Singapore EntrePass for Founders

Singapore EntrePass Guidance for UAE, GCC & India Founders

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.

Who qualifies for the Singapore EntrePass in 2026?

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.

What do the EntrePass renewal milestones require?

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.

Does the EntrePass lead to permanent residence in Singapore?

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 certain route to settlement. Message us on WhatsApp if you want to talk through whether the route fits your plan.

What should Indian founders know before funding a Singapore company?

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.

How EntrePass support works with Cosmos

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.

• Eligibility read against MOM's criteria and the five qualifying routes
• Evidence organisation — funding proof, IP, accelerator letters, business plan
• Coordination with authorised Singapore agents and regulated professionals for filing
• Milestone planning for the escalating renewal cycles

What changed in 2026

• As of June 2026: the EntrePass remains open, verified against MOM's official eligibility and renewal pages. The eligibility page was last updated 2 December 2024, with no 2025 or 2026 rule changes announced.
• Clarification worth knowing: there is no "company must be under six months old" rule. Companies more than 12 months old at the application date are simply assessed under renewal criteria rather than initial eligibility criteria.
• Standing structure: renewal thresholds remain escalating — rising business spend and local-hiring milestones across cycles, with the founder's minimum salary rising at the later renewals. Treat the figures as indexed ranges.
• Cosmos position: the EntrePass is published here under our facilitator model, coordinated through government-authorised agents in our Singapore network — reflecting that Cosmos holds no Singapore immigration licence.

← View all startup & business visa pathways on the hub page.

Singapore EntrePass — quick answers

Can I just register a company to get the EntrePass?

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.

Is there a fixed-deposit or minimum-investment amount for the EntrePass?

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.

How long is the EntrePass valid and how do renewals work?

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.

Does the EntrePass guarantee permanent residence?

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.

Can I apply for the EntrePass from Dubai or India?

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.