Tech Pass Singapore Application Guide and ONE Pass Transition
Tech.Pass applications remain open until 27 January 2027 at 23:59 Singapore time. From 28 January 2027, EDB will stop accepting new and renewal applications, while the ONE Pass AI and Tech track opens for applications. Existing Tech.Pass holders can stay for their approved validity; moving to another pass requires a separate application and assessment. See the EDB transition announcement and FAQs.
For a Tech Pass Singapore application, the immediate decision is whether you can substantiate the current eligibility requirements and submit a complete file within the remaining window. This guide explains that decision, the evidence to prepare, government fees and processing stages, family arrangements, and the requirements to reassess for the new track.
Start with your application route and deadline
Tech.Pass is an individualised work pass for established technology talent. It supports concurrent permitted activities such as building a tech company, employment, consultancy, mentoring and directorships. A Singapore job offer is not required. The initial pass lasts two years, with one possible two-year renewal subject to eligibility and the remaining application window.
Use your current status and intended activities to decide which requirements to examine first.
| Your situation | First decision and next action |
| New Tech.Pass applicant | Check both current eligibility tests, then establish whether a complete submission is achievable before closure |
| Existing Tech.Pass holder | Compare your expiry date, permitted renewal window and the programme cutoff before choosing renewal or another route |
| Applicant considering the AI and Tech track | Assess its distinct compensation, experience and organisation conditions for an application from 28 January 2027 |
| Technology professional with an employer in Singapore | Compare an employer-sponsored EP, including the five-year tech arrangement where applicable, against the flexibility you actually need |
Figure 1. The scheme cutoff and your personal pass expiry are separate dates. Applications submitted before the cutoff continue to be processed under the existing framework.
The cutoff concerns submission, rather than completion of assessment. Set your own preparation deadline earlier, allowing time for employer records, translations, signatures and payment. Keep a separate calendar for your current immigration permission and the steps needed to maintain it.
Check both Tech Pass eligibility tests
The current Tech.Pass framework requires an income test AND an experience test. The technology-company and technology-VC options are alternatives within the experience test. They are not alternatives to the income requirement. Use the official application form linked through EDB when preparing your file.
| Test | Published requirement | Evidence question |
| Income | Last drawn fixed monthly salary in the preceding year of at least S$22,500, or its foreign-currency equivalent | Which records establish the salary components and relevant period |
| Qualifying experience | At least five cumulative years in a leading role at a tech company valued at US$500 million or more, or with at least US$30 million funding raised; alternatively, a tech VC firm with at least US$500 million AUM | Which roles, dates and organisation records support the qualifying experience |
EDB also considers candidates or business owners with other income, including non-cash components, case by case. This is different from treating every equity award or business receipt as fixed monthly salary. Older descriptions using a two-out-of-three formula should not control a current application.
Separate salary from other income
Build a compensation schedule identifying basic salary, fixed allowances, bonuses, business income and equity separately. For each component, record the paying entity, currency, payment or vesting date, and supporting document. Explain differences between the employment contract, payslips and tax records.
Company turnover, company valuation and personal compensation measure different things. If your income case depends on share transactions or business earnings, identify the actual income and the documents supporting it. Resolve the treatment of a material component before relying on it to establish eligibility.
Demonstrate the leading role and the qualifying organisation
A career chronology should explain responsibilities as well as titles. Record each relevant role, its dates, reporting line, team or product responsibilities, and decisions you led. Show overlapping appointments transparently rather than adding the same calendar period twice in your own estimate of experience.
Connect the employment record to the entity whose valuation, funding or assets under management you rely on. A parent company, subsidiary and investment fund may have different measures. Explain that relationship instead of expecting an assessor to infer it from a group logo or an undated funding headline.
