ONE Pass, PEP and Tech.Pass: Singapore Top-Talent Passes Compared (2026-2027)

By Lucas Seah, Founder of Excellence Singapore Group | Last Updated: July 2026

The Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) is Singapore’s top-tier work pass. Candidates qualify with a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000, or through outstanding achievements in sports, arts and culture, or academia and research. In return, the pass runs up to 5 years per term, lets the holder start, operate and work for multiple companies at the same time, and is exempt from the COMPASS points test. One tier down sit the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) at S$22,500 a month and the Tech.Pass, which MOM will replace with a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track in January 2027. This guide, part of our work pass in Singapore hub, compares the three top-talent passes against the standard Employment Pass and ends with a plain answer on which pass fits which profile.

Key Takeaways

• The ONE Pass requires a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000, or outstanding achievements in sports, arts and culture, or academia and research.
• It runs up to 5 years per term; holders can run or work for several companies at once and are exempt from COMPASS and the Fair Consideration Framework job advertising rules.
• Renewal needs a S$30,000 monthly average over the past 5 years, or a Singapore company employing at least 5 locals, each earning at least the EP minimum qualifying salary.
• The PEP suits mobile high earners: S$22,500 a month, up to 3 years, issued only once, with no freelancing and no running a business.
• The Tech.Pass (S$22,500 plus a 5-year tech leadership record) will be replaced by a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track in January 2027.
• The Employment Pass remains the default professional route from S$5,600 a month; COMPASS exemption starts at S$22,500.

Who is eligible for the ONE Pass?

The headline route is salary. You qualify with a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000, based on current or prospective employment in Singapore. Applicants based overseas must show they earned at least S$30,000 a month for the last 12 consecutive months, from at least one single employer if they held several jobs, and that they worked for an established company with a market capitalisation of at least US$500 million or annual revenue of at least US$200 million.

Candidates applying on prospective Singapore employment without that overseas track record go through extra verification, and the prospective employer must itself be an established company. MOM wants proof that both the salary and the employer behind it are substantial.

There is a second door. Candidates with outstanding achievements in sports, arts and culture, or academia and research can qualify without meeting the salary bar. Tech leaders are deliberately absent from that list: from January 2027 they get a dedicated ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track, covered below.

What the pass buys is unusual. It is issued for up to 5 years, and each renewal runs up to 5 years too. Holders can concurrently start, operate and work for multiple companies, are exempt from the COMPASS points test and the Fair Consideration Framework job advertising requirement, and a spouse can work in Singapore on a Letter of Consent, with one employer at a time.

How much does the ONE Pass cost and what does MOM expect each year?

The fees are modest for a pass at this level: S$105 per application and S$225 at issuance, plus S$30 where a Multiple Journey Visa is needed. MOM processes most applications within 4 weeks; the achievements route can take longer because the supporting claims need more checking.

The ongoing duty is annual reporting. Holders must notify MOM of their professional activities and annual income by 31 January each year, and MOM can cancel the pass for extended economic inactivity. The pass buys freedom to move between ventures, not freedom from scrutiny. Income earned here is taxed as usual; our guide to personal income tax filing in Singapore covers how residents and foreigners file.

How do you renew a ONE Pass?

Renewal is where the policy intent shows. At the end of each 5-year term, you must meet one of two conditions:

1. Salary route: you earned a fixed monthly salary averaging at least S$30,000 over the past 5 years in Singapore; or
2. Business route: you started and operate a Singapore-based company that employs at least 5 locals, each earning at least the prevailing Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary.

The business route is the one to plan early. Five locals at EP-level pay is a serious payroll commitment, and the bar moves with the EP qualifying salary itself, which starts at S$5,600 a month today and rises to S$6,000 for new applications from 1 January 2027. Founders who intend to renew this way usually incorporate in year one so the company has time to grow into that headcount; our guide on how to register a company in Singapore walks through the setup.

The salary ladder: how the thresholds compare

Seen side by side, Singapore’s pass thresholds form a ladder. The Employment Pass starts at S$5,600 a month for the youngest applicants and climbs with age to S$10,700 at 45 and above. The PEP and today’s Tech.Pass share the S$22,500 rung, which is also the salary at which an EP candidate becomes exempt from COMPASS. The ONE Pass tops the ladder at S$30,000.

