ONE Pass Singapore Explained: Eligibility, Salary, and How to Apply in 2026

For senior executives, founders and globally recognised specialists, the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) is Singapore’s most prestigious work pass. Launched in January 2023 to draw “top-tier” talent into the Republic, it is the only pass that lets a single individual work for multiple employers concurrently, start their own Singapore company, and even accept board appointments — all under one five-year permit. Three years in, the ONE Pass has quietly become the benchmark against which other global-talent visas in Asia are measured, and 2026 has introduced fresh developments that prospective applicants and employers should understand before committing.

What is the ONE Pass?

The ONE Pass is a personalised work pass administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Unlike the standard Employment Pass (EP), which ties the holder to a specific employer, the ONE Pass is granted to the individual. The holder can concurrently start, operate, and work for multiple companies in Singapore at any one time — an unusual feature among work passes in the region, and a significant advantage for portfolio executives and serial founders.

The validity period is five years from the date of issue, renewable indefinitely in subsequent five-year blocks, provided the holder continues to meet renewal criteria. A first-time ONE Pass holder can, in effect, build a long-term life in Singapore without the usual constraints of sponsor-based work passes.

Who qualifies? The two eligibility routes

MOM assesses ONE Pass applications against two alternative routes: the salary route and the outstanding achievements route. An applicant only needs to satisfy one.

Route 1: The salary route

Under the salary route, the applicant must earn, or will earn, a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000. “Fixed” means the base monthly salary excluding bonuses, allowances, and variable components.

For overseas candidates who do not yet have a Singapore employer, the salary history must be drawn from employment with an established company in the 12 months preceding the application. MOM defines an established company as one with a market capitalisation of at least US$500 million, or annual revenue of at least US$200 million. The applicant must have worked for that company for at least one year.

For candidates with a Singapore offer in hand, the prospective employer must itself meet the established-company threshold, and the future fixed monthly salary must be at least S$30,000. This is a material leap above the current EP minimum qualifying salary (S$5,600 generally, S$6,200 for financial services), putting the ONE Pass firmly in C-suite territory.

Route 2: The outstanding achievements route

Exceptional individuals who cannot meet the salary criterion may still qualify if they have “outstanding achievements” in the arts and culture, sports, science and technology, or academia and research. Examples cited by MOM include Olympic medallists, laureates of major scientific prizes, principal dancers of internationally recognised companies, and senior researchers with globally recognised impact.

Because the achievements route involves qualitative assessment by the relevant sector agencies, applications can take longer than the standard four-week processing timeline.

What a ONE Pass holder can actually do

The privileges of the ONE Pass go well beyond what an EP allows:

Work for multiple employers at once

A ONE Pass holder can hold concurrent roles across several Singapore companies without needing separate work passes. Each employer must be notified to MOM, but the pass itself is not re-issued for each role. This is especially useful for venture partners sitting on multiple boards, for fractional CXOs, and for specialists splitting time across group entities.

Start and run a Singapore company

The ONE Pass holder can incorporate and own a Singapore company, appoint themselves as director, and draw remuneration from it. They are not restricted to conventional salaried employment. This makes the ONE Pass a natural fit for founders who want operational flexibility while locking in long-term residency optionality.

Bring family on favourable terms

Legally married spouses and unmarried children under 21 (including legally adopted children) are eligible for a Dependant’s Pass (DP), and parents may be eligible for a Long-Term Visit Pass. Crucially, ONE Pass spouses can apply for a Letter of Consent (LoC) to work in Singapore — a route that has become tighter for ordinary DP holders since 2021 but remains available to ONE Pass families.

The application in practice

Applications are made through MOM’s EP Online portal. The applicant or the sponsoring company submits the application and supporting documents directly. Key items usually include:

• Passport biodata page.
• Educational qualifications and CV detailing the 12-month employment history with the established company.
• Pay slips, bank statements, or employer letters evidencing the S$30,000 monthly salary.
• For the prospective-employer route, a Singapore employment offer letter confirming fixed monthly pay.
• For the outstanding-achievements route, documentary proof of the relevant awards, rankings, or publications.

MOM aims to process complete applications within four weeks, though outstanding-achievements cases routinely take longer because they are referred to the relevant sector agency (for example, SportSG for sporting achievements or A*STAR for research).

Once the in-principle approval (IPA) is issued, the applicant enters Singapore, completes medical examinations where required, registers at MOM, and has the card physically issued. Biometric appointments and notification of any additional employers are handled through the same online channel.

