The EntrePass is Singapore’s work pass for foreign entrepreneurs who want to found and operate a business here. Unlike the Employment Pass — which requires a sponsoring employer — the EntrePass grants the holder the right to start and run their own Singapore company, all while maintaining lawful work authorisation in their own name. For founders who do not meet the salary threshold for the Employment Pass, who want to build a venture-backed startup, or who have intellectual property or a demonstrated track record in business, the EntrePass Singapore 2026 is often the most appropriate entry route. This guide covers the full picture: who qualifies, which pathway applies, how the application works, and what renewal requires.
One important update for 2026: the Tech.Pass — previously the primary pass for highly experienced founders and senior tech operators — is being retired. No new Tech.Pass applications are accepted after 31 December 2026, with the pass replaced by the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track from January 2027. Founders who do not meet the ONE Pass’s SGD 30,000 monthly salary threshold or outstanding-achievement criterion, but who have a fundable idea or an IP-based business, should look closely at the EntrePass as their 2026 route into Singapore.
Who Can Apply for the EntrePass Singapore 2026
To be eligible for the EntrePass, per MOM’s EntrePass eligibility criteria, the applicant must meet all of the following baseline conditions:
- Be at least 21 years of age;
- Have incorporated a Singapore private limited company — or intend to do so — with the company incorporated no more than six months before the application date;
- Hold at least 30% shareholding in the Singapore company;
- The Singapore company must not have commenced trading or have not been in operation for more than six months.
Meeting these baseline conditions is necessary but not sufficient. The applicant must also satisfy at least one of the innovation and entrepreneurship qualifying criteria, which are grouped into four main pathways.
The Four EntrePass Qualifying Pathways
Pathway 1: Venture-Backed
Your company has received funding from a recognised venture capitalist, business angel, or corporate investor. The investor must be on MOM’s list of recognised investors, which includes venture capital funds registered with MAS, approved accelerators, and corporate venture arms of major Singapore companies. The Startup SG equity programme — administered by Enterprise Singapore — is one route, as is receiving investment from co-investment partners such as SGInnovate. The key documentation is a term sheet, investment agreement, or funding confirmation from the recognised investor, along with evidence of the investor’s recognition status.
Pathway 2: Intellectual Property or Research and Development
Your company holds registered intellectual property — a patent, trademark, or copyright — that is relevant to your proposed Singapore business. Alternatively, you can qualify through demonstrated expertise in research and development, evidenced by academic publications, patents held personally, or a recognised technical track record. This pathway is well-suited to founders commercialising research, spinning out IP from a university or corporate R&D programme, or building a business around proprietary technology.
Pathway 3: Track Record of Building Successful Businesses
You have co-founded or founded one or more businesses that have achieved significant scale — evidenced by substantial revenue, a successful acquisition, significant funding raised, or other markers of commercial success. MOM is not looking for a single metric but a demonstrated history of founding businesses that have created real economic value. Serial entrepreneurs who have built and exited companies are the archetype for this pathway. Documentary evidence — audited financial statements, deal announcements, press coverage of the business — strengthens the application significantly.
Pathway 4: Experienced Investor
You have a demonstrated track record of investing in businesses — particularly in startup or early-stage contexts — and bring investment capital and investor expertise to your Singapore venture. This pathway applies to angel investors and experienced venture investors who want to operate an investment business in Singapore or set up an investment holding and operating entity here. Evidence of past investments, portfolio returns, and recognised co-investors strengthens this pathway.
Government Grant Recipients
If your Singapore company has received a business development grant from an approved Singapore government agency — such as Enterprise Singapore, EDB, A*STAR, or a statutory board — this can also satisfy the innovation criterion independently of the four pathways above. Startup SG Founder funding is the most commonly cited example.
EntrePass Singapore 2026 Application Process
The EntrePass application is submitted to MOM online via the Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC) portal. The process is as follows:
Step 1: Incorporate or Plan Your Singapore Company
If you have not yet incorporated, you need to set up a Singapore private limited company first. The company must be incorporated within six months before the application. This is typically done through a registered corporate secretarial firm. Our partner firm Raffles Corporate Services handles Singapore company incorporation and corporate secretarial services and can assist with the incorporation process as a first step.
Step 2: Prepare Your Documentary Package
The documentary requirements depend on which qualifying pathway you are using. Common documents across all pathways include: your educational credentials; professional CV or curriculum vitae showing your entrepreneurial track record; company incorporation documents (if already incorporated); and the business plan for your Singapore venture. Each pathway has additional specific documents — investor letters and term sheets for Pathway 1, IP certificates and research publications for Pathway 2, and audited financials or acquisition documents for Pathway 3.
Step 3: Submit the Application
The application is submitted by the applicant (or their authorised representative) via the EPSC portal. MOM’s official processing time is six weeks. In practice, complex applications — particularly those involving overseas IP, cross-border investor validation, or business plans in less common sectors — take eight to twelve weeks. If MOM requests additional information or documentation, the processing clock may reset. Submit the application well in advance if you have a Singapore start date in mind.
Step 4: In-Principle Approval and Pass Issuance
MOM issues an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter when the application is approved. The IPA is typically valid for two months. Within this window, the applicant must travel to Singapore, complete the standard pass card registration process, and have the EntrePass card issued. The EntrePass is initially issued for one year.
EntrePass vs Employment Pass vs ONE Pass: Which Pass Fits Founders?
Founders with an established, revenue-generating business who are drawing a salary from their Singapore company may eventually qualify for the Employment Pass — in which case the EP’s COMPASS framework applies and the employer (your own company) must satisfy the full range of COMPASS criteria. Our guide on the complete Singapore Employment Pass guide for 2026 covers COMPASS scoring in detail. For founders in the early stage, the EntrePass is almost always the correct route, because it does not require an established employer-employee relationship or a salary meeting the EP qualifying floor.
For founders who are already earning SGD 30,000 per month or have achieved exceptional recognition in their field, the ONE Pass offers a five-year, multi-employer pass that is the most flexible work authorisation available in Singapore. The ONE Pass allows concurrent employment and entrepreneurial activity simultaneously, making it attractive for high-earning founders or executives who want to incubate a new venture alongside existing commitments.
A useful decision framework: if your primary goal is to build a Singapore company and you do not yet have the salary history or track record for EP or ONE Pass, start with the EntrePass. Once your business generates sufficient revenue and your personal salary from the company reaches the EP qualifying salary (SGD 5,600 per month for most sectors as at January 2026), transitioning to an EP becomes an option. Our guide on EP vs PEP vs ONE Pass by career stage maps out how different pass types suit different career and business profiles.
EntrePass Renewal: What Singapore Founders Need to Know
The EntrePass is initially valid for one year and renewable — but renewal is not automatic. MOM assesses the business’s progress at each renewal against a set of minimum criteria that escalate with each renewal cycle.
First Renewal Criteria
The company must have spent at least SGD 100,000 on business activities in the preceding 12 months, and must have at least one local employee (Singapore citizen or PR) on the payroll at full CPF rates. The SGD 100,000 spending threshold covers business operating expenses — including salaries, rent, professional fees, and marketing — but not the founder’s own salary or personal drawings.
Second Renewal Criteria
The company must have spent at least SGD 150,000 on business activities and must have at least three local employees. By the second renewal, MOM expects to see a viable business with a meaningful local workforce component.
Subsequent Renewals
From the third renewal onwards, the minimum spending threshold rises to SGD 200,000 per year, and the minimum local employee count rises to five. These escalating criteria reflect MOM’s intention that EntrePass holders build businesses that contribute meaningfully to Singapore’s economy and local workforce — not just maintain a personal work authorisation. Founders who cannot demonstrate sufficient business activity and local hiring at renewal face non-renewal of the EntrePass.
For founders who need to understand the full cost model of running a Singapore team — including the employment cost of their local hires at renewal — our guide on the total cost model for hiring professionals in Singapore provides a step-by-step walkthrough of CPF, levy, and employment cost calculations. Understanding these costs from the outset helps founders plan their business spending and renewal trajectory more accurately.
EntrePass and the Path to Singapore Permanent Residence
EntrePass holders are eligible to apply for Singapore Permanent Residence (PR) under the Professional, Technical Personnel and Skilled Worker (PTS) scheme — the same scheme used by EP and S Pass holders. MOM and ICA evaluate PR applications from EntrePass holders holistically, considering the business’s performance, the applicant’s economic contribution, their length of stay, and family ties to Singapore. There is no automatic conversion from EntrePass to PR, and PR applications from founders should be timed carefully — ideally after at least two to three years of consistent business activity and a demonstrated track record of local employment and investment. Our Singapore PR pathway guide for 2026 covers the full ICA holistic assessment framework and how applicants from different pass types fare in practice.
Conclusion
The EntrePass Singapore 2026 remains the primary route for foreign founders who want to build a Singapore company and need valid work authorisation to do so. With the Tech.Pass retiring at the end of 2026, founders who do not qualify for the ONE Pass by salary or outstanding achievement should treat the EntrePass as their first-choice route into Singapore’s startup ecosystem. The key to a successful application is matching your profile clearly to one of the four qualifying pathways and presenting a coherent, evidenced business plan. At renewal, demonstrating genuine business activity and local employment growth is the differentiating factor between a smooth renewal and a rejection.
If you are a foreign founder considering Singapore and need assistance with the EntrePass application, employment pass planning, or PR strategy, Singapore Employment Agency — operated by Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd (MOM Licence No. 19C9790) — provides licensed employment agency services for work pass applications. For Singapore company incorporation and corporate secretarial services, Raffles Corporate Services supports founders from entity setup through to ongoing compliance.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency