The EntrePass is Singapore’s work pass for founders who are serious about building a business here — not sightseeing through a startup visa. Per the Ministry of Manpower, the EntrePass 2026 is intended for “serial entrepreneurs, high-calibre innovators or experienced investors” who want to operate a venture-backed business or one that owns innovative technologies. If you are a founder who has raised capital, been backed by a recognised incubator, or sold a technology company, Singapore’s EntrePass is the fastest path to operating legally in one of Asia’s most business-friendly cities.
This guide walks through the full EntrePass application process for 2026 — eligibility criteria, company setup requirements, the application itself, what MOM is actually looking for, and the renewal milestones that determine whether your pass continues beyond year one. No cheerleading, no vague reassurances: just the process, the data, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Who Qualifies for the EntrePass 2026
The EntrePass is not open to all founders. MOM sets a profile-based threshold that narrows eligibility to three archetypes: entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors. You must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Raised at least SGD 100,000 in a single funding round from a qualifying investor, for any past or current business. Qualifying investors include SEEDS Capital, Vertex Ventures, partners under Enterprise Singapore’s Startup SG Equity (SSGE) programme, and internationally recognised venture capital firms, corporates, and business angels.
- Backed by a government-recognised or internationally renowned incubator or accelerator — including partners under Enterprise Singapore’s Startup SG Accelerator (SSGA) or Startup SG Founder (SSGF) programmes, or globally recognised accelerators such as Y Combinator, MassChallenge, or Alchemist Accelerator.
- Founded and sold a technology company — you must demonstrate that you incorporated the business, that it was venture-backed or owns innovative technologies, and that it was sold while under your management (evidenced by a Sale and Purchase Agreement bearing your name).
- Holds qualifying intellectual property — specifically, a registered patent or a pending patent application assigned to the company, which the business intends to commercialise.
- Track record as an innovator or investor — this includes founders with significant academic or research credentials in an innovation-relevant field, or experienced investors who have made qualifying investments in early-stage companies.
Alongside the profile criteria, the company itself must be a Singapore-incorporated private limited company registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). Sole proprietorships, partnerships, and branch offices do not qualify. The pass holder must hold at least 30% of the registered company. The company must be either less than 12 months old at the time of application (for new applications) — or, if older, the applicant will be assessed under renewal criteria rather than new application criteria.
EntrePass 2026: Which Businesses Are Excluded
MOM maintains a list of excluded business activities. Regardless of how well the founder meets the profile criteria, applications involving these sectors will be rejected. Excluded activities include: coffee shops, food courts, hawker centres, bars, nightclubs, KTV lounges, foot reflexology, massage parlours, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal dispensing, employment agencies, geomancy, and money lending.
The exclusion list is designed to screen out lifestyle and service businesses that do not represent the innovation-led growth the EntrePass was designed to attract. If your business model touches any of these categories even partially, seek specific guidance before applying.
The EntrePass Application Process: Step by Step
Step 1: Incorporate the Singapore company
You must incorporate or identify the Singapore private limited company before applying. If the company is not yet registered, you can apply for an EntrePass in principle before incorporating — but the company must be registered before the pass is issued. Companies must be incorporated with ACRA as a private limited company. ACRA’s online incorporation portal, BizFile+, handles the registration, and most incorporations are completed within one to three business days.
If you are unfamiliar with Singapore’s incorporation process — including the minimum paid-up capital requirement, nominee director obligations for non-resident founders, and ACRA’s filing requirements — Raffles Corporate Services provides full incorporation and corporate secretarial support for new businesses in Singapore, and regularly supports EntrePass applicants through this step.
Step 2: Prepare the business plan and supporting documents
The EntrePass application requires a substantive business plan. This is not a standard two-pager — MOM and Enterprise Singapore (which evaluates applications jointly with MOM) will read it carefully. The business plan should cover the problem being solved, the product or technology, the market opportunity, the revenue model, the founding team’s qualifications, the funding history or pipeline, and a financial projection covering at least three years.
Supporting documents vary by eligibility criterion. For a funding-based application: investor term sheets or funding agreements. For an incubator-backed application: the incubator’s acceptance letter or programme agreement. For an IP-based application: the patent registration or pending application number. For a sold-company track record: the Sale and Purchase Agreement. Prepare originals and certified copies of all documents.
Step 3: Create your Startup SG Network (SSN) profile
MOM now requires all EntrePass applicants to create an individual profile and claim their company profile on the Startup SG Network (SSN), the government’s startup ecosystem registry. This step is mandatory and must be completed before renewal applications are submitted; it is also best practice to complete it before the initial application.
Step 4: Submit via myMOM Portal
Applications are submitted through the myMOM Portal. Processing typically takes up to eight weeks. You will receive an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter if the application is successful. The IPA is valid for six months and allows you to enter Singapore and begin operations before the pass card is issued.
EntrePass Application: What MOM and Enterprise Singapore Are Actually Looking For
The formal eligibility criteria are necessary but not sufficient. MOM and Enterprise Singapore apply a holistic assessment that goes beyond the documents you submit. Based on observed application patterns, several factors consistently improve outcomes.
