Moving to Singapore: your salary decides your visa

Singapore is one city on one island, home to about 5.9 million people, and it's built for getting things done. English is the language you'll use at work, at the bank and at the doctor's office, public transit scores 95 out of 100 in our data, and the U.S. State Department rates Singapore Level 1, its lowest travel advisory.

It's also a practical base for Asia and a workable one for family back home. Five U.S. airports fly nonstop to Changi: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York JFK and Newark. The Newark flight is scheduled at 19 hours 10 minutes, so this isn't a place you pop home from for a long weekend. The clock is the other distance. Singapore doesn't change its clocks, so it's 12 hours ahead of Eastern in summer and 13 in winter.

Looking around first is easy. Americans can stay up to 90 days without a visa, after filling in the online SG Arrival Card in the three days before landing. What you can't do on that visit is work, and that includes remote work for your U.S. employer: visitors aren't allowed to do any paid employment in Singapore.

The tax system is the other draw. Singapore's income tax is low. It has no capital gains tax or inheritance tax, and it generally doesn't tax foreign income an individual brings into the country. For Americans who keep filing with the IRS wherever they live, that picture has a wrinkle we cover in chapter 04.

Here's the catch

Singapore is hard to move to without a job, and we'd rather say that up front. Four things rule people out.

First, there's no pass built for retirees or remote workers. Almost every way in is a work pass that a Singaporean employer applies for on your behalf, with a salary floor set by age. If your income is a pension, Social Security or U.S. remote salary, there isn't a door marked for you. The workarounds that do exist are in chapter 03.

Second, it's expensive; housing is why. The numbers are just below, and a car is a luxury purchase on top of them.

Third, the laws are strict and enforced. Drug offenses can bring caning or the death penalty, and vapes are illegal to buy, own or use. Singapore doesn't recognize same-sex marriages, so a same-sex spouse can't get a Dependant's Pass even with a U.S. marriage certificate.

Fourth, the passport isn't the prize. Singapore doesn't let adult citizens hold a second nationality, so becoming Singaporean would mean giving up U.S. citizenship. Americans who stay long-term do it on a work pass or permanent residence.

If you have a job offer, or skills a Singapore company will pay well for, none of that is a dealbreaker. It just tells you where to start.

Rent decides whether Singapore works on your pay, and the gap between the center and the rest of the island is about $850 a month on our figures. HDB flats are the government-built apartment blocks you see from every train. You can rent one as a foreigner if you hold an Employment Pass, S Pass, Student Pass, Dependant's Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass with at least six months left on it. Tourists can't.

If you buy, Americans get a breakh that skips most foreigners. Under the U.S.-Singapore free trade agreement, U.S. nationals pay the same stamp duty on a home as Singapore citizens.

Skip the car if you can. Before you even buy the vehicle, you need a Certificate of Entitlement, and at the September 23, 2026 bidding one cost S$131,890 (about $103,200) for a smaller car.

For families, school is the other big line. An American child in a government school pays S$1,035 a month at primary level (about $810) and S$2,190 at secondary level (about $1,715) in 2026. International schools are a separate, larger budget, so get fee schedules directly from the schools you're considering. Also, budget for 9% GST, Singapore's sales tax, on most of what you buy.

Singapore sorts newcomers by pay. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) runs the work passes, and nearly all of them start with an employer applying for you. Here are the routes that matter for Americans, from the most common to the most exclusive.

Hired by a Singapore company: the Employment Pass

This is the main pass for professionals, managers and executives. Your employer applies, after first advertising the job on the government's MyCareersFuture job board. The salary floor depends on your age: S$5,600 a month (about $4,380) at 23 or younger, rising to S$10,700 (about $8,370) at 45 and up. Financial services jobs need more, from S$6,200 to S$11,800. You also need 40 points on COMPASS, MOM's scorecard for salary, qualifications and how the employer hires locals. Fees are S$105 to apply and S$225 when the pass is issued, and most online applications get an answer or an update within 10 business days. The first pass runs up to two years, and renewals up to three.

Mark the calendar: from January 1, 2027, new applications need S$6,000 at the young end and S$11,500 at 45 and up (S$6,600 to S$12,700 in finance). Renewals move to the new floors for passes expiring from January 1, 2028.

Skilled but mid-level: the S Pass

The S Pass covers skilled roles below Employment Pass pay. It starts at S$3,300 a month (about $2,580) at 23 or younger and rises to S$4,800 at 45 and up, or S$3,800 to S$5,650 in finance. The floor rises again in January 2027, starting at S$3,600. Employers are told to run MOM's self-assessment tool first, and if it says you're not eligible, the application will be refused.

