Tech.Pass

Tech.Pass for senior tech talent (ceases Jan 2027)

Based on current EDB and MOM pages: Tech.Pass eligibility, renewal and dependant rules, replaced by ONE Pass (AI and Tech) from 28 January 2027.

Pass & Permit Desk 7 min read

Tech.Pass is a personalised work pass jointly introduced by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), for globally established tech talent (founders, leaders or technical experts) who may conduct multiple economic activities in Singapore at the same time. Under a MOM parliamentary statement in March 2026, Singapore will launch a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track on 28 January 2027, from which point MOM/EDB will no longer accept new Tech.Pass applications or renewal applications. Existing pass holders may hold their pass until expiry; those who qualify may consider switching to ONE Pass (AI and Tech) or another work pass.

Key features

  • Personalised pass: Not tied to a single employer. The holder may take on multiple roles at the same time — found and run one or more tech companies; be employed by one or more Singapore tech companies; act as an adviser, mentor or teach at a local institute of higher learning; or serve as a director of one or more Singapore companies.
  • No re-application needed for role changes: Switching between the above activities does not require a new pass application.
  • Dependant’s Pass: The holder may apply for a Dependant’s Pass (DP) or Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) for spouse, children and parents. A legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21 (including legally adopted children) qualify for a DP; a cohabiting spouse, unmarried disabled children over 21, unmarried stepchildren under 21, and parents qualify for an LTVP.
  • Validity: First approval is for up to 2 years; meeting the renewal criteria allows a further approval of up to 2 years.
  • No foreign worker levy or quota requirements.

Eligibility (first application)

You must meet both of the following conditions:

  1. Salary threshold: Fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 (or equivalent foreign currency) drawn in the most recent month within the 1 year before application. Other sources of income (including non-cash components) are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Senior leadership experience: At least 5 years in total over the past 10 years in a leadership role at one of the following entities:
    • (i) a tech company with a valuation/market capitalisation of at least US$500 million or cumulative fundraising of at least US$30 million; or
    • (ii) a tech venture capital firm with assets under management (AUM) of at least US$500 million.

Note: The authorities have not published a detailed definition of “leadership role” (such as number of direct reports, user numbers, or product decision rights), nor specified that company valuation and product data must be verified through Crunchbase, PitchBook or a particular analytics platform. Applicants should assess themselves against the two mandatory criteria listed by the authorities.

Renewal criteria

At renewal you must meet any one of the following conditions (based on the most recent Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) Notice of Assessment):

  1. Taxable income: Taxable income of at least S$270,000 in the assessment year (salary and/or business income both count); or
  2. Business expenditure and local hiring: Total business expenditure of at least S$100,000 for the year, and employment of at least 1 local PME (Singapore citizen/PR, fixed monthly salary ≥ S$3,900, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions ≥ 3 months) or 3 LQS (Singapore citizen/PR, monthly salary ≥ S$1,600, CPF contributions ≥ 3 months); or
  3. Funding milestone: A privately held company limited by shares incorporated in Singapore, with a core product that is a digital/tech product, that has raised more than US$10 million in investment financing cumulatively over the past 36 months, and has received investment from at least one scheme-recognised investment firm (no minimum amount). The applicant must hold ≥ 30% equity and demonstrate that the business is in continuous operation.

Not published by the authorities: The renewal approval rate, median processing time, proportion triggering additional documents, or any extra requirement such as “must participate in ecosystem activities every year”. The three paths above are all the renewal routes listed in the source material.

Dependant’s Pass arrangements

A Tech.Pass holder may apply for a DP or LTVP for family members. The qualifying relatives are as follows:

  • A legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21 (including legally adopted children) qualify for a DP; a cohabiting spouse, unmarried disabled children over 21, and unmarried stepchildren under 21 qualify for an LTVP.
  • Parents qualify for an LTVP.
  • The DP/LTVP validity tracks the main pass validity, or the shorter of the application period.
  • A DP holder may apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) to work in Singapore; an LTVP holder who meets the conditions may also apply to work in Singapore (see the MOM LTVP work page).

Application and renewal access

Policy transition timeline

  • From 28 January 2027: MOM/EDB will stop accepting new Tech.Pass applications and renewal applications.
  • From the same date: The new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track opens for application, offering more favourable terms.
  • Existing Tech.Pass holders: May hold their pass until the expiry date; those who qualify before expiry may consider switching to ONE Pass (AI and Tech) or another work pass.
  • The authorities have not published the specific salary threshold, experience requirements, scoring mechanism or dependant pass details for ONE Pass (AI and Tech); please refer to the official MOM/EDB pages to be released at that time.

Official reference pages

Briefs filed under the same topic.