The Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass, known as the ONE Pass, is Singapore’s immigration route for top talent in business, the arts, sport, science and technology, and academia.
Unlike the Employment Pass, it is tied to the individual rather than to an employer, so a holder can change jobs, work for several companies at once, and start their own. This guide sets out the two qualifying routes, the documents each requires, the application steps, and how the pass compares with the alternatives.
Key facts about the ONE Pass
- The pass targets top talent in business, arts and culture, sport, science and technology, and academia and research.
- Unlike the Employment Pass, it is a personalised pass tied to the individual, so holders do not reapply when they change jobs.
- It is valid for five years and can be renewed on meeting the renewal criteria.
- Holders can register a company in Singapore and run it, and can work for several companies at once.
- High earners and established corporate executives can live in Singapore without first securing a job here.
- Holders can bring certain family members, and a spouse can work on a Letter of Consent.
- Eligibility is demanding, and there are two separate routes to qualify.
S$30,000
Fixed monthly salary on the salary route
5 years
Validity, renewable in five-year blocks
4 weeks
Typical processing time
S$330
Total government fees
Benefits of the ONE Pass
The pass carries six advantages that no other Singapore work pass combines, and most of them follow from the fact that it attaches to the person rather than to a job.
Operate a company
Holders can incorporate and run a Singapore company, subject to the conditions set out below.
Employment flexibility
Holders can work for several Singapore companies concurrently, which no employer-tied pass permits.
Family can join
Certain family members can come to Singapore on a Dependant Pass or a Long-Term Visit Pass.
No COMPASS assessment
Holders are outside the Complementarity Assessment Framework, the points-based system that applies to Employment Pass candidates.
No job advertising
Employers hiring a holder are not subject to the Fair Consideration Framework advertising requirement.
Spouse can work
A holder’s spouse can work in Singapore on a Letter of Consent, rather than needing their own work pass.
Who qualifies for a ONE Pass
Applicants of any nationality can apply, whether they already hold a Singapore work pass or are applying from overseas. Candidates on both routes must represent one or more of the following fields: arts and culture, sport, science and technology, or academia and research.
There are two separate routes to the pass, and each has its own qualification requirements. Meeting either one is sufficient.
Route 1: based on salary
To qualify under the salary route, the applicant must meet both of the following criteria.
- Either earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000, or its equivalent in foreign currency, within the past one year; or will earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 under a future employer based in Singapore.
- Demonstrate that they have been working for an established company overseas for at least one year, or will be working for an established company in Singapore. Existing Singapore work pass holders instead need to show that they worked for any company in Singapore for at least one year, or will work for an established Singapore company.
What counts as an established company
A company with a market capitalisation of at least US$500 million, or an annual revenue of at least US$200 million.
How the salary is counted
The fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 should come from one employer. Other sources of income may be considered, but only on a case-by-case basis.
Route 2: based on outstanding achievements
The other route is through the applicant’s past outstanding achievements. Candidates with outstanding achievements in their area of expertise can apply even though they do not meet the salary criterion above.
Applicants must submit:
- A detailed CV, covering academic qualifications, professional experience and accomplishments.
- A letter of endorsement from a local host research institution, meaning an Autonomous University or A*STAR, before they will be considered under the outstanding achievement track for academia and research.
What counts as an outstanding achievement
There is no precise and unambiguous definition. MOM determines it case by case. Some possible examples:
- Candidates in arts and culture who have received prestigious regional or international prizes for excellence in artistic endeavours.
- Candidates in sport, including athletes, coaches and other sports professionals, with a proven track record such as prize places in competitions, either individually or as part of a team.
- Candidates in research and academia, or science and technology, who can demonstrate a proven record of impactful outcomes from their research, which may include international recognition of scientific and academic leadership.
The ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track
A third route is on the way. At the Ministry of Manpower Committee of Supply in March 2026, the Ministry announced a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track, opening in January 2027. It replaces the Tech.Pass, which has until now been the Economic Development Board’s route for senior technology talent.
What is confirmed:
- The new track sits inside the ONE Pass framework rather than alongside it, and is aimed at pinnacle talent in artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies.
- EDB stops accepting new and renewal Tech.Pass applications from 28 January 2027.
- Existing Tech.Pass holders can remain on their pass until it expires, and can then consider the new track or another work pass.
- MOM has said the track will offer more attractive terms than the Tech.Pass.
If you are weighing this up now
The Tech.Pass remains open until late January 2027, and the existing ONE Pass routes are unaffected. Reporting suggests the new track may allow vested equity to count towards the salary threshold, which would matter for candidates whose pay is equity-weighted, but MOM had not published the track’s duration, renewal terms or full application guidance at the time of writing. Anyone whose decision turns on those details should confirm the current position with MOM before committing to a route.
Documents required
What you submit depends on your route and, within the salary route, on where you earned the salary. The passport biodata page is required in every case.
| Your situation | Documents to submit |
|---|---|
| Salary route, earned in Singapore over the past year | Passport biodata page. Monthly payslips for 12 consecutive months. Most recent tax statements from IRAS. Supporting documents for any income beyond fixed monthly salary, if relevant. |
| Salary route, earned overseas over the past year | Passport biodata page. Monthly payslips for 12 consecutive months. Employment verification from a background screening company. Supporting documents for other income, if relevant. Evidence of the employer’s valuation, market capitalisation or annual revenue, dated within the last three months, or the employer’s latest audited profit and loss statements. |
| Salary route, prospective Singapore employer | Employment contract with a Singapore organisation, or a letter of offer. Evidence of the prospective employer’s valuation, market capitalisation or annual revenue, dated within the last three months, or its latest audited profit and loss statements. |
| Outstanding achievements route | Payslips from the latest month. Supporting documents for other income, if relevant. A CV setting out key achievements. Academia and research candidates must also list significant publications, patents or technology disclosures from the past five years, and provide an endorsement letter from a local host institution. |
Where company financial evidence is needed, MOM accepts data from recognised sources such as Pitchbook, Bloomberg, Crunchbase, Yahoo Finance and Google Finance, among others.