Top earners: the ONE Pass and the PEP

The Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass is for people earning at least S$30,000 a month (about $23,500), either from a Singapore job or from a large overseas employer with a market value of at least US$500 million or revenue of at least US$200 million. Standout people in the arts, sports and research can qualify without the salary. It lasts up to five years, lets you work for several companies or run your own at the same time, and your spouse can work on a simple Letter of Consent. It isn't in our Singapore visa list yet, so it has no card below.

The Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) sits a step lower at S$22,500 a month (about $17,600). It lasts up to three years, is issued only once, and isn't tied to one employer, so you can change jobs without reapplying and be out of work for up to six months. Freelancers can't use it.

Founding a company: the EntrePass

The EntrePass is for founders of venture-backed or technology-driven companies, not small businesses. You need at least 30% of a Singapore private limited company plus one proof point: S$100,000 (about $78,000) raised in a single funding round, backing from a recognized incubator or accelerator, a previous exit, registered intellectual property, or a research partnership with a Singapore institution. Coffee shops, hawker stalls and food courts don't qualify.

Studying: the Student Pass

Full-time students accepted into an approved course get a Student Pass for the length of their studies.

Retiring or working remotely: the honest answer

Singapore has no retirement visa and no digital nomad visa. MOM says work passes are for working for Singapore-based companies, and an employer of record that sponsors a pass so you can work remotely for an overseas company is committing an offense. Two real workarounds exist. If your adult child holds an Employment Pass and earns at least S$12,000 a month (about $9,400), they can sponsor you on a Long-Term Visit Pass. If you're wealthy, the Global Investor Programme grants permanent residence directly, starting with a S$10 million (about $7.8 million) business investment and a large company track record.

Bringing family

Employment Pass and S Pass holders earning at least S$6,000 can bring a legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21 on Dependant's Passes. Since May 2021, a spouse on a Dependant's Pass needs their own work pass to take a job. Common-law partners and stepchildren go on a Long-Term Visit Pass instead, which needs S$12,000.

The long game is permanent residence

Employment Pass and S Pass holders can apply for permanent residence. It costs S$100 to apply, and ICA, the immigration authority, says most applications are decided within six months once the documents are in order. PR brings access to MediShield Life and CPF, the national savings fund. It also brings National Service obligations for male applicants and sons. Citizenship is possible after two years as a PR, but since Singapore doesn't allow adult dual citizenship, PR is the realistic finish line for Americans who want to keep a U.S. passport.

The questions Americans ask after the pass is sorted, with the answers that apply to foreigners rather than to citizens.

Healthcare

Singapore scores 90 out of 100 on our healthcare index, but as a foreigner you pay full price. MediShield Life, the national basic insurance, covers citizens and permanent residents only, and public hospitals give subsidies only to those two groups. A hospital may ask a non-resident inpatient for a letter of guarantee from an employer or insurer before admission. The State Department also warns that most U.S. health insurance won't cover you there. So private international coverage isn't optional. Hunter Schultz, our healthcare coach, helps you plan the care you'll need. ExpatInsure, our health insurance partner, matches you with a plan.

Taxes

You become a Singapore tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year, and a work pass valid for at least a year generally counts too. Residents pay nothing on the first S$20,000 of income (about $15,650), and the top rate is 24% on income above S$1 million. Non-residents pay a flat 15% on salary or the resident rates, whichever is higher. Foreigners don't pay into CPF.

The part Americans miss is the IRS. The U.S. taxes its citizens wherever they live, and Singapore has only a limited treaty with the U.S. rather than a full income tax treaty. For 2026, the foreign earned income exclusion shields up to $132,900 of salary, and foreign tax credits cover some of the rest. Because Singapore's rates are low, those credits go less far than they would in a high-tax country, so higher earners can still owe U.S. tax. MyExpatTaxes files U.S. returns for Americans abroad, and Beacon Global Advisors keeps 401(k)s, IRAs and investments working after you move.

Driving and pets

On a work pass, you have six months from the pass being issued to swap your U.S. license for a Singapore one, which means passing the Basic Theory Test. Pets take planning. The U.S. is a Schedule II country, so dogs and cats need a rabies shot, a rabies blood test taken at least 90 days before travel, an import license (S$50) and at least 10 days of quarantine. That quarantine can be at home if your pet arrives within five days of you and meets the other conditions. Pit Bulls, Akitas, Boerboels and their crosses can't be imported.

Rules to take seriously

Police can require a drug test at short notice. Vapes are illegal, and repeat vaping offenders risk deportation. Carry your passport or pass. None of this touches most people's daily life, but it's worth knowing before you land rather than after.