Both Tech.Pass and EntrePass let foreign tech founders build a business in Singapore, but they are built for different profiles. Tech.Pass targets established global tech talent who want flexibility across multiple roles. EntrePass targets entrepreneurs who will operate a venture-backed or innovative-technology business incorporated in Singapore. The sections below compare the two on the points that decide which one fits your situation.
What each pass is for
Tech.Pass is a visa for established global tech talent — entrepreneurs, leaders or technical experts — to take on multiple economic activities and plug into Singapore’s tech ecosystem (EDB).
EntrePass is a work pass for serial entrepreneurs, high-calibre innovators or experienced investors who want to operate a business in Singapore that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies (MOM).
The practical difference: Tech.Pass is about the person’s track record and freedom to move between roles. EntrePass is about the company you will run in Singapore and whether it is funded or technologically innovative.
Eligibility: who qualifies
Tech.Pass requires both of the following:
- A last drawn fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 in the past one year (or its equivalent in a foreign currency; other income including non-cash components is considered case by case).
- At least 5 cumulative years of experience in a leading role, within the past 10 years, in either a tech company with valuation or market capitalisation of at least US$500 million or at least US$30 million funding raised, or a tech venture capital firm with at least US$500 million in assets under management.
EntrePass requires both of the following:
- You have started, or intend to start, a private limited company registered with ACRA, in which you hold at least 30% of the registered company, and the company is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.
- You meet at least one of five criteria: raised at least S$100,000 from a single funding round from investors; backed by a government-recognised or internationally renowned incubator or accelerator; founded and sold a venture-backed or innovative-tech business; hold intellectual property registered with an approved national IP institution that gives the business a significant advantage that cannot be easily replicated; or have a relevant ongoing research collaboration in Singapore with an Institute of Higher Learning or Research Institution.
If your registered company is more than 12 months old at the date of application, EntrePass assesses you under the renewal criteria.
Salary and capital requirements
Tech.Pass has a hard salary floor: S$22,500 fixed monthly pay in the last year. There is no separate capital injection required for the pass itself.
EntrePass has no stipulated minimum salary. The gate is the business criterion above — for most applicants that means showing at least S$100,000 raised in a single funding round, or qualifying backing, IP, or research collaboration.
Editorial read: if you do not meet the S$22,500 salary and senior-role history, Tech.Pass is not available to you, and EntrePass is the route to examine. This is our interpretation of the rules, not an official statement.
What you are allowed to do
Tech.Pass is an individualised pass. A holder may at the same time:
- Start and operate one or more tech companies.
- Be an employee in one or more Singapore-based companies.
- Be a consultant or mentor, or lecture in local institutions of higher learning.
- Be a director in one or more Singapore-based companies.
Holders do not need to apply for a different pass as they move between these activities.
EntrePass gives flexibility to start and operate a business in Singapore. It requires no foreign worker levy or quota.
Pass duration and renewal
Tech.Pass is valid for 2 years initially and can be renewed for another 2 years on meeting renewal criteria. Renewal requires one of:
- Assessable income of at least S$270,000 based on the latest IRAS Notice of Assessment (salaries and/or business income).
- Total annual business spending of at least S$100,000 and employment of at least 1 local PME or 3 LQS (local PME and LQS are defined per the EntrePass renewal criteria).
- A Singapore-incorporated entity with a digital or technology core product that secured more than US$10 million cumulative investment in the past 36 months and received funding from programme-recognised investment firms.
EntrePass lasts up to 1 year for the new pass and first renewal, and up to 2 years for subsequent renewals. It is renewable on meeting the renewal criteria.
Family and support
Tech.Pass holders can sponsor their legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21 for a Dependant’s Pass, and common-law spouse, unmarried handicapped children 21 or older, unmarried stepchildren under 21, and parents for a Long-Term Visit Pass, all issued by MOM.
EntrePass offers passes for eligible family members.
Important: Tech.Pass is changing in 2027
At the MOM Committee of Supply in March 2026, the Ministry announced a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track from January 2027 that will replace Tech.Pass. From 28 January 2027, MOM/EDB will no longer accept new or renewal Tech.Pass applications. Existing holders can stay on their pass until expiry and may consider the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track or other work pass options.
If you are planning a long-term move, factor this timeline into which pass you build around.
Path to permanent residence
Holding either pass does not by itself grant PR. PR is a separate application to ICA. ICA states it takes into account factors such as family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residency. ICA does not publish the specific weights, scoring or quotas behind PR approval, so no outcome can be promised.
One investor route to PR is the Global Investor Programme (GIP), administered by EDB’s Contact Singapore, with four profiles — Established Business Owners, Next Generation Business Owners, Founders of Fast Growth Companies, and Family Office Principals — and investment options of at least S$10 million in a new or expanded business (Option A), S$25 million in a GIP-select fund (Option B), or a Singapore-based single family office with at least S$200 million in assets under management (Option C). GIP processing takes approximately 12 months. EDB’s factsheet explicitly disclaims any undertaking to approve any application.
