IPA Letter Explained: IPA Application Check and What Happens After In-Principle Approval

An IPA (In-Principle Approval) letter is the approval the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) issues when it approves a work pass application, such as an Employment Pass, S Pass or Work Permit. You can run an IPA application check online through MOM’s Check Work Pass and Application Status service with only your date of birth and your FIN or passport number. Once approved, the candidate must enter Singapore and have the pass issued before the IPA’s validity runs out.

Key Takeaways MOM describes the IPA letter as a pre-approved single-entry visa that lets the candidate enter Singapore. MOM’s Check Work Pass and Application Status service needs no log-in and covers all work passes and long-term passes issued by MOM. An Employment Pass IPA gives the candidate 6 months to enter Singapore and get the pass issued, while an S Pass IPA gives 60 days. The IPA states whether the candidate needs a medical examination after arriving in Singapore. Errors in a worker’s IPA details must be corrected before the worker travels, or the worker may be refused entry.

Table of Contents

• What Is an IPA Letter?
• How Do You Do an IPA Application Check Online?
• What Does the IPA Letter Contain?
• What Happens After In-Principle Approval?
• How Long Is an IPA Valid for Each Pass Type?
• What If the IPA Is Expiring or the Details Are Wrong?
• Worked Example
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is an IPA Letter?

When MOM approves a work pass application, it issues an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter. MOM is the government ministry that regulates foreign employment in Singapore. The IPA is not the work pass itself. It confirms that the application has been approved, subject to the candidate completing the remaining formalities.

For the Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass, MOM describes the IPA as a pre-approved single-entry visa. The candidate presents it to the immigration officer on arrival. Work Permit holders must also bring a printed IPA letter and show it at immigration.

IPAs are issued across MOM’s pass types, including dependant passes and the Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) for family members of eligible pass holders. If you are still deciding which pass fits a candidate, our guide to the types of work passes in Singapore sets out the main options.

How Do You Do an IPA Application Check Online?

MOM’s Check Work Pass and Application Status service is the main tool for an IPA check online. It replaced the older enquiry functions on EP Online, WP Online and the previous CWP check. No log-in is required, so the candidate can check without the employer’s help.

What Details You Need

1. Your date of birth.
2. Your FIN (Foreign Identification Number, the ID number MOM assigns to pass holders) or your passport number.
3. If you have no FIN yet, use your passport number. Your employer or employment agent can give you the FIN, which is printed on the IPA letter.

If one passport number is linked to more than one FIN, the service will ask you to enter the specific FIN.

What the Results Show

An IPA status check shows the status of work pass applications made within the last 6 months. It also shows whether an existing pass is still valid. Work Permit holders can view their salary information, which requires the Date of Application printed on the IPA.

Checking as an Employer

Employers get more detail by logging in to their own systems. EP and S Pass applications are managed in EP eService. Work Permit applications for companies are managed in the myMOM Portal, where the IPA letter is printed under Work Passes, Quick Menu, View details.

When to Check

MOM processes or updates most online EP and S Pass applications within 10 business days, so check after that. EP applications under the overseas sponsorship route take about 6 weeks for most cases. Most Work Permit applications are processed within 1 week.

If an EP or S Pass application is still pending, check your email for a request for additional documents. These are submitted through Work Passes in EP eService, or through the online form in the email, and any delay continues until they are sent. Our article on how to conduct an EP status check covers the EP-specific screens in more detail.

What Does the IPA Letter Contain?

The exact layout differs by pass type. Based on MOM’s published guidance, an IPA letter typically includes:

• The candidate’s personal and passport particulars, which must match the passport exactly.
• The candidate’s FIN.
• Whether a medical examination is needed after arrival in Singapore.
• The validity period or due date by which the pass must be issued.
• The occupation, basic monthly salary, and fixed monthly allowances and deductions, as MOM has set out in Parliament.

Work Permit IPAs also show the employer’s CPF Submission Number. For new Work Permit workers, MOM assigns the FIN within 3 working days after approval, so the employer may need to regenerate the IPA to see it.

An S Pass IPA comes with a declaration form. The employer’s section must be signed by authorised HR personnel or an employee in at least a managerial role.

MOM requires employers to give the worker a copy of the IPA before the worker leaves for Singapore. For EP and S Pass, the employer prints the IPA from EP eService and sends the pass holder’s copy to the candidate. For EP applications under the overseas sponsorship route, MOM emails the IPA to the contact person named on the application.

What Happens After In-Principle Approval?

The steps below apply to EP and S Pass. Work Permit differences follow in the next subsection.

1. The employer prints the IPA and sends the candidate their copy.
2. The candidate prints the IPA and checks the latest travel requirements before departing.
3. On arrival, the candidate shows the IPA to the immigration officer.
4. The candidate completes a medical examination if the IPA requires one.
5. With the candidate in Singapore, the employer logs in to EP eService, submits the required information and documents, and pays the issuance fee.
6. MOM emails a notification letter to both employer and candidate. This letter states whether fingerprint and photo registration is required.
7. If required, the candidate registers fingerprints and a photo at MOM’s service centre, then receives the card.

