Singapore Residency and Passes Compared: Criteria, Validity, Dependants and Work Rights

Long-term status in Singapore falls into two groups. Work passes (the EP, ONE Pass, PEP and EntrePass) allow foreigners to live and work in Singapore for a limited period and must be renewed. Permanent residence (PR) has no expiry date, but leaving Singapore requires a Re-Entry Permit, and the status brings obligations such as CPF and National Service. This page sets six common routes side by side in a single table, so readers can rule out the clearly unsuitable options first and then read each one in detail under Residency routes.

How to read the tables: basis and dates

Three points need to be fixed before comparing, otherwise the figures are easily misread:

1. Dates: thresholds, validity periods and fees in the tables are as of October 2026, taken from the last-updated dates shown on MOM, ICA and EDB pages. The EP qualifying salary rises for new applications from 1 January 2027, and for renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028, so the explanations below give both the current and the new thresholds.
2. Approval: every route is subject to a holistic assessment by the relevant authority. The "core criteria" in the table are only the minimum conditions for applying; meeting them does not mean approval, and this site does not estimate the success rate of any route.
3. Family: whether dependants can come, whether a spouse can work and whether sons face National Service often weigh more in a family's decision than the main applicant's threshold, so these are shown in separate rows.

The tables cover only the six routes high-net-worth families compare most often. The S Pass, Work Permit and Student's Pass are outside their scope; if children are coming first for school, see Schooling. "See MOM pages" in the table means the official pages do not set out that item, and this site does not infer it.

Table 1: six routes across ten dimensions

Explained: criteria, validity and renewal

Approving authority. All four work passes are approved by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). PR is approved by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA); the application fee is S$100, and complete applications are generally processed within 6 months (ICA, 2026-03-13). GIP applications are assessed by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and take about 12 months. Approval-in-Principle (AIP) is valid for 6 months, and after final approval PR must be finalised within 12 months (EDB GIP Factsheet, version dated 2025-05-05).

Core criteria. The EP qualifying salary currently ranges from S$5,600 to S$10,700 in most sectors and from S$6,200 to S$11,800 in financial services. For new applications from 1 January 2027, these rise to S$6,000–S$11,500 and S$6,600–S$12,700 respectively, and applicants with a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 are exempt from COMPASS (MOM, 2026-04-28). PEP holders must earn a fixed salary of at least S$270,000 in each calendar year (S$144,000 for those who applied before 1 September 2023). An EntrePass company must also meet at least one further condition, such as raising at least S$100,000 in a single funding round, being supported by a recognised incubator or holding registered intellectual property (MOM, 2026-08-14). Turnover, valuation or net investable asset thresholds for the four GIP applicant profiles range from S$200 million to S$500 million; see the GIP page.

Validity and renewal. A first EP is issued for up to 2 years and renewals for up to 3 years (MOM, 2026-05-04). A ONE Pass is valid for up to 5 years on first issue and on renewal; renewal can be based on an average fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 over the past 5 years, or on having started and operated a company employing at least 5 local staff (MOM, 2026-09-14). A PEP lasts up to 3 years and is issued only once (MOM, 2024-03-22). A first EntrePass and its first renewal are valid for up to 1 year each, and each later renewal for up to 2 years (MOM, 2024-11-19). PR itself has no expiry date, but leaving Singapore depends on an REP, which costs S$10 for each year or part of a year.

Explained: work flexibility, dependants and a spouse's right to work

Work flexibility. An EP is applied for by the employer or an appointed employment agent, and the employer must cancel the pass when employment ends, so the EP is closely tied to the employer. The ONE Pass allows the holder to work for several companies or start a company at the same time, and changing jobs does not require a new application; the same applies to the PEP. The EntrePass assumes the holder runs a company in which they own at least 30% of the shares. PRs need no work pass to work or start a business in Singapore.

Dependants. EP and S Pass holders need a fixed monthly salary of their own of at least S$6,000 to apply for a Dependant's Pass (DP); only their own salary counts, not household income. The DP covers a legal spouse and unmarried children under 21 (including legally adopted children). A common-law spouse, unmarried stepchildren under 21 and unmarried children with disabilities aged 21 and above come under the Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP), which also requires the holder's own fixed monthly salary to be at least S$6,000; an LTVP for parents requires at least S$12,000 (MOM, 2024-03-14). Dependants' pass criteria for ONE Pass, PEP and EntrePass holders are set out separately by MOM, and this table does not infer them. A GIP application can include a spouse and unmarried children under 21 at the time of submission as dependants applying for PR together. Parents and unmarried children aged 21 and above cannot be listed as dependants but can apply for an LTVP tied to the validity of the main applicant's REP.

A spouse's right to work. A DP holder who wants to work needs an employer to apply for a work pass such as an EP or S Pass; a DP holder who sets up or runs their own business can apply for an LOC (MOM, 2026-03-25). The spouse of a ONE Pass holder can work on an LOC, which is one of the most direct differences between the ONE Pass and the EP at family level.

Explained: CPF, medical cover and National Service

These three rows reflect the long-term obligations and protections that come with status, and they mark the most fundamental difference between PR and a pass.

• CPF. Mandatory contributions to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) apply to citizens and PRs. PRs must contribute from the date they obtain status. For the first two years, employer and employee contribute at graduated rates, and both can jointly apply to contribute at higher rates; from the third year, the same full rates as citizens apply (CPF Board, 2026-06-16).
• Medical cover. MediShield Life covers all citizens and PRs (MOH), and PRs are covered automatically. Work pass holders and their dependants are not covered and need to arrange hospital insurance themselves; see Medical insurance.
• National Service. Under the Enlistment Act, male citizens and PRs must register for National Service at 16½. Main applicants who obtained PR as first-generation professionals, technical personnel and skilled workers or through an investor scheme are exempt, but sons who obtain PR through their parents' sponsorship must serve (ICA; CMPB, 2025-07-22). Renouncing or losing PR without serving, or before completing full-time service, will seriously affect later applications to work or study in Singapore. For individual cases, check with CMPB or ICA; see Maintaining PR.

Table 2: dependants by pass

The table below takes an EP holder as the main applicant (as of October 2026, MOM); the GIP column is taken from the EDB factsheet.

What the tables cannot tell you

A like-for-like comparison can rule routes out, but it cannot make the decision for you. The following points often decide the outcome:

1. Approval is a holistic assessment. Thresholds are only the starting point; MOM, ICA and EDB weigh the employer, the industry, personal background and the application materials together. This site does not file applications and makes no commitment about outcomes.
2. Residency is not tax residence. Whatever pass or PR status you hold, Singapore tax residence is decided under IRAS rules on days of presence and employment, and obligations in your previous home jurisdiction are a separate question; see Tax residence in year one.
3. PR has upkeep costs. From 1 December 2025, a PR who leaves without a valid REP, or whose REP lapses while abroad, and does not apply within 180 days or is refused, loses PR status (ICA). Renewal under the GIP route also requires the investor or their dependants to live in Singapore for more than half the time.
4. Family members run on different timetables. Children's school entry levels, National Service age and parents' medical cover mean the same route can carry different costs for different families.

If the family is also considering residency arrangements in Hong Kong or elsewhere, how tax residence and the CRS reporting jurisdiction fit together across the two places is covered in Landing scenarios. To have this applied to your own circumstances, you can register an enquiry through the contact details on this site.