Singapore Immigration, Corporate & Family Office Glossary (2026)

Published: 17 September 2026 · Last reviewed: 14 October 2026 · Reviewed by Ray Tay, Co-Founder & Managing Director, VIVOS PTE. LTD. (ACRA Filing Agent FA20240323 · MOM EA Licence 24S2425)

Quick answer: This glossary defines the immigration, corporate structuring and family office terms used across VIVOS’s guides — from the Global Investor Programme and Employment Pass to Section 13O/13U family office incentives, Private Trust Companies and the Variable Capital Company structure. Each entry links to the full guide on that topic.

ACRA — Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority

Singapore’s national regulator for company registration, corporate secretarial compliance and public accountants. Every Singapore-incorporated company, including a VCC, is registered and filed with ACRA. Read the full guide →

AUM — Assets Under Management

The total value of assets a fund vehicle or family office manages. AUM is the primary eligibility test for Section 13O (S$20M), Section 13U (S$50M) and GIP Option C (S$200M family office). Read the full guide →

COMPASS — Complementarity Assessment Framework

MOM’s points-based framework for assessing most Employment Pass applications, scoring salary, qualifications, employer diversity and support for local employment. A minimum of 40 of 80 points is required unless the candidate is exempt (broadly, a fixed salary of S$22,500/month or more). Read the full guide →

Dependant’s Pass (DP) — Dependant’s Pass

A pass allowing the spouse and unmarried children under 21 of an eligible Employment Pass, EntrePass or ONE Pass holder to live in Singapore, available once the main pass holder earns a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000. Read the full guide →

EDB — Singapore Economic Development Board

The government agency that plans and executes strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business hub, and administers the Global Investor Programme (GIP). Read the full guide →

Employment Pass (EP) — Employment Pass

Singapore’s standard work pass for foreign professionals, managers and executives, sponsored by an employer and assessed under the COMPASS framework. The 2026 qualifying salary starts at S$5,600/month generally, or S$6,200/month in financial services, rising with age. New applications from 1 January 2027 need S$6,000/month, or S$6,600/month in financial services. Read the full guide →

EntrePass

A work pass for foreign founders of innovative, venture-backed or IP-rich Singapore startups who cannot yet pay an Employment Pass-level salary. Assessed on funding, intellectual property or track-record criteria rather than a fixed salary floor. Read the full guide →

GIP — Global Investor Programme

Singapore’s EDB-administered investment route to Permanent Residency, requiring S$10M into a business (Option A), S$25M into a GIP-select fund (Option B), or a S$200M single family office with S$50M deployed locally (Option C). Read the full guide →

ICA — Immigration & Checkpoints Authority

The Singapore government agency responsible for Permanent Residency, citizenship, Long-Term Visit Passes and border control — distinct from MOM, which handles work passes. Read the full guide →

IRAS — Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore

Singapore’s tax authority, administering corporate and personal income tax, and the tax-exemption conditions attached to Section 13O and 13U fund vehicles. Read the full guide →

Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) — Long-Term Visit Pass

A pass for family members who do not qualify for a Dependant’s Pass — such as parents, parents-in-law, or a GIP applicant’s adult children — sponsored by an eligible Singapore pass holder or PR. Read the full guide →

MAS — Monetary Authority of Singapore

Singapore’s central bank and financial regulator, which licenses fund managers and trust companies, administers the single family office licensing exemption, and sets the Section 13O/13U tax-incentive conditions in conjunction with IRAS. Read the full guide →

MOM — Ministry of Manpower

The Singapore government ministry responsible for work passes, including the Employment Pass, EntrePass and ONE Pass, and the COMPASS assessment framework. Read the full guide →

ONE Pass — Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass

A five-year, employer-flexible work pass for top-tier talent earning S$30,000+/month or with outstanding achievement, letting holders work for multiple employers without a new application each time. Read the full guide →

Permanent Residency (PR) — Permanent Residency

Indefinite Singapore residence status, obtainable through the Global Investor Programme, the PTS Scheme, or other ICA-assessed routes. PR is a precursor to, but distinct from, Singapore citizenship. Read the full guide →

Private company limited by shares (Pte. Ltd.)

