# Foreign Worker Quota Calculator: How Many S Pass and Work Permit Holders

See how many S Pass and Work Permit holders your company can hire from its local headcount and sector, using MOM's 2026 quota ratios and LQS.

Interactive tool: https://lookup.sg/tools/foreign-worker-quota-calculator

## How this works
MOM caps foreign employees with a Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC): Work Permit and S Pass holders together may be at most 35% of the total workforce in services, 60% in manufacturing, 75% in marine shipyard, and 83.3% in construction and process. Within that, S Pass holders may be at most 10% of the total workforce in services and 15% in the other sectors.

Only local employees who meet the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) count towards quota. From 1 July 2026 the LQS is S$1,800 a month: a citizen or PR earning at least S$1,800 counts as one local, one earning S$900 to under S$1,800 counts as half, and anyone below S$900 does not count. Part-timers must also earn at least S$10.50 an hour.

The total foreign headcount allowed is the local workforce × DRC ÷ (1 − DRC), rounded down. The S Pass limit is the sub-quota × the resulting total workforce, also rounded down. MOM averages your local headcount over the last 3 months using CPF records, so late CPF payments can cut your quota.

## FAQs
### How many foreign workers can I hire with 10 local employees?
In the services sector, 10 local employees allow up to 5 foreign employees, of which at most 1 can be an S Pass holder. In manufacturing the same 10 locals allow 15 foreign employees, up to 3 on S Pass, and in construction 50, up to 9 on S Pass.

### What is the S Pass quota in 2026?
S Pass holders can make up at most 10% of your total workforce in the services sector and 15% in manufacturing, construction, marine shipyard and process. This is a sub-ceiling within the overall foreign worker quota.

### What is the Local Qualifying Salary?
The LQS is S$1,800 a month for full-time local employees from 1 July 2026, up from S$1,600. Locals earning S$900 to under S$1,800 count as half a local for quota, and part-timers must earn at least S$10.50 an hour.

### Do company directors count as local employees for quota?
Yes, if the director is a Singapore citizen or PR employed under a contract of service with CPF contributions and meets the Local Qualifying Salary.

### What is the services sector dependency ratio ceiling?
The services DRC is 35%: Work Permit and S Pass holders together cannot exceed 35% of the total workforce, which works out to about 7 foreign employees for every 13 locals.

## Sources
- [MOM: S Pass levy and quota requirements](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/s-pass/quota-and-levy/levy-and-quota-requirements)
- [MOM: Local Qualifying Salary](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/progressive-wage-model/local-qualifying-salary)
- [MOM: Quota calculator](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work-permit-for-foreign-worker/foreign-worker-levy/calculate-foreign-worker-quota)

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Source: Lookup (https://lookup.sg) · Data as of October 2026 · Listings compiled from Singapore government open data (data.gov.sg), OneMap and Overture Maps places. Free listings never show contact details; contact details appear only on Lookup Verified listings.