The Singapore EntrePass sits in an unusual spot in the work-pass landscape. It is not a salary-based pass like the Employment Pass, nor a sponsorship-light pass like the Personalised Employment Pass. It is, instead, a pass for foreign entrepreneurs who want to actively build a venture in Singapore — and the eligibility test is built around the qualities of the venture (and the founder’s track record), not a salary number. For the right founder, with a credible business and a defensible innovation story, the EntrePass can be a faster and more flexible route to operating in Singapore than waiting for the company to grow into Employment Pass salary thresholds.

This guide walks through the EntrePass framework as it applies in 2026: who qualifies under each of the seven entrepreneur, innovator, and investor criteria; what the renewal benchmarks look like; what the application file should contain; the issuance and family-pass mechanics; and the practical decision factors that determine whether EntrePass or a different route (EP via a Singapore subsidiary, or the ONE Pass) is the right answer.

If you are weighing EntrePass against the Employment Pass family, our recent comparison of EP, ONE Pass and PEP covers the salary-based options. EntrePass is the founder-focused alternative.

What is the EntrePass?

The EntrePass is a work pass issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to foreign entrepreneurs who wish to start and operate a business in Singapore that is innovation-driven, venture-funded, or based on qualifying intellectual property. It is intended for serial entrepreneurs, high-calibre innovators, and experienced investors — not for routine trading or service businesses that can be operated by a local resident.

Unlike the Employment Pass, the EntrePass is not tied to an employer (because the holder is the founder of the business). It is granted with reference to the company’s innovation profile and the founder’s track record, and its renewal is tied to defined business outcomes — local hiring, total business spending, and innovation milestones — rather than to salary.

Who is the EntrePass really for?

In practice, the EntrePass is the right pass for: founders raising or having raised meaningful institutional funding (S$100,000+ in a single round); founders backed by a recognised accelerator or incubator (Y Combinator, Techstars, Antler, and similar); founders whose company holds qualifying intellectual property (patents, copyrights of substance, registered designs); founders with a strong serial entrepreneur track record (a successful exit or institutional-backed scale-up in the recent past); and active researchers in deep-tech sectors. A sole-founder consultancy or a small services business is not the EntrePass profile — those founders should typically incorporate a Singapore company and apply for an Employment Pass under the company.

Eligibility: the seven qualifying criteria

To qualify for an EntrePass, an applicant must meet at least one of seven criteria across three categories: Entrepreneur, Innovator, and Investor. The criteria are non-cumulative — meeting one is enough — but a stronger application typically maps to two or more.

Entrepreneur criteria

  • Raised funding. The applicant has raised at least S$100,000 in a single round from a recognised venture capitalist, business angel, or government investment vehicle for a current or past business.
  • Incubator-backed. The applicant is the founder of a company being supported by a Singapore government-recognised incubator/accelerator, or by an internationally renowned one (e.g., Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Startups).
  • Founder track record. The applicant has founded and sold a business that is venture-backed, or is currently the founder of a venture-backed business with a strong commercial track record.

Innovator criteria

  • Intellectual property. The applicant holds intellectual property — registered with an approved national IP institution — that is in active commercial use by the business and core to its competitive advantage.
  • Research collaboration. The applicant has an ongoing research collaboration with a Singapore-based institution of higher learning (universities, polytechnics) or a recognised research institute.
  • Achievements in expertise. The applicant has extraordinary achievements in their field — examples include sustained recognition by industry bodies, professorships, or significant prizes.

Investor criterion

  • Investor with track record. The applicant has a strong investment track record (active angel or VC investing) and intends to make substantial investments to support an innovative business in Singapore.

The company: structure and shareholding

Beyond the applicant’s own qualifications, the underlying business must satisfy several criteria:

  • Form of entity. The business must be (or will be) a private limited company registered with ACRA. Sole proprietorships and partnerships are not eligible.
  • Age of company. If the company is already incorporated at the time of application, it must be no more than six months old. Otherwise the founder should apply for an EP via the company instead.
  • Shareholding. The applicant must hold at least 30% of the company’s shares at the time of application.
  • Business activity. The company must engage in genuine business activity — coffee shops, nightclubs, bars, employment agencies, foot reflexology, and certain other categories are excluded by MOM policy.

