Setting up in Singapore.
A new Singapore office is approved long before anyone local can run it. We build the HR foundation, and start the search for your first hires straight away so hiring does not wait for your entity to be ready.
What HR do you need when setting up in Singapore?
A foreign company setting up in Singapore needs local employment contracts and policies, payroll with CPF and IRAS, work-pass support for foreign hires, and compliant onboarding, all aligned to MOM rules. While your entity is being registered, we can start the search for your first hires so recruitment is not held up waiting for incorporation to finish.
8:30AM to 5:30PM
The setup sequence
Build the HR foundation
Local employment contracts, policies and handbooks, salary benchmarking and benefits aligned to Singapore practice and MOM rules.
Stand up payroll
Payroll with CPF for local staff and IRAS reporting, set up to run on time from your first pay cycle.
Search locally first
Run the search in the local market first, advertise it properly, and shortlist on merit.
Onboard your first hires
Compliant onboarding and orientation for staff joining under your own entity. If your entity is not yet registered, we run the search and shortlist in parallel so hiring is not the thing that stalls.
Hiring before your entity is ready
Incorporation and bank set-up take time, but a good candidate will not always wait. While your Singapore entity is being registered, we run the search and shortlist for your first hires so recruitment keeps moving, and your payroll, HR policies and employment admin are ready to go the day your entity exists.
Common questions
Can I hire in Singapore before I have a registered company?
You can start the search before your entity exists: we run recruitment and build a shortlist while incorporation is under way, so your first hires can start as soon as your entity is registered. If you already have a Singapore entity but no headcount to employ staff under, our Manpower Outsourcing service can also employ them on our books while you direct their work.
What does a foreign company need to run HR in Singapore?
Local employment contracts and policies, payroll with CPF and IRAS, work-pass support for foreign hires, and compliant onboarding, all aligned to MOM, CPF Board and IRAS rules. We build this foundation and can run it for you ongoing.
Do you help with work passes for our overseas hires?
Yes. We handle Employment Pass and S Pass applications, renewals and cancellations, and run the local search and advertising MOM’s Fair Consideration Framework requires before an application is submitted, so the timeline is planned rather than discovered late.
Sources & references
Figures are drawn from primary government and vendor sources. Always confirm against the live source before acting. Rules change.
- MOM: Fair Consideration FrameworkLocal-first advertising duty, accessed 21 August 2026
- CPF Board: employer obligationsAccessed 18 June 2026
This page summarises official guidance as at the date shown above. Rules and figures change, so verify against the primary source before acting. It is not professional advice: for guidance on your specific situation, talk to Skillsforce.
Tell us where you can't
afford a gap.
Hiring, HR, payroll, manpower outsourcing, or setting up in Singapore: tell us what needs covering and we will come back within one to three working days with a practical next step.
One to three working days.
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Call or email the office directly, whichever is easier.
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