Master prompt
EntrePass for Indian-origin founders — incorporation, VC backing, milestone roadmap
Build the EntrePass application for an Indian-origin founder: Pte Ltd incorporation, paid-up capital, VC backing letter, innovator-track IP filing, and the 5-year renewal milestone roadmap.
SingaporeEntrePassMOMFounderPte LtdVC backingRenewal milestones
You are advising [CLIENT_NAME], an Indian-origin founder, on an EntrePass application via MOM Singapore. EntrePass is MOM's startup-founder pass; competitive but achievable with the right structuring.
CLIENT FRAME
- Founder: [CLIENT_NAME], age [AGE]
- Education: [EDUCATION]
- Prior experience: [PRIOR_VENTURE]
- Proposed SG company: [COMPANY_NAME_SG]
- Business activity: [COMPANY_ACTIVITY]
- Qualifying track: [ENTREPASS_TRACK]
- VC backing: N/A
- IP / R&D: N/A
- Paid-up capital: [PAID_UP_CAPITAL]
- Family: [FAMILY]
S1 — PRE-APPLICATION INCORPORATION
EntrePass requires the SG Pte Ltd company to exist at application time
(or be incorporated within 6 months PRIOR to application). Step-by-step:
(a) Choose company name: [COMPANY_NAME_SG]
- Reserve via ACRA BizFile+ (S$15 reservation fee, valid 120 days)
- Avoid names triggering MAS / MOH / MOE licensing if not relevant
(b) Appoint directors:
- At least ONE Singapore-resident director (Singapore citizen,
SPR, or EP/EntrePass holder ordinarily resident in SG)
- This is a STATUTORY requirement under Companies Act 1967 s.145
- Solutions:
* Engage a corporate services firm (Rikvin, Hawksford, etc.)
to provide a nominee director (typical S$2,000-S$3,500/year)
* OR find a Singaporean/PR co-founder
- [CLIENT_NAME] cannot be the sole director pre-EntrePass
(c) Appoint a company secretary within 6 months (statutory)
(d) Registered office: must be a Singapore address (not P.O. Box).
Corporate services firms typically provide.
(e) Paid-up capital:
- Initial paid-up: [PAID_UP_CAPITAL]
- For EntrePass: minimum S$100K (MOM requires this at renewal,
but stronger applications show S$100K paid-up from Day 1)
- Capital injection routed via:
* Personal funds via LRS (limit US$250K/individual/FY — see
separate prompt sg-investor-source-of-funds-fema-lrs)
* VC tranche (if N/A is committed; subscription
agreement on file)
* Co-founder contributions
(f) Open corporate bank account:
- DBS, OCBC, UOB are common; OCBC and DBS have dedicated
new-business-onboarding desks
- For Indian founders without yet-existing SG residence: bank
accounts are MORE difficult — expect 4-12 weeks
- Bring: incorporation documents, paid-up capital evidence,
directors' KYC, source-of-funds disclosure
- Recommend: open via a corporate services firm's banking
introduction (faster)
S2 — ENTREPASS QUALIFYING TRACK BUILD-OUT
If [ENTREPASS_TRACK] is (a) Entrepreneur — VC-backed:
Evidence pack required:
- Term sheet or signed Subscription Agreement from N/A
- VC's track record (e.g. Sequoia India: portfolio + AUM + named
partners)
- Capital actually subscribed and called (or escrowed)
- Use of funds plan (linked to S5 business plan)
Note: MOM accepts VC backing only from recognised funds.
Pre-vetted by MOM's list of accredited VCs and accelerators. Check
current MOM EntrePass page for recognised list.
// 2026-05 — verify current MOM-recognised VC + accelerator list
Alternative entrepreneur sub-tracks:
- Member of recognised accelerator: SGInnovate, Antler, Entrepreneur
First, etc. — produce membership letter
- Significant business network: harder to evidence; usually
requires industry recommendation letters + portfolio of prior
exits / customer base
If [ENTREPASS_TRACK] is (b) Innovator — IP + R&D:
Evidence pack required:
- Patent / patent application records (N/A)
- R&D collaboration agreement with Singapore IHL (NUS, NTU, SUTD,
A*STAR, SIT, etc.)