Note that there is no minimum salary requirement for EntrePass holders. This is a meaningful contrast with the EP route. Founders running an early-stage company with limited revenue can hold an EntrePass while drawing a modest founder salary, where the same founder applying for an EP would need to clear the S$5,600+ monthly salary threshold (scaled by age).

For more on the underlying company setup, our guide for foreigners setting up a Singapore company covers the incorporation mechanics that typically run in parallel with an EntrePass application.

EntrePass and COMPASS: an important clarification

The COMPASS framework that applies to the Employment Pass does not apply to EntrePass applications. EntrePass holders are also exempt — at the company level — from the local-share criterion in COMPASS that affects EP applications by the same company in subsequent years. This is a meaningful operational benefit: an EntrePass-led startup can hire its first foreign employees on EP without the COMPASS local-share metric creating a chicken-and-egg problem.

For the broader COMPASS framework that applies to EP applications, see our COMPASS calculator guide.

The EntrePass application process

Step 1: Build the application file

Strong EntrePass applications run to 30-50 pages of supporting documents. The core file typically contains:

  • The detailed business plan (10-30 pages) covering market opportunity, product, technology, financial model, and three-year hiring and spending plan.
  • Resume of the applicant emphasising entrepreneurial achievements, prior funding rounds, exits, and relevant industry recognition.
  • Evidence supporting the qualifying criteria — investor term sheets, share certificates from prior ventures, accelerator acceptance letters, IP registration certificates, research collaboration agreements, audited financials of prior companies, etc.
  • The Singapore company’s incorporation documents (or evidence of intent to incorporate within six months).
  • Director and shareholder details, including the applicant’s 30%+ shareholding.

Step 2: Submit via the MOM portal

The application is submitted online via the MOM EntrePass eService. The application fee is S$105 (non-refundable). The application must be submitted by the applicant directly or by an authorised employment agent on the applicant’s behalf.

Step 3: MOM evaluation

Processing typically takes around 8 weeks, although deep-tech or investor-route applications can take longer if MOM seeks additional information. In some cases, MOM conducts an interview — either with the applicant or with the recommending investor/incubator — to clarify the business plan, the funding source, or the IP claims.

Step 4: In-Principle Approval and pass issuance

If approved, MOM issues an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter. The IPA permits a single entry into Singapore for the purpose of completing pass issuance formalities. The applicant must complete pass issuance within six months of the IPA date and must be physically present in Singapore for the issuance step.

If the company has not yet been incorporated at the IPA date, it must be incorporated and the EntrePass holder’s 30% shareholding documented before pass issuance proceeds.

Validity, renewal, and the renewal benchmarks

A new EntrePass is initially issued for one year. The first renewal is also for one year. Subsequent renewals are typically granted for two years at a time. Continued renewal is conditional on the business meeting defined benchmarks, which scale up over time.

The renewal benchmarks

MOM evaluates renewals against two metrics: local employment and total business spending. The thresholds rise across renewal cycles:

  • 1st renewal (after Year 1): Hire 3 local employees, with annual business spending of at least S$100,000.
  • 2nd renewal (after Year 2): Hire 6 local employees, with annual business spending of at least S$200,000.
  • 3rd renewal (after Year 4): Hire 9 local employees, with annual business spending of at least S$300,000.

“Local employees” means Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents earning at least the prevailing Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) and contributing CPF. “Total business spending” includes operating expenses paid in Singapore (rent, utilities, salaries, services) but excludes payments to related parties and capex on items used outside Singapore. Failing to meet these benchmarks at renewal does not automatically result in cancellation, but the founder will need a credible explanation and progress narrative — repeated misses generally lead to non-renewal.

Family passes

EntrePass holders may apply for the following passes for their immediate family:

  • Dependant Pass (DP) for spouse and unmarried children under 21, available immediately upon EntrePass issuance.
  • Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) for parents and common-law partners, available after the EntrePass holder’s business has met the renewal benchmarks at first renewal stage.

Spouses on the Dependant Pass can work in Singapore, subject to obtaining a Letter of Consent (LOC) from MOM — a relatively low-friction pathway.

EntrePass vs Employment Pass: which route is right?

For a foreign founder setting up a Singapore business, two routes are typically considered: (a) incorporate the Singapore company and apply for an Employment Pass for yourself as the senior employee, or (b) apply for an EntrePass. The decision factors:

  • Salary support. If the company can support an EP-qualifying founder salary (S$5,600+ per month, scaled by age), EP is straightforward. If the company cannot — early-stage, pre-revenue — EntrePass is more realistic.
  • Innovation and funding profile. EntrePass requires the company or founder to meet one of the seven qualifying criteria. A routine consultancy or generic services business does not qualify; it must take the EP route.
  • Renewal hurdles. EP renewal is salary-and-COMPASS based. EntrePass renewal is hiring-and-spending based. For a fast-growing venture, the EntrePass benchmarks are usually achievable. For a slower-growing or pivot-prone venture, the EP route provides more flexibility.
  • COMPASS exposure. EntrePass-led companies enjoy a softer COMPASS profile when they later hire EP employees. EP-led founders face the full COMPASS framework on every hire.
  • Speed. EP processing is typically three weeks; EntrePass is around eight weeks. If timing matters and the founder qualifies for EP, EP is faster.

A pragmatic rule: if you have institutional funding, an accelerator endorsement, or a clear IP/research story, EntrePass is worth the eight weeks. If you do not, EP via the company is usually the right route. For more on the EP application criteria, see our EP criteria guide.

EntrePass and the path to PR

EntrePass holders are eligible to apply for Singapore Permanent Residency under the Professional / Technical Personnel and Skilled Worker (PTS) scheme. Time on the EntrePass counts toward the typical 2-3 year track record that the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) considers. Founders who scale a credible Singapore business, hire local employees, and demonstrate sustained tax contributions tend to receive favourable PR consideration.

Our broader PR scheme guide for working professionals applies, with the additional consideration that founders demonstrate economic contribution through job creation in addition to personal tax. For high-net-worth founders willing to commit substantial capital, the Global Investor Programme is an alternative — covered in our GIP guide.

Common reasons EntrePass applications are rejected

Across the practice, the most frequent rejection reasons are:

  • Insufficient evidence under the qualifying criteria. A vague claim of having raised “substantial funding” without the term sheet, share certificates, and bank statements documenting the investment.
  • Business plan that lacks innovation depth. A plan that reads as a generic services business rather than an innovation-driven venture. The Innovator and Investor routes require concrete evidence of differentiation.
  • Excluded business activity. Application for a business in one of the excluded categories (coffee shops, foot reflexology, employment agencies, etc.).
  • Sole-founder applications without scale plans. An application with no plan for hiring local employees or no realistic three-year financial model.
  • Mismatch between applicant and company. Applicant claiming the Innovator IP route while the IP is registered in someone else’s name, or claiming the Funded route with funding raised by a different person.

Practical tips

  • Build the application file before incorporating the Singapore company. The six-month-old age limit means you do not want to incorporate too early.
  • For the Funded route, request the investor’s term sheet, board resolution authorising the investment, and bank statement showing the funds received in a Singapore-incorporated entity.
  • For the Incubator route, get a formal acceptance letter from the incubator on the incubator’s letterhead, on the date the application is submitted (not from years prior).
  • For the IP route, ensure the IP is registered with an approved national IP institution and is in active commercial use — not a stamp on a slide deck.
  • Plan the renewal benchmarks at application stage. The hiring and spending thresholds are not optional; build the financial model around them.

Conclusion

The Singapore EntrePass is a purpose-built pass for foreign entrepreneurs whose company has the innovation, funding, or research credentials to satisfy the qualifying criteria. For founders who fit that profile, it offers operational flexibility, a softer COMPASS exposure for later hires, and a credible runway to Singapore PR. For founders who do not — particularly those running routine services businesses — the Employment Pass via the Singapore company is usually the simpler and faster route.

The application is document-heavy, the eight-week processing timeline is real, and the renewal benchmarks need to be planned for from day one. If you are evaluating EntrePass eligibility, building the application file, or planning the company structure that will sit behind the pass, the team at Raffles Corporate Services works alongside our MOM-licensed associated employment agency to advise on route selection, structure the supporting evidence, and submit the application. Our broader work pass overview is a useful starting point.

— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services