MOM advises bringing the candidate into Singapore only after the pass is approved, because the visit pass cannot be extended. For S Pass holders who are certified fit and need Primary Care Plan (PCP) coverage, the employer must buy the PCP and declare it in EP eService before the pass can be issued.

Fingerprint and Photo Registration

EP holders must register within 2 weeks after the pass is issued, at the Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC). S Pass holders must register within 1 week, at MOM Services Centre (Hall C). The candidate brings their original passport, appointment letter, notification letter, and a phone with the Singpass and SGWorkPass apps installed.

What Is Different for a Work Permit?

A Work Permit worker must have a medical examination within 2 weeks of arrival. For non-Malaysian workers, the employer must buy a security bond before the worker arrives, and the bond must take effect on the arrival date. A worker whose bond is not in effect will not be allowed to enter.

Non-Malaysian workers need a Special Pass requested through the Work Permit eService within 14 days of arrival, which automatically extends the IPA. For Malaysian workers, the employer extends the IPA expiry date in WP Online before the due date. Some sectors also require the Settling-in Programme or the Onboard programme before work starts.

Fingerprint and photo registration for Work Permit holders, where required, must be done within 1 week after the pass is issued.

How Long Is an IPA Valid for Each Pass Type?

The table summarises MOM’s current published timelines and fees for the three main work passes.

	Employment Pass	S Pass	Work Permit
Time to enter and get pass issued	6 months from IPA	60 days from IPA	Due date stated on the IPA
Online processing time	Within 10 business days	Within 10 business days	Most within 1 week
Application fee	$105	$105	$35
Issuance fee	$225 per pass	$100 per pass	$35 per permit
Medical examination	After arrival, if stated on IPA	After arrival, if stated on IPA	Within 2 weeks of arrival
Fingerprint and photo registration	Within 2 weeks of issuance, if required	Within 1 week of issuance, if required	Within 1 week of issuance, if required
Where the employer manages it	EP eService	EP eService	myMOM Portal / WP Online

An EP holder who needs a Multiple Journey Visa pays $30 for it on top of the issuance fee. Pass issuance itself is immediate once the documents and fee are submitted. For help with the EP or S Pass process from application to issuance, see our Employment Pass and S Pass application service.

What If the IPA Is Expiring or the Details Are Wrong?

Extending the IPA

If the candidate cannot arrive in time, the employer can request an extension. The channel depends on the pass type.

Pass type	Where to request an IPA extension
EP (excluding sponsorship scheme), S Pass, Training Employment Pass, and Dependant’s Pass or LTVP of EP and S Pass holders	EP eService
EP (sponsorship scheme), Personalised Employment Pass, Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass, EntrePass, Work Holiday Pass, and their dependant passes or LTVPs	MOM’s online form at go.gov.sg/mom-extend-ipa
Work Permit for workers employed by companies	WP Online
Work Permit for helpers or confinement nannies	FDW eService

For requests made through MOM’s online extension form, MOM advises submitting at least 2 weeks before the IPA expires. MOM replies within 2 weeks of receiving the request. Treat the expiry date as fixed and raise any delay early, as MOM does not publish a route for reviving an IPA once it has lapsed.

Correcting Wrong Details

For EP, S Pass, Dependant’s Pass and LTVP, the employer or sponsor must notify MOM of the change through the relevant “notify MOM of changes” process. MOM will then say whether a fresh application is needed.

For Work Permits, errors must be fixed before the worker enters Singapore. The worker may be refused entry if, for example, the name is misspelt. Name, date of birth, marital status and passport details can be updated in WP Online for business employers, or the FDW eService for domestic workers. Other particulars need MOM’s request form. Once MOM confirms the update by email, reprint the IPA and give the worker the new copy.

Family members applying for dependant passes go through a parallel IPA process. Our Dependant’s Pass, LTVP and other visa services cover those applications.

Worked Example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case.

A Singapore company applies for an S Pass for a candidate overseas on 3 March. On 13 March, the candidate runs an IPA application check using her date of birth and passport number, and sees the application is approved. Her employer prints the IPA from EP eService and emails her the pass holder’s copy, which shows her FIN and states that a medical examination is required.

Her S Pass IPA gives her 60 days, so she has until early May to enter Singapore and have the pass issued. She arrives on 1 April, shows the IPA at immigration and completes her medical examination at a Singapore clinic. Her employer then submits the medical form in EP eService and pays the $100 issuance fee.

The notification letter arrives by email the same day and says fingerprint and photo registration is required. She books a slot at MOM Services Centre (Hall C) and registers within 1 week, as required for S Pass holders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Speak to a Work Pass Specialist

If an IPA is close to expiry, shows the wrong details, or an application has been pending longer than expected, Xignam’s consultants handle these cases daily. Book a consultation with our Singapore immigration specialists to get your application back on track.