Hire in Singapore Without an Entity: The EOR Providers You Must Know

To hire internationally without setting up an entity in Singapore, you need an EOR service provider. EOR providers vary in compliance focus and local expertise so it’s important to choose one that aligns with your needs. 

In this article, we have listed five EOR providers that you can choose to support your business expansion in Singapore. 

Employment Laws in Singapore

Employment in Singapore is governed primarily by the Employment Act. It establishes the legal framework for employer and employee relationships. 

As an employer, here are the key areas you need to understand and comply with before hiring.

1. Working Hours and Overtime

Singapore sets firm limits on how long employees can work. Employees on a five-day week are capped at nine hours per day. When work extends beyond those limits, overtime kicks in. Overtime must be compensated at 1.5 times the employee’s hourly rate. For non-workmen, however, the overtime rate is capped at $13.60 per hour, regardless of their actual pay. 

2. Salary and Payroll Rules

Salaries in Singapore are subject to strict timelines. Employers must pay employees at least once a month, typically on the last working day. Late payment is a legal offence. Employers are also required to issue itemized payslips to every employee. If an employee is leaving, final salaries must be paid either on their last day or within seven days, depending on how the termination was handled.

3. Minimum Wage and the Progressive Wage Model

Singapore does not have a universal minimum wage. However, it does operate the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), which sets mandatory minimum salaries for workers in specific sectors. These include cleaning, food services, waste management, and security. Employers in these sectors are legally required to comply. For lower-income workers earning below SGD 2,500 per month, the government provides financial support through the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS). 

4. Employer Contributions

Hiring in Singapore comes with mandatory financial contributions. Key obligations include:

• Central Provident Fund (CPF): Both employer and employee contribute monthly. Rates vary by age and are updated periodically. CPF does not apply to foreign employees. 
• Skills Development Levy (SDL): Employers must contribute 0.25% of each employee’s monthly wages toward workforce upskilling. 
• Foreign Worker Levy (FWL): If an employee requires a work permit, an additional levy applies. 

Unlike many countries, Singapore does not require employers to withhold income tax. Employees file and manage their own taxes independently.

5. Employment Contracts

Written employment contracts are mandatory in Singapore. Every employer must have a signed, written agreement clearly outlining the terms of employment. Contracts must cover key details such as job title, working hours, salary, leave entitlement, probation period, and notice period. Singapore also recognizes several contract types, including standard, part-time, commission-based, and contracts specifically for foreign workers. You have to get  this document right from the start to protect both parties.

6. Leave Entitlements

Singapore law guarantees employees several types of paid leave. Entitlements grow with length of service, so newer employees receive less leave than long-tenured ones. 

Here is a breakdown of the minimum leave employers must provide:

• Annual Leave: 7 to 14 days per year, depending on length of service
• Public Holidays: 11 days per year
• Sick Leave: Up to 14 days; up to 60 days if hospitalization is involved
• Maternity Leave: 16 weeks
• Paternity Leave: 4 weeks
• Shared Parental Leave: 6 weeks, in addition to maternity and paternity leave

As an employer, you also need to submit claims for certain leave types, such as childcare leave and national service leave. Some leave payments qualify for government reimbursement, while others do not. An EOR can help identify eligible claims and manage the required submissions.

7. Termination of Employment

Employment can be ended by either the employer or the employee, but the process must follow legal guidelines. If an employee resigns, they are required to serve out their notice period. As an employer, you have a few options when terminating someone. You can end the contract with notice, allowing the employee to work through it. You can also terminate without notice, but you must pay a salary in lieu of that notice period. In cases of serious misconduct, immediate termination is permitted but only after a proper investigation. 

EOR conducts the due diligence and manages the termination process on your behalf. It ensures it is handled in accordance with local employment laws and established procedures.

EOR Providers in Singapore 

We have listed five EOR providers available in Singapore below. Here is a quick look at how they compare before you read further.

1. The Supreme HR

The Supreme HR is based in Singapore and has been operating there since 2014. They focus on Singapore and Malaysia, combining recruitment with EOR services under one roof. Their S3 Philosophy, which stands for Simplify, Streamline, and Scale, shapes how they run client engagements. The team takes a hands-on, personalised approach rather than a self-serve platform model.

• Over 10 years of experience supporting employers in Singapore
• Recruitment and EOR services managed by one team for smoother hiring
• Dedicated focus on Singapore and Malaysia employment markets
• Strong track record in finance, technology, and professional services
• Personal account manager for direct and responsive support

If you are hiring in Singapore or Malaysia and want a locally rooted team managing everything from sourcing to payroll, The Supreme HR is a solid choice. That said, if you need coverage beyond these two markets, you will need a separate provider for other regions.

2. Thera 

Thera is based in New York and supports hiring in more than 150 countries. Unlike many EOR providers, its platform includes financial tools designed for global teams. You can access FDIC-insured high-yield accounts with rates up to 4.25% APY. This helps businesses earn returns on funds between payroll cycles. The platform also supports payments in more than 100 currencies. Accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll are managed in one dashboard.

• High-yield FDIC-approved accounts earning up to 4.25% APY on idle funds
• Payroll and contractor payments managed in a single dashboard
• Payments sent across 100 or more currencies at competitive exchange rates
• Localised contractor agreements drafted per jurisdiction
• Accounts payable and receivable automated alongside payroll operations
• Compliance checks built into every cross-border payment

Thera is a strong option if you want EOR services and financial operations managed in one platform. It is particularly valuable if you employ both full-time staff and contractors across multiple countries. By bringing payroll, payments, and financial management together, it reduces the need to switch between different systems. However, you should note that high-yield account rates fluctuate with market conditions. 

3. Recruitgo 

Recruitgo is headquartered in Dubai. They run in-house teams across 40 countries, including Singapore. This means the people managing your Singapore employees actually understand CPF rates, MOM requirements, and local employment norms, without a third party in the middle. 

The pricing model is also different from most providers on this list. Instead of a flat fee, you pay 10 percent of the total employer cost, meaning gross salary plus contributions. The minimum is $49.99 per employee per month. The maximum is capped at $250. For a Singapore hire on SGD 5,000 gross per month, roughly $3,700, your EOR fee is $250, a fraction of what flat-fee providers typically charge. 

Recruitgo also offers a country-specific employment cost calculator for Singapore, so you can model the exact cost of a hire before you commit to anything.

• Singapore-based in-house team, no third-party local partners involved
• Country-specific cost calculator so you see the exact fee before signing
• Fee capped at $250 per employee monthly, regardless of salary level
• CPF contributions, SDL, and itemised payslips processed each month
• MOM-compliant employment contracts drafted and issued on your behalf
• Leave tracking, termination support, and benefits administration included
• Remote hubs with office space, equipment, and HR support.

Recruitgo is the right starting point if you want to hire in Singapore without a big upfront cost or a long onboarding process. The proportionate pricing means your EOR fee scales with what you are actually spending, not a fixed overhead that hits hard when your team is still small. And because the team is local, you get answers from people who know the market.

4. DHi ADT 

DHi ADT is based in Amsterdam and operates across more than 50 countries, with a strong presence in APAC and MENA. It offers more than a standard EOR setup by integrating core workforce functions into a single platform. Attendance tracking, time and attendance management, immigration support, and accounting services are included by default rather than offered as paid add-ons. 

Pricing is structured and based on team size rather than promotional offers or short-term discounts. It remains fixed according to employee tiers, so you know what you are paying as you scale. Teams of one to nine employees pay €449 per employee per month, with no setup fee or annual commitment. Once you cross ten employees, the rate automatically adjusts to €419 per employee, without requiring renegotiation. Larger teams above 25 employees receive a custom enterprise quote.

• Transparent tiered pricing published upfront, no setup fees
• Automatic discount to €419 per month once your team reaches 10 employees
• Attendance and time tracking built into the platform, not a separate tool
• Immigration and visa support included alongside standard EOR
• Accounting services available within the same engagement
• Enterprise track record including Fortune 500 clients across multiple sectors

DHi ADT is well suited for growing mid-market companies that need more than basic payroll support. It works best if you want integrated HR, immigration, and accounting features in one platform. While its coverage is less broad than the large global EOR providers, it can be limiting for very large or highly distributed teams. 

5. Edge Outsourcing

Edge Outsourcing is headquartered in the UK. Together with EOR, it combines workforce management with business process outsourcing, including HR administration and operational support. They operate across 16 countries through their own infrastructure rather than partner networks. 

• EOR and business process outsourcing delivered by the same team
• Service packages built around what the client actually needs, not fixed tiers
• Operations run through owned infrastructure, not outsourced to local partners
• Technology-led delivery across all service areas
• Complementary services available alongside EOR within a single contract
• Direct accountability for service quality at every stage

Edge Outsourcing suits companies that want a managed service rather than a self-serve platform. If you need EOR plus operational support across a handful of markets, they can handle it in one engagement. However, its footprint is geographically restricted to around 16 countries, so expansion beyond Singapore requires an additional provider. If you are planning broader regional or global growth, a more scalable partner such as Recruitgo can be a better fit.