Going for an Internship, Visa type required: Working Holiday Pass or Training Employment Pass
Working Holiday Pass
The Work Holiday Programme was introduced in 2009 and is the most straightforward of the two passes for which to apply. The pass is aimed at students of foreign universities who wish to gain work experience in Singapore. In order to apply for the Working Holiday Pass you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be aged between 18 and 25
- You must be a student or graduate of a recognized university in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, the UK or the US.
The universities must be ranked among the top 200 for overall academic performanace in any of the following international rankings at least once within the past five years:
- Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Undergraduates must be resident and full-time students of the university for at least three months prior to the submission of the WHP application. Graduatesare required to be former resident and full-time students of the university.
Validity: Six months, none renewable.
Number of entries: You can leave and re-enter Singapore as many times as you like during the validity period of your visa.
Required documents/specific conditions:
Applications can be made via email using the application form. The following documentation is required:
- A letter from a pre-approved university or college. The letter should include the applicants name, nationality, gender and date of birth.
- Graduates should supply a copy of a degree certificate or transcripts.
- A photocopy of the particulars page of a passport.
You should apply in your home country before attempting to enter Singapore.
Once accepted, students will be sent an In-principle Approval Letter (IPA). They must collect their working holiday pass within three months from the date of the IPA from the following address:
Work Pass Division
At: Ministry of Manpower, 18 Havelock Road
Singapore 059764
Tel: 6438 5122
The following documents must be presented when picking up the pass:
- The original IPA
- A valid passport with at least two blank pages
- A completed declaration form
- A work holiday Employment Survey form
- A return travel ticket which has a departure date prior to the expiration date of the Work Holiday Pass
Additional specific conditions:
Applicants are required to sign a declaration that confirms their financial stability and that they have sufficient funds to support themselves throughout the working holiday. Applicants must also be in good health and in possession of medical insurance that covers their entire stay.
Applicants will also require a visitors pass or visa to enter Singapore, see the section on Reconnaissance for more details. They do not need to already have a job in order to qualify for the working holiday pass.
Right for dependents: n/a
Fees:
- Work Holiday Pass – $150 per issue
- Multiple Journey Visa (if applicable) – $30 per issue
The Training Employment Pass
The Training Employment Pass is aimed at people who will be training in Singapore. In order to apply for a Training Visit Pass you must meet the following criteria:
- You must hold a recognized degree or qualification. See acceptable qualifications.
- OR must be able to secure a minimum stipend of at least $3,000 SGD.
- The training must be managerial, professional or of a specialist nature.
Validity: The pass will be valid for the duration of the training, as confirmed by the letter of sponsorship from the training company.
Number of entries: Single entry and multiple entry passes are available and will be issued according to the requirements of the training.
Required documents/specific conditions:
Applications can be made online using the EP Online system, or can be made manually by submitting documents to the Employment Pass Department Ministry of Manpower, 18 Havelock Road, Singapore 059764 for verification:
- A letter of sponsorship from the training company
- Confirmation of your qualifications and degrees together with any relevant transcripts
- Full details of your training programme
- A passport sized photograph that was taken within the last three months.
- A completed application form.
It is also advised that a cover letter is enclosed which contains the following information:
- Details of the work attachment together with information about the company
- An indication of the duration of the work attachment.
For Training Visit Passes lasting three months or more, a one-time issuing fee of S$40 will be charged per application, payable by the employer to the Employment Pass Department. For Training Visit Passes shorter than three months, there are no charges.
The processing time for online applications is estimated at 7 days and the processing time for manual applications is estimated at 5 weeks.
Right for dependents: None
Fees:
- Training Employment Pass – $150 per issue
- Multiple Journey Visa (if applicable) – $30 per issue
