Starting an Employment Agency in Singapore

With Singapore encouraging foreigners from executive and middle-management levels to manual laborers to work in the country, there are numerous small and big placement agencies and head hunting firms to help Singapore companies meet their staffing needs.

所有在新加坡就业机构需要一个Employment Agency License (EAL) prior to starting its business activities. This is the basic license required for all categories of recruitment agencies and is governed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of Singapore. Employment agency license in other countries is often also referred to as:

• 招聘代理许可证
• 人员配置代理许可证
• 安置代理许可证
• Manpower agency license

The purpose of this guide is to provide information on how to start an employment agency and get the required license. Note that an employment agency license is not required if you are hiring staff under your company’s direct employment.

谁需要就业代理许可证？

从事新加坡就业机构活动的所有实体和个人必须申请就业代理许可。无论原子能机构是否以新加坡或海外为基础，无论它是否在新加坡或海外涉及工作。就业机构活动构成如下：

• 与关于其工作申请的预期候选人沟通;
• 整理正在寻求就业的潜在候选人的简历;
• Submitting Singapore Work Visa applications to the authorities on behalf of employers or candidates; and
• 促进与雇主的候选人的安排。

Agencies that are not actively involved in placing candidates with employers or that do not substantially influence the outcome of employment terms and conditions are exempt from holding an Employment Agency License. Examples of such entities include:

• 做ad-hoc，非正式或偶然工作推荐的个人;
• 代理商或中心与客户匹配学费教师;
• 在线工作门户和工作公告板;
• Courier services that are used in recruitment or job placement activities; and
• Campus placement divisions of Singapore’s autonomous universities.

Depending upon the profile of candidates that an employment agency deals with, it can choose to apply for either a综合许可证或者选择许可证. The Select License is designed for employment agencies that place local or foreign candidates who earn a monthly base salary of more than S$4,500. The Comprehensive License is meant for all other employment agencies that do not qualify for the Select license.

就业机构设置关键事实和要求

The following key requirements apply for setting up an employment agency in Singapore:

注册新加坡公司
You must first incorporate a Singapore company and select business activity code that’s appropriate for the type of recruitment activities you will be undertaking. For details on how to setup a Singapore company, refer to新加坡公司注册guide.

Setup a business office
公司必须建立一个经营的商务办公室。有各种各样的office space options您可以根据您的业务需求和预算选择。请注意，如果您计划向保护大楼进行补充或更改，您需要寻求新加坡（URA）的城市重建权威批准。在建筑物和建筑机构（BCA）的事先批准，以便在您的保护建设上显示迹象。如果您计划执行任何消防安全工作，则必须获得新加坡民防部队的批准。

申请就业代理许可证：
The company must obtain Employment Agency License, either a Comprehensive License or a Select License, issued by Singapore Ministry of Manpower. The license is only issued to legal entities and not individual persons.

支付保证金
Companies that are issued with a Select License must furnish a Security Deposit of S$20,000 in the form of Banker’s Guarantee while companies that are issued with a Comprehensive License will have to pay a security deposit of S$60,000.

就业机构人员认证
In order to work in an employment agency that is issued with a Comprehensive License, all employees (whether permanent, temporary, or on a contractual basis), including key appointment holders (e.g. CEO, CFO, COO, General Managers), must be certified under the Certificate for Employment Intermediaries (CEI) course. Certification is required prior to obtaining an employment agency license. Key appointment holders will have to attend the 40-hour course while other employment agency personnel need to attend the 32-hour course. Note that certification of key appointment holders is mandatory, irrespective of whether they perform or do not perform employment agency related work. All other personnel need to be certified only if they perform employment agency related work.

就业机构人员注册
所有就业机构人员，包括履行就业机构相关工作的关键任命持有人，无论他们是否为全面持牌机构工作或选择许可机构，必须在新加坡人力部注册，并以标准化的登记卡发布。员工只能在任何时间点工作并在一个就业机构下注册。每份注册应支付不可退款的单项费，单项费2美元。注册不会从一个雇主转移到另一个雇主。如果一个特定招聘公司的员工希望转换就业机会并加入另一个代理商，他将不得不在新公司下重新登记并重新申请注册。如果不履行就业机构相关工作，关键预约持有人和其他代理人员不需要注册。

就业机构人员的资格标准
就业机构人员，包括关键任命持有人，必须是新加坡公民，新加坡永久居民或外国人，拥有有效的新加坡劳动签证。此外，他必须认证（如果适用）。此外，该人应该没有破产和法院定罪。