Compare Tech Pass with the ONE Pass AI and Tech track
The ONE Pass AI and Tech track is a new assessment route within ONE Pass, opening on 28 January 2027. Holding Tech.Pass does not establish eligibility for it. The comparison below highlights the differences most relevant to application preparation. Sources are the EDB Tech.Pass framework and MOM category-specific eligibility guidance.
| Application issue | Current Tech.Pass | ONE Pass AI and Tech track |
| Timing | Submit new and eligible renewal applications by 27 January 2027 at 23:59 | Applications open on 28 January 2027 |
| Income assessment | S$22,500 fixed monthly salary benchmark; other income may receive individual consideration | S$30,000 monthly earnings for 12 consecutive months before application, including at least S$22,500 fixed salary; the balance may include assessed vested non-cash compensation |
| Experience | Five cumulative years in a qualifying leading role | Five cumulative years within the past ten years in founder, C-suite and/or technical roles |
| Organisation evidence | Establish the qualifying company or tech VC supporting the experience test | Current or last employment must meet the technology-organisation and scale conditions |
| Validity | Two years initially and one possible two-year renewal | Up to five years; subsequent renewal requires separate conditions |
For the new track, current or last employment must be in a tech company, a technology division within a company, or a technology venture capital firm. MOM’s official policy factsheet also sets out the organisation measures. Under the current eligibility page, the organisation must satisfy at least one:
Valuation or market capitalisation of at least US$500 million.
Annual revenue of at least US$200 million.
Assets under management of at least US$500 million.
For tech start-ups only, funding raised of at least US$30 million.
These are organisation measures, rather than sums the applicant must personally invest. They sit alongside the compensation and experience requirements. A qualifying organisation alone does not complete the assessment.
Explain equity compensation with dated evidence
For the AI and Tech track, prepare the salary history and records explaining any vested non-cash compensation relied on. A grant, vesting event and sale can occur at different times. A large grant headline does not establish qualifying monthly earnings throughout the required period.
For example, S$22,500 fixed salary plus an asserted S$7,500 equity component is only a starting calculation. The component must qualify under MOM’s assessment, the twelve-month earnings record must be established, and the experience and organisation conditions must also be met. This is an illustrative calculation, not an approval example.
The mainstream ONE Pass categories have their own requirements. MOM’s FAQ on less than twelve months of Singapore employment explains when candidates may apply under the overseas-applicant requirements. Select the appropriate category rather than combining favourable parts of different routes.
Turn the route decision into an employer preparation plan
The ONE Pass framework offers COMPASS and FCF job-advertising exemptions and flexibility to work for multiple companies, subject to relevant employment contract terms. Employers still need a documented hiring and onboarding plan.
Assign HR to confirm role history and application responsibilities, payroll to reconcile cash and equity records, and finance to obtain the correct company-scale evidence. Agree who will answer follow-up requests. MOM permits only one work pass application per candidate at a time, so coordinate alternatives before submitting competing applications.
Prepare an evidence file that answers the assessment
An application file should connect each claim to the record that proves it. Keep an index with the claim, document, issuing organisation, relevant period and unresolved question. The index is a preparation tool, not an additional government requirement.
| Claim or requirement | Records to organise where relevant | Check before submission |
| Identity and application details | Passport particulars, current application form and any name-change explanation | Names and personal details agree |
| Compensation | Payslips, contract, employer explanation, and records supporting other income | Components, periods and currency reconcile |
| Qualifying experience | CV, employment letters and dated descriptions of responsibilities | Roles and dates support the claimed experience |
| Organisation scale | Financial, valuation, funding or AUM records | The entity and financial measure match the claim |
| Family and transaction records | Relationship documents, relevant family forms, payment receipt and submission acknowledgement | Each applicant and each completed transaction is identifiable |
For Tech.Pass, start from EDB’s supporting-document checklist and the current form. Obtain the live file-size, translation and signature instructions before assembling the upload set. A saved checklist is useful background but should not override the version linked for your submission.
For the ONE Pass AI and Tech track, MOM’s documents-required page specifies twelve months of payslips, evidence of other income where relevant, CV or employment letters covering the qualifying roles, and financial information for the current or most recent employer obtained within the last three months. Keep those route-specific periods visible in your index.
If an employer cannot release a confidential record, identify the fact it would establish and seek guidance about acceptable alternatives. A funding announcement might support company scale but cannot establish your employment dates. Resolve conflicting names, dates and entities before submission; explain any remaining limitation directly.
Follow the Tech Pass application process
The sequence below follows EDB’s application guidance. Keep a preparation folder separate from the final submitted file so that you can reproduce exactly what the authority received.
Step 1 Confirm the route and resolve material gaps
Write down the eligibility basis, intended Singapore activities, current pass expiry and target submission date. List any unanswered question that could change eligibility. Assign responsibility for each missing employer or financial record and decide when it must be resolved.
