Working in Singapore
For Bangladesh passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15
Singapore hires Bangladeshi workers mainly on sector-limited Work Permits, applied for by the employer.
What the employer must have
- The Singapore employer (or its agent) must apply for the pass; Work Permits are limited to approved sectors with quota, levy and a security bond.
- The demand letter must be attested by the Bangladesh mission and the job order approved by BMET or the Ministry.
What you must do before you leave
- You cannot board a flight for work without BMET emigration clearance — the QR-coded BMET smart card. Immigration will stop you at the airport even with a valid visa, and the card itself has been free since December 2024.
- Register in the BMET database and complete the 3-day Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) at a Technical Training Centre in your district.
- Use a recruiting agency licensed by BMET, and insist on seeing the demand letter: it must be attested by the Bangladesh mission in the destination country, and the job order approved by BMET (up to 100 workers) or by the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare (more than 100).
- Check which pass and sector your offer falls under on MOM's site — a Work Permit outside an approved sector cannot be issued.
Things to watch
- The government sets a maximum migration cost for each destination, and the gap between that ceiling and what workers actually pay is the central problem of this corridor: for Malaysia the official ceiling was Tk 78,990 while the average worker paid about Tk 544,000. Ask for the official rate in writing and get a receipt for every taka.
- Licences do get revoked — 49 recruiting agencies lost theirs over the Malaysia syndicate. Check that your agency is currently licensed before you pay, not after.
- Singapore requires most Bangladeshi construction workers to hold specific skills certification before the pass is granted; agents who promise to arrange it after arrival are describing something that does not work.
What you may lawfully be charged
THE GOVERNMENT-SET MAXIMUM MIGRATION COST for this destination is Tk 2,62,270, and it is ALL-INCLUSIVE — agent's service charge, air ticket, medical, visa, everything. Pay it by cheque or bank transfer into the agency's own account, never cash to a person, and demand a receipt.
Section 21, Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013; government migration-cost table published by the Probashi Kallyan Desk. Report overcharging at ovijogbmet.org or 16135.
⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.
Official sources
This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.