S Pass vs PEP vs EntrePass: What is the Best Singapore Visa?

As vaccinations rollout globally, countries have started to ease travel restrictions and establish travel bubbles with one another.  With more than 85% of its population vaccinated, Singapore has begun to embrace living with the pandemic, including traveling overseas via the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) that started on 8 September 2021 with Brunei and Germany.  VTL is an attempt by the government to boost economic and travel activity that had taken a major hit during the pandemic. Under this scheme, travelers no longer need to serve their Stay at Home Notice (SHN); they need only take a PCR test before and after arriving in Singapore and show their vaccination certificates. Once they test negative, they are free to explore the “Lion City” and avail the Different types of Singapore Visa Applications.

Types of Singapore Visa Applications

A visitor visa to Singapore comes in two types, either a tourist or work visa. 

If you decide to visit Singapore for leisure purposes, a tourist visa will suffice. Luckily, Singapore has lenient visa requirements as they have diplomatic relations with over 100 nations. Someone from the ASEAN region, for instance, does not need to apply for a visa before departure. The period of stay granted may vary from 30 days (ASEAN countries) to 90 days (European Union countries).

Aside from your vaccination certificate and PCR test, you will need the following to enter Singapore:

• Have a passport valid for more than six months at the time of departure.

• Have an onward or return ticket.

• Have enough money for the duration of stay in Singapore.

• Have submitted an electronic SG Arrival Card.

But what if you are from a country categorised as an Assessment Level I and II, such as Armenia, India, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine? In that case, you will need to apply for a visa before your departure. Common documents that need to be submitted include the application form, a copy of your passport and photo, along with bank statements to show you have sufficient means to support your stay in Singapore.

If you are interested in living and working in the city state, what are the Singapore work visa types?

1. Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass

This type of visa is suitable for professionals, managers, and executives that command a fixed monthly salary income of $2,500 (for S Pass) or $4,000 (for EP). You must firstly be employed, and your employer will be the one to apply for your work visa for you.

2. Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)

This type of visa frees the applicant from any employer, meaning that you can apply for it yourself. This pass is for those who can show excellent merit in their work with an existing EP pass and a fixed monthly income of $12,000. Meanwhile, overseas workers need to show a fixed-monthly income of $18,000. The pass is only valid for three years.

3. Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass)

This work visa is designed for foreign entrepreneurs setting up new businesses in Singapore. The business must be registered as a private limited company with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority less than six months from the time of the application. The applicant must at least meet one of the seven criteria, such as sufficient funding from venture capitalists or government, holding intellectual property, or having a good track record of investing or business experience/networking.

Ultimately, obtaining a visa, either for work or leisure purposes, is relatively simple. You need to submit the required documents and meet the criteria given. Due to its strategic location and well-kept infrastructure, Singapore remains one of the most attractive countries to visit and in which to work, and it looks to remain that way for the time to come.

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