For a founder planning concurrent advisory work, the activity flexibility may matter. For an employee taking a single sponsored role, another work pass may fit the plan. Company incorporation, director duties and sector licensing require their own assessment alongside immigration permission.
Step 2 Obtain the current forms and signatures
Start from EDB’s official application page. Download the relevant forms, complete them as instructed, obtain signatures, and preserve the payment reference generated by the form. Prepare separate dependant documents where applicable.
Appoint one person to control the final file. A late change to employment dates or compensation should trigger a check of the form, CV, supporting schedule and signed version together. This prevents different contributors from submitting incompatible versions.
Step 3 Pay and submit through the official channel
Follow the payment and upload instructions linked by EDB. Retain the receipt, acknowledgement, reference number and final documents. Payment confirmation and application acknowledgement serve different purposes; preserve both.
If a payment or upload appears unsuccessful, check the transaction status before trying again. Where the status remains unclear, contact the official support route with the reference. A duplicate payment or a second inconsistent submission can complicate an otherwise complete file.
Step 4 Respond to further information requests
Track each question, deadline, evidence owner and response. Supply the record that answers the question, with a concise explanation of any correction. More documents are useful only when they resolve the issue under review.
If a required record cannot be obtained by the deadline, explain the constraint and seek instructions. Continue monitoring your existing immigration permission separately: a pending application is not itself an extension of the right to stay or work.
Step 5 Complete issuance after approval
An in-principle approval is followed by issuance steps. EDB’s published guidance provides six months for issuance after an initial approval, and three months after renewal approval. Read the actual letter for your deadline and requirements.
Initial Tech.Pass issuance requires you to be in Singapore. Coordinate the appointment and required documents before setting a work or business start date. The acknowledgement, approval letter and issued pass are distinct stages, each with its own record.
Budget for fees and the full processing timeline
EDB’s published application guidance lists the following government charges. Professional fees, translations, company setup and relocation expenses are separate.
| Charge | Published amount | When it matters |
| Application fee | S$105 for each application | Non-refundable; follow the form’s payment instructions |
| Pass issuance | S$225 for each pass | At the issuance stage |
| Multiple Journey Visa | S$30 if applicable | Additional to issuance where required |
EDB indicates around eight weeks for assessment once documents are in order, with longer assessment possible if more information is needed. Payment receipt can add time: its guidance notes that receipt may take up to one month depending on the bank, and processing starts after payment is received. Check current charges and instructions on the official application page before payment.
Your working timeline should therefore distinguish document collection, payment receipt, assessment, clarification and issuance. Ask any adviser to specify which stages its estimate covers and which costs are government charges. The application cutoff does not guarantee an outcome or relocation date before closure.
Plan renewal and the next pass before expiry
An existing holder needs to satisfy renewal eligibility, the permitted renewal window and the programme closing timetable. EDB allows submission up to six months before expiry and advises filing no later than twelve weeks before expiry. The transition does not create an earlier application window for a holder whose window opens after closure.
The EDB renewal guidance sets out three alternative bases.
| Renewal basis | Published benchmark | Evidence focus |
| Assessable income | At least S$270,000 on the latest IRAS Notice of Assessment | The tax assessment and income recorded |
| Business spending and local employment | At least S$100,000 annual business spending AND one qualifying local PME or three qualifying LQS employees | Spending, qualifying employment, ownership and operating activity |
| Funded technology business | More than US$10 million cumulative funding in the past 36 months AND funding from programme-recognised investment firms | Core technology offering, investment timing and investor qualification |
Each basis includes definitions and supporting conditions. Check the programme’s employment, CPF and ownership requirements rather than relying on spending alone. Wider wage obligations must also be met; meeting one published programme measure does not establish compliance with every payroll rule.
ONE Pass renewal uses a different framework. MOM specifies either an average fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 over the preceding five years in Singapore, or a Singapore-based company employing at least five locals each earning the prevailing EP minimum qualifying salary. Initial recognition of equity should not be carried into the renewal salary test without checking its wording. See MOM’s renewal criteria.
