Article
9 min read
How to Hire Using an Employer of Record in Singapore (2025 Edition)
Employer of record
Author
Ellie Merryweather
Last Update
June 27, 2025
Table of Contents
What is a Singapore Employer of Record?
Top reasons to use an EOR in Singapore
How to hire in Singapore: Step-by-step guide
Employment compliance tasks an Employer of Record manages in Singapore
How much does an EOR in Singapore cost?
Which Singapore EOR should you choose?
Is Deel Employer of Record a strong choice for hiring in Singapore?
Hire employees in Singapore confidently with Deel Employer of Record
Key takeaways
- Setting up a Singaporean entity to hire local talent could take months and cost up to SGD 54,061.
- A Singapore Employer of Record covers CPF contribution, contracts, and data protection under Singaporean labor laws, ensuring full compliance without the headache.
- Deel EOR owns its Singaporean entity for full control, supports hiring in 150+ countries, delivers transparent pricing, real-time compliance monitoring, and has top G2 ratings.
Hiring employees in Singapore opens doors to one of Asia’s most dynamic economies and access to top-tier talent. However, navigating complex payroll taxes, employment contracts, and benefits administration can stall your hiring process. Setting up a local entity by yourself can take months, with costs that can be hard to forecast.
An Employer of Record (EOR) Singapore service acts as the legal employer, handling statutory compliance, payroll runs, and risk transfer. With Deel EOR, you can hire Singaporean talent in days rather than months. No headache, and no hidden costs.
What is a Singapore Employer of Record?
A Singapore Employer of Record is an organization that hires your talent in the country through its Singaporean entity so that you can skip the long and costly incorporation process and onboard new employees fast and compliantly. The EOR signs employment contracts, withholds payroll taxes and social security contributions, and manages statutory filings according to Singapore labor laws.
While you maintain control over your employees’ day-to-day work and management, the EOR assumes employer risks such as misclassification and statutory breaches. This arrangement eliminates the burden of setting up a local entity and navigating Singapore’s 44-hour work week regulations, annual leave entitlements, and other employment rules.
Deel operates a wholly-owned Singapore entity, delivering direct control over compliance without relying on third-party partners. With Deel’s transparent pricing and global platform covering 150+ countries, you get a seamless hiring experience with real-time compliance alerts via the Deel Compliance Hub.
Top reasons to use an EOR in Singapore
Using an EOR service in Singapore lets you bypass the pain of entity setup and lengthy registration processes while ensuring compliance with local labor laws.
- Avoid entity setup delays: Skip 2–6 months of local entity registration and costly capital requirements
- Ensure Central Provident Fund (CPF) compliance: Automate CPF contributions ranging from 7.5% to 17% of wages
- Simplify employment contracts: Use templated agreements compliant with the Employment Act, including probation periods up to 6 months
- Manage benefits administration: Cover statutory paid leave, including annual leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, and sick leave
- Meet data privacy standards: Comply with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) using built-in privacy controls
- Reduce misclassification risk: Transfer employer liability to your EOR, mitigating costly CPF underpayment fines
Using an EOR is a cost-effective way to hire employees in Singapore without entity setup delays, and provides a compliance safety net.
Continuous Compliance™
How to hire in Singapore: Step-by-step guide
Use this 8-step checklist to onboard employees in Singapore quickly, with Deel handling all compliance and administrative tasks.
1. Choose an EOR with a wholly-owned Singapore entity
Select an EOR service provider that operates its own local subsidiary for maximum compliance integrity. Deel’s wholly-owned entity manages CPF contributions, payroll taxes, employment contracts, and benefits administration in-house, ensuring your hiring process meets all statutory requirements.
See also: Employer of Record (EOR): A Complete Guide
2. Book a demo and verify social proof
Schedule a live demo to see the platform in action and review client testimonials from companies hiring employees in Singapore. Scan reviews on G2 and Trustpilot, where Deel EOR holds a 4.8/5 average.
Tip: Request a customer reference in your industry to confirm German payroll accuracy and compliance.
Discover how Strada uses Deel to navigate the complex world of global payroll and hiring, all in one platform.
3. Request a transparent EOR quote
Obtain a clear quote covering gross salary, CPF contributions (7.5%–17%), payroll fees, and any onboarding costs. Deel’s flat-fee pricing model guarantees no hidden charges and includes real-time compliance monitoring.
Tip: Compare costs before you expand—read our article EOR vs. Entity Costs: What’s More Affordable?
4. Submit a 12–24-month hiring plan
Share your hiring forecast to help your EOR optimize CPF outlays, staffing capacity, and statutory leave provisions. Deel integrates AI-powered workforce planning to keep your budget on track.