First, the business must be genuinely innovation-led. A software-as-a-service product with a defensible technology advantage is assessed differently from a web directory or a reselling operation dressed in tech language. Enterprise Singapore’s evaluators are familiar with startup models and will probe claims of technological distinctiveness.
Second, the founder’s track record must be credible. An applicant who raised SGD 110,000 from a single angel investor for a company that has since been wound up faces a more sceptical assessment than one who can show progressive evidence of execution: revenue, customer traction, or product milestones.
Third, the commitment signal matters. Founders who have already registered the company, opened a corporate bank account, and can demonstrate that they intend to be physically present and operationally active in Singapore are assessed more favourably than those who appear to be hedging between Singapore and another jurisdiction.
This is worth reading alongside our guide to the complete Singapore Employment Pass guide 2026 — because founders whose companies grow to the point of hiring senior foreign talent will eventually need to navigate the EP framework, including COMPASS, and planning that transition from the outset is good practice.
EntrePass Renewal Milestones: The Numbers You Must Hit
The EntrePass renewal regime is where many founders encounter their first serious difficulty. Per the MOM renewal criteria, each renewal cycle has specific Total Business Spending (TBS) and Local Workforce (LWF) requirements. Failing to meet them results in a rejected renewal — and the founder must leave Singapore.
The first renewal (granting up to one additional year) requires only that the pass holder maintains at least 30% shareholding and demonstrates ongoing business activity. There is no TBS or LWF minimum. From the second renewal onwards, the milestones escalate as follows:
| Renewal Cycle | Total Business Spending (TBS) | Local Workforce (PMEs) | Min. PME Monthly Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st renewal (up to 1 year) | Nil | Nil | – |
| 2nd renewal (up to 2 years) | SGD 100,000 | 1 PME | SGD 3,900 |
| 3rd renewal (up to 2 years) | SGD 200,000 | 2 PMEs | SGD 3,900 |
| 4th renewal (up to 2 years) | SGD 300,000 | 3 PMEs | SGD 3,900 |
| 5th renewal (up to 2 years) | SGD 400,000 | 4 PMEs | SGD 3,900 |
| 6th renewal (up to 2 years) | SGD 700,000 | 5 PMEs | SGD 4,700 |
Total Business Spending (TBS) is calculated by taking the company’s total operating expenses and deducting: expenses for the purchase of royalties, franchise, and technical know-how fees from overseas companies; expenses for outsourcing work overseas; and total remuneration paid to the EntrePass holder themselves. TBS does not include Cost of Goods Sold/Cost of Service, personal expenses, or residential property rental.
Local Workforce (LWF) may comprise PMEs (Singapore citizens or PRs earning the monthly salary threshold above, with CPF contributions for at least three months) and LQS employees (local employees meeting the Local Qualifying Salary threshold). The formula is: LWF = (No. of PMEs) + (No. of LQS employees / 3). Up to 12 LQS employees may be included in the calculation. Only employees on the company’s direct payroll qualify.
The Dependant’s Pass for spouses and children of EntrePass holders is only available once the company has crossed the 2nd renewal milestone — SGD 100,000 TBS and one PME. This is a planning consideration many founders overlook when relocating with family. Our guide to Dependant’s Pass and LTVP options in Singapore 2026 covers what is available at each stage.
EntrePass vs Employment Pass: Which Should a Founder Choose?
Founders who have already received a firm offer from their Singapore company often ask whether an Employment Pass or an EntrePass is the better choice. The answer depends on the stage and nature of the business.
An EP requires a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 5,600 (SGD 6,200 for financial services, as at 1 January 2025) and is subject to the COMPASS scoring framework. It is appropriate for founders who are genuinely employed by the company in an executive capacity and who can credibly sustain a market-rate salary from day one. It is simpler to renew, and the renewal criteria are less prescriptive. Our EP vs PEP vs ONE Pass comparison covers the full trade-off for different career stages.
An EntrePass is appropriate when: the founder cannot yet pay themselves a market-rate salary because the company is pre-revenue or early revenue; the founder’s profile meets one of the EntrePass criteria above; and the founder is committed to building the business milestones required at renewal. It is operationally more demanding at renewal, but it avoids COMPASS and does not require the company to demonstrate local fair consideration for the founder’s own role.
Conclusion
The EntrePass is a demanding visa for demanding founders — and that is the point. Singapore does not offer a passive startup visa. What it offers is a structured pathway for founders who have genuine innovation credentials and are willing to build a measurable business contribution in Singapore over the years of their stay. The renewal milestones are the mechanism through which that contribution is verified.
If you are navigating the EntrePass application, preparing your business plan, or managing the company setup that underpins your application, Singapore Employment Agency — the consumer brand of Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd, a MOM-licensed agency (Licence No. 19C9790) — can advise on the work pass dimension. For company incorporation, corporate secretarial services, and the ACRA filings that underpin your EntrePass company structure, Raffles Corporate Services provides full-service support from incorporation to ongoing compliance.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency