The 60-second answer: Per MOM's FAQ, "Providing medical insurance is not a requirement for employing Employment Pass (EP) holders." The mandatory S$60,000 medical insurance regime applies only to Work Permit and S Pass holders, not EP holders. However, market practice across Singapore is to provide group medical, life, and sometimes dental cover as part of the EP holder's remuneration package.

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The Sourced Detail

The Employment Pass is for foreign professionals, managers, and executives. Per MOM's Employment Pass page and the Singapore EDB announcement, from 1 January 2025 the minimum qualifying salary is S$5,600/month for general sectors and S$6,200/month for financial services, with progressive increases by age. The minimum salary for candidates in their mid-40s reaches up to S$10,700 (general) and S$11,800 (financial services). New EP applications since 1 September 2023 are also assessed under the COMPASS points-based framework, extended to renewals from 1 September 2024.

What's mandatory for EP holders

Per MOM:

  1. Salary thresholds and COMPASS criteria — must be met before MOM issues the pass.
  2. No CPF contributions. EP holders are not Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents and CPF does not apply. (CPF contributions are mandatory only for SCs and PRs.)
  3. No mandatory medical insurance under FWMI. Per the MOM EP medical insurance FAQ: "Providing medical insurance is not a requirement for employing Employment Pass (EP) holders. Most EP holders may already have their own medical insurance, or may want to choose their own coverage."

What's market practice (not statutory)

The Singapore labour market is competitive for the talent eligible for EPs. Most employers provide:

  • Group Hospital & Surgical (GHS) insurance — covers inpatient treatment.
  • Group Outpatient (GP/Specialist) — covers clinic visits.
  • Group Term Life / Group Personal Accident — typically a multiple of monthly salary set by the employer.
  • Group Dental (less universal).
  • Maternity (often required by senior hires).
  • Coverage for spouse and dependants (common at senior levels and for finance/tech roles).

These products are not mandated by MOM. They are commercial decisions driven by market competition for talent and by the employee's expectations.

Two areas of confusion worth flagging

Confusion #1: "EP holders are foreign workers, so the S$60,000 rule applies." No. The S$60,000 mandatory medical insurance applies to Work Permit holders (including Migrant Domestic Workers) and S Pass holders only — per the MOM S Pass medical insurance page. EP holders are explicitly excluded.

Confusion #2: "Group medical for EP holders is just a perk." Legally, yes — it is voluntary. Practically, an EP holder paying S$5,600+/month doesn't expect to be sent to a public polyclinic for an upper respiratory infection. Group medical is part of the package, and underwriters offer cleanly priced group plans for SMEs from as few as 3–5 lives.

A note on Work Injury Compensation

Even though EP holders typically earn above the S$2,600 WICA threshold for non-manual employees, WICA still applies to all employees doing manual work, regardless of salary, per MOM's WICA page. For an EP holder who is, say, a project engineer on site, WICA may apply. For a back-office finance director earning S$15,000/month, WICA will not apply (above the salary threshold and not manual work). Confirm the employee's actual duties before deciding.

What This Means for Your Business

If you're hiring EP holders, your statutory obligations are cleaner than for Work Permit holders: no FWMI, no levy, no foreign worker quota. But your competitive obligations are sharper — the talent you're hiring expects benefits comparable to local PMET packages or better.

The trap to avoid: assuming "no requirement" means "no provision." If your EP hire falls ill and incurs a S$25,000 hospital bill that's not covered because you didn't buy a group medical plan, the employee will pay (and resent), then leave. Or worse — they'll try to claim under your Work Injury Compensation policy for non-work illnesses, which it doesn't cover, leading to a dispute.

The structure of a sensible benefits package for EP holders typically includes inpatient and outpatient cover, life and PA, and a clear handbook describing what's in scope. Whether that's a 3-life micro group plan or a 200-life enterprise plan depends on your headcount and your renewal economics.

Questions to Ask Your Adviser

  1. Given my company's headcount and EP/local mix, am I better with a true group plan or with individual policies pooled by my broker?
  2. What inpatient annual limit is "market" for EP holders at my salary range?
  3. Do I need to extend cover to spouse/children, and at what age cap for children?
  4. How does the group plan interact with the EP holder's MediShield Life (if they're a PR) or with their home-country private cover (if they retain it)?
  5. If I'm a SME with fewer than 5 lives, what micro-group structures exist?

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Related Information

  • MOM S Pass medical insurance — the S$60,000 rule
  • WICA: when does it apply to EP holders?
  • Group medical for SMEs: structuring the package

Published 3 May 2026. Source verified 3 May 2026. COVA is an introducer under MAS Notice FAA-N02. We do not recommend insurance products. We provide factual information sourced from primary regulators and route you to a licensed IFA who can match a policy to your specific situation.