Find work in Singapore
Republic of Singapore — 5.9 million people, Singapore Dollar (SGD), English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil. Full employment compliance handled for you, paid every Friday.
Capital
Singapore
Population
5.9 million
GDP / capita
$72,790
Currency
SGD
Singapore Dollar
Time zone
UTC+8 (SGT)
Working in Singapore: what to expect
Key employment law provisions that affect your engagement. Corpshore handles compliance so you don't have to navigate this alone — but knowing your rights matters.
Standard workweek
44h max
44 hours (Employment Act Part IV workers) or contractual
Annual leave
11 public holidays
7 days (first year), increasing by 1 day per year to 14 days
Maternity leave
16 weeks (government-paid maternity leave for eligible employees)
Paternity leave
2 weeks, government-funded
Notice period
1 day to 4 weeks depending on tenure (or contractual terms, whichever is longer)
Severance
No statutory severance requirement. Retrenchment benefit of 2 weeks to 1 month per year is common practice.
Overtime rules
1.5x hourly rate for Part IV employees (salary up to SGD 2,600/month or manual workers up to SGD 4,500/month). Maximum 72 overtime hours/month.
Probation period
3-6 months typical (contractual)
Tax landscape in Singapore
Indicative tax ranges for general orientation. Always consult a qualified tax advisor for your specific situation. Tax year: Calendar year (Jan-Dec).
- Income tax
- 0% to 22% (progressive, with top rate on income above SGD 320,000)
- Corporate tax
- 17% (effective rate often lower due to partial exemptions for SMEs)
- Social contributions
- CPF (Central Provident Fund): up to 20% employee + 17% employer (age-dependent). Only for citizens and PRs.
- VAT / GST
- 9% GST (increased from 8% in January 2024)
Treaty network
Over 90 tax treaties
Your fee is always zero
Corpshore charges the hiring business, never you. You receive 100% of the agreed rate, regardless of tax jurisdiction.
How you get paid in Singapore
FAST (Fast and Secure Transfers) enables instant interbank transfers 24/7. GIRO for recurring payroll. PayNow (linked to NRIC/mobile) for instant payments. Singapore's payment infrastructure is world-class.
Bank transfer (FAST/GIRO)
Stripe Connect
Wise
Settlement
Every Friday
No net-30 waits, no chasing invoices
Platform fee
Zero, forever
The business pays Corpshore, never you
Currency
SGD
Local currency where supported
Regulatory landscape in Singapore
Corpshore manages compliance so you can focus on the work. Here's what shapes the regulatory environment for workers in Singapore.
Worker classification
Employment Act covers most employees. Independent contractor status assessed on control, integration, and economic dependency. Ministry of Manpower guides.
Data protection
Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA, amended 2020). Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) enforces. Mandatory data breach notification. Data portability obligations.
Right to work
Foreign workers need Employment Pass (professionals, min SGD 5,000/month), S Pass (skilled workers), or Work Permit. Fair Consideration Framework requires advertising on MyCareersFuture before hiring EP holders.
Non-compete enforceability
Enforceable if reasonable. Singapore courts apply the restraint of trade doctrine strictly: must protect a legitimate interest, be reasonable in scope and duration.
Collective bargaining
NTUC (National Trades Union Congress) is the dominant union. Singapore's tripartite model (government-employer-union) is collaborative rather than adversarial. Industrial Arbitration Court handles disputes.
Working culture in Singapore
Business culture
Efficient, meritocratic, and rules-based. Multicultural (Chinese, Malay, Indian, expat communities). Punctuality is valued. Communication can be direct or indirect depending on cultural background. Kiasu (fear of losing out) drives competitiveness.
Key industries
Talent pool strengths
Historical context
Singapore's transformation from a colonial trading post to a global financial centre in a single generation is one of modern history's most studied development stories. Lee Kuan Yew's strategy of investing in education, rule of law, and strategic location created a city-state that now hosts the regional headquarters of over 7,000 multinational companies.
At a glance
- Official name
- Republic of Singapore
- Languages
- English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
- Time zones
- UTC+8 (SGT)
- Data region
- Asia-Pacific
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