🇸🇬 Singapore CV format

Singapore's conventions sit between Western and regional norms, with one strict local rule.

Do not include your NRIC or FIN

Singapore's data protection framework restricts the collection of national identification numbers, and employers are generally not permitted to ask for them during application. Including yours unprompted is a small red flag.

State your work-pass status

Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependant's Pass with a Letter of Consent, or "requires sponsorship". Hiring quotas and pass-approval rules make this the first thing an employer checks, and the Fair Consideration Framework means local hiring is assessed first for many roles.

Expected salary

Some Singapore employers ask for current and expected salary in the application itself. Where the advert asks, answer in the cover note rather than the CV.

Concise

One to two pages. Singaporean hiring culture favours brevity and specifics over narrative.

Photo

Optional and increasingly uncommon at international employers. Neutral either way — omit it if you are unsure.