In Singapore’s current pass framework, there is no standalone route called an “EntrePass investment channel” or “Startup Pass investment channel”, and no policy promising a pass for a S$500,000 commitment. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website currently lists only EntrePass, Employment Pass (EP), S Pass and their dependant passes. Drawing on the current MOM and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) texts, this article sets out the passes that actually exist — their eligibility thresholds, salary benchmarks, quotas and processes — for readers to verify.
EntrePass: Actual Eligibility Thresholds
EntrePass is for foreign entrepreneurs who intend to run a private limited company in Singapore that is “venture-backed or owns innovative technology”. There is no official “pure investment” channel, and no “annual quota” or “opening on 1 June 2026” claim.
Who Can Apply
You must meet both conditions at the same time:
- Company criteria: You have registered, or intend to register, a private limited company with ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority), hold at least 30% of its shares, and the company falls within the “venture-backed or innovative-technology” category.
- Individual criteria: Meet at least one of the following:
- Raised at least S$100,000 in a single funding round from an accredited investor for a past or current business (accredited investors include SEEDS Capital, Vertex Ventures, Startup SG Equity partners, and well-known international VCs or angel investors);
- The business is backed by a government-approved or internationally recognised incubator or accelerator (such as Startup SG Accelerator/Founder partners, Y-Combinator, MassChallenge, Alchemist Accelerator);
- You have founded and sold a venture-backed or innovative-technology business, and can provide incorporation documents, a business plan, and a share-sale agreement showing your name;
- The company holds intellectual property registered with an approved national IP office, and that IP gives the business a clear, hard-to-replicate competitive edge;
- You have substantive R&D collaboration with a Singapore institute of higher learning (IHL) or research institute (RI), in which you are personally involved, that is relevant to the business, and verified by the institution’s contact (service contracts do not count).
Source: MOM EntrePass Eligibility
Key Facts About the Pass
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum salary | No statutory minimum salary |
| First grant / first renewal | Up to 1 year |
| Subsequent renewals | Up to 2 years (subject to renewal criteria) |
| Who may apply | The applicant applies personally (not via an employer) |
| Dependant’s Pass | If eligible, you may apply for a Dependant’s Pass (DP) / Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) |
| Levy / quota | No foreign-worker levy and no quota |
| Relevant legislation | Conditions of Work Pass; Employment of Foreign Manpower Act |
Source: MOM EntrePass Key Facts
What You Must Prepare Before Applying
- Confirm your company meets the “venture-backed or innovative-technology” definition (see the FAQ)
- Prepare the required documents
- Submit your application through GoBusiness Licensing
Employment Pass (EP): The Two-Stage Eligibility Framework
The Employment Pass (EP) is for foreign professionals, managers and executives hired in Singapore. Since September 2023, a two-stage framework applies: Stage 1 salary threshold plus Stage 2 COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) points system.
Stage 1: EP Qualifying Salary (Hard Threshold)
| Sector | Current minimum qualifying salary (rises with age) | New standard from 2027/2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Non-financial services | S$5,600 (rising from age 23 to S$10,700 at age 45 and above) | S$6,000 (rising to S$11,500) |
| Financial services | S$6,200 (rising to S$11,800) | S$6,600 (rising to S$12,700) |
- Failing Stage 1 disqualifies you from an EP regardless of your COMPASS score.
- Salary is measured by fixed monthly wage and steps up by age band (below 23 to 45 and above); see the full age-band table on the MOM EP Eligibility page.
Stage 2: COMPASS Points System (Pass Mark 40 Points)
Four foundational criteria (C1–C4) plus two bonus criteria (C5, C6):
| Criterion | Core indicator | Max points |
|---|---|---|
| C1 Salary | Fixed monthly wage percentile against same-sector, same-age local PMET pay | 20 |
| C2 Qualifications | Degree-equivalent: QS top 100 / Singapore autonomous universities / industry-accredited body = 20 points; other degree-equivalent = 10 points; no degree-equivalent = 0 points | 20 |
| C3 Diversity | Candidate’s nationality share of the firm’s PMETs: <5% = 20; 5–25% = 10; ≥25% = 0 (firms with fewer than 25 PMETs default to 10 points) | 20 |
| C4 Support for Local Employment | Firm’s local PMET share percentile in its sector: ≥50% = 20; 20–50% = 10; <20% = 0 (firms with fewer than 25 PMETs default to 10 points; firms with 70% or higher local PMET share economy-wide get at least 10 points) | 20 |
| C5 Skills Bonus (Shortage Occupation List / SOL) | Job on the SOL and candidate’s nationality share <1/3 = 20; ≥1/3 = 10 | +20 |
| C6 Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus | Participation in an eligible government partnership programme = 10 (max 3 years; renewal requires C3 and C4 each ≥10 points for 3 consecutive months) | +10 |
- COMPASS exemptions: fixed monthly salary of S$22,500 or more, intra-corporate transfers from overseas, or employment of one month or less.
- Self-Assessment Tool (SAT): employers or agents can first use the SAT to gauge the outcome.
