How to renew an S Pass or Work Permit, step by step

You can start renewing an S Pass up to 6 months before it expires, and a Work Permit 7 to 12 weeks before it expires. Both must be renewed before the expiry date. The hard part is rarely the form; it's noticing the date in time. One connected HR system keeps every pass date on the person's record and sends the reminders itself, so nobody has to remember. Cova's HR system works that way, and our team builds and sets it up for yours.

This guide shows the manual way first, step by step on MOM's portals, then how to stop missing the window.

Renewal windows at a glance

Source: MOM, Renew an S Pass and Renew a Work Permit.

Renewing early doesn't cost you days. MOM says the renewed S Pass starts when the current pass expires.

How to renew an S Pass

1. Check the requirements. The pass holder must still meet the eligibility requirements, their passport must be valid for at least 7 months, and you need enough S Pass quota for your sector.
2. Buy and declare the Primary Care Plan (PCP), if needed. Workers in the CMP sectors, or living in dormitories for 7 or more workers, need the PCP bought and declared on EP eService before the pass can be renewed.
3. Update your company's turnover. Make sure the turnover for the past 3 years is up to date before you submit.
4. Apply on EP eService. MOM processes it or gives an update within 10 business days.
5. Print the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter. It's valid for 60 days. Follow its instructions to get the pass issued, and pay the $100 fee.
6. Finish before the current pass expires. If you miss the deadline, you must apply for a new pass.

The renewed pass can last up to 3 years, but only up to 1 month before the passport expires.

How to renew a Work Permit

1. Extend the security bond and medical insurance first. For non-Malaysian workers, get a new security bond; the bank or insurer must send MOM the details before you renew. Extend the medical insurance or buy a new policy.
2. Buy and declare the PCP, if needed. Same rule as the S Pass, declared on WP Online.
3. Register the worker's address and mobile number on OFWAS (Online Foreign Workers Address Service) at least an hour before you renew.
4. Log in to WP Online. Print the renewal notice and application form, upload the passport's particulars page and any other documents it asks for, and check whether a full medical exam is needed.
5. Pay $35 per renewal. The outcome is immediate.
6. Print the notification letter and give it to the worker. It's valid for 1 month and lets them travel while they wait for the card.

If the worker is travelling just before the permit expires, MOM says to renew before they leave Singapore.

Passport, bond and quota checks to do first

Most late renewals start with a check nobody did in time:

• Passport too short. An S Pass passport must be valid for at least 7 months. A Work Permit lasts only until 1 month before the passport expires, so get the passport renewed first if it has less than 25 months left.
• Security bond too short. If the bond is valid for less than 26 months, the Work Permit ends 2 months before the bond expires.
• Quota. Both renewals need enough quota for your sector. Check it before you start.
• The Work Permit cut-off. The window closes 7 weeks before expiry, so the passport and bond need to be sorted well before then.

What happens if you miss the window

• S Pass: if you miss the deadline, you must apply for a new pass. If the new pass is issued after the current one expires, levy penalties or an overstaying fine, or both, may apply, and you still pay levy for that period.
• Work Permit: renew late and an overstaying fine applies. You're still liable for the levy after expiry. If you can't renew on time, you can request an extension.

The manual way: tracking renewals in a spreadsheet

Most small teams keep pass expiry dates in a staff spreadsheet. Someone filters by month, works out each window by hand (6 months for S Pass, 7 to 12 weeks for Work Permit), and adds calendar reminders. It works until that person is on leave, a pass is renewed and the sheet isn't updated, or a new hire's dates never get typed in.

Here's how that looks in a few illustrative cases:

• A restaurant with two S Pass cooks whose passes expire in the same month.
• A logistics firm with a dozen Work Permit drivers on staggered dates.
• A contractor whose site crew all joined in one batch, so their permits expire together.

Set reminders up front

In Cova, each person's work pass, passport and document expiry dates sit on their record, and reminder emails go out on a set schedule. No one has to open a file to check.

Cova emails HR and the person's direct manager 90, 60 and 30 days before a work pass expires, on the expiry date, and 7 days after if it hasn't been renewed. Here's how that lines up with each window:

• Work Permit: For Work Permit holders, the 90- and 60-day emails cover MOM's 7 to 12 week renewal window. The 90-day email (about 13 weeks out) arrives just before the window opens, and the 60-day email (about 8.5 weeks out) arrives inside it.
• S Pass: The 90-day email (about 3 months out) arrives well inside MOM's 6-month S Pass renewal window, so treat it as a reminder to start now.

On a person's profile, Renew replaces the old pass and stops its reminders. The Work passes & expiry page shows what's expired or expiring within 30, 60 or 90 days. A manager sees only their direct reports' work passes. HR can switch each reminder on or off.

Some teams want reminders on other days, or sent to other people. Yes, we build and set this up for your team. Our expiry reminders guide walks through the setup, and why teams move HR off spreadsheets covers the wider picture. See everything else on the Cova HRMS page.

What's available for your team depends on the modules you choose.

Onboarding checklists by pass typeWhat to collect from new joiners on an EP, S Pass or Work Permit, from passports to work pass details.cova.sg/resources/sg-onboarding-by-pass-type

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Ministry of Manpower, Renew an S Pass, accessed 28 October 2026.
• Ministry of Manpower, Renew a Work Permit, accessed 28 October 2026.