The entrepreneur work pass for people building venture-backed or innovation-led companies in Singapore. A clear read on who qualifies, what renewals demand, and how we coordinate your case through authorised agents in our network.
Last updated: June 2026 — reviewed against Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) EntrePass settings.
Free EntrePass Eligibility Assessment — check whether your funding, accelerator backing, IP or research record fits MOM's criteria before you commit.
Get Assessment| Singapore EntrePass (startup / entrepreneur work pass) | |
|---|---|
| Governing authority | Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore |
| Status | Open (as of June 2026) |
| Core requirement | At least 30% shareholding in an ACRA-registered private limited company that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies |
| Eligibility | Meet at least one of five routes (funding, accelerator, prior exit, registered IP, or research collaboration) |
| Fixed deposit | None required |
| Initial validity | 1 year; renewals are milestone-based |
| Cosmos role | Facilitation — eligibility, documentation and case management, coordinated through government-authorised agents in our Singapore network |
| As of | June 2026 |
We work with founders based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India and Sri Lanka, who want to build a company in Singapore and base themselves there to run it. The EntrePass is a specific, demanding pass — Singapore filters hard for genuine, scalable ventures, and a registered company on its own is nowhere near enough.
Our role is to read your profile honestly against MOM's criteria, organise the evidence, and coordinate the application through government-authorised agents in our Singapore network — so you know your real position before you spend on company setup.
The Singapore EntrePass is for founders who hold at least 30% of an ACRA-registered private limited company that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies. Registering a company alone does not qualify you — MOM assesses the substance of the business, not just its existence. You also need to meet at least one of five specific eligibility routes.
Those five routes are: a funding round of at least roughly S$100,000 from recognised investors in a single round; support from a government-recognised or internationally renowned incubator or accelerator; a prior successful exit of a venture-backed or innovation-led business; registered intellectual property that gives a significant competitive advantage; or an ongoing research collaboration with a higher-learning or research institute. The first sift is honest: do you actually fit one of these? Find out in a free assessment.
EntrePass renewals escalate with each cycle, and MOM gates them on real business spend and local hiring. The first renewal asks for no minimum spend or headcount but sets a minimum salary for the founder; later renewals add rising thresholds — total business spend climbing through roughly S$100,000, S$200,000 and S$300,000, with one, then two, then three local employees expected as you progress.
By the later cycles the bar is steep: spend obligations rising toward S$1,000,000-plus and up to around ten local employees, with the founder's minimum salary also rising. The first renewal runs up to a year; later renewals can run up to two years. Treat the published figures as ranges that are indexed and can shift. The honest read: the pass gets harder to keep, not easier.
The honest note. The EntrePass is a business-build commitment, not a passive residence route. MOM rejects renewals for companies showing little or no revenue and no local hiring — regardless of how strong the original innovation credentials were — and the spend and headcount thresholds escalate steeply over the years. There is no guaranteed permanent-residence outcome at the end of it. We will set realistic expectations on the multi-year hiring and spend obligations before you commit, not after. Every figure here carries its as-of date because MOM indexes these thresholds.
A permanent-residence pathway is possible later, but it is discretionary and not guaranteed. Once your business is genuinely established and trading, you may apply for Singapore PR through the standard application — the EntrePass itself does not automatically convert. PR is granted at the authorities' discretion based on the overall strength of your case.
In practice this means the EntrePass should be approached as a route to building a real company in Singapore first, with PR as a possible later step rather than the headline promise. We would rather frame that clearly up front than let you treat the pass as a guaranteed passport to settlement. Message us on WhatsApp if you want to talk through whether the route fits your plan.
Indian founders should plan their outbound funds carefully, because money sent to set up or capitalise a Singapore company falls under India's regulatory framework for overseas remittances. The Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) currently allows up to USD 250,000 per person per financial year, and overseas direct investment (ODI) rules apply to equity stakes in a foreign company.
This is a factual planning point, not a barrier — many Indian founders structure their Singapore investment well within these rules. It does, however, mean the timing and routing of your capital should be planned alongside the immigration steps, so the funding evidence MOM expects and your home-country compliance line up cleanly. We flag this early so nothing stalls the file later.
This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
Singapore is not one of the jurisdictions where Cosmos holds a regulatory licence — those are Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For the EntrePass, Cosmos works as a facilitator: applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network, while Cosmos coordinates your eligibility assessment, documentation and overall case management. We do not represent you before MOM ourselves, and we do not imply that any Canadian, Australian or other regulatory registration covers Singapore.
All criteria are subject to change by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower.
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No. Registering an ACRA private limited company is only the baseline. MOM requires the business to be venture-backed or to own innovative technologies, and you must meet at least one of five routes — qualifying funding, recognised accelerator backing, a prior exit, registered IP, or a research collaboration. The pass filters hard for genuine startups.
There is no fixed-deposit requirement for the EntrePass. The relevant financial benchmark on the funding route is a single round of at least roughly S$100,000 from recognised investors. Renewals later introduce business-spend milestones, but the initial pass does not require you to lock a deposit with the authorities.
The first EntrePass is issued for one year. Renewals are milestone-based and escalate: rising business spend and local-hiring thresholds across each cycle, with a minimum founder salary throughout. The first renewal can run up to a year; later renewals up to two years. Figures are indexed and may shift.
No. A permanent-residence pathway is possible once your business is established, but it is discretionary and not guaranteed. You apply for PR through the standard process; the EntrePass does not convert automatically. Approach the pass as a route to building a real company first, with PR as a possible later step.
Yes. Founders based in the UAE, GCC or India can pursue the EntrePass; nationality and current residence do not bar you. Cosmos coordinates your eligibility, documentation and case management, with the application prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated professionals in our Singapore network.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, working through CICC-, MARA- and IAA-registered professionals, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. Singapore is outside our licensed jurisdictions, so for the EntrePass we act as a facilitator — applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network, while Cosmos coordinates eligibility, documentation and case management. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether the EntrePass fits your venture — even if the answer is no.
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