Bhutanese jobseekers could soon gain access to more overseas employment opportunities after Singapore announced plans to expand the list of occupations open to foreign workers from selected countries, including Bhutan.
Beginning in September this year (2026), Singapore will allow work permit holders from what it calls โnon-traditional sourcesโ (NTS) to work in eight additional occupations across social services, food services and aviation.
The announcement was made on March 3 by Singaporeโs Manpower Minister, Tan See Leng. While Bhutan was formally added to the NTS source list on June 1, 2025, allowing access to manufacturing and hotel roles, this newly announced expansion, scheduled to take full effect on September 1, 2026, represents a significant broadening of the professional landscape for Bhutanese nationals.
Bhutan is among nine countries included in the NTS category, alongside Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The expansion is a strategic response by Singaporeโs Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to address severe labor shortages in sectors where local participation remains limited, and automation is difficult to implement.
The newly added roles span three vital sectors. In social services, the occupations include babysitters or infant caregivers, educarers, and teacher aides. These roles are critical as Singapore manages its aging population and invests in early childhood education.
In food services, the scope has widened remarkably; employers will be able to recruit workers as butchers, fishmongers, food or drink stall assistants, kitchen assistants, and waiters.
Finally, the aviation sector will open prestigious opportunities for cabin crew positions, allowing Bhutanese youth to gain experience in one of the world’s leading travel hubs.
These new roles will be added to an existing list of manufacturing and service occupations already open to Bhutanese workers. Since June 2025, Bhutanese jobseekers have already been eligible for positions such as hotel housekeepers, porters in licensed hotels, and cooks in various restaurant types.
In the manufacturing sector, workers can currently find employment as welders, flame cutters, machine operators, metal moulders, and riggers.
The logistics sector also offers roles for heavy vehicle drivers, provided the applicants hold a valid Bhutanese Class 4 or 5 license obtained before September 2025.
By adding the service-oriented roles of 2026 to this list, Singapore is offering Bhutanese workers a path into “non-professional” positions where employers have historically struggled to recruit enough local applicants.
To ensure the sustainability of this framework, Singapore has implemented strict safeguards for Work Permit holders. Employers hiring Bhutanese workers under the NTS scheme must provide a minimum fixed monthly salary of S$2,000. This ensures that foreign labor is not used to undercut local wages and that Bhutanese employees can maintain a stable standard of living.
Furthermore, companies must ensure such employees remain within a sub-dependency ratio ceiling (DRC) of eight percent of the companyโs total workforce. This quota system limits the number of NTS work permit holders a single business can hire, balancing the need for foreign talent with the protection of local employment opportunities. These measures are designed to ensure companies recruit workers with suitable skills and experience while maintaining a fair labor market.
For Bhutanese jobseekers, the expansion signals growing opportunities in high-growth sectors such as caregiving, hospitality, and aviation support services.
Beyond the immediate financial benefits of earning in a strong currency, these opportunities allow Bhutanese workers to gain invaluable international work experience. The professional skills developed in Singaporeโs highly regulated and efficient work environment ranging from advanced food safety to international aviation standards will be of immense benefit when these workers eventually return home.
Singaporeโs traditional labor sources for manufacturing and services have typically included Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Expanding recruitment to non-traditional sources like Bhutan gives Singaporean employers greater flexibility while offering Bhutanese youth a stable alternative to other overseas markets.
Bhutanese interested in working in Singapore can submit their resumes to GEMS Recruit for job matching and placement opportunities. GEMS Recruit serves as a primary bridge between Bhutanese talent and Singaporean employers, ensuring that the recruitment process follows all legal and ethical guidelines.
Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 50 at the time of their work permit application. While the new roles in aviation and social services officially open in September 2026, recruitment drives and interviews are expected to commence well in advance to prepare for the transition.
Nidup Lhamo
From Thimphu
