There is no published MOM guidance that explicitly says EAs under surveillance cannot renew their licence. However, being under surveillance means the agency is subject to stricter monitoring and possibly additional conditions.

Key points:

• Renewal is via the “Renew an employment agency licence” process on GoBusiness.
  
• If the EA fails to meet the eligibility or compliance requirements (including while under surveillance), MOM may refuse renewal, treat the application as a new licence or impose conditions.
  
• It remains critical for the agency to meet all licence-conditions and to maintain good standing during the surveillance period.
  

Being under surveillance does not automatically bar renewal, but it increases the risk of complications or refusal because the agency must still fulfil all renewal eligibility and compliance conditions.

Yes — but only under certain conditions:

• The application form for an EA licence asks for, among other things, “Approval letter from URA or HDB to operate at a residential address”.
  
• So if you intend to use a residential address (e.g., a flat) as your business/operating address, you must obtain the necessary approval from the relevant authorities (e.g., HDB for a Housing Board apartment or URA for private residential premises).
  
• If the premises do not have such approval, listing it as a business address could violate licensing conditions and risk refusal or sanction.
  

Yes, you can, provided you have the relevant permission from URA/HDB to operate the EA from that residential address.

You are not strictly required to have a separate office, but you must ensure the premises you use are approved for operating an EA. According to MOM:

“No, you are not required to have an office to operate an employment agency (EA). However, you must obtain approval from the relevant authorities to use any premises to operate an EA. Examples include the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for private residential premises, and HDB for Housing Board flats.”

So:

• You may operate without a dedicated “commercial” office, but the place of business must be properly approved for your EA activities.
  
• If you share premises with objectionable trades (e.g., a massage parlour or KTV lounge) or the location is inappropriate for an EA, MOM reserves the right to intervene.
  
• If the licence application or renewal shows an address that is not approved for EA operations, this could be a compliance risk.
  

No strict requirement for a conventional office — but any operating address must be approved for EA-use.

MOM’s publicly published guidance does not explicitly state that you must pay the full application/licensing fees again when you change licence type. Some relevant points:

• Changing the licence type (for example from Select to Comprehensive) is effectively a change in the licence scope and may require a new application or amendment.
  
• When you renew a licence of the same type, you follow the “Renew an employment agency licence” process which entails an application fee of S$400 + issuance fee of S$100.
  
• If you submit your renewal after expiry (within 1 month), the late renewal fee applies.
  
• For a change in licence type (which is not just a renewal), you may need to treat it as a new licence application, thus paying application and issuance fees accordingly.
  
• It is prudent to check with MOM or use the EA Self-Assessment Tool for your specific change to see if you can simply amend or must re-apply.
  

If you are merely renewing the same licence type, you pay the standard renewal fees. If you are changing licence type, you may need to apply for a new licence (thus likely paying full fees). You should verify with MOM for your particular case.

Here are the steps:

• Log in to GoBusiness Licensing (or Online Business Licensing Service/OBLS).
  
• Only certain persons can do this: business owner or licensee; for a company: director/managing director/agent; for LLP: partner/manager.
  

Steps to reprint:

1. Go to GoBusiness Licensing (or licences.business.gov.sg) under the “Inquiry” or “Enquiry” tab.
2. Select Ministry of Manpower and the licence type “Employment Agency Licence”.
3. Enter your UEN and proceed.
4. View or save the digital copy of the licence (no fee for reprint.

• Once downloaded, you may print the digital copy for your records.

Use GoBusiness/OBLS, authorised filer logs in, selects the licence, and downloads/re-prints the digital copy.

MOM requires EAs to notify them of any branch changes.

The process:

• Submit notification via “Employment agencies: notify MOM of changes”.
• Changes must be notified within 7 working days if you open a new branch or change a branch address or terminate a branch.
• The branch must still operate under the same licence and UEN (unless you apply for a separate licence).
• The operating address for the branch must similarly meet any approval requirements (e.g., if it's a residential address).
• When you apply for or notify the branch, ensure all required changes (address, operations, etc.) are correctly reflected in ACRA and MOM’s records.
  

You set up a branch by notifying MOM through GoBusiness/ OBLS, submitting details of the new branch address, and updating records within 7 working days.

Yes — if your licence has expired and you decide to cease operations, you must terminate it through the appropriate process.

Some details:

• If you apply for renewal after your licence has expired: if the application is submitted within 1 month after expiry, you pay S$100 late renewal fee. If not, you must apply for a new licence.
• If you do not renew and do not cease operations, you are operating without a valid licence, which is contravention of the Employment Agencies Act.
• If you have decided not to continue agency operations, you should log into GoBusiness/OBLS and select “Terminate licence” for the EA. Any outstanding obligations (banker’s guarantee, referral information, etc.) must also be resolved.
  

If you skip renewal and want to stop business, you must terminate the licence. If you do neither, you risk being unlicensed.

Per MOM’s guidance on “Renew an employment agency licence”:

• When you renew, you apply for the eGuarantee (the electronic form of banker’s guarantee) as part of the renewal process.
• The existing BG is effectively replaced: you submit a new eGuarantee through your financial institution, and MOM receives the submission.
• Once the new eGuarantee is accepted and the license is issued, your licence conditions continue with the new BG in effect. It implies your old BG is discharged or replaced.
• Failure to submit a valid eGuarantee may delay licence issuance or prevent renewal.
  

When you submit a new BG/eGuarantee during renewal, it replaces the old BG—your agency’s security bond remains valid through the new BG.

Suspension means your agency cannot carry out EA-activities during the suspension period.

Key consequences:

• The licence remains valid but is suspended — you must cease all recruitment/placement functions specified under the licence.
• If the agency continues operations while suspended, this is a breach of licence conditions and may lead to revocation or further sanctions. (See the licence conditions PDF).
• The licence conditions state that MOM may vary, suspend or revoke the licence at any time.
• The suspension may also trigger increased monitoring, requirement to meet certain corrective actions before reinstatement, or additional conditions on future renewals.
  

During suspension your EA cannot act; if you do, you risk revocation or penalties.

The licence may be revoked under the following circumstances, among others:

• If the agency breaches the licence conditions (e.g., engages in prohibited activities, fails to maintain security bond, or gives false information).
• If the agency fails to renew the licence, continue operating while unlicensed, or fails compliance obligations.
• If a key appointment holder is ineligible (e.g., convicted of dishonesty or human trafficking, or is bankrupt) and remains so.
• If the agency becomes insolvent, or repeatedly receives demerit points and fails to rectify.
• The licence conditions state the Commissioner may revoke at any time.

Revocation can occur for serious or persistent breaches of regulations or licence conditions, or where major eligibility or compliance failings exist.