Tip: Update your plan quarterly to reflect hiring or regulatory changes.
5. Create employment contracts in the platform
Use the EOR’s contract generator to draft agreements compliant with German probation rules (up to six months) and notice periods. Deel’s templates auto-populate salary, employee benefits, and data protection clauses.
Tip: Customize probation durations within legal limits for flexibility.
6. Confirm candidates’ right to work
Upload work permits and passports for verification under Singapore’s Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. Deel Immigration facilitates work permit processing to avoid illegal-hire penalties.
Tip: Store digital copies of work authorizations in the platform for audit readiness.
7. Run the onboarding workflow
With Deel EOR, every onboarding is adapted to local labor laws, supported by a dedicated onboarding manager. Within the platform, new hires can seamlessly verify identities and work-permit status, complete compliance documents and payroll information, and review and sign employment agreements.
Tip: Automate reminders for benefit opt-in deadlines to maximize employee satisfaction.
8. Maintain ongoing compliance
Monitor CPF remittances, leave balances, and data protection compliance via Deel Compliance Hub with alerts for statutory deadlines. Schedule quarterly compliance reviews to stay ahead of regulatory changes.
Tip: Schedule monthly reviews with your EOR account manager to stay ahead of regulatory shifts.
Deel Employer of Record
Employment compliance tasks an Employer of Record manages in Singapore
Your EOR takes on key employer obligations, ensuring you meet all statutory requirements under the Employment Act and CPF Board regulations.
| Category | Key Requirements 2025 |
|---|---|
| Statutory employer costs | Employers must contribute to CPF (Central Provident Fund) at rates ranging from 7.5% to 17% depending on employee age. |
| Employment contracts & probation rules | Written employment contracts must be issued within 14 days of employment start. Probation periods can last up to 6 months under the Employment Act. |
| Pay and working hours | Standard work week is 44 hours. Overtime must be compensated at 1.5× the hourly rate. While there is no statutory minimum wage in Singapore, the local standard is 1,600 SGD per month. |
| Payroll compliance | CPF contributions are mandatory and must be submitted monthly via CPF e-submission. Employers must retain payroll records for 7 years. Payroll data must comply with PDPA standards. |
| Vacation and public holiday allowances | Employees are entitled to up to 14 days of annual leave, and 11 national public holidays. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day (Monday) will be observed. |
| Income taxes | Income tax is mandatory, collected by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) according to a progressive tax schedule. Non-residents are taxed either a flat rate of 15%, or the progressive tax rate, whichever is higher. |
| Expenses, allowances, and bonuses | Expenses can be reimbursed if submitted with the appropriate documentation. E.g., phone subscriptions are non-taxable if supported by a log of calls. Many expenses like coworkings, laptops, office equipment, and travel insurance are non-taxable. Bonses and allowances are taxed as regular income. |
| Maternity, paternity, parental, adoption & foster leave | Statutory leave up to 16 weeks maternity leave (government-paid) or 12 weeks (employer-paid), and 2 weeks paternity leave (government-paid, capped at $2,500 SGD per week). As of April 1 2025, employees may also apply for shared parental leave, up to 6 weeks. |
| Sick leave, bereavement leave, and carer’s leave | Statutory paid sick leave up to 14 days per year, plus 46 days paid hospitalization leave. Eligible after 3 months of continuous employment. |
| Terminations and resignations | Notice period not legally required, but 1 month is customary. Severance is not mandatory unless contractually stated. |
| Health & safety | The legal responsibility of the employer, according to the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act. |
| Misclassification risk | CPF underpayment fines can be up to SGD 10,000 per case for misclassified contractors. Using an EOR in Singapore transfers liability to the provider. |
| Data protection & IP protection | The PDPA requires consent for data collection and secure storage. Data localization isn’t mandatory, but appointing a local Data Protection Officer is recommended. Deel IP Guard automates invention assignment for IP protection. |
Discover how ShopBack used Deel to hire skilled talent in countries without entities
The ShopBack Group is Asia-Pacific’s leading shopping, rewards, and payments platform, serving over 45 million shoppers across 12 markets. They required an efficient and compliant solution to hire and onboard remote contractors in countries where they didn’t have legal entities.
"The primary driver for our switch to Deel was the compliance capability. We needed a platform that could quickly facilitate hiring and onboarding in markets where we didn't have an entity." -- Carolyn Choo, VP, People at ShopBack
How much does an EOR in Singapore cost?
