The Global Investor Programme (GIP) grants Singapore Permanent Resident status to eligible global investors who intend to drive business and investment growth from Singapore. Administered jointly by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the programme was launched in 2004 to attract high-net-worth entrepreneurs and investors. It was significantly enhanced in March 2023, with investment thresholds substantially increased and a new family office option introduced. Between 2015 and 2025, around 450 individuals were granted PR through the GIP, with cumulative investments of approximately S$930 million.
The GIP is Singapore's only investor-based pathway to permanent residence. Unlike employment-based PR, no job offer or employer sponsorship is needed.
Three investment pathways are available:
Four investor profiles are eligible, each with specific thresholds:
All applicants' companies must operate in EDB-approved qualifying industries, which include aerospace, clean technology, healthcare, biotech, fintech, media, and many others.
The GIP grants permanent residence directly. An initial 5-year Re-Entry Permit (REP) is issued, which must be renewed to maintain PR status when travelling. Renewal for either 3 or 5 years is assessed by the 5th year of PR against the conditions of the chosen investment option.
A 5-year renewal requires meeting all conditions in full — the investment must be maintained, an employment or investment condition met, and the applicant (or all PR dependants) must have resided in Singapore for more than half of the time. For Option A, this means the company must employ at least 30 people, of whom at least half are Singapore Citizens and at least 10 are incremental hires. A 3-year renewal is more lenient, requiring the investment condition plus either the employment/investment condition or the residence condition, rather than both.
From 1 December 2025, a PR who is outside Singapore without a valid REP retains PR status for 180 days, during which they may apply for REP renewal or request a Permanent Resident's Single-Entry Pass (PRSEP) to re-enter. If no application is made within 180 days, PR status is lost.
Spouse and unmarried children under 21 (as at the date of application) may be sponsored for PR under the same GIP application. Male dependants who obtain PR are subject to mandatory National Service at age 18 (approximately 2 years of service). Parents and unmarried children over 21 are not eligible as GIP dependants, but may instead apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP), which is tied to the validity of the main applicant's Re-Entry Permit.
Singapore permanent residents who are tax residents (183+ days in a calendar year) pay progressive individual income tax from 0% to 24% on Singapore-sourced income. There is no capital gains tax and no inheritance tax (estate duty was abolished in 2008). Foreign-sourced income is generally not taxed unless received in Singapore.
The GIP follows a two-stage process. First, the applicant submits a GIP application through the online portal with all supporting documents and pays the non-refundable SGD 20,000 application fee. EDB conducts a thorough assessment taking approximately 12 months. If the criteria are met, ICA issues an Approval-in-Principle valid for 6 months, within which the required investment must be made. Once the investment is verified, the applicant must formalise PR within 12 months of the Final Approval letter (SGD 100 application fee, SGD 20 Entry Permit, SGD 50 REP, SGD 50 Identity Card).
Approval is entirely discretionary — meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee PR status.
Permanent residents may apply for Singapore citizenship after a minimum of 2 years as a PR, subject to ICA's assessment.