Evidence of funding and operating costs
Budget the salary alongside real costs and the timing of receipts. Distinguish paid-up capital from cash available now. Bank statements, funding records and liabilities can help explain salary affordability when requested. MOM does not publish one capital target suitable for all founder applications.
A suitable place of work.
Explain where the business operates and what the role requires. A statutory registered address and an operational workplace serve different purposes. Do not assume every company needs a leased office or that a shared address automatically causes rejection. Describe where staff work and why those premises suit the company’s activities.
Business activity you can document.
- Signed contracts and relevant values.
- Customer or supplier records.
- Invoices, receipts and work delivered.
- Licences or sector-specific permissions where required.
A plan can explain future activity; it should be clearly distinguished from business already completed.
Employment and local hiring records.
Keep employment terms, salary payments, payroll and CPF evidence where applicable. COMPASS includes employer-level criteria, while fair hiring remains relevant. A specific local hire is not a universal shortcut to approval, and CRS registration does not resolve every construction manpower rule.
Clear company information.
A website can describe the company’s services, team and contact details. MOM may still need contracts, bank statements and operating records to assess the application.
Financial records and the proposed employment role
Reconcile accounts, retain source documents and keep business and personal transactions separate. Explain how the candidate’s experience relates to the job duties and proposed salary. Answer the questions in MOM’s request with the relevant documents, including proof that the declared salary will be paid where requested.
Organise evidence around the questions being asked
A useful business explanation connects the company, the customer work and the proposed employee. Start with what the company sells, who buys it, what has already happened and what the candidate will do next. Then identify records supporting each statement. A large folder of unrelated documents makes the application harder to follow; a short explanation with clearly referenced evidence is more useful.
| Question | Possible supporting records |
|---|---|
| What work is contracted? | Signed agreements, scope, contract value, delivery dates and payment milestones. |
| What work has been done? | Invoices, deliverables, customer correspondence and matching receipts where available. |
| How is the business funded? | Current company bank records, documented share funding or loans and a cash-flow budget. |
| Why is this role needed? | Actual duties, reporting arrangements, workload and relevant candidate experience. |
| How will salary be paid? | Employment terms and available funds; payment records where the employment already exists. |
This is a preparation framework, not a universal MOM document list. Answer the actual request and identify documents the company does not yet have.
Explain contract value and cash available separately
Illustrative example: a consultancy signs a SGD 120,000 contract paid in four instalments. The entire contract value is not cash in the bank on the signing date. Its salary budget must account for when each instalment is due, when delivery costs arise and what happens if the customer pays late. Likewise, a historic capital amount does not establish the current bank balance.
If the founder has provided funding, record the basis—such as share funding or a documented shareholder loan—and the actual transfer. If money is still held personally, describe its status honestly. Do not label a possible investment as money the company already has. Our capital guide explains the distinction.
A new company can explain what is genuinely ready
A new company may not have completed projects, a full trading history or all its planned staff. Describe the stage reached: incorporation completed, customer negotiation underway, contract signed, licence pending or operations dependent on a work-pass decision. Explain dependencies without treating forecasts as completed business.
In our holding-company case, MOM requested business and salary evidence for a newly established company. The response explained the setup and supporting circumstances. The case’s recorded sequence is useful for understanding a document request, but it does not establish a standard exemption from evidence for every newly registered company.
Check consistency before sending a response
- The activity described should match the contracts and website.
- Contract parties, invoicing entity and receiving bank account should be explainable.
- The salary in the application should match the employment terms.
- Candidate experience should relate to the stated duties.
- Separate business receipts from shareholder funding and personal transfers.
- Keep the request, response and document version together.
If something changed after filing, explain when and why. Correct an inaccurate statement through the appropriate channel instead of adding documents that repeat it. For confidential material, agree a suitable document-sharing method after the initial enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
Must a new company already have completed contracts?
Describe its actual stage and respond to the evidence requested. Do not turn negotiations or forecasts into completed work.
Is a website enough to prove operations?
No. It explains the business publicly; contracts, transactions and other records serve different purposes.
Can personal savings be shown as company cash?
Only money actually available to the company should be described as company cash. Explain personal funds and intended funding separately.
Should every possible document be sent at once?
Organise the relevant evidence around the actual request, and identify missing or inapplicable items honestly.
Does a leased office guarantee a pass?
No. MOM considers the company, role, candidate and supporting documents; renting an office does not guarantee approval.
What should I do with a MOM document request?
Address the specific questions using accurate, consistent evidence and the stated deadline.
Official sources
Related guides
Enquire about an Employment Pass
Tell us whether you are applying, renewing or appealing, along with the candidate’s age, role and proposed salary.