Employment Pass for business owners
What people call a “self-employed EP” is an Employment Pass for a real managerial or professional role in a Singapore company the founder owns and actually operates. It is not a separate official pass. Incorporating a company and applying for an EP are different steps. Owning shares or being a director does not by itself meet the pass requirements. Whether an application is suitable depends on the business, the role, the salary and the applicant’s background.
Self-employed EP package
S$6,600
- Company incorporationS$600
One-off. Includes the ACRA name application and incorporation fees of S$315.
- Company secretaryS$600
First year. Includes the ACRA annual-return fee of S$60.
- Registered addressS$400
Registered address for the first year.
- Nominee directorS$3,000
First year. Required at incorporation when there is no Singapore resident director. The nominee does not run the business.
- Employment Pass applicationS$2,000
One-off. Government fees are included in the package.
S$6,600 is the total for these five catalogue services in the self-employed EP package. It is an all-in package for foreigners starting a business in Singapore, including government fees.
Who should ask
Founders and business owners who will genuinely run a business in Singapore and hold a real management or professional post in that company. This is not a route for everyone, and it is not a shell company or a salary paid with no work.
How this relates to a standard EP
An owner’s application is still an Employment Pass. Qualifying salary and COMPASS follow the same rules as the Employment Pass page.
The qualifying salary is a minimum starting point and rises with age. Financial services are separate from other sectors. Meeting the salary is not an approval. COMPASS also applies unless an exemption does, and MOM decides. New applications from 2025-01-01: S$5,600 outside financial services and S$6,200 in financial services. Renewals of that revision apply from 2026-01-01, not from the new-application date. From 2027-01-01, new applications start at S$6,000 and S$6,600. That standard applies to renewals of passes expiring on or after 2028-01-01. Checked 3 Oct 2026. Source: MOM. https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility
What is reviewed before an application
The review looks at the real business and plan, whether the role is genuine, the applicant’s experience, the salary arrangement, how the company will be funded and operated, and the EP and COMPASS rules that apply. These are assessment points or papers that may be needed. They are not all statutory conditions in every case. Thresholds, exemptions and effective dates follow MOM’s current rules.
Company setup and the application
- A first assessment of the business and the role.
- Confirm what Mayxon will and will not do.
- Use an existing company or incorporate one if that is actually needed.
- Prepare the application papers.
- The licensed party that is allowed to file submits to MOM.
- Follow the outcome. Filing is not an approval.
Incorporating the company does not give permission to work in Singapore. No stage of the application is a guaranteed approval.
What the fee includes
The package above is the all-in self-employed EP price: company incorporation, company secretary, registered address, nominee director and one Employment Pass application, including government fees.
Renewal
A renewal has to meet the rules that apply at that time. The company’s ongoing business and the papers need to match what is actually happening. A first approval does not renew itself.
Checked 2026-10-03 against MOM’s Employment Pass and EntrePass pages. Salary bands on this site were last reviewed 2026-10-03. MOM Employment Pass · Eligibility · EntrePass
Questions
Assess eligibility first, then confirm the service
After you send the enquiry, we review the business, the role and your background, then explain the scope, the papers needed and the quote.