Singapore Global Investor Programme (GIP) 2026 PR by Investment, and Who It Is Actually For

Before the detail, the single most useful thing to know: the GIP is not for most founders. The entry point is an investment of at least S$10 million. An older S$2.5 million threshold that still circulates online is obsolete. If you are a founder building a company and paying yourself a salary, your route to PR is almost certainly an Employment Pass, ONE Pass, or EntrePass followed by a standard PR application, which we cover in our Singapore PR application guide. The GIP is for established business owners, fund principals, and single family office principals operating at a much larger scale.

With that framing, here is how it works.

The GIP runs on three routes. You choose one, and each suits a different kind of investor.

You invest at least S$10 million into a new Singapore business or the expansion of an existing one. The business must operate in one of the 25 industries that EDB lists in Annex B of the GIP factsheet, which span sectors such as aerospace, chemicals, consumer business (including food ingredients and nutrition), electronics, energy, healthcare, logistics, marine engineering, media, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, precision engineering, professional services, and family office and financial services. Activities outside that list, typically traditional retail, food and beverage service, and coffee shops, are not eligible under this route. This option also carries operational commitments: EDB sets employment and spending milestones to be met over the five years following your investment, so it is an active route, not a passive one. It suits a founder or business owner who genuinely intends to build in Singapore.

EDB also assesses your profile against defined qualifying categories. Established business owners need a track record of at least three years and an annual turnover of at least S$200 million (averaged over the past three years); founders of fast-growth companies must be the founder and one of the largest shareholders of a non-listed company valued at S$500 million or more and backed by reputable venture capital or private equity firms. You should hold at least 30% of the Option A company and sit on its management team. The exact thresholds are set by EDB, so confirm them on the factsheet before relying on them.

You invest S$25 million into a GIP-select fund that channels capital into Singapore-based companies. This is the more passive of the routes in operational terms: you are not required to run a business, but the capital commitment is higher. After approval in principle, the investment is made within the timeframe EDB sets, from a personal bank account in your sole name held with a Singapore-registered bank.

You establish a Singapore-based single family office with assets under management of at least S$200 million, of which at least S$50 million must be transferred into Singapore and deployed in EDB-specified investment categories. Offshore assets can count toward the S$200 million, provided the S$50 million is physically transferred and held in Singapore by approval in principle. Note the timing differs from the other options: the S$50 million must be deployed within 12 months of your final approval (not the six-month approval-in-principle window that applies to Options A and B), and maintained thereafter. This route suits principals of substantial wealth setting up a family office presence, and given its complexity it warrants professional structuring advice.

The investment itself is only part of the picture. You also pay:

• A non-refundable GIP application fee of S$20,000, revised from 5 May 2025.
• The standard PR processing fee of S$100 per applicant.
• Professional, legal, translation, and notarisation costs, which on a transaction of this size are not trivial.

1. Confirm your option and profile. Decide between Options A, B, and C, and check your business or investor profile against EDB current criteria.
2. Prepare a document-intensive application. EDB requires a detailed business or fund profile, audited accounts, an investment proposal, and supporting documentation.
3. Submit to EDB with the S$20,000 fee. Applications go directly to EDB.
4. Attend an interview. Shortlisted applicants are typically invited for an in-person interview in Singapore.
5. Receive approval in principle. EDB cites approximately 12 months to process an application, subject to complete documentation and due diligence. If approved, you get an approval-in-principle PR status valid for six months, then make or confirm your qualifying investment within that window (Option C has a longer deployment timeline, noted above).
6. Complete formalities. After EDB verifies the investment, your PR status is finalised, and you complete the standard PR formalities including the Re-Entry Permit.

A GIP approval extends to your immediate family: your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can be included as dependants and obtain PR. Parents and unmarried children aged 21 or over are not eligible as dependants, but can apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass tied to the validity of your Re-Entry Permit. On formalisation, you receive a Re-Entry Permit valid for five years.

One consequence to plan for, exactly as on the standard PR route: a male child who obtains PR as your dependant will be liable for National Service, and a male dependant whose spouse is the main applicant may also be liable. We cover National Service in detail in the Singapore PR application guide. It is a long-term family commitment, not a formality, and worth weighing before you apply.

Advantages

• Direct route to PR by investment, without first holding a work pass.
• Whole-family PR in a single application (spouse and children under 21).
• Access to Singapore tax environment, with no capital gains tax.
• Three routes allowing an active business, a fund, or a family office structure.

Limitations

• The entry threshold of S$10 million rules out the large majority of founders.
• Option A carries real operational milestones on hiring and spending over five years.
• The application is document-intensive and includes an interview, with no guaranteed outcome.
• National Service liability applies to male children granted PR, as on any PR route.

If the GIP scale is beyond your situation, the standard route is the one to read: our Singapore PR application guide covers PR for Employment Pass and S Pass holders. If you are still choosing a work pass, start with the Singapore Work Visa Guide for Foreign Founders (2026).

This guide is for general information and is not immigration, legal, or financial advice. GIP investment thresholds are large, set by the Economic Development Board, and revised periodically. Figures were verified against the EDB GIP Factsheet PDF (Updated 5 May 2025) and the canonical EDB GIP page in June 2026. Always confirm current requirements at edb.gov.sg before acting, and take professional advice on a transaction of this size.