertise, and we stay flexible around the needs of your business.
“Their expertise and understanding of the unique hiring, payment, and human resource practices in each country has been nothing short of outstanding. Our Client Success Manager, has done just that … ensured our success. Her availability and willingness to engage on a personal level has made all the difference.”
“Excellent service, especially from our account manager who has gone above and beyond to help us use the platform effectively. Our manager, significantly simplifies my workload. It is like having your own TopSource HR representative on your team.”
“TopSource has been our go-to resource for international hiring. They are responsive, thorough, respectful and knowledgeable. The Client Success team has provided us with the utmost customer service, and the more we use TopSource, the more, it gives us access to more resources and knowledge.”
More than an Employer of Record.
Employer of Record services are only one way that we help you accelerate your global growth goals. From talent advisory to entity management, we give you the tools you need to research, enter and expand into your key markets.
Market Selection Advisory
Compare available talent, compensation, additional costs and regulations across different countries
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Salary Benchmarking
Identify and prioritize markets for growth based on talent, cost & regulations
Read more
Global Skills Analysis
Map skill availability by region to align talent strategies with business goals..
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Talent Acquisition
Find, hire & onboard the highly skilled team members you need in each locality.
Read more
Talent Strategy Optimization
Optimize your talent strategy to enable your organization to achieve it’s global ambitions.
Read more
Frequently asked questions
Not for a foreigner who will work for an overseas company. The Ministry of Manpower states that work passes are for foreigners working for Singapore-based companies, and that an Employer of Record which applies for one so that a foreigner can be based in Singapore while working for an overseas company commits an offence. An EOR can employ Singapore citizens and permanent residents, who need no work pass. For foreign hires, MOM points overseas companies to a representative office or a Singapore company registered with ACRA.
About 17% on top of salary for a citizen or permanent resident aged 55 or below, up to the CPF ceiling. On S$8,000 a month the employer pays S$16,320 of CPF and S$135 of Skills Development Levy, S$16,455 a year on top of S$96,000 of salary. Employer CPF stops rising at S$8,000 a month and never exceeds S$17,340 a year, so the percentage falls on higher pay.
No. Singapore has no PAYE: employers report employment income to IRAS by 1 March and employees pay their own tax after the year ends. The exception is a permanent resident or foreign employee who leaves: the employer must hold back all money due from the moment it knows and file Form IR21 at least one month before the departure.
Whatever the contract says, as long as it is the same for both sides. Where the contract is silent, the Employment Act sets one day under 26 weeks of service, one week up to two years, two weeks up to five years and four weeks after that. There is no statutory severance pay; it depends on the contract or a collective agreement.
Within days for a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, once the role and salary are agreed: we issue the contract, set them up for CPF and add them to payroll. Your own company takes longer, because it needs a resident director, a company secretary, a bank account and your own CPF and IRAS registrations.
An EOR wins on speed and cost of entry for citizens and permanent residents: no resident director, company secretary or registrations of your own. Your own company wins on scale and is the route for foreign hires who need a work pass. Many clients start with an EOR and move the team to their own company once Singapore is proven.
Hire Anywhere with Our EOR Services
We help you legally employ and pay talent across 164 countries—so you can scale faster.
