Most work pass schemes in Singapore require an employer to vouch for you. The EntrePass is the exception: it lets a founder self-sponsor, incorporate their own company, and run it as CEO, director, and shareholder — all on a single pass. If you are an entrepreneur with an innovative business idea or a track record of building companies, the Singapore EntrePass 2026 is worth understanding in full before you choose between it and a conventional Employment Pass.
This guide walks through every stage of the process — eligibility, the seven qualifying criteria, the application assessment, the renewal milestones, and the common pitfalls that trip up first-time applicants.
What the Singapore EntrePass Actually Is
The EntrePass — short for Entrepreneur Pass — is a Ministry of Manpower work pass issued to foreign nationals who want to start or run a private limited company in Singapore. Unlike the Employment Pass, which requires a sponsoring employer to vouch for your salary, the EntrePass lets you be your own employer. You own the company, you hold the pass through it, and you are responsible for meeting the renewal milestones.
The pass is jointly assessed by MOM and Enterprise Singapore. MOM handles the immigration and background checks; Enterprise Singapore evaluates the quality of the business and its innovation credentials. That dual-assessment structure is what makes the EntrePass distinct — and what makes it harder to obtain than a standard EP.
As at July 2026, the EntrePass remains Singapore’s primary route for foreign founders who want to build a company here, not just work for one. It is not a path for freelancers, sole traders, or employees of foreign companies opening Singapore offices — those cases require an EP or a different pass type.
Singapore EntrePass 2026 Eligibility: The Two-Part Test
To qualify for an EntrePass, you must pass two separate tests: a company test and an innovation test.
Company Test
Your Singapore company must be registered with ACRA as a private limited company and must be no more than six months old at the time of application. If your company is already older than six months, you are no longer eligible for an EntrePass — you would need to apply for an EP through that company instead.
You must own at least 30% of the company’s issued shares. There is no upper limit; most founders applying for an EntrePass own the majority or all of the shares.
The company cannot be a shelf company. MOM and Enterprise Singapore expect a real business with a credible business plan, not a holding entity or a dormant shell. If you are considering the holding-company structure for tax or structuring reasons, the EntrePass is not the right instrument — that is a conversation for your corporate adviser at Raffles Corporate Services.
Innovation Test: Seven Qualifying Criteria
You must satisfy at least one of seven qualifying criteria that Enterprise Singapore uses to determine whether your business is genuinely innovative. These are set out on MOM’s EntrePass eligibility page:
- Venture funding: You have raised at least SGD 100,000 from a single funding round from a recognised investor, either for your current venture or a previous one. The investor must appear on Enterprise Singapore’s recognised investor list.
- Intellectual property: Your company owns (or has applied for) a patent that is central to its value proposition. Common-law trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets alone do not qualify.
- Incubator or accelerator recognition: Your company has been accepted by a government-backed incubator or accelerator, such as one accredited by Enterprise Singapore, NUS Enterprise, or NTU’s NTUitive.
- Research collaboration: Your company has an active research collaboration with a recognised Singapore institution of higher learning (NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT, SUSS) or an A*STAR research institute.
- Entrepreneurial track record: You have founded and successfully exited a venture-backed or innovative-technology business previously. Enterprise Singapore will assess the scale and credibility of the prior venture.
- Investment portfolio: You have made investments of at least SGD 500,000 in Singapore-based companies recognised by Enterprise Singapore as innovative.
- High-value company: You have previously founded a company with revenues of at least SGD 10 million, or that was acquired for a significant consideration.
Most first-time applicants qualify under criteria 1, 2, or 3. Criteria 5 and 7 are more typically used by serial entrepreneurs with a verifiable exit history. If you have venture funding, document it meticulously — the investor’s name, the round date, the amount, and the investor’s presence on Enterprise Singapore’s recognised list all need to be evidenced in your application.
The Application Process, Step by Step
The EntrePass application is submitted online through MOM’s EP Online system. The process has several layers that distinguish it from a standard EP application.
Before You Apply
Register your Singapore private limited company with ACRA first (if you have not already done so). Keep the company under six months old at the point of application. Prepare your business plan — Enterprise Singapore expects a coherent narrative on your product or service, your market, your competitive advantage, and your hiring plans for Singapore locals. A vague two-pager will not survive the panel review.
Unlike the COMPASS framework that governs EP applications, there is no points-based matrix for the EntrePass. The assessment is qualitative — Enterprise Singapore’s evaluators form a view on whether your business is genuinely innovative and whether your credentials are credible. That makes preparation more subjective but also more important.
Supporting Documents
Standard documents include your passport, ACRA business profile, shareholder register, business plan, and evidence of the qualifying criterion you are relying on. If you are relying on venture funding, include the term sheet, the signed agreement, and confirmation of disbursement. If you are relying on an incubator, include the acceptance letter and your incubator’s accreditation proof.
