A Founder Moving to Singapore Has Two Doors: The EntrePass and the Employment Pass.
Founders who want to build in Singapore, rather than just visit, quickly hit a choice between two work passes. The EntrePass is designed for entrepreneurs. The Employment Pass is the general professional route, and a founder can sometimes use it through their own company. Picking the wrong one wastes months, so it helps to understand what each is really for.
The EntrePass: Built for Startups, and Selective
The EntrePass is the entrepreneur route, and Singapore keeps it deliberately narrow. It targets venture-backed, IP-driven or research-heavy startups, and it expects a clear business plan with evidence of funding or serious revenue potential. It is issued for one year at first, then renewed in steps, twelve months on the first renewal and twenty-four on later ones, as the business proves itself. If your startup fits the profile Singapore is trying to attract, the EntrePass is the tailored door.
The Employment Pass: Broader, but Tied to a Real Company
The Employment Pass is for professionals earning above a salary threshold, employed by a Singapore company. A founder can use it by incorporating a company and being employed by it, provided the company is real and can justify paying you at the required level. It is less about the venture-backed startup profile and more about a legitimate business that can support a professional salary. For a founder whose company does not fit the EntrePass mould but is genuinely operating, the EP is often the more practical route.
Incorporating First
Either way, a company usually has to exist before the pass makes sense. Singapore allows foreigners to incorporate a company, and many founders set up the entity first, then apply for the pass that matches their situation. The sequence matters. The pass attaches to a real business, so the business comes first, then the visa that lets you run it.
Which One Fits You
Map it to your startup. A funded, IP-led venture aimed at exactly the kind of company Singapore courts points at the EntrePass. A solid operating business that can employ you at a professional salary points at the Employment Pass. If you are unsure, that usually means your company profile sits between the two, which is precisely the situation worth talking through before you file, because choosing wrong here costs real time.