Global Investor Programme (GIP) — Options A, B and C — Step-by-step walkthrough
The Global Investor Programme (GIP) is Singapore’s investment-led route to permanent residence for established business owners and investors. It offers three investment options, A, B and C, ranging from investing in a business to placing funds with a Singapore-based single family office. The GIP is administered by the Economic Development Board and targets serious, job-creating capital.
What the Global Investor Programme is
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.
The Global Investor Programme grants permanent residence to applicants who make a substantial qualifying investment in Singapore and meet the Economic Development Board’s business-track-record requirements. Unlike the PTS scheme, the GIP is built around capital deployment and economic impact rather than employment history. It suits founders of sizeable companies, next-generation business leaders and experienced investors willing to commit significant funds and create local jobs.
Following the 2023 recalibration, the thresholds were raised substantially to focus the programme on investors who generate real economic activity, and applicants must show a clear plan and ongoing presence rather than a one-off payment.
Options A, B and C compared
Under the current framework, Option A requires investing S$10 million in a new business entity or expanding an existing one in Singapore. Option B requires investing S$25 million in a GIP-select fund that invests in Singapore-based companies. Option C requires establishing a Singapore-based single family office with assets under management of at least S$200 million, of which at least S$50 million must be deployed in specified local investment categories. Each option carries renewal conditions tied to creating jobs or maintaining the investment and business spending.
For a fuller treatment, read our companion guide: Realistic Singapore PR Approval Odds 2026: What Your Salary Band Signals to ICA.
Who qualifies
Applicants generally need a strong entrepreneurial or investment track record. Business owners typically must show a company with sufficient annual turnover in a qualifying industry and a substantial personal shareholding. Family-office principals under Option C must demonstrate verifiable net worth and investment experience. The Economic Development Board publishes the detailed eligibility criteria for each option at edb.gov.sg; permanent-residence formalities are handled by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority at ica.gov.sg.
Cost and timeline — the numbers
The headline commitments are the investments themselves: S$10 million (Option A), S$25 million (Option B) or a S$200 million family office with S$50 million deployed locally (Option C). Beyond the investment, applicants budget for professional, legal and fund-administration fees that commonly run from S$50,000 to several hundred thousand Singapore dollars depending on structure. Processing is multi-stage, an in-principle approval followed by evidence of investment, and typically takes 9 to 12 months or more from application to PR formalities.
Related reading: Singapore trust structures for HNW families — Step-by-step walkthrough.
Step-by-step: applying under the GIP
Step 1 — Confirm which option fits your profile and prepare audited financials and a track-record dossier. Step 2 — Submit the GIP application to the EDB with the business or investment plan. Step 3 — Attend an interview and respond to EDB queries. Step 4 — On in-principle approval, make the qualifying investment within the stipulated window. Step 5 — Submit proof of investment to the EDB. Step 6 — Complete PR formalities with ICA, including medical examination and identity cards for the family. Step 7 — Meet the renewal conditions, jobs created, business spending or maintained investment, to extend the re-entry permit. The Ministry of Manpower covers complementary work-pass options at mom.gov.sg.
Common mistakes and gotchas
Applicants underestimate the post-approval conditions: the GIP is not a one-off payment but an ongoing commitment with renewal tests on jobs and spending. Others apply with a track record that falls short of the EDB’s turnover and shareholding expectations. Treating Option C as a passive deposit, rather than an operating family office with substance, is a frequent error. Failing to deploy the required local portion within the family-office option can jeopardise renewal.
Related guides
Many GIP applicants also evaluate the PTS route and how salary and profile signal to ICA, and pair the move with family trust and wealth planning covered in our related guides.
A worked example: a business owner applying under Option A
The founder of a manufacturing group with strong audited turnover and a substantial personal shareholding applies under GIP Option A, committing S$10 million to expand operations in Singapore. The Economic Development Board reviews the track record, the business plan and the projected local economic impact, jobs to be created and business spending to be incurred. After an interview and document review, the EDB issues an in-principle approval; the founder then deploys the investment within the stipulated window and submits proof. ICA completes the permanent-residence formalities for the founder and immediate family. Renewal of the re-entry permit later depends on meeting the conditions, local hires and business expenditure, set at approval.
Option C and the single family office route in detail
Option C targets principals willing to establish a Singapore-based single family office with at least S$200 million in assets under management, of which at least S$50 million must be deployed in specified local categories such as Singapore-listed equities, qualifying funds or private-market investments into Singapore-based companies. This route appeals to ultra-high-net-worth families combining residence with a substantive investment platform, and it pairs naturally with the tax-incentive regimes the family office may apply for separately. The EDB expects genuine substance, professional staff, real investment activity, not a passive holding account, and renewal is tied to maintaining the AUM and local deployment.
Costs beyond the headline investment, and renewal
The qualifying investment is only part of the budget. Applicants incur legal, fund-administration, audit and advisory fees that commonly range from S$50,000 to several hundred thousand Singapore dollars, plus ongoing operating costs for the business or family office. The GIP is a five-year re-entry permit at first grant, and renewal is conditional: Option A and B holders must show the investment was made and the business or fund commitments met, while Option C holders must maintain the AUM and the local deployment. Treating the GIP as a one-off purchase of PR, rather than an ongoing economic commitment, is the surest route to a failed renewal.
The statutory framework and how the GIP sits within it
Like all permanent residence in Singapore, residence granted through the Global Investor Programme is issued under the Immigration Act 1959, with the Economic Development Board assessing the economic case and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority handling the permit formalities. The GIP is an administrative scheme layered on that statutory base, which is why its thresholds and conditions can be recalibrated by policy without amending primary legislation, as happened with the 2023 increases. Applicants choosing the single-family-office route under Option C should note that the family office’s own tax-incentive applications are made separately to the Monetary Authority of Singapore under the relevant Income Tax Act provisions, and are not granted automatically by virtue of GIP approval. Treating the GIP, the family-office substance requirements and any tax-incentive application as one combined plan, rather than three disconnected steps, produces the smoothest outcome.
FAQs
What are the GIP investment options in 2026?
Option A: invest S$10 million in a business. Option B: invest S$25 million in a GIP-select fund. Option C: a Singapore single family office with at least S$200 million AUM, S$50 million deployed locally.
Who administers the GIP?
The Economic Development Board assesses GIP applications and investments; the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority handles the permanent-residence formalities once approved.
How long does a GIP application take?
Typically 9 to 12 months or more across the multi-stage process, in-principle approval, making the investment, then completing PR formalities.
Is the GIP a one-time payment for PR?
No. It is an ongoing commitment. Renewal of the re-entry permit depends on meeting conditions such as creating local jobs, business spending or maintaining the qualifying investment.
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.