This comes as recent enforcement operations revealed misuse of the passes by syndicates. Existing performers can remain until their passes expire or get cancelled, the Manpower Ministry said.
Singapore’s Work Permit (Performing Artiste) scheme will cease from 1 June 2026, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced earlier this week. Introduced in 2008, the scheme allows licensed public entertainment outlets such as bars, hotels and nightclubs to hire foreign performing artistes on a short-term basis of up to six months.
Recent enforcement operations by MOM and the Singapore Police Force revealed syndicates of non-operating entertainment outlets that hired foreign artistes under the scheme and subsequently released them to work at other public entertainment locations. In view of this widespread abuse, MOM said it has assessed that the scheme no longer serves its original purpose.
In that vein, from 1 June 2026, the ministry will stop accepting new applications for hiring foreign performers under the scheme. Public entertainment outlets may continue to retain existing foreign artistes until their work passes expire or are cancelled.
MOM said it had consulted with the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA) before finalising the decision, providing outlets sufficient time to make alternative arrangements. Post the scheme’s cessation, businesses can hire performers via service providers, employ eligible foreign artistes on a regular work pass, or use the Work Pass Exempt (WPE) framework for short-term performances at government-supported or statutory board events.
