Visa
Family visa in Singapore
Singapore's family routes are the Dependant's Pass, for the spouse and unmarried children under 21 of an Employment Pass or S Pass holder, and the Long-Term Visit Pass, for families of citizens and permanent residents. The sponsoring pass holder's salary test is about S$6,000 a month (to be safe, more than S$6,100).
- Official names
- Dependant's Pass (DP); Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP); Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment (PMLA)
Sources: Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
Who it’s for
- A Dependant's Pass is for a legally married spouse and an unmarried child under 21, including a legally adopted child, of an Employment Pass or S Pass holder sponsored by an established Singapore-registered company. Dependants of ONE Pass and EntrePass holders have separate requirements.
- Family members of an Employment Pass holder who applied as an overseas intra-corporate transferee under WTO GATS or a free trade agreement are not eligible for a Dependant's Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass, unless an applicable agreement specifically covers them.
- Other family of an Employment Pass holder get a Long-Term Visit Pass instead: a common-law spouse, an unmarried handicapped child aged 21 or over, an unmarried step-child under 21, and parents. Your employer submits a separate application for each family member, together with yours or later.
- A Long-Term Visit Pass for families of Singapore citizens and permanent residents covers a spouse, an unmarried child under 21 born in a legal marriage or legally adopted, and parents (not parents-in-law). ICA also weighs family ties, economic contribution, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residency, and says marriage does not guarantee approval.
- A Dependant's Pass holder can work for an employer on an Employment Pass or S Pass, or a Dependant's Pass-Work Permit (no minimum salary, employer pays quota and levy), or run a business on a Letter of Consent. MOM says a holder in Singapore working for an overseas organisation or client needs no work pass, but working for a Singapore-registered entity does.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
Money tests
- The sponsoring Employment Pass holder must earn a fixed monthly salary of about S$6,000, counted on the pass holder's own salary and not household income. To be safe, the sponsor should have a salary of more than S$6,100 a month.
- Parents can only come on a Long-Term Visit Pass when the Employment Pass holder earns about S$12,000 a month; to be safe, a salary of more than S$13,000.
- The ICA pages we opened for spouses of citizens and permanent residents state no minimum sponsor income. The checklist's employment section lists a letter of employment dated within 3 months, pay slips for the last 6 months, 3 years of tax assessments if working overseas, or for the self-employed an ACRA certificate and 3 years of accounts.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
Documents
- For a Dependant's Pass, MOM lists a copy of the passport personal particulars page, a marriage certificate for a spouse, an official birth certificate naming both parents for a child, and adoption papers where they apply. Foreign-born children aged 12 or under applying for a new pass also need the vaccination verification from the Communicable Diseases Agency.
- For a Long-Term Visit Pass, ICA's checklist asks for a recent photo of 400 x 514 pixels on a white background, a passport, and a marriage certificate only for marriages not registered in Singapore. Divorce, separation, adoption, name-change and death certificates apply where relevant, and ICA may ask for more.
- Documents not in English need an English translation: MOM wants the original and translation in one file, and ICA accepts translations from the issuing country's embassy or a notary public, or private translations attested or notarised.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
Timing
- For a Dependant's Pass, the employer or its employment agent of the Employment Pass or S Pass holder applies through EP eService. Most applications are decided within 3 weeks, and 6 weeks for Employment Pass (Sponsorship), ONE Pass and EntrePass dependants.
- An approval for an Employment Pass dependant gives 6 months to bring the person to Singapore and have the pass issued (2 months for S Pass dependants). The person must be in Singapore for issue; a notification letter lasts 1 month, fingerprints and a photo are registered within 2 weeks, and the card arrives within 5 working days.
- For a Long-Term Visit Pass the Singapore sponsor applies through ICA e-Service with Singpass. Most applications take up to 6 weeks; a foreign spouse of a citizen can wait up to 6 months, or about 6 weeks after a free Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment, which gives a Letter of LTVP Eligibility valid for 1 year.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
Fees
- Dependant's Pass: S$105 per application, S$225 per pass at issuance, and S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa where one applies. Renewal costs S$225, plus S$30 where that applies.
- Long-Term Visit Pass: S$45 per application, S$60 at issuance and S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa where one applies, all non-refundable.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
How long it lasts and renewal
- A Dependant's Pass lasts for the main pass's validity or the duration requested, whichever is shorter. You can renew up to 6 months before expiry; the new term starts when the old one ends, and renewals are not guaranteed.
- ICA's Long-Term Visit Pass page does not say how long a pass lasts. A renewal should be submitted at least 3 months before expiry, and a renewed pass runs from its issue date without carrying forward remaining validity.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
Path to permanent residence
- ICA lists as permanent residence applicants the spouse of a citizen or PR, an unmarried child under 21 of a citizen or PR, an aged parent of a citizen aged 21 or over, and Employment Pass or S Pass holders. A Dependant's Pass holder is not listed as such, and ICA's page gives no minimum years of residence.
- The application fee is S$100; on completing formalities, S$20 for the Entry Permit, S$50 for a 5-year Re-Entry Permit and S$50 for the identity card. ICA processes complete applications within 6 months, and men granted permanent residence as students or through a parent are liable for National Service.
Sources: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Checked 17 October 2026.
Tax
- A foreigner is a Singapore tax resident if they stayed or worked in Singapore for at least 183 days in the previous calendar year, or for three consecutive years. Resident rates start at 0% on the first S$20,000 and rise to 24% above S$1 million.
- IRAS taxes income from services rendered in Singapore, including for a foreign employer, even if the pay is not received in Singapore. MOM's work-pass answer for Dependant's Pass holders is about work passes and does not settle tax.
Sources: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Checked 17 October 2026.
Your passport
If you hold a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport
What differs for each passport, from the same sources. A line that says there is no difference means the sources we read name none.
United States passport
- US passports are not on ICA's list of those needing a visa, but a Dependant's Pass holder enters on the in-principle approval. Neither MOM's Dependant's Pass documents page nor ICA's checklist asks for an apostille; the US has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 15 October 1981 and Singapore since 16 September 2021.
- US citizens generally file US federal returns while living abroad, and the IRS list of US income tax treaties does not include Singapore.
Sources: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Checked 17 October 2026.
Canada passport
- Canadian passports are not on ICA's list of those needing a visa, but a Dependant's Pass holder enters on the in-principle approval. Canada and Singapore have an income tax convention signed on 6 March 1976, and Canada has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 11 January 2024.
Sources: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Department of Finance Canada, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). Checked 17 October 2026.
Australia passport
- Australian passports are not on ICA's list of those needing a visa, but a Dependant's Pass holder enters on the in-principle approval. Australia's Treasury lists a Singapore tax agreement with a protocol in force from 22 December 2010.
Sources: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Australian Treasury. Checked 17 October 2026.
New Zealand passport
- New Zealand passports are not on ICA's list of those needing a visa, but a Dependant's Pass holder enters on the in-principle approval. New Zealand's Inland Revenue lists Singapore among its tax agreements in force.
Sources: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Inland Revenue (New Zealand). Checked 17 October 2026.
Other visas
Other visas in Singapore.
The country
More on Singapore.
Questions about Family visa in Singapore.
Who can get a Singapore Dependant's Pass through an Employment Pass holder?
A legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21, including legally adopted children, of an Employment Pass or S Pass holder. Common-law spouses, stepchildren under 21, older disabled children and parents get a Long-Term Visit Pass instead.
What salary must the sponsor earn for Singapore's Dependant's Pass?
MOM's eligibility page asks for a fixed monthly salary of about S$6,000 for the Employment Pass holder, counted on their own salary and not household income. To be safe, have a salary of more than S$6,100 a month. Parents need a higher figure and a Long-Term Visit Pass.
What does a Singapore Dependant's Pass cost in government fees?
The employer pays S$105 per application and S$225 when the pass is issued, plus S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa where one applies. A renewal costs S$225, plus S$30 where that applies.
Can a Singapore Dependant's Pass holder work?
Yes, with another pass: an Employment Pass, S Pass or Dependant's Pass-Work Permit, or a Letter of Consent for your own business. MOM also says holders in Singapore working for an overseas organisation or client need no work pass.
How long does Singapore's Long-Term Visit Pass take for the spouse of a citizen?
ICA says up to 6 months for a foreign spouse of a citizen when documents are complete, or about 6 weeks if the couple completed the free Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment before marriage. Marriage does not guarantee approval.
Can parents join an Employment Pass holder in Singapore?
Only on a Long-Term Visit Pass, and only when the Employment Pass holder earns about S$12,000 a month (to be safe, more than S$13,000). Parents do not qualify for a Dependant's Pass.
Sources
Official sources we used.
Government and official pages only, each with the date we checked it.
- Visa requirements, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore. Checked 15 October 2026.
- Dependant's Pass: apply for a pass, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Dependant's Pass: documents required, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 18 May 2026.
- Document checklist for Long-Term Visit Pass (PDF), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. PDF created 15 August 2025.
- Status table: Apostille Convention, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). Checked 17 October 2026.
- U.S. citizens and residents abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Checked 17 October 2026. Page last reviewed 28 September 2026.
- United States income tax treaties, A to Z, Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Checked 15 October 2026.
- Convention between Canada and the Republic of Singapore, Department of Finance Canada. Checked 17 October 2026. Page dated 16 September 2019; reference copy, no official sanction.
- Income tax treaties, Australian Treasury. Checked 15 October 2026.
- Tax treaties, Inland Revenue (New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026.
- Dependant's Pass: eligibility, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 14 March 2024; sponsor salary S$6,000.
- Becoming a Long-Term Visit Pass Holder, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Employment Pass: passes for family, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 24 March 2024; sponsor salaries S$6,000 and S$12,000.
- Long-Term Visit Pass: spouse of a Singapore citizen, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 6 April 2026.
- Dependant's Pass: working in Singapore, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 25 March 2026.
- Do I need a work pass if I am self-employed or working for an overseas-based employer? (Dependant's Pass holders), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 14 March 2024.
- Long-Term Visit Pass: spouse of a Singapore permanent resident, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 13 March 2026.
- Dependant's Pass: renew a pass, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Dependant's Pass: key facts, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last updated 20 November 2024.
- Becoming a Permanent Resident, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Individual income tax rates and tax residency, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Checked 15 October 2026.
- I am working for a foreign employer, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Checked 15 October 2026.