Singapore’s Work Holiday Pass for Australians

Would you like to experience living in Singapore? If you’re an Australian aged between 18 and 30 years old and you’ve completed at least two years of university education, you can apply for a Work Holiday Pass through Singapore’s Work and Holiday Visa Programme! This allows you to live in Singapore for up to a year.

During a working holiday in Singapore, you’ll be allowed to work for up to six months per employer and study for up to four months. You’re also free to leave and re-enter Singapore as often as you like.

This page contains information about Singapore’s Work and Holiday Visa Programme for Australian citizens. It was last updated on 13 March 2024.

Key facts about Singapore

Population: Approx. 6 million
Official languages: English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil
Capital city: Singapore
Currency: Singapore dollar (SGD)

Singapore Work and Holiday Visa requirements for Australians

To apply for a Singaporean Work Holiday Pass as an Australian citizen under the Work and Holiday Visa Programme, you must meet the following requirements:

Aged between 18-30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application
Have a university degree or have successfully completed at least two years of full-time undergraduate university study
Have enough money to support yourself in Singapore

You cannot apply for this visa if you:

Will be accompanied by dependent children
Have already participated in the Work and Holiday Visa Programme in Singapore

Singapore has a limit of 500 Work and Holiday Visa Programme applicants per year.

See the Singapore MOM website for more information.

Documents needed to apply for this visa

When applying for a Singaporean Work Holiday Pass as an Australian citizen, you will need to provide the following documents:

Copy of passport photo page
Copy of your university degree certificate or academic transcripts (if you’ve already graduated)
Recent letter from your university and copy of your student card (if you’re still studying)

There is a SGD175 (approx. AUD200) fee for the Work Holiday Pass, plus a SGD30 (approx. AUD34) fee for a Multiple Journey Visa (if applicable). This payment is made when you collect your pass in Singapore.

See the Singapore MOM website for detailed information.

How to apply for a Singapore Working Holiday Pass

You can apply for a Work and Holiday Visa up to 3 months before your intended arrival date in Singapore. The initial application is very straightforward, and most of the steps will be completed after you’ve arrived in Singapore.

The first step is to submit your application online, which takes around 15 minutes. It will then take around 4 weeks to process your application, and if approved, you’ll receive an in-principle approval (IPA) letter by email.

Once you receive your IPA letter, you’ll have 3 months to enter Singapore and get your Work Holiday Pass issued. After arriving in Singapore, make an appointment to receive your pass at the Employment Pass Services Centre.

You’ll receive a notification letter (valid for 1 month) while you are waiting for your Work Holiday Pass card. This allows you to start working and to travel in and out of Singapore.

If you need to register your fingerprints and have your photo taken, you’ll later need to make an appointment to do this. Otherwise, you’ll receive your Work Holiday Pass card within 5 business days.

For more information and detailed instructions, please visit the Singapore Ministry of Manpower website.

While best efforts are made to keep this information updated, we do not guarantee its accuracy. If you spot an error, would like to suggest new information to be added or simply have a question, please let us know in the comments and we’ll endeavour to respond or update the article as quickly as possible!