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DRC Quota Tool

Singapore Foreign Worker DRC Sector Quota & Levy Calculator 2026

Calculate Singapore Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) sector quotas for S Pass & Work Permit. Estimate Local Qualifying Salary (LQS S$1,600) local hiring & levy bills.

Overview & Statutory Background

The Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) is the maximum permitted percentage of foreign workers (S Pass and Work Permit holders) that a Singapore business can employ out of its total workforce. To hire foreign workers, employers must employ local Singapore Citizens and PRs earning at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS S$1,600/month). DRC sub-quotas vary by industry sector (Services 35%, Manufacturing 60%, Construction 75%, Process 87.5%). Employers also pay monthly foreign worker levies based on Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 usage. Use this calculator to estimate maximum foreign worker quotas and levy costs.

Key Pass Highlights & Statutory Criteria

Services DRC Cap

35% Max Foreign

Verified

Manufacturing DRC

60% Max Foreign

Verified

Construction DRC

75% Max Foreign

Verified

2026 LQS Threshold

S$1,600 / Month

Verified

Foreign Worker DRC Quota & Levy Estimator 2026

Estimate maximum foreign worker (S Pass & Work Permit) headcount based on local LQS (S$1,600+)

Local Staff (LQS S$1,600+)

Industry Sector

Active Foreign Employees

Max Foreign Workers Allowed:

5 Workers

Remaining Quota Available: 2 seats

Estimated Monthly MOM Levy Bill:

S$1,650 / mo

Evaluation Criteria & Points Breakdown

Services Sector DRC (35% Cap)

Services DRC

Services sector firms can employ a maximum of 35% foreign workers (S Pass capped at 10% sub-quota).

Local Qualifying Salary (LQS S$1,600)

Local Headcount

Local workers earning S$1,600+/month count as 1 local headcount; LQS S$800 to S$1,599 counts as 0.5 headcount.

Manufacturing & Construction DRCs

60% & 75% DRC

Manufacturing sector DRC is capped at 60% (S Pass 15%); Construction DRC is capped at 75% (S Pass 15%).

Tiered Foreign Worker Levies

Tier 1/2/3 Levies

Monthly MOM levies increase progressively as the proportion of foreign workers approaches maximum sector DRC limits.

Mandatory Eligibility Requirements

Employers must maintain valid local employee headcount earning the minimum LQS of S$1,600/month.

Local employees must receive CPF contributions for at least 3 consecutive months to count toward DRC quota.

Services sector S Pass sub-quota is capped at 10% of total company workforce.

Foreign worker levies must be paid monthly via GIRO to MOM by the 17th of each month.

Step-by-Step Application & Issuance Process

Input Local Employee Count (LQS S$1,600+)

Enter total Singapore Citizen and PR employees earning at least S$1,600/month.

Select Industry Sector

Choose Services (35% DRC), Manufacturing (60% DRC), or Construction (75% DRC).

Compute Total Allowed Foreign Quota

Calculate maximum total foreign workers (S Pass + Work Permit) permitted under sector DRC.

Calculate S Pass Sub-Quota Limit

Determine S Pass cap (10% for Services; 15% for Manufacturing/Construction).

Estimate Monthly MOM Levy Bill

Compute Tier 1 and Tier 2 monthly levy bills deducted via MOM GIRO.

Required Document Checklist

•ACRA BizFile Search Report & MOM Enterprise eService Login

•CPF Monthly Contribution Statements (proving local LQS S$1,600 salaries paid)

•Summary List of active Singapore Citizen & PR employees

•Summary List of current active S Pass & Work Permit holders

•MOM GIRO Bank Account Authorization Form for monthly levy deductions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The DRC is the maximum permitted percentage of foreign workers (S Pass and Work Permit holders) that a Singapore business can employ relative to its total workforce.

The Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) is S$1,600 per month. Local Singapore Citizen and PR employees earning at least S$1,600/month count as 1 local headcount towards the employer's foreign worker quota.

The Services sector DRC is capped at 35% foreign workers, with a maximum S Pass sub-quota of 10% of total workforce.

Employers pay a monthly fee (levy) for each Work Permit and S Pass holder employed. Levy rates increase progressively across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 as foreign worker usage increases.

If local headcount drops or foreign worker count exceeds sector DRC, MOM will reject new pass applications, suspend pass renewals, and give the employer a grace period to adjust headcount before canceling excess work passes.

Local employees earning S$1,600/month or more count as 1 full local headcount. Local employees earning S$800 to S$1,599/month count as 0.5 local headcount. Those earning under S$800 do not count toward DRC quotas.