The EntrePass: who it is really for, and who should use an EP.
The EntrePass sounds like the obvious pass for a foreign founder. It is not. It is built for venture-backed or genuinely innovative businesses, with criteria most ordinary companies do not meet. For the majority of founders, an Employment Pass on your own company is the cleaner route, and we will tell you which one you actually qualify for.
By Travis Tay, Immigration Expert · Updated June 2026. Criteria change; we confirm the current requirements before applying.
The EntrePass is a work pass for foreign entrepreneurs starting a business in Singapore that is venture-backed or owns innovative technology. There is no minimum salary, but you must hold at least 30 percent of the company, the company must be no more than six months old when you apply (or not yet incorporated), and you must meet at least one of MOM's qualifying criteria, such as funding from a recognised investor, holding intellectual property, or a research tie-up with a Singapore university or A*STAR. Because that bar is narrow, most founders of ordinary trading or services businesses use an Employment Pass instead.
What the EntrePass actually is
The EntrePass is aimed at serial entrepreneurs, high-calibre innovators and experienced investors building a business with real innovation behind it. Unlike the Employment Pass, it has no salary threshold, which is why it sounds attractive. But it replaces the salary test with an innovation-and-funding test, and that is where most applications fall down. You must hold at least a 30 percent stake, plan to run the company in Singapore, and either have a company less than six months old or incorporate one once approved.
The qualifying criteria
You need to meet at least one of MOM's criteria as an entrepreneur, innovator or investor. In practice these include:
- Funding from a recognised venture capital or private equity firm, or a business angel
- Intellectual property that is not easily replicated, such as a patent
- An ongoing research collaboration with a Singapore university or an A*STAR research institute
- Support from a recognised incubator or accelerator in Singapore
- A strong track record, such as a substantial entrepreneurial, investment or technical record
The application is submitted with a business plan and a fee of around SGD 105, and assessment typically takes several weeks. Renewal is not automatic: at each renewal MOM looks for real progress, measured by total business spending and the number of local jobs you have created, so the EntrePass rewards a business that is genuinely growing and hiring in Singapore.
EntrePass or Employment Pass?
| EntrePass | Employment Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Venture-backed or innovative, IP-owning businesses | Professionals and founders in any legitimate business |
| Minimum salary | None | From SGD 5,600 a month, rising with age |
| Main test | Innovation, funding or research criteria | Salary plus the COMPASS points framework |
| Shareholding | At least 30% | No fixed shareholding requirement |
| Company age | Under 6 months, or not yet incorporated | Any age |
| Renewal hinges on | Business spending and local jobs created | Salary, COMPASS and company substance |
For a software startup with venture funding or a patent, the EntrePass can be the right fit. For a consultancy, trading company, agency or most services businesses, it usually is not, because there is no innovation or funding criterion to satisfy. Those founders are almost always better served by an Employment Pass on a properly built company. We compare the two in more depth in EP vs EntrePass.
The realistic read for most founders
The absence of a salary bar makes the EntrePass look like the easy door in, but the innovation criteria are the real gate, and they are strict. We see founders try to force an ordinary business through the EntrePass and stall, when an Employment Pass on a substantive company would have been faster and more certain. We assess which pass your business genuinely qualifies for, and build the case for that one, rather than the one that sounds most entrepreneurial.
Questions people ask
Is there a minimum salary for the EntrePass? +
No. Unlike the Employment Pass, the EntrePass has no salary threshold. Instead you must meet at least one innovation, funding or research criterion, hold at least 30 percent of the company, and run a business that is venture-backed or genuinely innovative.
Who should apply for an EntrePass rather than an EP? +
Founders of venture-backed or innovative, IP-owning businesses, for example a funded startup or a company with a patent or a research collaboration. Founders of ordinary trading, consulting or services businesses usually qualify more cleanly for an Employment Pass.
What are the qualifying criteria? +
You must meet at least one, such as funding from a recognised VC, PE firm or business angel, intellectual property that is hard to replicate, a research collaboration with a Singapore university or A*STAR, support from a recognised incubator or accelerator, or a strong entrepreneurial or investment track record.
How is the EntrePass renewed? +
Renewal is not automatic. MOM assesses real progress at each renewal, measured by total business spending and the number of local jobs created, so the pass favours a business that is actually growing and hiring in Singapore.
Do I need the company set up before applying? +
Not necessarily. The company can be no more than six months old at application, or you can apply before incorporating and register the company once approved. You must hold at least a 30 percent stake and run it in Singapore.
Related services
EntrePass or Employment Pass, which fits your business?
Book a consultation and we will tell you which pass you actually qualify for, and build the case for it.