The S Pass quota decides how many S Pass holders your company can employ. Get it wrong and your application is rejected before it is even assessed. This guide explains the 2026 quota limits by sector, how the quota is calculated, and exactly how to check your company’s S Pass headroom before you apply.
Quick answer: S Pass holders can make up to 10% of a services company’s total workforce, or up to 15% in construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard, and process sectors. Your quota is calculated from your local employees (citizens and PRs earning the Local Qualifying Salary, now S$1,800), averaged over the last three months. Check your live headroom in Work Permit Online, or estimate it with MOM’s online Quota Calculator, before you apply. Each S Pass hire also costs a S$650 monthly levy.
What is the S Pass quota?
The S Pass quota, part of the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC), caps the share of your workforce that can be S Pass holders. It exists to keep foreign hiring in proportion to your local workforce. The more locals you employ, the more S Pass holders you are allowed.
Miss the quota and MOM will not approve the pass, no matter how well the candidate qualifies. That is why employers should check headroom first. For the candidate-side rules, see our guide on the S Pass criteria.
S Pass quota by sector
The cap depends on your sector.
| Sector | S Pass quota (share of total workforce) |
| Services | Up to 10% |
| Construction | Up to 15% |
| Manufacturing | Up to 15% |
| Marine Shipyard | Up to 15% |
| Process | Up to 15% |
These are the S Pass sub-limits within the broader foreign-worker DRC. Note these are current 2026 figures and can change, so confirm with MOM before planning a hire.
How your S Pass quota is calculated
MOM works out your quota from your local workforce, not your total headcount alone. The key rules:
- Who counts as local: Singapore citizens and PRs employed under a contract of service, including the company’s director.
- They must earn the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS). From 1 July 2026 the LQS is S$1,800 a month. A local earning S$1,800 or more counts as 1; one earning S$900 to below S$1,800 counts as 0.5; below that, they do not count.
- It is a three-month average. MOM uses the average number of qualifying local employees over the last three months, based on your CPF declarations.
- Total workforce for the percentage includes your locals plus your Work Permit and S Pass holders. Employment Pass holders are not counted.
The practical takeaway: your S Pass headroom rises and falls with how many locals you employ at the LQS, so keep local pay and CPF declarations accurate and current.
How to check your S Pass quota
There are three tools, and they serve different purposes. Use them in this order.
1. Estimate with MOM’s online Quota Calculator
For planning, use MOM’s online Quota Calculator. Enter your local workforce and sector to estimate your overall DRC, your S Pass cap, any sub-quotas, and the monthly levy. This is quick and useful for “can we hire one more?” planning, but it is an estimate, not your live position.
2. Check eligibility with the S Pass Self-Assessment Tool
MOM’s S Pass Self-Assessment Tool confirms whether a specific candidate is likely to qualify (salary, qualifications) alongside your quota, before you commit to an application.
3. Confirm live headroom in Work Permit Online
For your actual, current quota, always check Work Permit Online (or EP Online). This shows your real-time S Pass headroom based on your latest declared workforce. Submitting an application without live headroom results in rejection, so this is the check that matters most before you apply.
In short: estimate with the Quota Calculator, then confirm in Work Permit Online.
Quota and levy go together
Even within quota, every S Pass holder attracts a monthly foreign worker levy. Since 1 September 2025 this has been a single flat rate of S$650 a month across all sectors and tiers, paid by the employer and never deducted from the worker’s salary. That works out to S$7,800 a year per S Pass holder on top of salary and insurance, so budget for it alongside the quota.
How to increase your S Pass quota
If you are out of headroom, the lever is your local workforce:
- Hire more locals (citizens or PRs) on a contract of service.
- Ensure they meet the LQS of S$1,800, so each counts as a full unit. Locals paid between S$900 and S$1,800 count only as half.
- Declare wages and CPF promptly, since the quota is a three-month average and late or inaccurate declarations shrink your count.
If quota stays tight, consider whether the role could be filled by an Employment Pass holder instead, as EP holders are not quota-limited. Our comparison of the Employment Pass and S Pass explains when each fits.
Common quota mistakes that cause rejection
- Applying with no live headroom. The most common cause. Always check Work Permit Online first.
- Miscounting locals. Counting staff below the LQS as full units, or including EP holders.
- Stale declarations. Late CPF or wage filings that understate your local count.
- Ignoring the three-month average. A recent local hire does not immediately give full quota.
How First Immigration can help
Quota planning is where many S Pass applications quietly fail. First Immigration helps employers:
- Check and interpret your live S Pass headroom before applying.
- Plan hiring so your local workforce supports the quota you need.
- Weigh S Pass against the Employment Pass for a given role.
- Prepare clean applications that do not stumble on quota or levy issues.
Explore our S Pass service and guide on how to apply for an S Pass. For S Pass holders looking further ahead, we also advise on the route to Singapore PR. Speak to our consultants through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the S Pass quota in Singapore?
It is the cap on how many S Pass holders you can employ as a share of your total workforce: up to 10% in services, and up to 15% in construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard, and process sectors.
How do I check my S Pass quota?
Estimate it with MOM’s online Quota Calculator, then confirm your live headroom in Work Permit Online (or EP Online) before applying. Submitting without headroom leads to rejection.
How is the S Pass quota calculated?
From your local employees (citizens and PRs earning the Local Qualifying Salary), averaged over the last three months. Each local earning S$1,800 or more counts as one; S$900 to below S$1,800 counts as half.
What is the Local Qualifying Salary for the quota?
From 1 July 2026, S$1,800 a month for a full count. Locals earning S$900 to below S$1,800 count as half a unit.
Do Employment Pass holders count toward the S Pass quota?
No. EP holders are not counted in the workforce for quota purposes, and are not themselves quota-limited.
How much is the S Pass levy?
A flat S$650 a month per S Pass holder across all sectors, about S$7,800 a year, paid by the employer.
How can I increase my S Pass quota?
Employ more local staff at the Local Qualifying Salary and declare their wages and CPF promptly, since the quota is based on a three-month average of your local workforce.
Why was my S Pass application rejected on quota?
Usually because there was no live headroom when you applied, locals were miscounted, or declarations were out of date. Check Work Permit Online before every application.
