What MOM looks for in your company, and how to structure it.

Think of the list below not as a test to pass once, but as a build list: the structure we put in place so your company reads as a real business to MOM, to a bank's compliance team, and later to the authorities assessing your permanent residence. For why these checks exist in the first place, see why MOM reviews EP applications.

What is assessed, and how we structure it.

What MOM / banks look at	How we structure it
Capital behind the business	Paid-up capital sized to the business, often around SGD 100,000, not the SGD 1 minimum
A real place of work	A proper tenancy or office arrangement, not a name on a mailbox
Actual business activity	Contracts, invoices, a pipeline, a working website and operations
Local employment	A plan to hire local staff and pay CPF as the business grows
Financial records	Clean bookkeeping, filings and bank activity that match the story
The founder's role	A defined role and a salary that fits the company's finances and sector

1. Capital that fits the business

The legal minimum to incorporate is one dollar of paid-up capital, but that figure tells MOM and a bank nothing reassuring. A company seeking an Employment Pass and a corporate bank account is more credible with capital that can plausibly sustain operations, often in the region of SGD 100,000. It is not a fee or a sunk cost; it is your company's money, available to run the business. We size it to what your business actually needs, as covered in how much capital a Singapore company needs.

2. A real place of work

A registered address that is clearly just a mailbox is a weak signal. A proper office or a credible tenancy arrangement shows the business operates somewhere. The right answer depends on your business model, and we structure an address that is appropriate rather than a liability.

3. Demonstrable business activity

This is the heart of it. Signed contracts, invoices raised, a sales pipeline, a working website, real suppliers and clients: these show the company does something. A business plan matters, but evidence of activity matters more. We help you document what you are actually doing so the file speaks for itself.

4. Local hiring and CPF

Singapore's framework rewards companies that support local employment, both in the COMPASS C4 criterion and at renewal. Hiring local staff and paying their CPF is one of the strongest signals that the company is a real employer, not a vehicle for a single pass. Even a modest, growing local headcount strengthens the EP and the later PR case.

5. A credible online presence

A company with no website and no digital footprint looks thin to both MOM officers and bank compliance teams who search for you. A clear, professional website that explains what the business does, who runs it, and how to reach it is a quiet but real credibility signal. It is one reason we build proper company websites as part of the setup.

6. Clean financial records

Bookkeeping, statutory filings and bank statements should all tell the same, consistent story. Gaps or inconsistencies invite questions, especially at renewal, where the last 12 months of company bank statements and financials are often examined. Keeping this clean from day one is what our compliance service is for.

7. A founder whose role and pay fit

Your salary should be credible for your sector and supportable by the company's finances, and your role should be clearly defined. An inflated salary the business cannot fund, or a vague title, undermines the rest of the file. We set a number that scores under COMPASS and still looks consistent, as explained in EP salary benchmarks.

Use it as a build list, not a test

No one expects a brand-new company to have years of accounts and a large local team on day one. What matters is that the structure is right, the activity is real, and the parts that take time are clearly on the way. That is the difference between a company that reads as a business and one that reads as a formality, and it is exactly what we structure for you.