Employer of record in Singapore
As your Employer of Record (EOR) in Singapore, TopSource legally employs your staff on your behalf, handling employment contracts, payroll, CPF and Employment or S Pass sponsorship, while you direct their day-to-day work. It’s the fastest route to a compliant Singapore hire when you don’t have, or don’t yet want, your own local entity.
Rated 5/5 for EOR in Singapore by Gartner Users
Why hire in Singapore through an EOR
No entity required
CPF handled correctly
Work pass sponsorship
A named contact
How EOR in Singapore Works with TopSource
“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.”
TopSource has become a critical service provider, enabling us to pay and support employees in markets where we don’t have a legal presence. Payroll is strategic-nothing affects an employee more than not getting paid. With TopSource, we can focus on growth, knowing our teams are supported and compliant.
“Historically, the financial controller was dipping into transactional tasks. Now they have been able to step up and do more of the forward-looking, value-adding work, and delivering improvements in the audit process. We have been able to fully utilise senior staff on the skilled element of the job, without having to put extra staff in at the bottom to take up that capacity.”
“TopSource enables organisations to hire globally, quickly and compliantly — without the need to set up local entities. They provide the flexibility to scale while minimising legal and operational complexity. For any business looking to enter new markets or manage employees across multiple countries, they’re a reliable operational support (EOR) partner to have in your corner.”
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. We do blend HR advisory to help guide you with access to in market expertise. We are flexible around the needs of your business.
EOR or entity setup: which one fits your Singapore plan?
Incorporating in Singapore is relatively fast by regional standards, often a matter of days through ACRA. That’s rarely the bottleneck. The slower part is building a track record with the Ministry of Manpower for work pass approvals, and taking on the ongoing burden of CPF and payroll administration yourself.
An EOR makes sense when you’re testing the market, hiring one to a handful of people, or need someone in place before a broader entity strategy is finalised. Setting up your own entity is usually the better long-term choice once your Singapore headcount and investment reach a certain scale.
Consider an EOR if you’re:
1) Hiring your first one to five people in Singapore
2) Sponsoring work passes without an existing MOM track record
3) Still validating product-market fit before committing capital
4) Working to a hiring deadline measured in weeks, not months
The cost of employing someone in Singapore
Employer cost in Singapore is driven mainly by CPF (for local hires) and by the salary floors that come with sponsoring a work pass (for foreign hires).
Employment Cost Calculator
*Indicative figures only and not definitive legal advice. Local regulations change frequently. Consult an expertSingapore
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Employer Costs in Singapore Explained
Here’s a breakdown of the costs by employee type that applies from 1 January 2026
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
Read more
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..
Read more
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
Singapore EOR: Frequently asked questions
Yes. For Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents, we manage CPF (Central Provident Fund) contributions, which are shared between employer and employee up to a monthly wage ceiling. For foreign hires, we manage the appropriate work pass, typically an Employment Pass or S Pass, which is a separate and distinct compliance requirement from CPF and often the more time-sensitive step for international hires.
Since CPF only applies to citizens and PRs, foreign hires generally need alternative retirement or savings support to remain competitive, alongside private medical and dental insurance, which is close to standard in Singapore’s professional job market. An Annual Wage Supplement (a customary though not strictly mandatory 13th month payment) is also widely expected across most sectors.
Under the Employment Act, if a contract doesn’t specify notice, the statutory default ranges from one day to four weeks based on length of service. Singapore is generally considered an employer-friendly jurisdiction for termination compared with much of Europe, though contracts should still clearly define notice periods and termination terms to avoid disputes, particularly for Employment Pass holders where cessation of employment must also be reported to the Ministry of Manpower.
For local hires, onboarding can happen within a few days. For foreign hires needing an Employment Pass or S Pass, timelines depend on Ministry of Manpower processing, typically a few weeks, which is often faster and simpler through an EOR that already holds the necessary employer registrations than setting up a new Singapore entity and applying for pass quotas as a new employer.
While incorporating in Singapore is relatively straightforward compared with many markets, work pass applications for foreign staff are easier to manage through an entity with an established track record with the Ministry of Manpower. An EOR lets you hire both local and foreign talent in Singapore quickly, without the incorporation process and without building a new pass-application history from scratch.
Beyond Singapore: Hire Anywhere with Our EOR Services
We help you legally employ and pay talent across 180+ countries—so you can scale faster.
