Singapore EntrePass 2026: Eligibility, Application & Renewal Guide

The EntrePass is Singapore’s work visa for foreign entrepreneurs — and unlike the Employment Pass, it has nothing to do with COMPASS scores, qualifying salaries, or shortage occupation lists. It is a different beast entirely, designed for one specific type of applicant: a foreigner who wants to start, operate, and scale a Singapore-based business that is venture-backed, innovative, or research-driven.

Since the major eligibility refresh in 2017, the EntrePass has been narrowly tailored to serial founders, investors, and high-calibre innovators. Most “vanilla” SMEs — F&B outlets, retail, professional services, traditional consulting — will not qualify. If you are looking to set up a corner café, the EntrePass is not the route; you would be better served by an Employment Pass route through your own Singapore company.

This guide walks through the 2026 EntrePass eligibility criteria, the supporting evidence the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) expects, the renewal milestones that increase materially over time, and the practical pitfalls that cause applications to fail at submission or first renewal.

Who the EntrePass is for

EntrePass eligibility is built around four profile categories. You must fit at least one of them, and you must demonstrate it through documentary evidence — not just narrative.

1. Funded entrepreneurs

Applicants who have raised at least S$100,000 in a single funding round from a recognised venture capital firm or business angel for their past or current business. The funding must come from an investor that MOM recognises — typically a registered VC firm with a track record, not a friend-and-family round.

2. Incubator-supported entrepreneurs

Applicants whose business is supported by a government-recognised or internationally renowned incubator or accelerator. Examples include Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Global, and Singapore-based programmes endorsed by Enterprise Singapore. A letter of admission to the cohort is generally required.

3. Successful entrepreneurs

Applicants with a track record of founding and selling a venture-backed business, or significant entrepreneurial achievements that can be evidenced (e.g. industry awards, exits, recognised media profile).

4. Innovators and Researchers

Applicants who hold an intellectual property registered with an approved national IP institution, or who hold ongoing research collaborations with an A*STAR research institute or Singapore Institute of Higher Learning, or who possess extraordinary technical expertise in their domain.

Company eligibility: what your Singapore entity must look like

Before you apply for the EntrePass, you need a Singapore vehicle. The basic requirements:

• A private limited company registered with ACRA (sole proprietorships and partnerships do not qualify)
• The applicant must hold at least 30% of the shares in the company
• The company must have at least S$50,000 paid-up capital
• The company must be incorporated for less than 6 months at the time of application — or it must be incorporated as part of the application process (you can apply before registering, then have 6 months to register if approved)

The 6-month rule trips up many applicants who incorporate first, run for a year on a tourist visa, then try to convert. If your Singapore company is older than 6 months, you may need to use a different work pass route. For background on incorporation choices, see our guide on how foreigners can start a business in Singapore.

Excluded business activities

MOM publishes a list of business activities that do not qualify for the EntrePass. The exclusions reflect the policy intent that the scheme is for innovation and venture-led businesses, not lifestyle or services-only operations. The excluded list typically covers:

• Coffee shops, food courts, hawker centres, foodcourts, eating houses, bars, lounges, karaoke lounges, night clubs
• Foot reflexology, massage parlours
• Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine
• Herbal dispensing businesses
• Employment agencies (which are licensed by the MOM separately under the Employment Agencies Act)
• Geomancy

If your business idea sits in any of these categories, an EntrePass is not viable, regardless of how well-funded you are. You would need to consider Employment Pass via your own incorporated entity, or another route entirely.

EntrePass vs Employment Pass: a quick comparison

Founders often ask whether to apply for an EntrePass or set up a company and apply for an Employment Pass for themselves. Both work, but they suit different profiles:

For most founders running a “boring” but legitimate business — bookkeeping, consulting, trading — Employment Pass through your own Singapore company is the simpler route. For more on this comparison and how COMPASS works, see our Employment Pass vs ONE Pass vs PEP guide and our EP COMPASS framework guide.

The application process

EntrePass applications are submitted via the MOM EntrePass online portal. The fees and timelines are:

• Application fee: S$105 (non-refundable)
• Issuance fee on approval: S$225 (S$150 for the pass and S$30 multiple journey visa where applicable)
• Processing time: Up to 8 weeks
• Validity on first issuance: 1 year

The application package includes the company business plan, financial projections, evidence supporting whichever profile category you fit (term sheet, incubator letter, IP registration), the applicant’s CV, and educational and professional credentials. The business plan is the single most important document — MOM officers want to see how the business will create value, employ Singaporeans, and scale.

Renewal: where most EntrePass plans fall over

The EntrePass starts as a 1-year pass, and renewal hurdles step up materially over time. This is where many applicants discover the scheme is more demanding than they expected:

“Local employees” means Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who earn at least the prevailing local qualifying salary (currently S$1,600 per month for FTEs and S$3,500+ for PMEs, indexed periodically) and who receive CPF contributions for the qualifying months. You must maintain these headcounts for at least 3 months before the renewal date.

The business spending threshold counts only operational expenses (rent, salaries, utilities, marketing, professional fees) — director’s fees, dividends, and money paid to related parties typically do not count.

Bringing your family to Singapore

One important EntrePass quirk: unlike Employment Pass holders, EntrePass holders cannot bring family members from day one. Spouses and children can only be sponsored on a Dependant’s Pass after the EntrePass holder has cleared the first renewal benchmarks (S$100,000 cumulative spending and 3 local FTEs or 1 PME).

This is a major consideration for founders relocating with families. If your spouse needs to be in Singapore from the start, an Employment Pass route is preferable, since EP holders earning S$6,000+ per month qualify their families for Dependant’s Passes immediately. For background on dependant pass and family-related options, our colleagues at Singapore Employment Agency have a detailed guide.

Pathway to PR

EntrePass holders are eligible to apply for Singapore Permanent Residence after they have built a meaningful track record — typically two or more renewal cycles with stable business performance and a record of contributing to the Singapore economy via employment and tax contributions. The Global Investor Programme (GIP) is a separate, more demanding route that EntrePass holders sometimes graduate into if their business scales successfully.

For the PR route, see our Singapore PR application guide on this site for how the application is assessed.

Common reasons EntrePass applications get rejected

From our experience supporting clients through EntrePass applications, the most common rejection reasons are:

• Profile mismatch: The business is legitimate but does not fit any of the four profile categories — no VC funding, no recognised incubator, no IP, no exit history
• Business activity excluded: The proposed business falls into the excluded list (F&B, traditional services, etc.)
• Weak business plan: Generic business plan with no innovation thesis, no clear market, vague employment projections
• Insufficient evidence: Funding letter from an unrecognised investor, incubator letter from a non-approved programme
• Company structure issues: Less than 30% shareholding, paid-up capital below S$50,000, or company older than 6 months at application
• Founder credibility: CV does not support the entrepreneurship narrative — career gaps, no relevant experience, no successful track record

If you are concerned about any of these issues, fix them before applying rather than learning by rejection. A second application after a first rejection faces a higher bar.

Practical next steps

If you are seriously considering an EntrePass, the typical sequence is:

1. Confirm you fit at least one profile category and have documentary evidence
2. Confirm the business activity is not on the excluded list
3. Prepare a robust business plan with 12-month and 36-month financial projections, organisational chart, and milestone roadmap
4. Set up the Singapore private limited company with at least S$50,000 paid-up capital (we typically recommend S$100,000+ to demonstrate seriousness)
5. Engage a corporate secretary to maintain ACRA filings and statutory registers from incorporation onwards
6. Submit the application via the MOM EntrePass portal
7. Plan ahead for the first renewal milestones — start hiring local talent within the first 8-9 months

Once approved, focus heavily on building the business case for Year 2: hire early, document spending carefully, and keep clean accounts. We see many founders who scrape past the first renewal but find the second renewal at S$200,000 spending and 6 local FTEs (or 2 PMEs) genuinely demanding.

Conclusion

The EntrePass is a powerful but narrow visa designed for a specific type of founder — one whose business is innovation-led, venture-backed, or research-driven. For founders who fit the profile, it is one of the best startup visas globally, with no minimum salary, a clear path to PR, and visibility into renewal expectations. For founders who do not fit, an Employment Pass route through their own Singapore company is usually faster and more flexible.

If you are weighing whether the EntrePass is the right route, or whether incorporation plus EP makes more sense for your situation, our team at Raffles Corporate Services can help you evaluate both options, set up the Singapore vehicle, and handle the corporate secretarial work that supports either visa pathway. We can also coordinate with our affiliated employment agency for the work pass application itself.

— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services