- Technical publication record (peer-reviewed journals, conferences)
- Specific expertise demonstrable via CV + employer references
- Founder must hold the IP personally or via the SG entity
Strong innovator profile: e.g. "PhD in ML from IIT-Bombay, 2 USPTO-
granted patents in computer vision, ongoing R&D MOU with NUS Computer
Science department for SEA-language NLP."
If [ENTREPASS_TRACK] is (c) Investor:
Less common; requires existing operating business in Singapore with
significant scale + investor track record. Most clients on this
track would better fit GIP. State whether (c) is the right route
for [CLIENT_NAME] or whether (a) / (b) / GIP is stronger.
S3 — APPLICATION SUBMISSION
Form: EntrePass application via MOM EP Online portal
Required documents:
(a) Completed EntrePass application form
(b) [CLIENT_NAME]'s CV (chronological, 2-3 pages, immigration-format)
(c) Passport biographical page + last 5 years' travel history
(d) Educational certificates (notarised + translated if not in
English)
(e) Track-specific evidence (S2 above)
(f) Detailed business plan (10-25 pages — see S5)
(g) Company incorporation documents (Certificate of Incorporation,
Business Profile, Constitution / M&A)
(h) Source-of-funds disclosure (see sg-investor-source-of-funds-
fema-lrs)
(i) Application fee: S$105 (paid at submission); issuance fee S$225
on approval
// 2026-05 — verify current MOM EntrePass fee schedule
Submission via: https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/entrepass
Processing time: 8 weeks (MOM published service standard); often
longer for queried applications.
S4 — DECISION OUTCOMES
Approval: 2-year initial issuance fee S$225 + multi-journey visa
S$100 (for visa-required nationalities like Indian); In-Principle
Approval (IPA) letter issued; [CLIENT_NAME] enters Singapore;
pass card issued.
// 2026-05 — verify EntrePass initial duration (was 1y historically;
// verify current — some sources say 2y for first issuance now)
Rejection: MOM does not give detailed reasons. Common reasons:
- Marginal track-(a) VC (not on recognised list)
- Thin business plan
- Concerns about applicant's intent to operate vs. immigration-vehicle
- Sector on the EntrePass no-go list (F&B retail, geomancy, employment
agencies, etc.)
Recourse: MOM appeal within 90 days. Limited success without new
evidence. Often easier to re-apply after addressing the gap.
S5 — BUSINESS PLAN (10-25 pages)
Section 1 — Founder Story (1-2 pages)
- [CLIENT_NAME]'s background, [PRIOR_VENTURE], why Singapore now
- Concrete connection to [COMPANY_ACTIVITY]
Section 2 — Problem + Solution (2-3 pages)
- The customer problem in clear terms
- The product solving it; technical differentiation
Section 3 — Market Opportunity (2-3 pages)
- TAM / SAM / SOM for SEA / Asia
- Why Singapore is the right HQ (proximity to SEA, talent, capital,
regulatory clarity, IP protection, EDB support)
Section 4 — Business Model + Revenue (2 pages)
- Pricing, unit economics, customer acquisition strategy
Section 5 — Operating Plan + Milestones (3 pages)
- Year 1: hire 3 (1 SG/PR), launch MVP, paid customers 10
- Year 2: hire 6 (3 SG/PR), revenue S$300K ARR
- Year 3: hire 12 (6 SG/PR), revenue S$1.5M ARR
- Etc. Specific, measurable, linked to renewal stages (S6)
Section 6 — Financials (2-3 pages)
- 5-year P&L projection
- Funding plan (N/A tranches, founder capital, future rounds)
Section 7 — Team (1-2 pages)
- [CLIENT_NAME] + co-founders + planned senior hires
Section 8 — Risks + Mitigation (1 page)
S6 — RENEWAL MILESTONE ROADMAP
EntrePass renewals are STAGED with escalating criteria:
Stage 1 — End of Year 1 -> renew for 1 year
Requirements (must meet at least ONE):
- 3 local employees (Singaporean / PR / LTVP+ in PMET roles
earning salaries that count for COMPASS-style benchmarks)
OR
- Total business expenditure of S$100,000+
OR
- Specific innovation / R&D milestones (for Innovator track —
e.g. patent grant, IHL collaboration deliverables)
Stage 2 — End of Year 2 -> renew for 1 year
Requirements:
- 6 local employees
OR
- S$200,000+ total business spend
OR
- Significant innovation milestones
Stage 3 — End of Year 3 -> renew for 2 years
Requirements:
- 10 local employees
OR
- S$300,000+ total business spend
OR
- Major innovation outcomes
// 2026-05 — verify current MOM EntrePass renewal milestones; these
// have been adjusted periodically.
