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If you want to build a startup in Singapore and eventually call it home, the EntrePass is often the pass that gets you started. It is the Ministry of Manpower's work pass for foreign entrepreneurs running a business that is venture-backed or built on innovative technology. Unlike most work passes, it comes with no minimum salary, but it does ask you to prove that your business is the kind of company Singapore wants to grow.
This guide explains what the EntrePass is, who qualifies, and how renewal actually works in 2026. Most importantly, it covers how a founder on an EntrePass can build a strong case for Permanent Residence (PR), which is the part where most guides stop short. We also show where the EntrePass ends and the Global Investor Programme (GIP) begins, so larger investors know when they have outgrown it.
All eligibility, fee, and renewal figures below come from MOM and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and are current as of 2026. MOM revises its renewal criteria periodically, so always confirm the latest numbers on the MOM website before you apply.
What is the EntrePass?
The EntrePass (short for Entrepreneur Pass) lets an eligible foreign entrepreneur start and operate a business in Singapore. MOM designed it for founders of companies that are venture-backed or own innovative technologies, so it suits serial entrepreneurs and experienced innovators rather than someone opening a conventional shop or service business.
A few features set it apart from other Singapore work passes:
- No minimum salary. There is no stipulated salary you must pay yourself, which matters for early-stage founders who reinvest everything into the business. Compare that with the Employment Pass, which starts at S$5,600 a month in 2026.
- Open to all nationalities. You apply for yourself directly, rather than needing an employer to sponsor you.
- No foreign worker levy or quota. You are not counted against any quota, and there is no monthly levy.
- Enterprise Singapore co-evaluates. MOM assesses EntrePass applications together with Enterprise Singapore, which looks at the strength and potential of your business. Enterprise Singapore may also contact holders later for engagement or audit.
A new EntrePass, and your first renewal, are each valid for up to one year. Later renewals can run up to two years. The pass rewards businesses that keep growing, which is exactly why the renewal criteria get steeper over time.
Who qualifies: EntrePass eligibility and requirements
To meet the EntrePass requirements, you have to satisfy two things at once: a company condition and at least one entrepreneur or business credential.
The company condition
You must have started, or intend to start, a private limited company registered with ACRA in which you hold at least 30% of the shares. The company must be venture-backed or own innovative technologies.
There is one trap worth flagging early. If your registered company is more than 12 months old at the point you apply, MOM assesses you against the tougher renewal criteria rather than the entry criteria. In practice, this means you should apply before you incorporate, or while the company is still young. We come back to this in the pitfalls section.
One of the five entrepreneur criteria
On top of the company condition, you must meet at least one of the following:
- Raised funding of at least S$100,000 in a single funding round from an eligible investor, such as a government-recognised accelerator, a Startup SG Equity partner, or a well-known venture capital firm, corporate investor, or angel.
- Backed by an incubator or accelerator that is government-recognised or internationally renowned. Examples include Startup SG Accelerator and Startup SG Founder partners, as well as programmes like Y Combinator, MassChallenge, or Alchemist Accelerator.
- Founded and sold a tech business that was venture-backed or built on innovative technology. You will need proof such as incorporation documents and the sale and purchase agreement.
- Hold intellectual property (IP) registered with an approved national IP institution that gives your business a real, hard-to-replicate advantage.
- Ongoing research collaboration with a local institute of higher learning, a research institution such as A*STAR, or a CREATE institution. It must involve you, relate to your business, and be verified by a contact at the institution. A plain contract for services does not count.
Businesses that are not eligible
Some business types are excluded regardless of how well funded they are. MOM does not accept EntrePass applications for coffee shops, hawker centres, or food courts; bars, nightclubs, or karaoke lounges; foot reflexology or massage parlours; acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, or herbal dispensing; employment agencies; or geomancy. If your idea falls into one of these categories, the EntrePass is not the route.
How to apply and what it costs
You apply directly to MOM, either before you incorporate or while your company is still under 12 months old. Because Enterprise Singapore co-evaluates the application, a clear business plan backed by credible funding evidence and a realistic hiring roadmap will help your case.
On the money side, MOM charges S$225 to issue the pass, plus S$30 per Multiple Journey visa if you need one. An assessment fee applies on top for new applications; confirm the exact figure on MOM's EntrePass eServices page, since some third-party summaries quote numbers that drift out of date. Most applications are processed within eight weeks, and the In-Principle Approval is valid for three months.