Processing Time
MOM typically processes EntrePass applications within eight weeks. Complex cases — particularly those where Enterprise Singapore requests additional information — can take up to twelve weeks. Plan your relocation timeline accordingly. There is no premium processing option for EntrePass (unlike EP, which allows in-principle approval in some cases).
EntrePass Renewal: The Milestones That Matter
A new EntrePass is issued for one year. Renewal is not automatic — you must demonstrate that the business has met specific spending and hiring milestones. This is where many founders are caught off guard.
As per MOM’s renewal requirements:
- First renewal (year 2): Total business spending of at least SGD 100,000 incurred since the EntrePass was first issued, plus at least one local employee (Singapore citizen or PR) earning a minimum of SGD 1,400 per month with CPF contributions for at least three months.
- Second and subsequent renewals (years 3 onwards): Total business spending of at least SGD 150,000, plus at least three local employees meeting the same salary and CPF criteria.
Business spending counts expenses incurred by the company in operating the business: office rent, equipment, professional fees, salaries paid to local employees, and marketing costs. Personal expenses, capital injections into the company, and shareholder loans do not count. Keep proper accounts from day one — you will need audited or certified financial statements when you apply for renewal.
Renewals are issued for one year (first renewal) and then two years for each subsequent renewal, so a successful EntrePass holder can reach a multi-year cycle of stability. The overall duration of stay accumulates towards long-term PR eligibility, though the Singapore PR pathway is assessed holistically by ICA and is not guaranteed by time spent alone.
EntrePass vs Employment Pass: When to Choose Which
The two passes are not substitutes for all cases, but for founders who technically qualify for both — for example, a founder who has incorporated a company in Singapore and could draw a salary of SGD 5,600 or more per month — the choice matters. Understanding the full comparison of EP, PEP and ONE Pass options is a useful starting point.
The EntrePass is better suited when: you have not yet secured a salary from the company because revenue is pre-launch; you want the flexibility to be both the majority shareholder and the pass holder; or your qualifying credential (such as a recognised incubator acceptance) is stronger than a conventional salary case.
The Employment Pass is better suited when: the company is already generating revenue and can credibly support your salary at the EP qualifying threshold (SGD 5,600 per month for most sectors as at 1 July 2026, rising to SGD 6,000 from January 2027); or the company is more than six months old, which makes you ineligible for an EntrePass regardless.
One important note: you cannot hold an EntrePass and an Employment Pass simultaneously. If your circumstances change — for example, you want to join a second company as an employee while continuing to run your own — you will need to assess your pass strategy carefully. The rules around EP holders and directorships in other companies provide a useful reference for how MOM treats dual-role situations.
Common Reasons EntrePass Applications Are Rejected
Enterprise Singapore rejects applications where the innovation case is weak, inconsistently documented, or not credibly tied to the Singapore company. Common failure modes include:
- Claiming venture funding from an investor who does not appear on the recognised investor list.
- Submitting a patent application that predates the Singapore company and is not assigned to it.
- Presenting a business plan that describes a conventional service business (consultancy, import/export, F&B) without demonstrating any proprietary technology or novel method.
- Insufficient local hiring plan — Enterprise Singapore expects a credible path to employing Singapore citizens or PRs, even if those hires are in the future.
- Company age exceeding six months at the time of submission.
If your application is rejected, you may appeal within three months. The appeal must address the specific grounds for rejection — a generic resubmission without new evidence rarely succeeds. An experienced Singapore employment agency can help you build a stronger submission on appeal.
What Comes After the EntrePass
The EntrePass is a long-term instrument, not a temporary bridge. Founders who build successful businesses — meeting each renewal milestone, growing headcount, and accumulating years in Singapore — often find themselves in a strong position for PR when their profile matures. ICA’s holistic assessment for permanent residency considers economic contribution, length of stay, and community integration, all of which an EntrePass holder who has built a genuine business in Singapore will have.
There is also a pathway to the ONE Pass for EntrePass holders who scale sufficiently — once your fixed monthly salary reaches SGD 30,000 or you can demonstrate outstanding achievement in your field, the ONE Pass’s eligibility criteria become worth examining.
Ready to Apply for an EntrePass?
The EntrePass is one of the most founder-friendly work passes in the region, but it demands a level of documentation rigour that catches many applicants off guard. Getting the company structure right, choosing the correct qualifying criterion, and presenting a credible business plan are all easier with professional guidance from a MOM-licensed employment agency.
Singapore Employment Agency (Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd, MOM Licence 19C9790) helps founders navigate EntrePass applications and renewals, from initial eligibility assessment through to your first-year renewal milestones. If your business also needs company incorporation or corporate secretarial support in Singapore, Raffles Corporate Services provides end-to-end setup for entrepreneurs relocating to Singapore.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency