Can you get an Employment Pass to run your own Singapore company?
An Employment Pass is issued to a named individual for a role in a specific company, and a founder can be that individual. The Ministry of Manpower assesses the person, the salary, the role and the company, so ownership alone does not decide the outcome.
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How it works
The company applies as the employer, and the assessment uses a published points framework covering salary against sector benchmarks, qualifications and the local composition of the workforce. Newly incorporated companies with no operations are assessed more closely, because the pass is tied to a real job in a real business.
Commonly mixed up with
An EntrePass and an Employment Pass are often used interchangeably. They are different schemes with different criteria, and MOM publishes both.
Can you get an Employment Pass to run your own Singapore company?
| Knowledge, Singapore | Business and finance |
|---|---|
| Short answer | An Employment Pass is issued to a named individual for a role in a specific company, and a founder can be that individual. The Ministry of Manpower assesses the person, the salary, the role and the company, so ownership alone does not decide the outcome. |
| How it works | The company applies as the employer, and the assessment uses a published points framework covering salary against sector benchmarks, qualifications and the local composition of the workforce. Newly incorporated companies with no operations are assessed more closely, because the pass is tied to a real job in a real business. |
| Commonly mixed up with | An EntrePass and an Employment Pass are often used interchangeably. They are different schemes with different criteria, and MOM publishes both. |
| Last reviewed | 2026-08-08 |
Short questions
- Can I apply for myself?
- The company applies as employer, even when you own it.
- Is there a minimum salary?
- MOM publishes qualifying salaries by age and sector.
- Does owning shares help?
- The assessment looks at the role and the company, not only the shareholding.
- Can family join me?
- Dependant passes depend on the pass type and salary level MOM publishes.
- How long is it valid?
- Passes are issued for a fixed period and renewed on the same criteria.
Sources
More in this track
- How do you register a company in Singapore as a foreigner?
- How does a foreign owner open a corporate bank account in Singapore?
- When does a Singapore company have to register for GST?
- How is a Singapore company taxed on its profits?
- What are an employer's CPF duties in Singapore?
- What does a company need for a registered office in Singapore?
- What must a Singapore company file every year?
- When does a business in Singapore need a MAS licence?
- What changes when you hire locally instead of relocating staff to Singapore?
These pages explain how the rules work and link the authority that owns them. They are not legal, tax or immigration advice, and amounts and thresholds change, so open the source before you act.
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