Business activities and funding
Identify the products or services, owners, customers and actual Singapore operations. Consider whether you need a new company, a group structure or another arrangement. Obtain case-specific tax and legal input where the structure spans countries.
Plan registration and the resident director.
Foreigners can own all shares in a Singapore company. Use a corporate service provider for registration and appoint an eligible resident director. A nominee director has legal duties; any eventual replacement needs eligibility, permissions and proper filings.
Work pass requirements
Most candidates must first meet the age- and sector-dependent Employment Pass salary floor, then score at least 40 points under COMPASS, the Complementarity Assessment Framework. The score includes the candidate’s salary and qualifications, and the employer’s workforce.
- C1 salary: 0, 10 or 20 points against local professional salaries in the candidate’s sector and age group. This is separate from the qualifying salary floor.
- C2 qualifications: 0, 10 or 20 points depending on the qualification; a degree is not universally compulsory.
- C3 workforce diversity and C4 support for local employment: each can score 0, 10 or 20. Firms with fewer than 25 professional employees receive 10 points for each.
- C5 shortage occupation and C6 strategic economic priorities can add points where the specific conditions are met.
For a founder, explain the company’s genuine role, funding and salary affordability. An innovative or venture-backed business may be eligible for EntrePass under its separate criteria. Owning a company does not by itself allow you to work in Singapore.
Prepare for banking and source-of-funds checks.
Explain the company’s ownership, business, expected payments and lawful source of funds. Keep supporting records consistent. Banks assess the evidence and their own product rules; documenting a transfer does not guarantee acceptance. Check the rules that apply to transfers from China with your bank and an adviser familiar with those rules.
Coordinate family and ongoing administration.
Family passes, housing and school applications are separate tasks. Begin company accounts and statutory records early. Maintain salary, contract and funding evidence for later applications; good records do not assure renewal or PR.
Discuss the plan in your preferred language.
Golden Archway handles initial enquiries in English and Chinese. Tell us your business model, current company status, family needs and intended timing. We will confirm the services you need and provide a quotation.
Keep company setup and family commitments on separate timelines
Build a timeline with decision points for incorporation, work-pass application, bank onboarding, housing and schooling. Some tasks can begin together; others depend on approval or issuance. Confirm which commitments can be postponed if an application takes longer than expected.
- Prepare identity, relationship and qualification documents with consistent names and required translations.
- Check the work-pass route before committing to a move or promising a Singapore start date.
- Ask the selected bank what ownership and source-of-funds records it requires.
- Check applicable cross-border transfer rules with the relevant institutions; company registration does not settle them.
- Confirm school eligibility, vacancies and costs directly with the institution.
Keep an emergency budget for delays, and use approved pass validity and issuance dates when planning travel. Our family relocation case shows one sequence, not a standard outcome for every nationality or household.
Frequently asked questions
Should I book the whole move before EP approval?
Assess the financial consequences of delay and avoid treating an unapproved application as a confirmed move date.
Can I discuss the plan in Chinese?
Yes. Golden Archway accepts initial enquiries in English and Chinese.
Does documenting funds guarantee a bank account?
No. The bank assesses source of funds and the other application factors under its own rules.
Official sources
Related guides
Enquire about company setup
Tell us what the business will do, who will own it and whether you need a work pass.