Singapore Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass)

Key facts about the EntrePass

• Candidates must have already completed, or intend to complete, company registration in Singapore. If the company is already registered it cannot be more than six months old, and a candidate whose company is older than that should apply for an Employment Pass instead.
• Candidates must meet at least one of seven qualifying criteria, grouped into three profiles.
• A new EntrePass is issued for one year. The first renewal is valid for a further year, and all renewals after that are valid for two years.
• Eligible holders can bring certain family members into Singapore on a Dependant Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass, subject to business spending and hiring thresholds.
• EntrePass holders can apply for permanent residence in Singapore in due course.

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Eligibility criteria

Three baseline conditions apply to every applicant, and on top of those the candidate must satisfy at least one of seven specific criteria.

Baseline conditions

• The candidate must have already registered, or intend to register, a private limited company in Singapore. If already incorporated, the company can be no more than six months old.
• The candidate must relocate to Singapore to run the new company.
• The company must be innovative and must have the ability to create local employment in Singapore.

The three qualifying profiles

Beyond the baseline, the candidate must meet at least one of the following as an Innovator, an Entrepreneur or an Investor. Meeting one criterion is enough; there is no requirement to satisfy more than one, and no requirement to fit more than one profile.

Profile	Qualifying criteria, any one of which is sufficient
Innovator	The company holds intellectual property that cannot be easily replicated. The company has a research collaboration with a Singapore university or a research institution under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). The company can show outstanding achievements and exceptional expertise in its industry.
Entrepreneur	The company has raised at least S$100,000 from a Singapore government accredited venture capital firm or business angel. The company is a participant at a government supported incubator. The candidate has an exceptional business network and a successful track record of starting highly scalable businesses.
Investor	The candidate has a successful track record of investing in businesses.

Businesses that do not qualify

To qualify under this scheme the business must be innovative in nature. Routine businesses do not qualify. Examples of businesses that are not eligible for the EntrePass include:

• Coffee shops, hawker centres and food courts
• Bars, nightclubs and karaoke lounges
• Foot reflexology and massage parlours
• Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine and herbal dispensing businesses
• Employment agencies

Application procedure

Unlike the Employment Pass, no sponsoring employer is involved. The candidate applies directly, and the process runs to seven steps.

Renewing an EntrePass

A new EntrePass is valid for one year. If the first renewal is approved the pass is extended for a further year, and all subsequent renewals run for two years. Renewal is where the EntrePass differs most sharply from other work passes: you are assessed on what the business has done, not on what you earn.

To renew, holders must:

• Show documented proof of ongoing business activity as set out in the original business plan.
• Own at least 30% of the company’s shares.
• Meet the corresponding minimum annual business spending and local employment requirements below.

Years holding an EntrePass	Minimum annual business spending	Local employees required
1	None	None
2	S$100,000	3 local full-time employees, or 1 local professional, manager or executive
4	S$200,000	6 local full-time employees, or 2 local professionals, managers or executives
6	S$300,000	9 local full-time employees, or 3 local professionals, managers or executives
8	S$400,000	12 local full-time employees, or 4 local professionals, managers or executives

Minimum spending requirements exclude the following, which is the detail founders most often miss when planning their cost structure:

• Expenses incurred to purchase royalties or franchises, and technical know-how fees paid to overseas companies.
• Expenses incurred in outsourcing work overseas.
• Total payments to the company’s own EntrePass holders.

A local full-time employee is a Singapore citizen or permanent resident who earns at least the prevailing Local Qualifying Salary and receives CPF contributions for at least three months. A local professional, manager or executive is a citizen or permanent resident earning at least the corresponding higher monthly threshold, also with three months of CPF contributions. Both figures are revised periodically, so confirm the current values with MOM before relying on them.

Renewal procedure

MOM sends the renewal forms to the holder within three months of the pass expiring. Along with the completed forms, the holder must submit:

• The most recent audited financial statements
• All employees’ CPF statements, CPF being the Central Provident Fund, Singapore’s compulsory retirement savings scheme
• The office lease agreement
• The latest company registration information from ACRA

The following optional documents can be submitted in support:

• Corporate bank statements for the past three months
• Referral letters from customers
• Recent invoices issued
• Contracts awarded

The forms and supporting documents must reach MOM’s Work Pass Division at least two months before the EntrePass expires. In most cases MOM processes the renewal within eight weeks.

Cancelling an EntrePass

If an EntrePass holder closes the business, the pass must be cancelled. The holder, a company representative or a registered employment agent can do this. All family passes associated with the EntrePass are cancelled at the same time.

Once the pass has been cancelled, the holder must settle any outstanding income taxes and obtain tax clearance from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). The card must be returned to MOM’s Work Pass Division within one week of cancellation.

Replacing an EntrePass card

If a card is stolen, lost or damaged, the holder must apply for a replacement within one week. Where the card was stolen, the application must include a police report, in English or translated into English.

If the holder is overseas when the card is lost, they should notify MOM immediately. MOM will then issue a letter allowing them to enter Singapore.

Replacement applications are submitted through the myMOM Portal, and a non-refundable fee applies:

Circumstance	Replacement fee
Damaged card	S$60
First lost card	S$100
Each subsequent lost card	S$300

If approved, MOM issues a card replacement letter with collection instructions. The holder then has four working days to collect the new card at the Employment Pass Services Centre. No appointment is needed, but they must bring the original passport, the card replacement letter, the damaged card where applicable, a completed declaration form for lost or stolen cards, and the police report for stolen cards.

If a lost card is later found, it must be returned to MOM.

Notifying MOM of changes

An EntrePass holder must notify MOM if any of the following change.

• The business activity
• The company name or its financial information
• The company address
• The holder’s salary
• The holder’s occupation
• The holder’s residential address
• The holder’s personal particulars

Passes for family members

Family members can enter Singapore under a Dependant Pass or a Long-Term Visit Pass. Unlike the Employment Pass, where eligibility turns on the holder’s salary, EntrePass sponsorship depends on what the business has spent and who it has hired.

Family member	Pass	Minimum business spending	Local hiring requirement
Legally married or common-law spouse, and children	Dependant Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass, depending on the relationship	S$100,000	3 local full-time employees, or 1 local professional, manager or executive
Parents	Long-Term Visit Pass	S$200,000	6 local full-time employees, or 2 local professionals, managers or executives

The same spending exclusions apply as at renewal: overseas royalties, franchise and technical know-how fees, overseas outsourcing, and payments to the company’s own EntrePass holders all fall outside the calculation.

Which relatives qualify for which pass

A Dependant Pass covers a legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21, including those legally adopted. A Long-Term Visit Pass covers a common-law spouse, unmarried handicapped children over 21, unmarried stepchildren under 21, and parents.

Whether family members can work

Before 1 May 2021, a Dependant Pass holder could work in Singapore provided they obtained a Letter of Consent (LOC). Since 1 May 2021, Dependant Pass holders who wish to be employed must apply for an applicable work pass instead, such as an Employment Pass, S Pass or Work Permit. Dependant Pass holders who wish to operate a business in Singapore can still apply for an LOC, and existing Dependant Pass LOC holders can continue working until their LOC expires.

Long-Term Visit Pass holders may work in Singapore provided they obtain their own work pass.

EntrePass to permanent residence

In due course, EntrePass holders become eligible for permanent residence through the Professionals, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers scheme. Applications are made to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) rather than MOM.

ICA evaluates each candidate on age, educational background and length of stay in Singapore, among other criteria. It also takes into account the financial health of the candidate’s company. When applying, EntrePass holders should be able to show that they are running a sound business that contributes to Singapore’s economy and society.