Lawyer, Family Office
Tech.Pass is Singapore’s visa for tech-industry veterans: founders, senior executives and builders of global-scale products. It is administered not by the labour ministry but by the Economic Development Board — the agency in charge of attracting business to Singapore. The logic matches the ONE Pass: the status attaches to the person — found companies, invest, mentor, teach and consult all at once.
The Criteria: Two of Three
Clear any two: (1) a last-drawn fixed salary of S$22,500+ per month; (2) five cumulative years in a leading role at a tech company valued at US$500m+ or with US$30m+ raised; (3) five years in a leading role developing a tech product with 100,000 monthly active users or US$100m+ revenue. The criteria are documentary: cap tables, accounts, product metrics.
Inside the Status
The pass runs 2 years and renews — renewal requires showing economic contribution: income, jobs, investment or ecosystem roles. Family is included; the spouse works on a Letter of Consent. Like the ONE Pass, Tech.Pass is a strong base for a PR application built on real activity.
Why It Matters for a Capital Holder
For a founder post-exit, Tech.Pass is entry into the Singapore ecosystem without employment: build the next company, invest, and in parallel structure capital in the Asian hub — territorial taxes, no capital gains tax and the 13O/13U fund regimes for a family office. The next rung for major capital is Singapore GIP with instant PR.
This material is an expert overview, not individual legal advice.