Below the Employment Pass sit the mid-skilled passes with quotas and levies; if the role is a technician or associate professional post rather than a top-talent hire, start with our S Pass guide.

Is the Personalised Employment Pass still worth it?

The PEP is a mobility pass for high earners, not an entrepreneur pass. Eligibility rests on a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, a threshold in force since 1 September 2023. Two groups can apply: Employment Pass holders in Singapore already earning at that level, and overseas professionals whose last drawn fixed monthly salary met the bar within the past 6 months.

The terms are strict. The PEP runs up to 3 years and is issued only once: it cannot be renewed. Holders can change employers without filing a fresh application, but cannot stay unemployed for more than 6 consecutive months, must earn a fixed salary of at least S$270,000 per calendar year, and must declare their annual income to MOM by 31 January.

The freedom also stops at entrepreneurship. A PEP holder cannot freelance, and cannot be a sole proprietor, a partner, or a director who is also a shareholder in an ACRA-registered company; starting a business on a PEP is off the table. Media and religion-related occupations are barred. Regulated professions such as law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and architecture are allowed, provided the holder registers with the relevant professional body.

So is it still worth it? For a narrow band, yes: professionals earning between S$22,500 and S$30,000 who want to move between employers without re-applying and who have no plans to run a company. Anyone at S$30,000 or above should compare the ONE Pass first: it lasts 5 years instead of 3, renews, and allows business ownership. And an EP holder whose real goal is a company of their own should read our guide on whether an Employment Pass holder can start a business in Singapore before paying for a pass that forbids exactly that.

Tech.Pass in 2026: the current criteria while they last

The Tech.Pass, administered by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), targets proven tech leaders. Under the current criteria, an applicant must meet both conditions:

1. A last drawn fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 in the last year; and
2. At least 5 cumulative years, within the past 10, in a leading role at either a tech company with a valuation or market capitalisation of at least US$500 million or at least US$30 million in funding raised, or a tech investment firm with at least US$500 million in assets under management.

The pass runs 2 years and renews once for another 2, if the holder meets 1 of 3 renewal conditions: assessable income of at least S$270,000; or annual local business spending of at least S$100,000 together with employment of 1 local professional, manager or executive, or 3 local qualified staff; or incorporation of a Singapore tech company that raised at least US$10 million in cumulative funding over the past 36 months from recognised investment firms.

Within tech, the flexibility is real: holders can start and operate multiple tech companies, take employment, consult, mentor, lecture and hold directorships. But the clock on the whole scheme is now explicit.

Tech.Pass is being replaced: the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track from January 2027

This is the change most guides have not caught up with. MOM’s Committee of Supply 2026 factsheet, published on 3 March 2026, announces a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track launching in January 2027. It will replace the existing Tech.Pass and, in MOM’s words, offer more attractive terms.

The factsheet sets out the successor criteria. Applicants must be employed by a tech company, the tech division of a company, or a tech investment firm that meets one of four scale tests: a 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, or at least US$30 million in funding raised. The qualifying salary is S$30,000 a month over 12 consecutive months, and, unusually for a Singapore work pass, that figure may combine a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 with vested employee share options or ownership (ESOP or ESOW). Candidates must also show at least 5 cumulative years in a founder, C-suite or technical role within the past 10 years.

Three practical points follow. First, EDB’s Tech.Pass page has not yet been updated, so 2026 applications still run on the current criteria above. Second, candidates whose pay leans on equity may do better under the new track, because vested equity counts toward the S$30,000 bar; a S$22,500 cash salary plus meaningful vested ESOP can clear it. Third, the track sits inside the ONE Pass framework, but MOM has not yet published the successor’s duration and renewal fine print, so treat those details as open until closer to launch.

ONE Pass vs PEP vs Tech.Pass vs Employment Pass: side by side

Here is the four-way comparison we walk clients through.

Criteria	ONE Pass	PEP	Tech.Pass (to Dec 2026)	Employment Pass
Minimum salary	S$30,000 fixed monthly, or the achievements route	S$22,500 fixed monthly	S$22,500 last drawn fixed monthly (past year)	From S$5,600, rising with age to S$10,700 at 45 and above; higher in financial services
Other qualifying tests	Overseas applicants: 12 consecutive months at S$30,000 with an established employer	None; salary is the only route	Plus at least 5 cumulative years in a leading role at an established tech company or tech investment firm	COMPASS points test, pass mark 40; exempt at S$22,500 and above
Duration	Up to 5 years	Up to 3 years	2 years	Shorter fixed terms tied to the job
Renewal	Up to 5 years each time: S$30,000 average salary, or a business employing at least 5 locals at EP qualifying salary	Not renewable; issued only once	Once, for 2 more years, on 1 of 3 conditions	Renewable while the criteria are met
Business and multiple employers	Yes; start, operate and work for several companies concurrently	No business, no freelancing; job changes allowed	Yes, within tech: companies, consulting, directorships	No; tied to the sponsoring employer
Administered by	MOM	MOM	EDB, until the January 2027 replacement	MOM

Founders weighing self-sponsorship should note that none of these passes is the dedicated founder route; our EntrePass versus Employment Pass guide covers that decision separately.

Which pass fits you?

Here is how we read the field in July 2026.

• You earn S$30,000 or more, or lead your field in sports, arts and culture, or academia and research. Apply for the ONE Pass. No other pass combines the 5-year term, multi-company freedom and COMPASS exemption.
• You earn between S$22,500 and S$30,000, want employer mobility, and have no business plans. The PEP can work, but remember: issued once, at most 3 years, and the S$270,000 calendar-year salary test applies every year.
• You are a proven tech leader. If you meet the current Tech.Pass tests and want certainty now, apply in 2026. If your package leans on equity, the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track from January 2027 may fit better, since vested ESOP counts toward the salary bar.
• You are a strong professional below these bars. The Employment Pass is the route, from S$5,600 a month plus COMPASS (pass mark 40). Our Employment Pass application guide covers the process, our COMPASS calculator guide the scoring, and our EP 2026 benchmarks post the salary planning for the January 2027 rise.
• Singapore is the long-term plan. Every pass above is temporary. If you intend to settle, read our guide to applying for permanent residency in Singapore once your pass is in hand.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for the ONE Pass in Singapore?

Candidates qualify with a fixed monthly salary of at least S$30,000 from current or prospective Singapore employment, or through outstanding achievements in sports, arts and culture, or academia and research. Overseas applicants must show 12 consecutive months at that salary while working for an established company with a market capitalisation of at least US$500 million or annual revenue of at least US$200 million.

What is the difference between the ONE Pass and the Employment Pass?

The Employment Pass starts at S$5,600 a month, ties the holder to one sponsoring employer and is scored under COMPASS. The ONE Pass requires S$30,000 a month, lasts up to 5 years, is exempt from COMPASS, and lets the holder start, operate and work for multiple companies at the same time.

What is the purpose of the ONE Pass?

The ONE Pass is designed to anchor top global talent in Singapore. It gives proven leaders across business, sports, arts and culture, and academia and research a 5-year pass with the freedom to run or work for several companies concurrently, without a points test, in exchange for high salary or achievement standards and annual reporting to MOM.

How much does the ONE Pass cost?

The fees are S$105 for the application and S$225 when the pass is issued, plus S$30 where a Multiple Journey Visa is needed. MOM processes most applications within 4 weeks, though the achievements route can take longer because the supporting claims need more verification.

Is the Personalised Employment Pass still worth it?

For a narrow group, yes. The PEP suits professionals earning S$22,500 to S$30,000 a month who want to change employers freely and have no plans to run a business. It runs up to 3 years, is issued only once, and requires a fixed salary of at least S$270,000 per calendar year. At S$30,000 and above, the ONE Pass is usually the better pass.

What replaces the Tech.Pass in 2027?

MOM will introduce a new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track in January 2027 to replace the Tech.Pass. It requires employment with an established tech company, tech division or tech investment firm, a qualifying salary of S$30,000 a month over 12 consecutive months (which may combine a fixed salary of at least S$22,500 with vested ESOP or ESOW), and at least 5 cumulative years in a founder, C-suite or technical role within the past 10 years.

Get the right top-talent pass the first time

Choosing between the ONE Pass, the PEP, the Tech.Pass window and a well-planned Employment Pass is a strategy call: the wrong pick can cost years of flexibility or an avoidable rejection. Excellence SG is a MOM-licensed employment agency (EA licence 16C7944), and our work pass and immigration services cover eligibility assessments, applications, renewals timed around the January 2027 changes, and the company setup behind the ONE Pass business renewal route. Excellence Singapore supports executives and founders with incorporation, payroll and work passes under one roof, so talk to us before you file.