One common point of confusion: the COMPASS points-based framework does not apply to the EntrePass. COMPASS governs Employment Pass approvals, so if you read an EntrePass "guide" that walks you through COMPASS scoring, it is conflating the two passes. The EntrePass is assessed on your business and entrepreneur credentials, co-evaluated by Enterprise Singapore, not on a points sheet.
Once approved, you can bring family, but only after your business hits certain milestones. Your spouse and children can join you on a Dependant's Pass if your business records total business spending of S$100,000 with one local employee in the qualifying workforce (or if you meet an alternative bar, such as having founded and sold two or more venture-backed companies, raised more than S$2 million, or holding two or more deep-tech IPs). Parents require S$200,000 in spending with two local employees, and are sponsored on a Long-Term Visit Pass rather than a Dependant's Pass. For the full picture on eligibility and what each pass allows, see our Dependant's Pass guide and Long-Term Visit Pass guide.
Renewing your EntrePass: business spending and local hiring milestones
This is where the EntrePass gets serious, and it is the part most guides get wrong or leave vague. To renew, your company has to meet a rising Total Business Spending (TBS) target and hire a growing local workforce, with the bar climbing at each renewal cycle.
You can start your renewal application from three months before the pass expires. You must own at least 30% of the company and have created a personal profile and claimed your company's profile on the Startup SG Network. The company must be an active ACRA-registered private limited company, still venture-backed or innovative-tech, and able to submit its latest financial statements.
MOM's spending and hiring thresholds climb with each renewal cycle. As of January 2026, the ramp runs as follows (verify the latest figures with MOM before you rely on them). The 1st renewal sets no business-spending or local-workforce target. The 2nd renewal requires S$100,000 in annual total business spending and 1 local worker; the 3rd, S$200,000 and 2; the 4th, S$300,000 and 3; the 5th, S$400,000 and 4. From the 6th renewal the bar jumps to S$700,000 and 5 local staff; the 7th, S$750,000 and 6; the 8th, S$800,000 and 7; the 9th, S$900,000 and 8; the 10th, S$1,000,000 and 9; and the 11th, S$1,150,000 and 10. The PME salary threshold that qualifies a local hire is S$3,900 a month for the first five cycles and S$4,700 from the sixth.
A couple of definitions matter here. Total Business Spending is your total operating expenses, minus overseas royalties, franchise and technical fees, overseas outsourcing, and any pay drawn by the EntrePass holders themselves. It also excludes the cost of goods sold, personal expenses, and residential rental.
Local workforce is counted as the number of qualifying local professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), plus the number of Local Qualifying Salary employees divided by three (up to a maximum of 12 such employees). A PME here is a Singaporean or PR who meets the cycle's basic salary threshold, has at least three months of CPF contributions, and is on your direct payroll.
Note the salary threshold above: a PME counts if they earn at least S$3,900 a month in the first five cycles, rising to S$4,700 from the sixth cycle. You may see older articles quoting a figure like "S$1,400 a month" for a local hire. That number is outdated and does not reflect MOM's current PME threshold, so do not plan around it.
EntrePass vs Employment Pass: which should a founder choose?
Many founders ask whether to go for an EntrePass or simply set up a company and put themselves on an Employment Pass (EP). Both are legitimate, but they suit different businesses. Here is the EntrePass vs Employment Pass comparison at a glance.
The short version: if your business is genuinely innovative or venture-backed and you can show funding, IP, or incubator support, the EntrePass rewards that story with no salary floor and a clear scaling path. If your business is a solid but conventional service company that turns a profit, it is often simpler to incorporate and run it on an EP, where there is no innovation test to pass. For a deeper look at that route, see our Employment Pass Singapore guide.
From EntrePass to PR: the founder's pathway
Here is the question that brings most founders to this page: can an EntrePass holder apply for PR, and how? The answer is yes. The EntrePass is a valid entry pass under the Professionals, Technical personnel and Skilled workers (PTS) scheme, the same PR channel used by EP, S Pass, and PEP holders. Holding an EntrePass puts you in the queue; the strength of your business is what moves you up it.
ICA assesses PR applications holistically. It weighs your economic contribution, the local jobs you have created, your tax contributions, your age and qualifications, your family ties, and how long you have lived here. There is no fixed minimum holding period written into the rules, but successful founder applicants usually show sustained business performance and integration over several years rather than one good quarter.
