Security Bond

A security bond is a binding pledge to pay the Singapore government if an employer or their Work Permit holder breaches Work Permit conditions or the bond’s own conditions. It takes the form of a banker’s or insurer’s guarantee, with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) named as beneficiary.

Employers must buy a $5,000 security bond for each non-Malaysian Work Permit holder (Malaysian workers are exempt). The employer bears the full cost — it cannot be recovered from the worker.

When to buy it

The bond must be purchased and in effect before the worker arrives in Singapore. If it isn’t active on arrival, immigration will not allow the worker to enter, and MOM cannot backdate the bond to fix this — the worker would have to be sent home immediately.

Discharge

The bond is discharged, usually about a week after the worker leaves Singapore, once all of these are met: the Work Permit has been cancelled, the worker has returned home, and no bond conditions were breached.

Forfeiture

The bond can be forfeited if the employer or worker breaches Work Permit or bond conditions, the employer doesn’t pay the worker’s salary on time, the employer fails to send the worker home when the permit ends, the worker goes missing, or — for Construction, Marine Shipyard or Process sector workers — the employer fails to send them for the mandatory Onboard programme.

HeySara’s work pass service can help manage security bond purchase and compliance as part of your Work Permit application.