Application process
The candidate can apply directly, or an authorised agency can apply on their behalf. No sponsoring employer is required. The process runs to seven steps.
Submit the application
The candidate or their agent completes the application form and pays the S$105 application fee. Most applications are processed within four weeks. Applications on the outstanding achievements route can take longer where further assessment by the relevant agencies is required.
Receive the In-Principle Approval letter
The In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter doubles as a pre-approved single-entry visa. It gives the candidate six months to enter Singapore and have the pass issued, and states whether a medical examination is required.
Enter Singapore
The candidate must meet Singapore’s prevailing entry requirements on arrival.
Ask the Employment Pass Services Centre to issue the pass
The candidate books an appointment at the Employment Pass Services Centre within six months of the In-Principle Approval, and brings:
- The In-Principle Approval letter
- Their original passport
- An email address and local mobile number
- Their residential address in Singapore
- Details of their current Short-Term Visit Pass or immigration pass
- A completed Medical Declaration Form, if applicable
- A local delivery address for the pass card, and the contact details of at least one authorised recipient
A S$225 issuance fee is payable, plus S$30 for a multiple journey visa if one is wanted.
Receive the notification letter
The notification letter is valid for one month and allows the holder to work and to travel in and out of Singapore while waiting for the card. It also states whether fingerprint registration and a photograph are required.
Register fingerprints and photograph, if required
New candidates, and those who last registered more than five years ago, must attend the Employment Pass Services Centre within two weeks of the pass being issued, by appointment, bringing their original passport, appointment letter and notification letter.
Receive the pass card
The card arrives within five working days of registration or document verification.
Starting your own company
Unlike Employment Pass holders, ONE Pass holders can set up a company in Singapore, and the incorporation process is the same as it is for locals.
The constraint arrives at renewal rather than at incorporation. MOM has indicated that company-related factors are taken into account when renewing the pass of a company owner. In particular, the company is expected to employ at least five locals earning a minimum of S$5,000 per month, or whatever the Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary is at the time.
Passes for family members
ONE Pass holders can bring family members to Singapore. Which pass applies depends on the relationship.
| Family member | Pass |
|---|---|
| Legally married spouse | Dependant Pass |
| Unmarried children under 21, including those legally adopted | Dependant Pass |
| Common-law spouse | Long-Term Visit Pass |
| Unmarried handicapped children aged 21 and above | Long-Term Visit Pass |
| Unmarried stepchildren under 21 | Long-Term Visit Pass |
| Parents | Long-Term Visit Pass |
Full details of the immediate family route are on the Dependant Pass page. Note the distinctive feature of the ONE Pass: a spouse can work on a Letter of Consent rather than having to obtain their own work pass.
Renewing the pass
The pass runs for five years and can be renewed repeatedly in five-year blocks, provided the renewal criteria are met. The criteria differ by route.
| Route | Renewal criteria |
|---|---|
| Salary route | Either an average fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 over the past five years in Singapore, or a Singapore company that the holder has incorporated and operates which employs at least five locals earning a minimum of S$5,000 per month, or whatever the Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary is at the time. |
| Outstanding achievements route | Assessed on continued contribution. See the note below on published guidance. |
MOM collects renewal information annually rather than only at the five-year point. Holders must report their professional activities over the past year and the total salary earned from all of them. Where MOM judges that a holder is not making a meaningful economic contribution, the pass can be revoked, which ends the holder’s right to reside in Singapore and affects any dependants.
Converting from an Employment Pass
Existing Employment Pass holders can move to a ONE Pass by satisfying either qualifying route.
- Salary route: a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 within the past year, or that salary under a future Singapore employer.
- Outstanding achievements route: outstanding achievements in business, arts and culture, sport, science and technology, or academia and research.
How the ONE Pass compares
The table below sets the ONE Pass against the three other Singapore passes aimed at senior talent and founders.
| ONE Pass | Employment Pass | Personalised Employment Pass | EntrePass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Validity | 5 years, renewable | Up to 2 years, renewable up to 3 | 3 years, not renewable | 1 year, then renewable |
| Who it targets | High-earning executives with a year at an established company, and individuals with outstanding achievements in arts, sport, science and technology, or academia | Foreign professionals, managers and executives with a Singapore job offer | High-earning Employment Pass holders and overseas professionals | Founders of an innovative Singapore company that is venture-backed or holds intellectual property |
| Salary criterion | S$30,000 fixed monthly, past year or prospective | From S$5,600 fixed monthly, rising with age and higher in financial services | S$22,500 fixed monthly | None. Assessed on business track record |
| Employer tied | No | Yes. A new pass is needed on changing employer | No | Tied to the holder’s own company |
| Scope of rights | Can concurrently start, operate and work for multiple Singapore companies | Can work for one employer | Can change employers without reapplying, and stay up to six months between jobs, but cannot run a business | Can run only the one qualifying company |
Full detail on each is on the Personalised Employment Pass and EntrePass pages.