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shilpa_lakkaniki
Community Member

Permissions to freelance in Singapore

Hi there!

Greetings! 

I am Shilpa, an author, and blogger. I am new to Upwork and am currently living in Singapore on a dependent pass. My husband works out of Singapore on a long-term work pass. I look forward to being able to freelance on Upwork. I would like to know answers to a few of my queries: 

1. If I will need any kind of permission from the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore like an employment pass, letter of consent, or any type of pass to be able to freelance.

2. How do I claim my earnings on Upwork? Will I need a pay pal account? Should I open a local bank account in Singapore? 

3. What is the procedure to pay taxes if I am required to pay taxes to Singapore or India. I am a citizen of India. 

 

Any help would be much appreciated. 

Regards, 

Shilpa.  

11 REPLIES 11
michael_skaggs
Community Member

All of your questions are best answered by contacting a licensed attorney and an accountant who is local to you in Singapore, rather than by random people on the internet.

Thank you so much. I have contacted an attorney and will get to know the procedure soon. Thank you for the prompt guidance.

PradeepH
Moderator
Moderator

Hello Shilpa,

 

Thank you for your message. You will need to ensure you have the correct work visa to be able to work as an online professional in your country. Funds can be withdrawn through Paypal or Bank account. You will need to check with an accountant or government website on your country's tax laws.

 

Thank you

Pradeep H.

Upwork

Hello Pradeep, 

 

I got in touch with the ministry here and I am yet to get confirmation on the visa required. However, I am going to consult an attorney soon to get some clarity. Thank you for the other details. I have figured out the site where I can get all details about the tax laws here. Looking forward to starting work on Upwork ASAP. 

 

Thank you for ur quick response.

Regards, 

Shilpa. 

Hello Shilpa,

 

Thank you for updating us. 

 

In the meanwhile, you can read up on the freelancer resources for great tips and insights on how you can work successfully on the platform. For more information about working safely through Upwork, please read these tips for avoiding questionable jobs.

 

I hope this helps, and good luck!

 

Thank you

Pradeep H.

Upwork
prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "How do I claim my earnings on Upwork? Will I need a pay pal account? Should I open a local bank account in Singapore?"

 

You can read about available Payment withdrawal methods here:

 

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211060918-Manage-How-You-Get-Paid

 

PayPal method is ONE method that is available to many freelancers. But it is not the ONLY method. I have never withdrawn money to PayPal because there are fees involved, and I prefer direct to U.S. bank account ACH transfers, which are free. Many residents of Singapore have U.S. bank accounts, and creating such an account is even easier now with services such as Wise.com.

 

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Upwork-to-transferwise-business-acount/td-p/857065

 

https://wise.com/us/blog/open-a-us-bank-account-non-resident

Hello Preston, 

 

Thanks a ton for sharing such valuable information. I will go through all the links and do the needful. There is no doubt that if there is an option to withdraw earnings for free, one must tap the option. I Will figure out if I can open a US account here in Singapore.  

 

Regards, 

Shilpa. 

babynedheya
Community Member

Hello Shilpa,

Greetings!

I am new to Upwork and also on a DP visa in Singapore. I am having the same confusion as you had and would like to know about the formalities for doing freelance as a DP in Singapore. Kindly guide me to whom  I can contact in Singapore, to get an authentic answer regarding the kind of permission I should seek from the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore.

Thank You

Any help would be much appreciated. 

Regards, 

Nedheya

shweta13mittal
Community Member

Hi Shilpa,

 

I am in a similar situation and would like to know from your experience if a Dependent Pass holder is allowed to work as a freelancer on Upwork. would be able to share the information which you got from the attorney and government agency?

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks,

Shweta


Shweta M wrote:

Hi Shilpa,

 

I am in a similar situation and would like to know from your experience if a Dependent Pass holder is allowed to work as a freelancer on Upwork. would be able to share the information which you got from the attorney and government agency?

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks,

Shweta


It doesn't look like Shilpa has visited the forum since April, so she probably won't see your message (she didn't respond to the last person either, who asked for advice in June). It would be best for you to seek expert guidance that's specific to your own situation. 

Hi Shweta ,

 

I am also planning to move to Singapore from UK  and will be on dependent visa. 

I just wanted to know from your experience if I need to take special permission from the government agency ? 

 

Thanks, 

Reema

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