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Modelling · Singapore

How to become a model in Singapore

Apply through an agency’s own website. AVE, Mannequin Studio, Phantom and Faces Talent Management take online applications with photos, while Basic Models Management takes new applicants only through its open casting call, held every May (next in May 2027). Basic says there is no fee to apply and requires parental consent before offering a contract to anyone under 18.

Official application routes

Which modelling agencies in Singapore can I apply to?

5 agencies · checked 2026-10-01

Each link goes to the agency’s own application page or official contact route — never a third party. Details are as each agency publishes them; where an agency publishes nothing, we say nothing.

How it works

How do agencies in Singapore recruit?

  • AVE, Mannequin Studio, Phantom and Faces Talent Management take applications through forms on their own websites. AVE asks for natural, unretouched photos rather than studio shots. AVE Management — Become a model ↗
  • Basic Models Management says all applicants must go through its open casting call, held every May, and that it does not accept walk-ins. Selected applicants then go through seven weeks of model training. Basic Models — Be a model ↗
  • Basic says it places models with partner agencies abroad once they are ready, and that it has placed models in New York, London, Paris and Milan, among other cities. Basic Models — About us ↗
  • Mannequin Studio, incorporated in 1972, says it works with agencies including Ford Models, IMG, Elite, Next and Wilhelmina to bring international models to Singapore. Mannequin Studio — About ↗

Fees, contracts and safeguarding

What are the rules in Singapore?

  • Anyone who places job seekers with employers in Singapore needs an employment agency licence from the Ministry of Manpower. MOM’s guidance does not mention modelling agencies, so it is unclear whether an agency that books models for freelance jobs is covered. Ministry of Manpower — Who needs an employment agency licence ↗
  • A licensed employment agency may charge a job seeker no more than one month’s salary for each year of the employment contract, capped at two months’ salary, and must issue an itemised receipt for any fee. Employment Agencies Rules 2011, rule 12 ↗
  • If the employer fails to employ you, or ends the job within six months for reasons other than those the rules list, a licensed agency must refund at least half of the fees you paid. Employment Agencies Rules 2011, rule 13 ↗
  • You can check whether an employment agency is licensed, and see agencies under revocation, suspension or surveillance, on MOM’s EA Directory. Ministry of Manpower — EA Directory ↗
  • Children aged 13 to under 15 may only do light work in non-industrial settings; young persons aged 15 to under 16 may work in non-industrial settings. MOM’s page does not refer to modelling specifically. Ministry of Manpower — Employing young persons and children ↗
  • The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act protects consumers against unfair trade practices such as misleading representations or false claims, and CASE is the first point of contact for consumer complaints. CCS — About fair trading practices ↗

Under 18? Involve a parent or guardian at every step. Read the under-18 guide ↗

Official programmes

Are there model searches in Singapore?

FAQ

Modelling in Singapore, answered

Do modelling agencies in Singapore charge a fee to apply?

Basic Models Management says there is no fee to apply, and none of the other agencies listed here asks for payment on its application page. Licensed employment agencies are limited to a capped fee for placing you in a job, although it is unclear whether modelling agencies need that licence.

How old do I need to be to join a Singapore agency?

Basic Models lists 14 as the minimum age for women and 20 for men, who must have completed National Service, and asks for parental consent before offering a contract to anyone under 18. The other agencies listed here do not publish a minimum age.

Is there a height requirement?

Basic publishes guideline heights of 1.68m and above for women and 1.83m and above for men, and says its requirements vary each year. Mannequin Studio, Phantom and Faces ask for your height on their forms but state no minimum; AVE’s form does not ask for it.

When is the Basic Models open casting call?

Basic holds its open casting call every May and says the next one is in May 2027. It does not take walk-ins at the agency; you sign up on its website to be told the details.

What photos should I send?

AVE asks for four natural colour photos (head shot, profile, mid-length and full-length) rather than studio shots. Faces Talent Management says photos do not need to be professionally taken and a smartphone is fine, against a clean background.

How do I know someone really works for an agency?

Basic warns that people have posed as its agents and models on social networks, and says its genuine staff use a basicmodels.com.sg email address. Apply through the agency’s own website rather than through someone who contacts you.