Source: MOM EP Eligibility
Key Facts About the EP
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| First grant | Up to 2 years |
| Renewal | Up to 3 years (up to 5 years for experienced professionals in shortage occupations) |
| Dependant’s Pass | Monthly salary of S$6,000 or more lets you apply for a DP for your spouse and unmarried children under 21; monthly salary of S$12,000 or more lets you apply for an LTVP for your parents |
| Levy / quota | No levy and no quota |
| Medical insurance | The employer may decide whether to buy cover |
| Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) | Before a new EP application, you must post the job on MyCareersFuture and consider local candidates fairly |
Source: MOM EP Key Facts, EP Passes for Family
S Pass: Eligibility, Quota and Levy
The S Pass is for skilled associate professionals and technicians (APT).
Salary Threshold (Rises with Age)
| Sector | Current minimum qualifying salary | New standard from 2027/2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Non-financial services | S$3,300 (rising to S$4,800 at age 45 and above) | S$3,600 (rising to S$5,100) |
| Financial services | S$3,800 (rising to S$5,650) | S$4,000 (rising to S$5,650) |
- Declaring qualifications is optional. If declared, the employer must ensure they are genuine and from an accredited institution in the form’s drop-down list.
- The SAT shows “eligible” with about a 90% chance of approval; a result of “not eligible” means you should not apply, or the pass will be rejected.
Source: MOM S Pass Eligibility
Quota (Dependency Ratio Ceiling, DRC)
| Sector | DRC (cap on foreign workers as share of total workforce) | S Pass sub-quota cap |
|---|---|---|
| Services | 35% | 10% |
| Manufacturing | 60% | 15% |
| Construction/Process | 83.3% | 15% |
| Marine | 75% | 15% |
- Local worker count is the 3-month average of the firm’s CPF contributions and is affected by the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS).
- Quotas update every Saturday and can be checked the next working day on WP Online.
Levy (Standardised from 1 September 2025)
- All sectors and all levy tiers are unified at S$650 per month (daily levy S$21.37).
- Levy liability runs from the pass start date to its cancellation or expiry and must be deducted via GIRO.
Source: MOM S Pass Quota and Levy
Key Facts About the S Pass
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| First grant | Up to 2 years (capped by passport validity, at most 1 month before passport expiry) |
| Renewal | Up to 3 years |
| Dependant’s Pass | Monthly salary of S$6,000 or more lets you apply for a DP for your spouse and unmarried children under 21 |
| Medical insurance | The employer must buy medical insurance |
| Primary Care Plan (PCP) | S Pass holders living in dormitories of 7 or more residents, or working in CMP sectors, must buy a PCP and declare it before a pass is issued or renewed |
Source: MOM S Pass Key Facts
Dependant’s Pass (DP): Uniform Eligibility
Whether the main applicant holds an EP or an S Pass, the uniform threshold for a DP is:
- The main applicant’s fixed monthly salary is S$6,000 or more (based on the individual’s pay, not combined household income)
- Sponsored by an established Singapore-registered company (usually the employer)
- Eligible members: lawful spouse, and unmarried children under 21 (including legally adopted children)
Source: MOM Dependant’s Pass Eligibility
An EP holder earning S$12,000 or more a month may apply for an LTVP for their parents; an S Pass holder has no LTVP eligibility for parents. An EP holder’s common-law spouse, unmarried children with disabilities over 21, and unmarried stepchildren under 21 may apply for an LTVP (not a DP).
Source: MOM EP Passes for Family
Common Misconceptions and What the Authorities Have Not Published
| Claim | Official position |
|---|---|
| A standalone “invest S$500,000 for a pass/residence” route | Not published by the authorities. MOM’s current pages cover only EntrePass, EP, S Pass and the like; none offers a pure investment-for-pass path. |
| An EntrePass “annual quota” | The authorities have not announced an annual EntrePass quota. |
| Permanent resident (PR) assessment details, weighting and quotas | The authorities have not announced these; ICA lists only eligibility and required documents, and does not disclose its scoring model. |
| EP/S Pass approval rates and median processing time | The authorities have not announced these; the SAT only indicates “eligible” with about a 90% chance of approval, not an official statistical commitment. |
| A “new route opening on 1 June 2026” | The authorities have not published any such effective date. |
Verification Steps Readers Can Take (Not Official Rules, Only Operational Suggestions)
- Start with the SAT: EP/S Pass SAT — if it shows not eligible, do not apply for now.
- Check the salary bands: by age and sector, compare against the EP salary table or the S Pass salary table.
- Confirm your COMPASS base score: use Workforce Insights to check your firm’s live C3/C4 scores.
- If taking the EntrePass route: confirm your company meets the “venture-backed or innovative-technology” definition and prepare the matching evidence (funding agreements, incubator support letters, IP certificates, R&D collaboration proof, etc.).
- Bringing family: once the main applicant meets the S$6,000 / S$12,000 salary thresholds, prepare the DP/LTVP documents in parallel.
- Watch the official site for updates: all thresholds, fees, quotas and forms are governed by the live pages on the MOM website.
