Family office hiring under 13O / 13U / GIP — Timeline and processing benchmarks
Family office hiring under 13O, 13U and GIP involves bringing in investment professionals and support staff for a Singapore single family office while meeting the tax-incentive conditions and work-pass rules. This guide gives the timeline and processing benchmarks for family office hiring under 13O / 13U / GIP in 2026.
Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.
Who this is for
This suits families establishing or scaling a Singapore single family office under a tax incentive, who must build an investment team that satisfies the scheme's headcount and substance conditions.
How the incentives shape hiring
The Section 13O and Section 13U tax incentive schemes administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore include conditions on investment professionals employed by the fund or its manager, and on assets under management and local business spending. Hiring plans must therefore be built around those conditions from the start.
The Global Investor Programme (GIP), administered by the Economic Development Board, offers a residence route for eligible investors and family-office principals, with its own establishment and hiring expectations.
For a closely related perspective, see our guide on Multi-jurisdiction family office structures — Eligibility and requirements checklist.
Eligibility and headcount conditions
Both 13O and 13U carry investment-professional headcount conditions, with 13U generally requiring more professionals and higher assets under management than 13O. The professionals typically need to be tax-resident and substantively employed by the family office or fund manager.
Work passes for these professionals are issued under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990, with Employment Pass applicants assessed on qualifying salary and COMPASS.
You may also find our related article on Family office hiring under 13O / 13U / GIP — Costs and fees breakdown useful.
Requirements and processing benchmarks
Once the family office structure and incentive application are in progress, Employment Pass applications for the investment team are usually processed within about 10 working days. Aligning the pass timing with the incentive approval is important so that headcount conditions are met on schedule.
GIP applications follow a separate, longer assessment path managed by EDB, and principals should plan many months ahead.
Cost benchmarks for 2026
Family offices should budget competitive Singapore-market salaries for investment professionals, which for the conditions typically means well above the EP qualifying salary floor. Professional fees to prepare and file each EP are commonly S$1,000 to S$2,500.
Local business spending conditions under the incentives also drive costs, as a minimum annual spend in Singapore is part of the qualifying criteria.
Common mistakes and gotchas
The most damaging error is treating hiring as separate from the incentive application, since missing the professional headcount condition can jeopardise the tax incentive. Another is assuming a family member automatically counts as a qualifying investment professional.
Timing mismatches between EP approvals and incentive milestones are a frequent, avoidable problem.
Step-by-step process
- Confirm the tax-incentive scheme (13O, 13U or GIP) and its professional headcount conditions.
- Design the family office and manager structure to meet the conditions.
- Identify the investment professionals and benchmark their salaries above the EP floor.
- Submit Employment Pass applications timed to the incentive milestones.
- Track local business spending and headcount to keep the incentive in good standing.
Family Office Hiring under 13o / 13u / Gip at a glance
- Governing framework: Sections 13O/13U (MAS); GIP (EDB); EFMA 1990
- Typical timeline: EP about 10 working days; GIP many months
- Indicative cost (2026): EP fees S$1,000-S$2,500 per professional
Related guides
Across the Raffles group of sites, see Section 13O vs 13U: Comparing Singapore Family Office Tax Incentives (2026) and our guide on Multi-jurisdiction family office structures — Eligibility and requirements checklist for further reading.
Official references
FAQs
How many investment professionals must a family office employ?
The 13O and 13U schemes carry professional headcount conditions, with 13U generally requiring more professionals and higher assets under management than 13O; the exact numbers are set by MAS.
What is the GIP?
The Global Investor Programme is an EDB-administered residence route for eligible investors and family-office principals, with its own investment and establishment conditions.
How long do Employment Passes take for the investment team?
EP applications are typically processed within about 10 working days, and should be timed to align with incentive milestones.
Can a family member count as an investment professional?
Not automatically; the professional must genuinely meet the role, employment and residence conditions set for the incentive.
Need help with this? Call, SMS or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133, or email [email protected]. Little Big Employment Agency (EA Licence 19C9790) works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.