Singapore EntrePass

Singapore’s EntrePass isn’t a visitor pass and it isn’t a casual way to linger in the city for a few months. It’s a Ministry of Manpower work pass for foreign entrepreneurs, innovators and investors who want to start and actively run a Singapore business that’s venture-backed or built on innovative technology.

That distinction matters. A tourist or short-term visit pass is for travel, social visits and limited meetings. The EntrePass is for actually operating the company and the government checks the business model and your track record, not just your passport.

The pass is aimed at founders of Singapore-incorporated private limited companies. You’ll need to hold at least 30% of the shares in the business and the company must be or be intended to be, venture-backed or based on innovative technologies.

To qualify, you also need to meet at least one of the innovation or funding routes MOM lists. The main ones are:

• Funding: At least S$100,000 from a single funding round from recognised investors, including certain Startup SG Equity partners, other internationally known venture capital firms, corporates or angel investors.
• Incubator or accelerator support: Backing from a government-recognised or internationally known incubator or accelerator, such as Y Combinator, MassChallenge or Alchemist.
• Tech exit: A previous venture-backed or technology-owning business that you founded and sold.
• Intellectual property: Registered IP that gives the business a hard-to-copy competitive edge.
• Singapore research collaboration: A real, ongoing collaboration with a local university or research institution that involves you personally and is tied to the business.

There are also some hard exclusions. Coffee shops, hawker centres, food courts, bars, night clubs, karaoke lounges, foot reflexology and massage parlours, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal dispensing businesses, employment agencies and geomancy businesses don’t qualify.

The upside is that EntrePass can support a longer stay than a visitor pass and can be part of a broader path into Singapore’s startup ecosystem. The catch is that it’s not a soft landing. MOM expects you to run a real business and Enterprise Singapore may get involved with engagement or audit. Successful applicants are also expected to contribute to the local ecosystem, which can mean mentoring, speaking or joining startup events.

Singapore’s EntrePass isn’t for casual freelancers or people testing the waters with a side hustle. It’s built for serial entrepreneurs, high-calibre innovators and experienced investors who are starting or planning to start, a private limited company registered with ACRA.

The pass is open to all nationalities, so your passport doesn’t decide your eligibility. What matters is the business and your role in it. You need to hold at least 30% of the company and the company itself has to be venture-backed or own innovative technologies.

To qualify, you also need to fit at least one of the official tracks below:

• Funding track: You’ve raised at least SGD 100,000 in a single funding round for a past or current business.
• Incubator track: You’re backed by a government-recognised or internationally renowned incubator or accelerator.
• Founder track: You founded and sold a technology business that was venture-backed or owned innovative technologies.
• IP track: You hold IP registered with an approved national IP institution and it gives you a real competitive edge.
• Research track: You have an ongoing research collaboration in Singapore with an institution of higher learning or a research institute and the institution has to verify your involvement.

There are also clear no-go sectors. If your business is a coffee shop, hawker centre, food court, bar, night club, karaoke lounge, foot reflexology shop, massage parlour, acupuncture clinic, traditional Chinese medicine business, herbal dispensing business, employment agency or geomancy business, it won’t qualify.

On the money side, the official funding threshold is SGD 100,000 for one funding round. MOM doesn’t publish a general minimum capital requirement for EntrePass, so don’t go hunting for a hidden floor that isn’t there.

The application fee is SGD 105, the issuance fee is SGD 225 and, if you need one, the multiple journey visa costs SGD 30. If you pay by telegraphic transfer through Enterprise Singapore, the total comes to SGD 115 because of the bank fee.

MOM usually gives a decision within 6 weeks, though some cases take longer if they want more documents. The initial pass is typically valid for 1 year and renewals can stretch to 1 year first, then up to 2 years after that.

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Documents and requirements

The EntrePass isn’t a paper-shuffling visa, but Singapore still wants a tidy application. MOM cares less about your personal salary and more about whether you’ve got a real venture-backed or innovation-driven business, plus the documents to back that up.

You’ll need to start with a private limited company or a company you intend to register with ACRA. The business has to be venture-backed or own innovative technologies and you must meet at least one of MOM’s innovative criteria. The cleanest one is funding, because MOM asks for at least SGD 100,000 raised in a single round, supported by documents like investment agreements or shareholder certificates.

• Passport bio page: A clear copy of the personal particulars page.
• Business plan: In English and no more than 10 pages. It should cover your product or service, market analysis, operating plan and management team profile.
• Previous business records: If you’ve already run other ventures, include documents showing the business type and activities.
• CV and testimonials: Your resume plus any past employment testimonials, awards or recognitions.
• Company profile: Your latest BizFile business profile or instant information, if the company is already incorporated.
• Financial statement: Required if the company has been registered with ACRA for more than 12 months.
• Supporting evidence: Any extra documents that help your case, such as incubation agreements, IP certificates, research collaboration agreements or sale and purchase agreements.

That support material matters. MOM accepts proof for several qualifying routes, including backing from a recognised incubator or accelerator, a sold tech company, qualifying intellectual property or a research collaboration in Singapore. There’s no official minimum personal savings balance listed for the initial application, which is unusual and a little annoying, but that’s the rule set MOM gives.

The fees are straightforward. Application fee: SGD 105. Pass issuance fee: SGD 225. Multiple Journey Visa: SGD 30, if you need one because your passport requires a visa to enter Singapore.

MOM doesn’t publish a fixed processing time on the core EntrePass pages. In practice, applications are often described as taking about 8 weeks, but that isn’t guaranteed. If your company is older than 12 months, expect more scrutiny on the financials.

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The official EntrePass fees are pretty modest. The bigger bill usually comes from company setup, paperwork and professional help, so most applicants should budget for a low-to-mid four-figure sum in Singapore dollars during the first year.

Official government fees

• Application fee: S$105 for each EntrePass application.
• Issuance fee: S$225 when the pass is approved and issued.
• Multiple Journey Visa: S$30, if you need one.

Those are the core MOM charges for the main pass holder. Payment is handled online and MOM accepts GIRO, Visa, Mastercard and Amex.

Renewal costs

Renewing the pass uses the same issuance fee structure, so expect another S$225 when the new pass is issued, plus S$30 for a Multiple Journey Visa if it applies. The renewal application fee is usually treated like a standard application fee, but MOM’s renewal page doesn’t spell that out as cleanly as the main application page, so it’s smart to verify it right before filing.

Family member fees

• Dependant’s Pass application: S$105.
• Dependant’s Pass issuance: S$225.
• Multiple Journey Visa: S$30, if needed.

Long-Term Visit Pass fees can be similar in structure, but MOM doesn’t break out a separate EntrePass-specific fee schedule on the family eligibility pages. Check the main LTVP fee page before you apply, because that’s where the current figures live.

Typical extra costs

This is where the real spend starts. The EntrePass route requires a Singapore-registered private limited company, so many founders pay for incorporation, company secretary services, a registered address and sometimes nominee director support. Corporate service packages for foreigners often run from about S$600 to more than S$2,000, depending on how much help you need.

Health insurance is another common line item, even though MOM doesn’t set a fixed policy requirement for EntrePass holders. Private plans often land around S$1,000 to S$3,000 a year for an adult and translations, notarisation and legalisation can add a few hundred dollars more if your documents aren’t already in English.

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The EntrePass application is handled fully online through Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower portal. You can apply from overseas, which is the part most founders like, since you don’t need to be in Singapore to start the process. Approval usually takes about 6 weeks, though the official material doesn’t give a tighter guarantee for every case.

You’ll need to meet the pass’s business-based eligibility rules before you file. MOM is looking for founders who are setting up or already running, a private limited company in Singapore that’s venture-backed or owns innovative technologies. There’s no fixed salary floor and no universal paid-up capital requirement for every applicant, which makes this pass very different from an Employment Pass.

What to prepare

• Passport copy: The personal particulars page.
• Business plan: In English, 10 pages or less, covering your products or services, market analysis, operations plan and management team.
• Supporting proof: Licences, product certificates, patents or other documents tied to your venture.
• CV and testimonials: Your background, past roles, awards or recognitions.
• Company records: BizFile profile if the company is already registered, plus the latest financial statements if it’s been registered for more than 12 months.

If you’re applying under the funding route, MOM wants proof that you raised at least SGD 100,000 in a single funding round from qualifying investors. Other routes can work too, such as incubator support, a previous tech exit, relevant intellectual property or research collaboration with approved Singapore institutions. So this isn’t a one-size-fits-all cash test.

How the filing works

• Step 1: Check that your company and profile fit MOM’s eligibility rules.
• Step 2: Gather the documents and upload them with the online application.
• Step 3: Pay the SGD 105 application fee.
• Step 4: Wait for in-principle approval, then enter Singapore using that approval.
• Step 5: Complete pass issuance and biometrics in Singapore, then collect your EntrePass card.

If approved, you’ll also pay a SGD 225 issuance fee. A multiple journey visa, if needed, costs SGD 30. MOM’s main EntrePass pages say the pass can be renewed, but renewal depends on business performance and other criteria, so don’t assume you can coast on the first approval.

Singapore’s EntrePass isn’t a set-and-forget visa. It’s a renewable work pass for foreign entrepreneurs and each renewal depends on whether you still meet the Ministry of Manpower’s criteria.

The initial pass is valid for up to 1 year. The first renewal can also be granted for up to 1 year, then later renewals can run for up to 2 years at a time. MOM doesn’t publish a fixed maximum stay for EntrePass holders, so there’s no built-in end date as long as you keep qualifying.

You can start the renewal process 3 months before expiry, which is useful because you don’t want to leave this to the last minute. MOM says renewal is only possible if you meet the renewal criteria and the portal points applicants to the required supporting documents.

• Application fee: SGD 105
• Pass issuance fee: SGD 225
• Multiple Journey Visa, if needed: SGD 30

MOM says most EntrePass decisions are made within 6 weeks, though some cases take longer if the officer asks for more information or documents. That’s normal for a pass tied to a business plan, not a payroll slip.

The paperwork is heavier than a standard work pass. Expect to submit your passport details page, a business plan in English of up to 10 pages and supporting material that backs up the venture and your role in it.

• Core documents: passport particulars page, business plan, CV and past employment testimonials
• Business evidence: product or service details, market analysis, operation plan and management team profile
• Supporting proof: licensing agreements, product certificates, endorsement patents and other documents linked to the business
• Company records: Bizfile profile or instant information, plus the latest financial statement if the company has been registered with ACRA for more than 12 months
• Extra route-specific evidence: investment agreements, shareholder certificates, incubation agreements, sale-and-purchase agreements, IP registration or research collaboration agreements

MOM’s EntrePass pages don’t say the pass automatically leads to permanent residence or citizenship. If that’s your end goal, you’d still need to look at a separate PR application later, assuming you’re eligible.

EntrePass doesn’t get you a special tax break. For tax, Singapore treats you like any other foreigner working here, so your bill depends on the normal individual rules, not the pass itself.

The first question is residency. IRAS counts you as a tax resident if you’re a foreigner who stayed or worked in Singapore for at least 183 days in the preceding calendar year, stayed continuously for 3 consecutive years or met the 183-day rule across 2 calendar years in a qualifying case. If you miss those tests, you’re a non-resident for that year of assessment.

That matters because the rates are different. Residents are taxed progressively, with the top marginal rate at 24%. Non-residents usually pay a flat 15% on employment income or resident rates, whichever is higher and other income such as director’s fees is typically taxed at 24% unless a tax treaty says otherwise.

• Short-stay relief: If you work in Singapore for no more than 60 days in a calendar year, your Singapore employment income can be exempt under a specific concession.
• Singapore-sourced income: Salary from your Singapore company, director’s fees and similar pay are generally taxable here.
• Foreign-sourced income: For individuals, overseas income received in Singapore is generally not taxable, even if it’s paid into a Singapore bank account, unless one of IRAS’s specific exceptions applies.

That last point is where people get sloppy. If your foreign income is tied to a Singapore partnership, incidental to your Singapore job or part of a Singapore trade that also carries on overseas work, it can become taxable. If it’s truly separate foreign income, IRAS says you usually don’t need to declare it in your individual return.

Own the company too and you’ve got another layer. A Singapore-resident company is taxed at 17% and foreign-sourced dividends, branch profits and service income can be exempt if all 3 section 13(9) conditions are met. Double-tax agreements can also soften the blow, but they depend on your residency status and the type of income, not on being an EntrePass holder.

The bottom line is simple, if annoying: the pass doesn’t change the tax rules. Your days in Singapore, where the income comes from and whether you qualify for treaty relief do.