The Global Investor Programme (GIP) is administered by Contact Singapore, a division of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). It is a route to Singapore permanent residence (PR), not a work pass. The GIP factsheet, updated 5 May 2025, opens with a disclaimer: nothing in it undertakes that the programme will remain available, that any application will be approved, or that any Re-Entry Permit (REP) renewal will be approved.
Who qualifies: four investor profiles
You apply under one of four profiles, and the profile decides which investment options are open to you.
- Established Business Owners — at least 3 years of entrepreneurial and business track record; a company with annual turnover of at least S$200 million in the year immediately preceding the application and at least S$200 million per annum on average for the three preceding years; at least 30% shareholding if the company is privately held; the company must be in one or more industries listed in Annex B of the factsheet. You may consolidate up to 2 of your companies to meet the turnover test, provided each is in an Annex B industry. If your company is publicly listed, you must be one of its largest individual shareholders.
- Next Generation Business Owners — your immediate family holds at least 30% of the qualifying company or is its largest shareholder; turnover of at least S$500 million in the year immediately preceding the application and S$500 million per annum on average over the preceding three years; you are part of the management team (C-suite or board); the company is in an Annex B industry.
- Founders of Fast Growth Companies — you are a founder and one of the largest individual shareholders of a non-publicly listed company valued at at least S$500 million, the company is invested in by reputable venture capital or private equity firms, and it operates in an Annex B industry.
- Family Office Principals — at least 5 years of entrepreneurial, investment or management track record, and net investible assets of at least S$200 million. Net investible assets include bank deposits, capital market products, collective investment schemes, premiums paid on life insurance policies and other investment products, excluding real estate; Contact Singapore reserves judgement on suitability.
Established Business Owners, Next Generation Business Owners and Founders of Fast Growth Companies may use Option A, B or C. Family Office Principals may use Option C only.
Your spouse and unmarried children below 21 as at the date of application submission can be included as dependants. Your parents and unmarried children aged 21 and above as at that date cannot; they can apply for a Long Term Visit Pass instead, which is tied to the validity of your REP.
The three investment options
Option A — S$10 million into a Singapore business. You invest minimally S$10 million in a new business entity or in the expansion of an existing business operation in Singapore. You must submit a detailed 5-year business or investment plan with projected employment, expenditure and financial projections, using Form B of the GIP application form at edb.gov.sg/gip. EDB assesses the plan on its feasibility, your role in growing the Option A company, the business activities and the creation of local jobs. You need at least 30% shareholding in that company, you must be part of its management team, and it must be in an Annex B industry. Retrospective investments, meaning paid-up capital already in the Option A company, can count toward the investment condition.
Option B — S$25 million into a GIP-select fund. The fund invests in Singapore-based companies. The investment must be made from your personal bank account in your sole name, opened with a bank registered in Singapore. Choosing a fund is your own decision, and the fund list is on edb.gov.sg/gip. EDB assesses GIP-select funds on investment and operational capability, but selection is not an endorsement, and Contact Singapore accepts no liability for claims or losses arising from your investment. You may be asked to share any other business plans you have for Singapore.
Option C — a Singapore-based Single Family Office (SFO) with at least S$200 million in assets under management. Minimally S$50 million must be transferred into Singapore and deployed in EDB specified investments; the factsheet lists equities listed on Singapore approved exchanges among these. You submit a detailed 5-year business plan with projected employment and annual financial projections, assessed on your role in the SFO, its functions, your proposed investment sectors, asset types, geographical focus and philanthropy interest. Offshore assets can qualify toward the S$200 million AUM, provided at least S$50 million of investible assets has been transferred into and held in Singapore upon Approval-in-Principle. At least S$50 million must be deployed in the specified investments no later than 12 months from the Final Approval of your PR, and maintained throughout the validity of your REP.
Steps from application to permanent residence
- Submit the completed GIP application forms, online and hardcopy, to EDB.
- Attend an interview with EDB.