Draft a quarterly tracking template:
Quarter | Total headcount | SG/PR PMET headcount (cum.) | Cumulative
spend | Revenue | Innovation milestones hit | Next renewal target
S7 — TRANSITION TO PR
EntrePass does NOT grant PR directly. PR application via:
- ICA's PR portal under the Professionals / Technical Personnel /
Skilled Workers (PTS) scheme
- Realistic earliest application: 2-3 years of healthy EntrePass +
company growth + sustained tax compliance
- PR application requires:
* Last 3 years of personal IRAS NOA (Notice of Assessment)
* Company financials (ACRA + IRAS)
* EntrePass / company milestone evidence
* Integration markers (community involvement, schooling, residence)
Typical PR grant timeline from initial EntrePass: 3-7 years. ICA does
not publish approval rates; depends on macroeconomic policy intake +
applicant strength.
S8 — FAMILY ON DEPENDANT'S PASS ([FAMILY])
- Spouse: Dependant's Pass (DP) eligible (legally married only;
common-law via LTVP)
- Children: DP for unmarried children under 21
- Spouse on DP: cannot work without a Letter of Consent (LOC) from
MOM; LOC issued upon application by spouse's prospective employer
- Parents: NOT eligible for DP; can apply for LTVP separately
(subject to MOM discretion)
CRITICAL — if children include male child(ren) born on/after 1 Jan
1986: on PR grant (later, post-EntrePass-to-PR pathway), they become
NS-liable under Enlistment Act 1970. Pre-counsel client on this at
EntrePass stage so the family enters with eyes open. See separate
prompt sg-investor-family-pr-ns-implications.
S9 — RED FLAGS + RISK MITIGATION
Risk: VC term sheet expires before EntrePass issued
Mitigation: keep term sheet evergreen via extension letters; or
convert to actual subscription early
Risk: Singapore-resident director resigns mid-EntrePass
Mitigation: corporate services firm contract should guarantee
replacement nominee within 30 days; or hire SG/PR co-founder
Risk: Bank account opening delayed beyond 4 months
Mitigation: open via OCBC velocity@ocbc account first; switch later
Risk: Stage-1 renewal milestones not met
Mitigation: pivot early — 6 months into Year 1, audit progress;
if behind, accelerate hiring OR submit innovator-track milestone
evidence as renewal criterion
End with: "DRAFT EntrePass strategy memo — for Singapore-licensed immigration / corporate-services firm review. Verify current MOM EntrePass eligibility tracks, paid-up capital threshold, recognised VC / accelerator list, and Stage 1/2/3 renewal milestone figures against MOM published guidance (https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/entrepass) before submission. EntrePass conditions are revised periodically; the structure above reflects the post-2023 calibration. Source-of-funds compliance (FEMA / LRS for Indian founders) must be airtight before any capital injection — see prompt sg-investor-source-of-funds-fema-lrs."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt