Singapore Work Holiday Pass Documents Checklist 2026

Updated 30 September 2026 · The supporting-documents checklist for a Singapore Work Holiday Pass under the Ministry of Manpower Work Holiday Programme — a stay-and-work route of up to 6 months for students and young graduates of ten named countries and regions. It covers who is eligible, exactly which documents the online portal asks for, the $175 fee and the $30 Multiple Journey Visa, and how long the application takes. Everything here comes from the MOM pages cited at the end. Related reading: the full visa checklists hub, the Singapore passport photo rules, the Singapore Student's Pass documents and the Singapore Training Work Permit.

Singapore Work Holiday Pass documents — the short answer

The Work Holiday Pass is not a general work visa and it is not open to everyone who wants to spend six months in Singapore. It is a small, tightly defined programme run by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for students and young graduates of universities in ten named countries and regions, and it is capped at 2,000 pass holders at any one time. The document set itself is short — a passport page plus proof of your university status — because the hard part of this application is eligibility, not paperwork. If you are aged 18 to 25 and you are an undergraduate or graduate of a recognised university in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States, the checklist below is all you need to prepare. If you are older than 25, or your university is outside those ten, no amount of supporting paper will make the application work, and a different pass is the right route.

Who is eligible for the Work Holiday Programme

MOM sets out the eligibility rules in a short list, and every item is mandatory. You can apply for a Work Holiday Pass under the Work Holiday Programme if you meet all of these requirements:

• Age — you are aged 18 to 25 at the time of application. The clock stops at the age you are on the day you apply, not the day you travel.
• University location — you are an undergraduate or graduate of a university in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States.
• Recognition — your university is recognised by the government of the respective country or region. A private institution in one of those countries that is not on the recognised list does not qualify.
• Undergraduates — you have been a resident and a full-time student of the university for at least 3 months before applying for the pass.
• Graduates — you were a resident and a full-time student of the university.

Two limits sit behind those rules and are worth understanding before you build your plans around this pass. The programme has a capacity of 2,000 pass holders at any one time, so capacity rather than eligibility can decide the timing. And a Work Holiday Pass allows you to stay and work in Singapore for up to 6 months — it is a short stay-and-work experience, not a route to long-term employment. If you intend to work in professions such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture or law, the pass does not exempt you from professional registration: you will need to comply with the registration requirements to practise in Singapore.

Documents you need to apply

The application is submitted through the MOM online portal, and what you attach depends on whether you have already graduated or are still studying. There are two document paths, and you only follow one of them.

Read the undergraduate list carefully, because two of its items are easy to get wrong. The university letter must not be dated more than 3 months before the date of application — an older letter is not accepted, even if nothing on it has changed. And the letter must state four specific things: your matriculation, your name, your nationality or citizenship, and your date of birth. A generic enrolment confirmation that omits any of those four does not do the job. International students also add a copy of their student visa, which is separate from the passport page and the student card.

Graduates have the shorter path: the passport personal particulars page and a copy of the degree certificate or transcripts. There is no university letter and no student card in the graduate path.

Format and translation rules

MOM applies three formatting rules to every document you upload, and files that break them can hold the application up.

• Format — documents must be in PDF or JPEG format.
• File size — each document's file size should not be more than 2MB. Compress scans before uploading rather than sending phone photos at full resolution.
• Translation — if the documents from your university are not in English, submit a copy of the original document plus an official English translation certified by the university. This is the specific wording on the MOM page, and it is the certification that is asked for.

MOM will email you if additional information or documents are required. If that happens, your processing time may take longer than the four weeks it normally takes for most cases.

The $175 fee and the $30 Multiple Journey Visa

The fee is set out on the MOM page and is charged when you get the pass issued rather than when you submit the application. You pay $175 for each pass, and, if applicable, $30 for each Multiple Journey Visa. These are the only two figures MOM publishes for this route, so treat any other number you see quoted as something to verify against the official page rather than accept at face value.

There are two ways to pay, and the accepted methods differ between them. If you get the pass issued yourself through the MOM eService with a Singpass account, or if an employment agent does it for you there, you pay by GIRO, Visa, Mastercard or Amex. If you get the pass issued over the counter at the Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC) because you do not have a Singpass account, you pay by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, NETS or CashCard. If your credit or debit card was not issued in Singapore, make sure it has been activated for overseas use before you reach the payment screen — that is a common way for a card to be declined at the wrong moment.

The Multiple Journey Visa is the entry-visa element for applicants who need one, which is why it is charged separately and only if it applies to you. It is issued by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, and MOM links to the ICA visitor entry visa information for it.

Validity, processing time and reapplication

Four timing rules govern this pass, and they interact with each other, so it helps to plan the whole sequence before you apply.

• Processing time — within 4 weeks for most cases. MOM notes that some cases will take more time, and if it asks you for additional information or documents the processing time may run longer than 4 weeks.
• Pass validity — the Work Holiday Pass is valid for 6 months, which matches the length of stay and work that the programme allows.
• Issuance deadline — you must get the pass issued within 3 months of the date of the in-principle approval (IPA) letter. You must be in Singapore to get the pass issued. If you cannot issue it before the IPA expires, you may submit a request to MOM for an extension, and that request should be made at least two weeks before the expiry of the IPA.
• Applying early — if you plan to submit your application early, make sure it is not more than 3 months from your intended travel date.
• Reapplying — if you have held a Work Holiday Pass before, you can only reapply for another one after 12 months from the day you last held the pass.

The sequence after approval is worth knowing, because the pass is not finished when the IPA arrives. You receive an in-principle approval letter by email if the application is approved. You then get the pass issued in Singapore, either yourself through the MOM eService if you have a Singpass account or through an employment agent, or over the counter at EPSC if you do not. Once the pass is issued, both the candidate and the employment agent receive a notification letter by email. The notification letter allows you to start work and travel in and out of Singapore while waiting for the pass card, states whether you need to have your fingerprints and photo taken for card registration, and is valid for 1 month from the date of issue — MOM allows you to request an extension of the notification letter's validity if you need more time to complete the card registration procedures.

Where card registration applies, the notification letter tells you so. You then make an appointment to visit EPSC and register within 2 weeks after the pass is issued. The pass card itself is delivered within 5 working days after registration or document verification, and authorised recipients get an SMS or email with the delivery details at least 1 working day before delivery.

Information you will need to get the pass issued

Submitting the application is only the first half. When you get the pass issued you will need the following information ready, so gather it before you start rather than hunting for it mid-transaction.

• Your passport details.
• Your Singapore contact details.
• Your current Short-Term Visit Pass or immigration pass details.
• Your Singapore residential address, which must meet MOM's housing requirements for the pass to be issued.
• A Singapore residential or office address to receive your card.
• The details of up to 3 authorised recipients to receive the card, including their mobile number and NRIC number, FIN or passport number.
• Your passport page showing the date of arrival in Singapore.
• A completed declaration form, which is attached to your in-principle approval letter.
• A return travel ticket confirming that you will leave Singapore by the end of the 6-month pass validity.

If card registration is required, the EPSC appointment asks you to bring your original passport, the appointment letter, the notification letter, and your mobile phone with a local mobile number with both the Singpass and SGWorkPass apps downloaded. At registration MOM captures your fingerprints, takes your photo and registers you for a Singpass account, which is what lets you view your digital work pass in the SGWorkPass app. Setting up the digital work pass is worth doing promptly whether or not you register in person, because the digital pass gives you access to your status and expiry date without waiting for the physical card.

One more practical note on collection: when the card is delivered, the candidate shows a passport or the digital work pass, while an authorised person shows their NRIC, FIN or passport. If delivery fails twice, you collect the card at EPSC 3 working days after the second attempted delivery, and no appointment is needed for that collection; an authorised person collecting on your behalf brings an authorisation letter from you, their own NRIC or passport for verification, your original passport, and the notification letter.

Common mistakes with the Work Holiday Pass

• Applying above the age limit. The requirement is 18 to 25 at the time of application. Check the age you will be on the application date, not on the travel date.
• Assuming any university in the ten countries counts. Your university must be recognised by the government of the respective country or region.
• Sending a stale university letter. For undergraduates the letter must not be dated more than 3 months before the date of application.
• Leaving items off the university letter. It must state your matriculation, name, nationality or citizenship and date of birth.
• Forgetting the student visa copy. International students at the university must also provide a copy of their student visa.
• Uploading the wrong file type or size. Documents must be PDF or JPEG and each should not be more than 2MB.
• Assuming a translation is enough without certification. Non-English university documents need the original plus an official English translation certified by the university.
• Booking travel before applying. Early applications must be not more than 3 months from the intended travel date, and the pass has an age and capacity limit that a flight booking does not solve.
• Missing the issuance window. You must get the pass issued within 3 months of the IPA letter, and you must be in Singapore to do it.
• Expecting a long stay. The pass is valid for 6 months and is a stay-and-work experience, not a route to permanent employment.

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for a Singapore Work Holiday Pass?
You can apply under the Work Holiday Programme if you are aged 18 to 25 at the time of application and are an undergraduate or graduate of a university in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States, where the university is recognised by the government of the respective country or region. Undergraduates must have been a resident and a full-time student of the university for at least 3 months before applying, and graduates must have been a resident and a full-time student of the university.

What documents do I need to apply?
If you are a graduate, a copy of the personal particulars page of your passport and a copy of your degree certificate or transcripts. If you are an undergraduate, a copy of the personal particulars page of your passport; a letter from the university stating your matriculation, name, nationality/citizenship and date of birth, not dated more than 3 months before the date of application; a copy of your university student card; and, for international students at the university, a copy of your student visa.

How much does the Work Holiday Pass cost?
$175 for each pass, plus $30 for each Multiple Journey Visa if applicable. The fee is paid when you get the pass issued. With a Singpass account or through an employment agent in the MOM eService you pay by GIRO, Visa, Mastercard or Amex; over the counter at EPSC you pay by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, NETS or CashCard.

How long does the application take?
Within 4 weeks for most cases, although MOM notes that some cases will take more time. If MOM emails you for additional information or documents, the processing time may run longer than 4 weeks.

How long is the pass valid and when must it be issued?
The Work Holiday Pass is valid for 6 months. You must get the pass issued within 3 months of the date of the in-principle approval letter, and you must be in Singapore to get it issued. If you cannot issue it before the IPA expires, you can submit a request for an extension, and that request should be made at least two weeks before the expiry of the IPA.

How early can I submit my application?
If you are planning to submit your application early, make sure it is not more than 3 months from your intended travel date.

Can I apply again if I have held a Work Holiday Pass before?
Yes, but only after 12 months from the day you last held the pass.

How many people can hold the pass?
The Work Holiday Programme has a capacity of 2,000 pass holders at any one time.

What file format and size should the documents be?
Documents must be in PDF or JPEG format, and each document's file size should not be more than 2MB. If the documents from your university are not in English, submit a copy of the original document and an official English translation certified by the university.

Can I work in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture or law on this pass?
If you will be working in professions such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture or law, you will need to comply with registration requirements to practise in Singapore. The pass does not replace those professional registration requirements.

What do I need to get the pass issued in Singapore?
Your passport details, Singapore contact details, your current Short-Term Visit Pass or immigration pass details, your Singapore residential address (which must meet MOM's housing requirements), a Singapore residential or office address to receive the card, the details of up to 3 authorised recipients, your passport page showing the date of arrival in Singapore, a completed declaration form attached to your in-principle approval letter, and a return travel ticket confirming you will leave Singapore by the end of the 6-month pass validity.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Singapore — “Eligibility for Work Holiday Programme” and “Apply for a Work Holiday Pass” pages, retrieved 2026-09-30. Requirements and fees change, so confirm the current position on the official MOM page before you apply.