Singapore Global Investor Programme
Direct Singapore permanent residence on the strength of a substantial business investment — the only route on Indohill's Global Matrix that grants PR without first requiring an employment or work pass.
Singapore Global Investor Programme Overview
Singapore's Global Investor Programme (GIP) is administered by the Economic Development Board (EDB), which assesses and endorses qualifying applicants before the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) issues permanent residence under Singapore's Immigration Act (Cap. 133). The GIP is distinctive among Indohill's tracked programmes: it is the only route that confers PR directly on the strength of a qualifying investment, without first requiring an employment pass or other intermediate visa.
The programme offers several investment tiers ranging from S$10 million to S$50 million depending on the option chosen; Indohill tracks Option A — a direct business investment — as the representative entry point, since it is the programme's lowest qualifying threshold.
Benefits of Singapore Global Investor Programme
- Direct Singapore permanent residence for the investor, spouse, and dependent children, without an intervening work-pass stage
- Access to one of Asia's most stable, lowest-tax jurisdictions, with a territorial tax system and no capital gains tax
- A genuine, retained business investment rather than a non-refundable government contribution
- A defined, government-assessed pathway rather than an ad hoc discretionary approval
- Singapore PR status can, over time, support an eventual application for citizenship, subject to separate naturalisation requirements
Requirements
Applicants are experienced business owners or investors, assessed by the EDB against entrepreneurial track record and business plan before completing the qualifying investment:
1. Option A — Business Investment (Indohill's tracked route)
A minimum investment of S$10,000,000 in a new or expanded business entity operating in Singapore. This is an active investment requiring a genuine operating business, not a passive capital placement — the EDB assesses the underlying business plan as part of approval.
Procedure
The applicant submits a detailed business plan and supporting financial documentation to the EDB, which conducts its own assessment and typically an in-person interview before issuing an endorsement. Once EDB-endorsed, the application proceeds to ICA, which issues an Approval-in-Principle (AIP) valid for six months, during which the applicant completes the qualifying investment and pays a S$100 non-refundable processing fee per applicant. On verification, ICA grants permanent residence.
A non-refundable EDB application fee of S$20,000 applies as of a May 2025 factsheet update — Indohill confirms the current fee schedule before any client engagement, since GIP terms are revised periodically.
Fees & Costs
Beyond the S$10,000,000 business investment itself, applicants pay the EDB's S$20,000 non-refundable application fee, ICA's S$100 per-applicant processing fee, and separate legal and business-plan advisory fees. Indohill discloses the full statutory and legal fee breakdown for this programme, and every other programme we track, in the Global Matrix Marketplace fee breakdown tool before you commit to a specific business plan.
This Is One of the World's Most Selective Programmes
Approximately 450 applicants were granted PR under the GIP between 2015 and 2025 — a highly selective track record reflecting genuine EDB scrutiny of each business plan, not a routine approval process. Indohill discloses this selectivity plainly rather than presenting GIP approval as a formality once the investment figure is met.
Background & Legal Considerations
Singapore permanent residence, including under the Global Investor Programme, is granted under Section 10 (Entry Permit) of the Immigration Act (Cap. 133). The GIP itself is a policy programme administered jointly by the Economic Development Board, which assesses and endorses applicant business plans, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, which issues the resulting Approval-in-Principle and permanent residence status.
Why Indohill Advises This Program
- A private, advisor-reviewed intake — every application is scoped by a person, with the underlying business plan stress-tested before submission to the EDB
- Coordination with independently licensed Singapore corporate and immigration counsel, vetted against Indohill's Certified Partner Network standards before any introduction is made
- Full statutory and legal fee disclosure through the Global Matrix Marketplace, including the EDB's non-refundable application fee, before you commit
- The same 5-phase advisory methodology Indohill applies across every program, from initial audit through lifelong governance and renewal support
Singapore Global Investor Programme FAQ
Comparing Asia-Pacific options? View every Asia-Pacific program we track in the Global Matrix Marketplace →
Discuss Singapore With an Advisor.
Private, discreet, and scoped to your family's or government's objectives.