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Background screening in Singapore

PDPA-compliant checks for Singapore employers.

VERIS helps Singapore employers verify candidates’ identity, qualifications, employment history and integrity before hiring, with written consent and checks carried out at the source, here and wherever the candidate studied or worked.

Discuss your requirements
SCREENING FILE — SG-1026
Identity
Qualifications
ConsentPDPA-aligned
Overseas recordsAt source
ReportQC-checked
Checks conducted with candidate consent and aligned to applicable local requirements.
Why screen in Singapore

A diverse workforce needs checks that cross borders

Many Singapore hires studied or worked in other countries, which makes their credentials harder to verify from here. VERIS checks each qualification and job in the country where it was earned, in the local language, and reports country by country.

Banks, insurers and other regulated employers also need integrity checks for sensitive roles: criminal records, litigation, sanctions, regulatory history and adverse media, scoped to the role.

VERIS has worked with Singapore employers since 2010 and runs its Singapore work from its office at Centro Bianco, Upper Paya Lebar Road.

What we find

About 28% of VERIS screening cases since 2010 surfaced a discrepancy or concern, most often falsified qualifications, degree-mill certificates or inflated employment history.

Checks for Singapore employers

What we verify

Identity

Identity & right to work

Identity, address and right to work confirmed against official documents and records. Identity checks.

Credentials

Education & employment

Degrees confirmed with the institution, employment with HR or the last supervisor, licences with the issuing body. Credential checks.

Integrity

Integrity & compliance

Criminal, litigation, credit, bankruptcy, directorships, sanctions, regulatory and adverse-media checks. Integrity checks.

Packages

Pre-employment packages

Standard, Enhanced and Executive screening, or a scope built around your policies. Pre-employment screening.

PDPA and consent

Screening that respects the PDPA

Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) governs how organisations collect, use and disclose personal data. Every VERIS check is built around it:

  • Written consent from the candidate before any check starts.
  • A clear purpose for each check, tied to the role.
  • Only the checks the role needs, not a blanket search.
  • Screening independent of the hiring decision itself.
  • Secure handling and a full record in VERISChecks.
  • Findings supported by verified sources and documented research.
Hiring foreign professionals

Qualifications for Employment Pass applications

Since 1 September 2023, employers claiming points for a candidate’s qualifications in an Employment Pass application must submit verification proof with it. The Ministry of Manpower sets out which kinds of proof it accepts.

Separately from the application, VERIS verifies overseas degrees and employment at the source for your own hiring decision, so you know what you are relying on before the offer.

Tip

Check the MOM requirements for the specific pass early in the process, and tell candidates in advance that their qualifications will be verified.

More from VERIS in Singapore

Due diligence and investigations

KYC verification→Reputational due diligence→Employee fraud investigations→Digital forensics→Litigation support→Asset tracing→
Frequently asked questions

What clients ask before engaging

Are background checks allowed in Singapore?+
Yes. Employers in Singapore commonly screen candidates, and the PDPA governs how their personal data is collected, used and protected. VERIS runs every check on the candidate’s written consent, which keeps the process transparent.
What checks do Singapore employers usually run?+
Identity, education and employment verification for most roles, plus integrity checks such as criminal record, litigation, credit, sanctions and adverse media for senior or regulated roles.
How long does background screening take in Singapore?+
Most cases complete within days to a few weeks, depending on the checks and on how many countries the candidate studied or worked in.
Can you verify qualifications from overseas universities?+
Yes. We contact the institution directly, or an official clearing house for certain overseas institutions, and report the result country by country.
Do you screen candidates from Indonesia?+
Yes. Our Jakarta team verifies Indonesian degrees and employment in-country, with Ministry of Education records as a fallback.
Do you also check companies and business partners?+
Yes. VERIS carries out reputational due diligence, KYC checks and investigations on companies and individuals in Singapore and across Southeast Asia.

Screening a candidate in Singapore?

Tell us about the role and where the candidate has studied and worked, and we’ll scope the right checks.

Discuss your requirements
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