- If you meet the assessment criteria, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) issues an Approval-in-Principle (AIP) valid for 6 months.
- Fulfil the investment condition under your selected option within 6 months from the date of the AIP letter.
- Provide evidence of the investments and submit the Investment Undertaking on the terms and conditions of the investment.
- Once EDB verifies the documents, ICA issues the Final Approval letter. Option C applicants must show that at least S$50 million has been deployed into the specified investments no later than 12 months from the Final Approval date.
- Formalise your PR within 12 months from the date of the Final Approval letter.
GIP processing takes approximately 12 months. That is subject to complete submission of all required supporting documents at the point of application, and the application is subject to due diligence checks.
What EDB asks for after the AIP
After the AIP, EDB emails you the investment required and the full document list. The list is at Contact Singapore’s discretion and may differ by applicant, option and time of submission. All three options require an original signed Investment Undertaking and an original signed Statutory Declaration on the information and documents provided.
Option A adds the latest ACRA Bizfile record of your Option A company, a certified true copy of its ordinary share certificates by the company’s corporate secretary, and an original bank reference letter for its Singapore corporate bank account showing the account holder’s full name, the UEN tied to the account, account type and account number.
Option B adds an original bank reference letter for your personal Singapore bank account (full name, passport number, account type, account number), original bank statements or credit and debit advice proving the investment, and a certified true copy of the fund’s share certificate or subscription agreement, certified by the GIP-select fund manager.
Option C adds the latest ACRA Bizfile of your registered SFO, documents showing ownership of the fund vehicles holding the S$200 million, bank reference letters for the fund vehicles and the SFO, bank statements showing at least S$200 million of net investible assets in total, and a notarised copy of the Investment Management Agreement showing that your SFO manages those vehicles.
Building the Singapore side of the file
The fixed parts are set by the factsheet: a Singapore entity (new, or an existing operation being expanded), at least 30% shareholding, a management role for you, an Annex B industry, a 5-year plan with projected employment, expenditure and financial projections, and a 6-month window after the AIP to produce hard-copy evidence.
The rest is sequencing, and this part is desk practice rather than EDB rule. Incorporate early enough that the ACRA Bizfile and the corporate bank account exist before the AIP arrives, because the 6-month clock starts at the AIP letter. Line up the corporate secretary in advance, since share certificates must be certified by that officer. Keep one consistent set of figures across the business plan, the Bizfile and the bank evidence. Tell EDB at contactsingapore@edb.gov.sg if your correspondence address changes after submission.
The ICA stage: documents, fees, processing
The PR itself is an ICA application, under the category “foreign investor in Singapore”.
Documents must be certified true copies of the originals, with official translations for anything not in English. ICA accepts translations from the embassy of the country or place that issued the document, from a notary public in Singapore or in the issuing country or place, and private translations attested by that embassy or notarised by such a notary. ICA does not endorse any private translation company, and insufficient documentation may result in non-acceptance of the application. Use the official PR document checklist.
Fees are S$100 for each application at submission, and at completion of formalities S$20 for the Entry Permit, S$50 for a 5-year Re-Entry Permit and S$50 for the Singapore Identity Card. All fees are non-refundable. Payment is online by Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card, American Express credit card, Internet Direct Debit (DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB and Standard Chartered Bank internet banking accounts in Singapore), or PayNow. Successful applicants are notified of other applicable fees later.
ICA processes PR applications within 6 months, provided all required documents are submitted and are in order; some applications take longer. You are told the outcome by email, or by post for applications submitted before 26 June 2024, and you can check status on MyICA or the ICA e-Service. Every person added as an applicant must review the form using Singpass, or unique login credentials provided by ICA if ineligible for Singpass; Singpass account approval may take 2 to 5 working days, so register before you start.
ICA takes into account family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residency. ICA assesses these factors to evaluate the applicant’s ability to contribute to Singapore and integrate into society. ICA also states that it has no affiliation with any external migration agency or commercial entity claiming to be a Singapore immigration specialist, consultant or partner, and does not endorse services by self-proclaimed professional immigration consultancies for PR applications.
After PR: REP renewal and National Service
Formalised PRs receive a REP valid for 5 years. Apply for renewal through ICA’s Electronic Re-Entry Permit System; the window opens 3 months before expiry. The REP lapses if you apply after the validity period, and without a valid REP you lose your PR once you leave Singapore. Under the GIP factsheet, the REP is renewed if you meet the renewal criteria by the 5th year of your PR, and for each option the criteria begin with having fulfilled the investment conditions under that option.
Male applicants carry a National Service (NS) liability. Under the Enlistment Act 1970, all male Singapore citizens and permanent residents must serve NS unless exempted. Male children who obtain PR as your dependant are liable; male dependants whose spouse is the main applicant may be liable. Registration is at 16 and a half years old, with enlistment scheduled at the earliest opportunity upon reaching 18. MINDEF allows studies up to the ‘A’ Levels certificate, a polytechnic diploma or an equivalent pre-tertiary qualification before enlistment, and does not grant deferment for university studies regardless of whether they have begun: if PR is granted mid-degree, studies must be disrupted if they cannot be completed before the enlistment date. Default carries on conviction a fine not exceeding S$10,000, imprisonment not exceeding 3 years, or both.
Renouncing or losing PR without serving or completing full-time NS seriously and adversely affects future applications to work or study in Singapore or for any long-term immigration facility, and also affects family members’ applications, their ability to sponsor facilities, their REP renewals and their citizenship applications. All male applicants must consult www.cmpb.gov.sg before proceeding.
If you later apply for citizenship
Citizenship is a separate ICA application. You are eligible if you have been a PR for at least 2 years and are aged 21 and above, or if you have been a PR for at least 2 years and have been married to a Singapore citizen for at least 2 years. Other routes cover unmarried children below 21 of a Singapore citizen, PR students in Singapore who have lived here for more than 3 years with at least 1 year as a PR and have passed a national exam or are in the Integrated Programme, and PRs who are aged parents of a Singapore citizen of at least 21. ICA applies the same set of factors as for PR.
Processing takes within 12 months, and within 1 month for children born overseas to Singapore citizens, provided documents are complete and in order. Fees for adult PRs are S$100 per application, plus S$70 for the Singapore Citizenship Certificate and S$10 for the Identity Card for new citizens aged 15 and above; overseas-born children of citizen parents fall under separate fee lines on the ICA page. New citizens aged 16 to 60 must complete the mandatory Singapore Citizenship Journey programme.
FAQ
Can my family be included in the GIP application? Your spouse and unmarried children below 21 as at the date of application submission can be included as dependants. Your parents and unmarried children aged 21 and above cannot; they can apply for a Long Term Visit Pass tied to the validity of your REP. Male children who obtain PR as your dependant will be liable for National Service.
How long do I have to make the investment? The AIP is valid for 6 months, and you must fulfil the investment condition within 6 months from the date of the AIP letter. Option C carries a second deadline: at least S$50 million must be deployed in EDB specified investments no later than 12 months from the Final Approval of your PR.
Can offshore assets count toward Option C? Yes. Offshore assets can qualify as part of the S$200 million AUM requirement, provided at least S$50 million of investible assets has been transferred into and held in Singapore upon Approval-in-Principle of your PR.
Are the ICA fees refunded if the application is not approved? No. All fees are non-refundable.
Does ICA publish how it weighs the assessment factors? No. ICA lists the factors it considers and publishes no weighting, score or quota.
Official sources
- Becoming a Permanent Resident (ICA)
- ICA PR document checklist (PDF)
- Becoming a Singapore Citizen (ICA)
- ICA Singapore Citizenship document checklist
- Global Investor Programme factsheet, EDB, updated 5 May 2025 (PDF)
- Global Investor Programme (EDB)
- ICA Electronic Re-Entry Permit System
- MyICA application status