Hiring in Singapore involves gross salary plus statutory costs—including CPF contributions between 7.5% and 17%—and administrative fees. Deel charges a transparent flat fee per employee, covering payroll runs, compliance monitoring, and support.
| Factor | Your own Singapore entity | Deel EOR |
|---|---|---|
| One-off costs | SGD 54,061 | SGD 0 |
| Annual, recurring costs | SGD 69,776 | SGD 0 |
| Deel Employer of Record service fee | SGD 0 | (SGD 9,205 / employee) |
| Estimated total annual costs | SGD 123,837 | SGD 9,205 |
| Time to first hire | 2 months | 1 business day(s) |
Our transparent pricing means you know your costs upfront, avoiding surprise audits or hidden fees.
Which Singapore EOR should you choose?
Choosing the best EOR services in Singapore depends on:
- Entity ownership Work with an EOR Singapore provider operating a wholly-owned local entity to ensure direct control over CPF contributions, payroll taxes, and statutory filings without third-party risk
- Compliance expertise Choose a provider with a proven track record in managing Singapore’s evolving employment laws. Deel’s real-time compliance monitoring ensures you meet all deadlines and regulatory updates
- Platform breadth Opt for an EOR service Singapore platform covering 150+ countries, integrating workforce planning, payroll, benefits administration, and background checks in one portal. Deel’s end-to-end solution—from hiring to payroll to mobility—lets you grow your team in Singapore and beyond
Is Deel Employer of Record a strong choice for hiring in Singapore?
Deel’s wholly-owned Singapore entity removes the pain of setting up a local entity and ensures full compliance with CPF, employment contracts, and data privacy laws. Trusted across 150+ countries, Deel is a G2 leader for Employer of Record services Singapore.
- Operates a wholly-owned Singapore entity, ensuring direct compliance control
- Automates CPF contributions, mitigating costly errors
- Simplifies onboarding with templated employment contracts and probation periods
- Provides real-time compliance alerts with Deel Compliance Hub
- Manages statutory benefits including annual leave, maternity/paternity leave, and sick leave
- Safeguards your IP with built-in invention-assignment clauses
- Minimizes misclassification risks by assuming employer liabilities
- Transparent, flat-fee pricing with no hidden charges
- Access to Deel’s global platform covering 150+ countries
- High user satisfaction and G2 leader recognition for EOR services
With Deel, you avoid entity setup delays and compliance risks so you can focus on growing your team in Singapore.
If we didn't use Deel, we would not even consider offering employment in other countries, especially given our past experiences. Now, if we find someone great in Australia for example, we can hire them immediately without any concern of how we will manage compliance, payments, and more.
—Megan Reed,
Chief Human Resources Officer at oVice
See how oVice used Deel EOR to scale strategically in over 10 countries.
Hire employees in Singapore confidently with Deel Employer of Record
Ready to hire fast? Deel’s Singapore EOR lets you onboard employees quickly while ensuring compliance with CPF and Singapore’s labor regulations. Our platform streamlines payroll taxes, benefits administration, and legal filings—freeing you from administrative burdens.
Deel accelerates your hiring process with transparent pricing and no surprises. Get a clear, upfront quote covering all statutory costs and platform fees, so you can budget confidently.
Don’t wait months to establish a local entity. Use Deel EOR to start hiring in days, not months. Schedule your demo now and experience hassle-free, compliant hiring.
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FAQs
How fast can I onboard employees in Singapore using Deel?
Typically within days, as Deel handles all entity setup, CPF registration, and contract management.
Do employees need a Singapore bank account for payroll?
Yes, employees must have a local bank account for salary payments, which Deel helps facilitate.
What type of contract does Deel provide?
Standard employment contracts compliant with Singapore’s Employment Act, including probation periods up to 6 months.
How are CPF contributions managed?
Deel calculates and remits CPF contributions monthly on your behalf, ensuring full compliance.
When is payroll processed each month?
Payroll runs according to your chosen schedule but always meets Singapore statutory deadlines.
What benefits does Deel administer?
Statutory paid leave, maternity/paternity leave, and sick leave are managed by Deel in line with local law.
Can I terminate employees through Deel?
Yes, Deel supports compliant termination processes, including notice periods and documentation.
What protections does Deel offer against misclassification?
Deel assumes employer liabilities, reducing your risk of CPF underpayment fines or penalties.
Is pricing transparent?
Absolutely. Deel provides flat fees with no hidden costs, covering payroll, compliance, and support.
Does Deel support hiring beyond Singapore?
Yes, Deel’s platform covers 150+ countries, letting you scale your workforce globally with one trusted provider.
About the author
Ellie Merryweather is a content marketing manager with a decade of experience in tech, leadership, startups, and the creative industries. A long-time remote worker, she's passionate about WFH productivity hacks and fostering company culture across globally distributed teams.
