Singapore EntrePass vs Singapore Tech.Pass
A factual side-by-side comparison of two residency programmes. All figures are drawn from the canonical program pages — follow either link in the table header for sources and the full profile.
Singapore EntrePass Singapore · entrepreneur | Singapore Tech.Pass Singapore · skilled worker | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Singapore | Singapore |
| Category | Entrepreneur | Skilled Worker |
| Application Fee | $150 | $244 |
| Minimum Income | — | $16,650 /mo |
| Minimum Investment | — | — |
| Processing Time | 2 months | 2 months |
| Family Included | Dependant's Pass available for spouse and children under 21; Long-Term Visit Pass available for parents and parents-in-law. | Spouse and children may be sponsored on a Dependant's Pass; parents may be sponsored on a Long-Term Visit Pass, each subject to separate Ministry of Manpower criteria and fees. |
| Path to PR | Yes — 2 years | Yes — 2 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 8 years | Yes — 8 years |
| Physical Presence | Must actively manage the business in Singapore; substantial physical presence required for renewal. | Must be substantively based in Singapore to sustain the qualifying leading-role/business activity; no explicit minimum day-count is published, but renewal requires demonstrating continued economic engagement with Singapore. |
| Dual Citizenship | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Tax Impact | Singapore taxes income sourced in Singapore; foreign-sourced income remitted to Singapore may also be taxable. No capital gains tax. | Holders who spend 183+ days/year in Singapore are Singapore tax residents, taxed on Singapore-sourced income at progressive rates (0-24%); foreign-source income not remitted to Singapore is generally exempt. No capital gains tax. |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 183 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Territorial | Territorial |
| Renewal Cost | $150 | $244 |
About Singapore EntrePass
The Singapore EntrePass is an entrepreneur route for founders launching innovative, scalable Singapore companies. Its defining eligibility: the business must be venture-backed (by a MOM-recognised, MAS-licensed investor), incubator-supported, or IP-driven, and the applicant must incorporate a private limited company and hold at least 30% shareholding; hawker, food-court, and employment-agency businesses are excluded. There is no minimum salary, though personal financial viability is assessed. The application fee is about SGD 105 (~USD 150), with realistic first-year costs of SGD 10,000–20,000, and MOM targets eight-week processing. Spouse and children under 21 receive Dependant's Passes and may work. Permanent residency can be sought after two years and citizenship around eight years—but PR is discretionary, and Singapore does NOT allow dual citizenship, so naturalisation requires full renunciation. Renewal is not automatic and demands demonstrable business progress. Singapore taxes on a territorial basis (no capital gains tax), and a Startup Tax Exemption gives 75% relief on the first SGD 100,000 of income for three years.
Full Singapore EntrePass profile →About Singapore Tech.Pass
Tech.Pass is Singapore's open, employer-independent work pass for senior technology leaders, founders, and investors, administered by the Economic Development Board (EDB). Unlike the Employment Pass or EntrePass, Tech.Pass is not tied to any single employer or company — holders can simultaneously found and run one or more tech companies, work as an employee, serve as a consultant, mentor, or lecturer, and sit on company boards, all under one pass. Eligibility requires both a last-drawn fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 22,500 and at least 5 cumulative years in a leading role at a company valued above US$500 million (or with US$30 million+ raised) or a tech investment firm managing US$500 million+. The pass is issued for 2 years initially and can be renewed once for another 2 years — a maximum of 4 years total — after which holders must transition to another long-term Singapore status such as the Employment Pass or permanent residency. Renewal requires meeting one of three continued-engagement tests tied to income, business spending and local hiring, or funding raised.
Full Singapore Tech.Pass profile →Gotchas to Watch For
Singapore EntrePass
- ⚠The "VC funding" qualifier must be from a MOM-recognised, MAS-licensed investor — a term sheet from an unrecognised angel or family investment will be rejected
- ⚠EntrePass renewal is NOT automatic — MOM expects demonstrable business progress at each renewal. No progress = no pass
- ⚠Singapore does NOT allow dual citizenship — naturalisation requires full renunciation
- ⚠There is no minimum salary requirement for EntrePass (unlike Employment Pass) — but personal financial viability is assessed
- ⚠EntrePass holders do NOT qualify for CPF contributions (personal) — no CPF for your own retirement unless hiring Singapore citizens/PRs
- ⚠Business plan must show Singapore-specific operations; companies that simply "relocate" without local activity are rejected
- ⚠Spouse/children on Dependant's Pass can work in Singapore (spouse may apply for Letter of Consent to work without separate EP)
Singapore Tech.Pass
- ⚠Fixed salary excludes bonus, variable pay, and equity — many senior tech hires with heavy equity compensation will fail the SGD 22,500 fixed-salary test even at much higher total comp.
- ⚠The track-record test requires 5 CUMULATIVE years at qualifying-scale companies within the past 10 — time at smaller or earlier-stage companies doesn't count, even if impressive.
- ⚠Maximum total duration is 4 years (2+2) — unlike the ONE Pass, Tech.Pass is not designed for indefinite renewal; plan your longer-term Singapore status (EP, PR) before it expires.
- ⚠No employer sponsors this pass, which also means no employer safety net — the holder is personally responsible for all fees and for maintaining eligibility.
- ⚠EDB launched Tech.Pass with an initial cap of 500 places on a first-come-first-served basis — confirm current intake/quota status before assuming automatic acceptance.
Neutral reference — we don't recommend one programme over another. Programmes change: always verify each detail against the official source linked on the individual program pages.