FAQ
 
At a glance
 

What type of work is available in Singapore?
There is a great demand for speech therapy services in special schools. There are also positions in hospitals (both paediatric and adult) coming up fairly regularly, as current expats complete their contracts and return home. There are no separate outpatient paediatric providers (such as the Community Health system in Australia) - in Singapore these are seen either through the hospital departments or by private practitioners.

 
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Is it necessary to speak a local language?
It is not necessary, but if you can it is certainly a bonus. Mandarin is widely spoken, with Chinese dialects such as Hokkien and Teochew also used. Malay and Tamil are the other official languages of Singapore (there are four - English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay). You can get by with English, particularly with a paediatric caseload, as the education system here uses the medium of English in all schools.
If you work with adults in the hospital system you may have to use an interpreter.
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Is there a locum register?
There is no formal locum register in Singapore at present. Our Current Vacancies page has a list of vacancies SHAS has been notified about; however there may be more! If you are interested in a particular field or service provider, contact them and find out what their current situation is.

 
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Is there a demand for speech therapy services?
There certainly is! The profession is small in Singapore, with approximately 90 clinicians island-wide for a population of 4 million.

 

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How can I get an employment pass?
When you have an offer of employment from a provider here, they will usually organise the employment pass forms for you. Employment passes typically take between four and eight weeks to process.

If you are setting up a private practice, you have to register with the Registry of Companies and Businesses, and apply for a special employment pass. You may also required to be approved by the Ministry of Health or Ministry of Education (depending on work context).

 
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Is there an age limit on working holidays?
The concept of working holidays (such as in the UK) does not exist in Singapore. If you have a local organisation prepared to hire you and be your 'local sponsor' for the employment pass, there are no age restrictions.
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