就业代理许可申请程序

申请程序涉及向人力部提交申请表以及许可证申请费。

雇佣机构许可申请的应用程序处理时间约为1-3周。您将通过电子邮件通知您，如果您的申请已获批准，则将附上原则批准（IPA）信。收到IPA字母后，您需要提交以下文件，以便发出许可：

• Obtain a Security Bond in the form of Banker’s Guarantee from a bank in Singapore. In order for the bank to issue you a Banker’s Guarantee, you need to open a fixed deposit (FD) account for the said amount with bank. Banker’s Guarantee must cover 15 months from the start date.
• 除了安全债券,以下做cuments will be required:
  • 新加坡ID（新加坡公民和永久居民）或您的就业通行证的清晰副本（双方）。
  • 您公司的业务资料来自ACRA的最新副本
  • 最近的护照尺寸照片
  • 副本您的原则批准信
  • 如果您将在“欧洲办公”计划下运作，有关当局的批准函副本
  • 证书副本，您已通过就业中介证书（CEI）课程
  • 完整的清单表格
  • Any additional documents requested in your In-Principle-Approval letter.

提交必要的文件并假设所有文件有序，您应该在提交文件的提交后7天内收到电子邮件通知，指出您的申请已获批准。此时，您需要为颁发许可证付款100美元。如原始应用程序中所示，许可证将被邮寄到地址。许可证自发行日期起长达3年，此后可更新。

雇佣机构必须遵守修订后的就业机构规则。修订包括修改费用上限并介绍新的费用退款政策。修改的详细信息如下：

• Fee cap: Employment agencies may charge their clients (i.e. the employer as well the selected candidate) a fee, provided it is within the designated fee cap. There will be no cap on the fee charged to employers for services provided. However, fee charged to the candidate who is selected for employment should not be more than one month’s worth of salary per year for the duration of the approved work pass or employment contract, whichever is shorter. This is subject to a maximum of two months’ worth of salary. The fee cap will cover all agency fees collected by employment agencies in Singapore, even if they are collected from candidates via an overseas intermediary employment agency. Note that the fee cap does not apply to agency fees collected and retained by overseas intermediary employment agencies. Certain items are not subject to the fee cap such as training expenses incurred overseas, medical check-ups overseas and travel expenses to Singapore. Candidates are not liable to pay fees incurred in Singapore such as training, medical check-ups, etc. as they are to be borne by the employer or employment agency.
• 费用退款: If the employer (that was a client of the employment agency) terminates the candidate (who was hired by the employer via the employment agency) within 6 months of employment, then the employment agencies must refund 50% of the agency fees that was collected from the candidate. This rule does not apply if employment termination is candidate-initiated. The employment agency must refund the fees within 7 working days of employment termination or before the foreign worker is repatriated, whichever is earlier.

Errant and unlicensed employment agencies will soon face tighter enforcements and penalties. A number of measures such as introducing new offences, bringing in more enforcement options and enhancing the penalties for existing offences will take effect from 1 April 2011.

就业机构许可被拒绝申请

在正常情况下，如果您已准确提交您的雇佣机构许可申请，则不应有任何原因拒绝您的申请。但是，如果由于某种原因，您的申请被拒绝，并非所有人都丢失了。您可以在30天内提交上诉函。您的上诉将由一名高级官员审查，处理可能需要1-2周。您可能会要求您提供额外案例的申请的其他文件。

就业代理许可常见问题解答

问：处理就业代理许可从开始完成时间需要多长时间？

A. A practical timeline considering all the steps involved would be about 3-5 weeks as follows:

就业代理许可时间表

活动	近似时间
文件应用程序	1 day
接收原则批准的电子邮件通知	5-15天
准备并提交所需文件（安全债券，银行保障等）	2-5天
Receive approval notification	7-10天
拨款	1 day
License received via postal mail (including time taken by authorities and postal service)	5-7 days

问：我是否需要续签就业代理许可证？如果是这样，过程是什么？

A. Employment agency license is issued for 3 years and is renewable thereafter. About two months before the expiration date of your license, you will receive a renewal notice from authorities. The renewal notice will be sent to you via email on record. If your email id has changed, you should update it in your license by using the same online license management portal that you used to submit your original application.

The eligibility criteria for renewal of your Singapore employment agency license is simple and consists of:

• 您的代理商必须有一个很好的曲目记录，即，您不应该对您有太多投诉，并且您不应该破坏任何法律
• 公司的官员继续“清洁”即，没有破产和法院定罪