Typically provided to tourists, families and friends, these visas allow visitors to stay for durations ranging from a few days to a few months.

Social Visit Pass
You will need a Social Visit Pass for short stays in Singapore, to attend job interviews and business negotiations. You may not, however, work in the country.

With an initial validity period of between two and four weeks, the Social Visit Pass may be subsequently renewed for up to three months.

Long-Term Social Visit Pass

Permanent Residents and P Employment Pass holders may apply for Long-Term Social Visit Passes for their

• parents
• parents-in-law

Long-Term Social Visit Pass holders are required to obtain their own Employment Pass or Work Permit in order to work in Singapore.

Long-Term Social Visit Pass for Entrepreneurs

Foreign entrepreneurs may stay in Singapore for up to six months to explore business opportunities and fine-tune business plans.

Validity:

• The Social Visit Pass for Entrepreneurs is valid for six months
• You may leave and re-enter Singapore within the validity of the pass

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority allows them to stay for up to a year if they have the support from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) or Agency For Science, Technology And Research (A*STAR).

Professional Visit Pass (PVP)

Foreigners need a Professional Visit Pass (PVP) to undertake short-term professional assignments in Singapore.

As part of Singapore’s effort to be a centre for business and culture, only the following groups of foreigners entering Singapore for short-term assignments require a PVP:

• Foreigner who is a speaker, organiser, workshop leader/moderator at conferences, seminars, workshops or gathering of a racial, communal, religious, cause-related (e.g. human rights) and political nature;
• Foreign religious worker coming to Singapore to give religious or other religious-related talks;
• Foreign journalist, reporter or an accompanying crew member not supported/sponsored by any Singapore Government agency to cover an event or write a story in Singapore;
• Foreign artiste performing at night-clubs, lounges, pubs and other similar entertainment outlets in Singapore.

Training Visit Pass

The Training Visit Pass is for those who are undergoing training in Singapore. To apply for a Training Visit Pass, you should hold a acceptable degree / professional qualifications or should currently be an undergraduate of a University/tertiary institution or should be able to secure a minimum basic monthly stipend of more than S$2,500. The internship must be of professional, managerial, executive or specialist nature.

Employment Pass / EntrePass (Employment Pass for Entrepreneurs)

For a foreigner to run his own company/business in Singapore, we can apply for his/her employment pass known in Singapore as EntrePass (either before the incorporation or after) which needs to be submitted with a Business Plan. You may call upon Rikvin to assist you with the completion and submission of the application and the drawing up of the Business Plan.

There are various categories of employment passes in Singapore.

Employment Pass P1 and P2

• For a P1 Pass, you need to have acceptable professional qualifications or specialist skills in a professional, administrative, executive or managerial capacity.
• You must have a basic monthly salary of more than S$7,000.
• For a P2 Pass, you need to be earning more than S$3,500 and up to S$7,000.
• With a P Pass, your spouse, adopted children and dependent children below 21 years of age may accompany you on Dependant’s Passes. Aged parents and parents-in-law can also visit a P Pass holder on long term social visit passes.

Employment Pass Q1

• For a Q1 Pass, you need to possess acceptable degrees, professional qualifications or specialist skills and earn a basic monthly salary of more than S$2,500.
• You may also obtain Dependant’s Passes for your spouse and children.

S Pass

• Applicants for S Pass will be assessed on a points system. The points system comprises four categories, namely, salary, educational qualifications, number of years of work experience and job type to enable a broader assessment of the applicant.
• Applicants chalk up points based on how far they meet the criteria. The points allocated for each category of criteria will vary over time depending on market conditions.
• To qualify for the S Pass, applicants must be paid a minimum monthly basic salary of S$1,800.
• S Pass holders with S$2,500 basic monthly salary may also obtain Dependant’s Passes for your spouse and children.

Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate

An EPE certificate will be issued to foreign professionals who hold acceptable degrees, professional qualifications or specialist skills and who would like to have a longer stay in order to seek employment in Singapore. With this certificate, foreign professionals can apply for a 6-month social visit pass to allow them sufficient time to look for a job in Singapore. The EPE certificate is issued on a one time basis and is non-renewable

Foreign professionals with an EPE certificate will be issued with an employment pass by Work Pass Department upon securing a job in Singapore.

Foreign professionals should apply for an EPE certificate only when they are ready to come to Singapore. They will still need to apply for a relevant visa to enter Singapore (if a visa is required) even if they hold a valid EPE certificate.

Businesses planning to bring in foreign equity should advise their foreign parties that foreign equity alone does not confer the latter automatic rights to carry on business in Singapore. Under the Singapore Immigration Regulations, any foreigner who is not a Singapore permanent resident and wishes to engage in any business, profession, occupation or any form of paid employment in Singapore with a minimum monthly income of S$2,500 is required to apply for an Employment Pass.