Family & Spouse Visas in Singapore

Sponsoring a partner, children, or parents

Family accompaniment in Singapore is a function of the sponsor's salary rather than a right attached to the work pass itself. Higher-earning Employment Pass, ONE Pass and S Pass holders may sponsor a spouse and children under a Dependant's Pass, and a wider group of relatives — including parents, common-law partners and stepchildren — under the less generous Long Term Visit Pass. Lower-paid pass holders, and Work Permit holders in particular, generally cannot bring family at all. Dependants derive their status from the sponsor, so if the sponsor's pass ends, theirs ends with it.

Who can be sponsored

• Dependant's Pass — a legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21, including legally adopted children.
• Long Term Visit Pass — a common-law spouse, an unmarried step-child or handicapped child under 21, and parents, with the parent category generally requiring a notably higher sponsor salary.
• Work Permit holders and most lower-paid pass holders may not sponsor family members at all, which is the single largest divide in Singapore's system between one class of foreign worker and another.
• Permanent residents and citizens sponsor family through the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority instead, on separate long-term visit and residence routes.

The salary tie, and why it moves

Eligibility to sponsor is set by a fixed monthly salary threshold that has been raised alongside the qualifying salary for the passes themselves. A worker who could bring a spouse on arrival may find the threshold above their salary at renewal, and the pass renewal and the dependant's renewal are assessed against the rules in force at the time rather than those that applied originally.

Only fixed monthly salary counts. Bonuses, allowances that are not guaranteed, and equity are generally excluded from the calculation.

Whether a dependant can work

A Dependant's Pass holder who wants to work needs permission. Where an employer is willing, a Letter of Consent may be sought in some circumstances, and otherwise the dependant must qualify for an Employment Pass or S Pass in their own right on the ordinary criteria. Long Term Visit Pass holders are treated more restrictively still.

This is a common source of disappointment for accompanying spouses, because the sponsor's approval says nothing about whether the spouse's own profile clears the salary and points bar.

Derived status is fragile

Dependants have no independent standing. If the main pass is cancelled — through redundancy, resignation or a refused renewal — the dependant passes are cancelled too, and the family's permission to remain ends on the same short timetable. Housing leases, school places and the spouse's own employment all sit on that foundation, and families frequently underestimate how quickly it can be removed.

Official sources

• MOM — Dependant's Pass
• MOM — Long Term Visit Pass
• ICA — family and visit passes

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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