Renewal: the five-year test

The ONE Pass is unusual in that it offers indefinite renewals in five-year blocks, but the renewal assessment is strict. At the end of the first five years, the holder must satisfy one of the following tests:

• Have earned a fixed monthly salary averaging at least S$30,000 in Singapore across the five-year period, or
• Have started and be operating a Singapore-based company that employs at least five local employees, each earning at least S$5,000 per month.

The S$5,000 local-employee threshold is pegged to the EP minimum qualifying salary, meaning it will track the EP floor if it rises. Founders planning to renew under the local-hiring test should therefore calibrate payroll accordingly, and should keep clear records of the employees’ monthly CPF contributions and employment terms because MOM will request them at renewal.

Tax, CPF and compliance obligations

A ONE Pass holder who becomes a Singapore tax resident (broadly, 183 days or more of physical presence in a calendar year) is taxed on Singapore-sourced employment income at the resident progressive rates, which top out at 24% for income above S$1,000,000. Non-resident periods are taxed at a flat rate or at resident rates, whichever is higher. Foreign-sourced income received in Singapore is generally exempt for individuals.

CPF contributions are not payable for the foreign employer or the foreign employee under a standard ONE Pass, but once the holder becomes a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, CPF obligations begin. For ONE Pass holders who also operate their own Singapore company, the company itself carries the usual corporate obligations — corporate income tax filing with IRAS, annual returns to ACRA, GST registration once the turnover threshold is crossed, and filings with MOM for any local or foreign staff.

How the ONE Pass compares to other Singapore work passes

The ONE Pass sits at the apex of the Singapore work-pass pyramid. For a full contrast, our overview of work passes breaks down the EP, S Pass, and Work Permit. In summary:

What’s new in 2026: the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track

In the March 2026 Committee of Supply debate, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng announced a new specialised track under the ONE Pass, the ONE Pass (AI and Tech). The track takes effect on 1 January 2027 and will fully replace the existing Tech.Pass.

Three features distinguish the new track from the main ONE Pass:

• Equity counts towards salary. Vested equity and stock options can be included in computing the S$30,000 monthly threshold, reflecting the realities of how technology executives are paid.
• Five-year validity with indefinite renewals. Tech.Pass ran on a two-year initial validity; the new track aligns with the main ONE Pass.
• Tighter eligibility evidence. Applicants will need documented leadership of teams at scale, material product impact, or research output recognised at international level.

Existing Tech.Pass holders whose passes expire after 1 January 2027 will be migrated on renewal. For founders, CTOs and AI leads currently on Tech.Pass, the transition is an opportunity to assess whether a move onto the new track is more beneficial than an EP or other route.

Common reasons applications fail

From our practice, the ONE Pass is generally approved where the documentation is in order, but the refusal cases we have seen share a few recurring themes:

• Salary composition challenged. Bonuses, allowances, and stock-based compensation dressed up as fixed salary are the single most common reason MOM rejects applications or requests clarification.
• Employer does not meet the market-cap or revenue threshold. Applicants assume the established-company test looks at the group; MOM frequently looks at the specific employing entity.
• Gap in 12-month employment. Career breaks, even brief ones, disrupt the 12-month qualifying period if not properly documented.
• Outstanding-achievements evidence too general. Applicants without the salary profile sometimes over-rely on press mentions rather than submitting specific awards or rankings assessed by the relevant sector agency.

A ONE Pass is worth preparing carefully. Because the application fee is modest, there is a temptation to try and re-try; in practice, MOM’s memory of prior unsuccessful filings makes it wiser to get the first submission right.

How Raffles can help

For senior executives and founders evaluating Singapore, the ONE Pass is the most flexible long-term option on the table. Our team routinely advises clients on salary-documentation packaging, choosing between ONE Pass and EP, structuring a new Singapore entity to support future renewal under the five-locals test, and coordinating the Dependant’s Pass and spouse Letter of Consent applications. If your circumstances might involve the incorporation of a Singapore company as the sponsoring entity, we can manage the incorporation, corporate secretarial set-up, and ongoing filings in parallel with the ONE Pass submission so that the two tracks move in step.

With the AI and Tech track launching on 1 January 2027 and tighter documentary standards across the board, 2026 is the right year to plan the move properly rather than reactively.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. For tailored guidance on the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass or any other Singapore work pass, please reach out to our team.

— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services