This is where the EntrePass and PR line up neatly. The very metrics MOM asks you to hit for renewal, growing business spending and a growing local workforce, are the same factors ICA reads as positive signals for PR. Every local PME you hire, and every year of real revenue and tax paid, builds evidence that you are contributing to Singapore's economy. Running your EntrePass business well is, in effect, your PR strategy.
Founders are read a little differently from salaried applicants. An EP holder builds a PR case mainly on personal salary, seniority, and length of stay. A founder can point to something an employee cannot: a company that pays Singaporean salaries, contributes CPF, files corporate tax, and creates jobs that did not exist before. Used well, that is a stronger economic-contribution story, provided you can evidence it.
A few things strengthen a founder's PR profile in particular:
- Genuine local job creation, ideally beyond the minimum needed for renewal.
- A clear tax and revenue track record that shows the business is real and durable.
- Personal integration, such as time spent in Singapore, community involvement, and family based here.
- A realistic timeline. Most founder applicants who succeed have run the business for a few years and can show a clear upward trend rather than one strong year. Applying at your first renewal, with limited trading history, is usually premature.
When you are ready to apply, our Singapore PR application guide walks through the documents and process, and our broader business immigration hub covers the wider picture for founders and investors. If an application does not go your way the first time, our note on PR appeals for entrepreneurs and investors explains how to strengthen and resubmit your case.
When to consider the GIP instead
The EntrePass is built for founders operating a business day to day. If you are a larger investor prepared to commit substantial capital, Singapore's Global Investor Programme (GIP) offers a more direct route to PR, tied to a sizeable business or fund investment rather than to running an operating startup yourself. Think of the GIP as the step-up option once your ambitions, and your cheque, have outgrown what the EntrePass was designed for. If you are weighing a large investment against building a startup on an EntrePass, it is worth mapping both paths before you commit.
Common pitfalls to avoid
A surprising number of EntrePass problems are avoidable. Watch for these.
- Applying with an excluded business. Coffee shops, bars, massage and reflexology, TCM, employment agencies, and geomancy are not eligible. Check the list before you build a plan around the pass.
- Applying too late. If your company is already more than 12 months old, you are assessed on the harder renewal criteria, not the entry criteria. Apply before you incorporate, or while the company is still young.
- Weak funding or credential evidence. Vague claims do not carry an application. Have concrete proof: a signed term sheet, IP registration, an incubator acceptance letter, or a sale and purchase agreement from a prior exit.
- A thin local-hiring plan. Renewal depends on hiring a growing local workforce and lifting business spending. Founders who ignore this early get caught out at their second or third renewal.
- Underestimating the renewal ramp. The spending and hiring bar keeps climbing, all the way to S$1.15 million and ten local staff by the eleventh cycle. Plan your growth so each renewal is achievable well before the deadline arrives.
Frequently asked questions
What are the EntrePass requirements in Singapore?
You must have, or intend to start, an ACRA-registered private limited company in which you hold at least 30%, and the company must be venture-backed or own innovative technologies. On top of that, you must meet at least one of five criteria: raised at least S$100,000 in a single funding round, backing from a recognised incubator or accelerator, a prior venture-backed business you founded and sold, registered intellectual property, or an ongoing research collaboration with a Singapore institution.
Is there a minimum salary for the EntrePass?
No. Unlike the Employment Pass, the EntrePass has no stipulated minimum salary. This makes it well suited to early-stage founders who are reinvesting in the business rather than paying themselves a large salary.
How long is an EntrePass valid?
A new EntrePass and your first renewal are each valid for up to one year. Subsequent renewals can be issued for up to two years, provided you keep meeting the business-spending and local-hiring criteria for your renewal cycle.
How much does an EntrePass cost?
MOM charges S$225 to issue the pass, plus S$30 per Multiple Journey visa if required. A separate assessment fee applies for new applications, so check MOM's EntrePass eServices page for the current amount before you apply.
Can an EntrePass holder apply for PR in Singapore?
Yes. The EntrePass is a valid entry pass under the PTS scheme, the same channel EP and S Pass holders use to apply for PR. ICA assesses applications holistically, and for founders, local job creation and economic contribution are strong positive factors. Building a business that hires locally and pays tax over several years is the most reliable way to strengthen a founder's PR case.
Ready to plan your move from EntrePass to Permanent Residence? Speak with our Singapore PR specialists to map your founder's pathway and give your application the strongest possible case.
This guide is for general information and reflects MOM and ICA rules current as of 2026. Eligibility criteria, fees, and renewal thresholds are revised periodically, so always verify the latest figures on the official MOM and ICA websites before you apply.