Coordinate family arrangements and employment plans
Tech.Pass holders may sponsor eligible family members for Dependant’s Passes or Long-Term Visit Passes. Determine the appropriate category and supporting relationship documents for each person, then coordinate application, travel and schooling dates with the main applicant’s status.
Family permission to stay does not automatically authorise employment. For a spouse under an existing Tech.Pass arrangement, use MOM’s guidance on working as a Dependant’s Pass holder to assess the proposed activity and permission required.
The ONE Pass family framework is different: eligible spouses on the relevant family passes may apply for a Letter of Consent to work. Application is still required. When changing the main pass, check what must happen to existing family passes as part of the same plan. See MOM’s ONE Pass family guidance.
Consider an Employment Pass where the role fits
A five-year tech EP is an arrangement within the Employment Pass framework. It requires a qualifying tech occupation on the Shortage Occupation List, passing COMPASS with at least ten points on its diversity criterion, the applicable salary, and further checks. It is distinct from the ONE Pass AI and Tech track.
MOM lists a S$10,700 fixed monthly salary threshold for candidates aged 36 and below, rising to S$14,270 for those 45 and above under the current schedule. For new applications from 1 January 2027, the corresponding thresholds are S$11,500 and S$15,499; that later schedule also applies to renewals of EPs expiring from 1 January 2028. Check the five-year tech EP requirements for the candidate’s age and timing.
Tech@SG is also separate: it is a company programme that can facilitate EP applications for eligible businesses, rather than another name for an individual’s Tech.Pass. Other possibilities, including the mainstream ONE Pass, EntrePass and Personalised EP, require their own assessment. Start with MOM’s work pass overview when your intended activities point beyond this guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for Tech Pass in 2026
Yes. New applications remain open until 27 January 2027 at 23:59 Singapore time. Eligibility and a complete submission still matter. A closing window is a reason to organise the file early, rather than a substitute for the evidence required.
Do I need a Singapore job offer
Tech.Pass does not require you to secure Singapore employment first. Your income and qualifying experience still need to be established. A proposed Singapore role may also make an employer-sponsored route worth comparing.
Does S$22,500 fixed salary guarantee Tech Pass approval
No. The experience test and other applicable requirements remain. A salary record should be assessed alongside role dates, responsibilities and the qualifying organisation.
Can vested equity count under the new track
It may form part of qualifying compensation, subject to assessment. The AI and Tech track still requires at least S$22,500 fixed monthly salary within the S$30,000 monthly earnings requirement for the twelve consecutive months before application. Unvested awards should not be treated as assessed vested compensation.
Should I use the same document period for both routes
Use each route’s instructions. The AI and Tech track explicitly requires a twelve-month earnings record and recent employer financial information. A document set assembled for Tech.Pass should be checked against those requirements before reuse.
Will a submitted application be decided before closure
Not necessarily. EDB says applications submitted before the cutoff continue under the existing framework. Assessment and issuance can occur on a different timetable; maintain your current status and plans accordingly.
Can I renew after new applications stop
EDB will stop accepting both new and renewal Tech.Pass applications from 28 January 2027. Existing holders retain their approved validity. Assess renewal timing and an alternative route before expiry rather than assuming the closure affects new applicants only.
Can my spouse start work after the family application
Submission of a family application does not authorise work. Check the spouse’s approved pass and the permission applicable to the intended activity. The ONE Pass Letter of Consent arrangement should not be assumed to apply to every Tech.Pass family.
Does a five-year pass mean five-year renewals are automatic
No. ONE Pass has separate renewal conditions, while the five-year tech EP remains subject to its own framework. Duration describes the permission granted; it does not promise future renewal.
Does Tech Pass increase or guarantee my PR chances
A work pass is not a guarantee of permanent residence. This guide does not establish a probability increase from holding Tech.Pass. PR eligibility and assessment should be considered separately under ICA’s permanent residence guidance.
Discuss your route and evidence with Jenga Anderson
Jenga Anderson’s Tech.Pass service covers profile review, application coordination and practical onboarding, with related business and family support where relevant. A useful first discussion starts with the route available when you apply and the evidence you can substantiate.
Prepare a short summary of your current pass status and expiry, compensation structure, qualifying roles and employers, intended Singapore activities, and family requirements. Ask for an agreed scope covering the eligibility review, outstanding records, submission responsibilities, timing and fees.