The Global Investor Programme (GIP) Option A is the EDB route for investing at least S$10 million in a new business entity or in the expansion of an existing business operation in Singapore. The GIP is administered by Contact Singapore, a division of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). It can lead to Singapore Permanent Residence (PR) if the applicant meets the assessment criteria and completes the required investment and formalities. This article sets out what the current EDB factsheet says about Option A, and what official sources do not say.
Who can use Option A?
Option A is open to three GIP profiles: Established Business Owners, Next Generation Business Owners, and Founders of Fast Growth Companies. Family Office Principals are limited to Option C, not Option A.
For Established Business Owners, the factsheet requires:
- At least 3 years of entrepreneurial and business track record.
- The applicant should currently be running a company with annual turnover of at least S$200 million in the year immediately preceding the application.
- At least S$200 million per annum on average for the 3 years immediately preceding the application.
- If the company is privately held, at least 30% shareholding.
- The company must be in one or more industries listed in Annex B of the factsheet.
For Next Generation Business Owners, the factsheet requires:
- The applicant’s immediate family must have at least 30% shareholding, or be the largest shareholder, in the company used to qualify.
- That company’s annual turnover must be at least S$500 million in the year immediately preceding the application.
- The company must have at least S$500 million per annum on average for the 3 years immediately preceding the application.
- The applicant must be part of the management team, such as C-suite or Board of Directors.
- The company must be in one or more Annex B industries.
For Founders of Fast Growth Companies, the factsheet requires:
- The applicant must be a founder and one of the largest individual shareholders of a non-publicly listed company.
- The company must have a valuation of at least S$500 million.
- The company must be invested into by reputable Venture Capital or Private Equity firms.
- The company must be in one or more Annex B industries.
The factsheet also allows up to 2 companies to be consolidated to meet the minimum turnover criteria. Each company must be in one or more Annex B industries. If the company is publicly listed, the applicant must be one of its largest individual shareholders.
What Option A itself requires
Option A has its own investment and assessment rules. The applicant must demonstrate an investment of at least S$10 million in a new business entity or in the expansion of an existing business operation in Singapore.
The applicant should have at least 30% shareholding in the Option A company and must be part of its management team, such as C-suite or Board of Directors. The Option A company must be engaged in one or more industries listed in Annex B of the factsheet.
Applicants must submit a detailed 5-year business or investment plan. The plan must include projected employment, expenditure, and financial projections for the Option A company. The factsheet refers to Form B of the GIP Application Form for these projections.
EDB assesses the business plan on its feasibility, the applicant’s role in growing the Option A company, the business activities, and the creation of local jobs. The factsheet does not set out a fixed job-creation number; the projected employment figures belong in the 5-year plan.
How the process runs
The EDB factsheet lists the steps to PR through the GIP:
- Submit the completed GIP Application Forms online and in hardcopy to EDB.
- Attend an interview with EDB if invited.
- If EDB assesses that the applicant meets the criteria, ICA issues an Approval-in-Principle (AIP).
- The AIP is valid for 6 months.
- Fulfil the investment condition under the selected option within 6 months from the date of the AIP letter.
- Submit evidence of the investment and the Investment Undertaking on the terms and conditions of the investment.
- EDB verifies the investment documents.
- ICA issues the Final Approval letter.
- Formalise PR within 12 months from the date of the Final Approval letter.
The factsheet states that a GIP application takes approximately 12 months to process. That timing is subject to complete submission of all required supporting documents at the point of application and to due diligence checks.
ICA’s PR page directs foreign investors to EDB for the GIP. It also states that ICA considers factors such as family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of residency.
Documents required after AIP for Option A
After AIP, Option A applicants must demonstrate the S$10 million investment in the Option A company within the 6-month period of the AIP PR status. The factsheet states that retrospective investments, meaning paid-up capital in the Option A company, can be considered towards fulfilling the investment condition.
The generally required documents include:
- Original signed Investment Undertaking for the investment in the Option A company.
- Original signed Statutory Declaration on the information and documents provided to fulfil post-AIP investment obligations under the GIP.
- Latest ACRA Bizfile record of the Option A company in Singapore.
- Certified true copy of the ordinary share certificate(s) of the Option A company, certified by the company’s corporate secretary.
- Original bank reference letter certifying that the Option A company’s corporate bank account in Singapore has been satisfactorily conducted by the bank.
- The bank reference letter should include the full name of the account holder, the UEN number tied to the bank account, the account type, and the account number.
The factsheet says this list may differ depending on the applicant, the investment option selected, and the time of submission. Contact Singapore may revise the required documents depending on the investment option selected.
PR formalities and Re-Entry Permit
Once EDB receives the signed Investment Undertaking and documentary evidence, ICA issues the Final Approval of PR. The applicant must formalise PR within 12 months from the date of the Final Approval letter.
Upon formalisation, the applicant is issued a Re-Entry Permit (REP) valid for 5 years. The REP allows the PR to maintain PR status when out of Singapore. Without a valid REP, the factsheet says the PR will lose PR status once the person leaves Singapore.
For a 5-year renewal, the factsheet states that Option A applicants must have fulfilled the investment conditions under Option A. The factsheet sets out the remaining renewal criteria, so applicants should check the current factsheet before relying on any renewal condition.
What official sources do not state
These official pages do not publish approval rates, rejection rates, median processing times, applicant counts, or a fixed job-creation quota for Option A. They also do not set out a percentage split of the S$10 million across capital expenditure, operating costs, or working capital. Treat those figures as unsupported unless a current official page states them.
ICA also states that it has no affiliation with any external migration agency or commercial entity that claims to be a Singapore immigration specialist, consultant, or partner. ICA does not support or endorse services by self-proclaimed professional immigration consultancy service providers for PR applications.