The standard Singapore company form. Shareholders’ liability is limited to their shares, the company can have no more than 50 shareholders, and its name ends in “Private Limited” or “Pte. Ltd.”. It is a separate legal entity that can sue, be sued and own property in its own name, and it pays corporate tax on its profits. It needs at least one shareholder and at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore, and must appoint a company secretary. A private company with no more than 20 shareholders, all of them individuals, is an exempt private company. ACRA’s incorporation fee is S$315 (S$15 name application plus S$300 registration). Compare a Pte. Ltd. with an LLP →

Private Trust Company (PTC) — Private Trust Company

A Singapore company formed solely to act as trustee for one family’s trusts. Exempt from MAS’s trust business licence under the Trust Companies (Exemption) Regulations, provided a licensed trust company is engaged for administration and AML/CFT checks. Read the full guide →

PTS Scheme — Professionals, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers Scheme

ICA’s route for Employment Pass, S Pass and ONE Pass holders to apply for Singapore Permanent Residency based on their work history and local integration. Read the full guide →

Qualifying Foreign Trust (QFT) — Qualifying Foreign Trust

A Singapore trust exemption under Section 13G of the Income Tax Act, exempting specified foreign-sourced income where neither the settlor nor any beneficiary is a Singapore citizen or tax resident. Read the full guide →

Reserved-Powers Trust — Reserved-powers trust

A trust under Section 90A of the Trustees Act 1967 that lets the settlor retain specified powers, commonly investment direction, without invalidating the trust — used by settlors who want succession benefits without giving up investment control. Read the full guide →

Section 13O — Section 13O tax exemption

An Income Tax Act incentive exempting a qualifying Singapore fund vehicle’s specified income from tax, requiring at least S$20M AUM and 2 investment professionals (at least 1 non-family). The main entry-level family office incentive. Read the full guide →

Section 13U — Section 13U tax exemption

An Income Tax Act incentive for larger fund vehicles, requiring at least S$50M AUM and 3 investment professionals (at least 1 non-family), with more institutional-scale governance expectations than Section 13O. Read the full guide →

Single Family Office (SFO) — Single Family Office

A vehicle managing the wealth of one family, exempt from MAS fund-management licensing under a structure-agnostic class exemption since 15 June 2026, subject to notification, banking and annual-return conditions. Read the full guide →

Tech.Pass

A work pass for established tech entrepreneurs, leaders and technical experts, being phased out from 27 January 2027 in favour of the ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track. Read the full guide →

Variable Capital Company (VCC) — Variable Capital Company

A corporate structure under the Variable Capital Companies Act 2018, purpose-built for investment funds, allowing shares to be issued and redeemed at net asset value and offering statutory asset segregation for umbrella structures with sub-funds. Read the full guide →

Key Takeaways

Singapore’s immigration and family office landscape spans three separate government agencies — MOM (work passes), ICA (residency and citizenship) and MAS/IRAS (fund licensing and tax incentives) — and mixing up which agency governs which term is a common source of confusion.
A “family office” is not itself a licence or a pass — it is an operating structure, licensed via MAS’s SFO framework and tax-incentivised via Section 13O or 13U, distinct from the trust that may hold the family’s assets and the Employment Passes that let its staff work in Singapore.
GIP, the PTS Scheme, and an Employment Pass followed by a PR application are three distinct paths to Singapore residency, with very different capital requirements and timelines.
This glossary is maintained alongside VIVOS’s guides and updated as terms and thresholds change — bookmark it as a reference rather than relying on a single definition in isolation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a Single Family Office and a Private Trust Company?

A Single Family Office (SFO) is an operating structure that employs investment professionals to manage a family’s capital, licensed via MAS’s class exemption and tax-incentivised under Section 13O or 13U. A Private Trust Company (PTC) is a company formed solely to act as trustee for the family’s trusts — a legal ownership and governance structure, not an operating or investment-management entity. Families often use both together.

Is GIP the same as Singapore’s “golden visa”?

Singapore has no visa literally called a golden visa. The Global Investor Programme (GIP) is the closest equivalent — and it grants Permanent Residency directly, rather than a renewable temporary visa as most European golden visa schemes do. See our full comparison.

Do 13O and 13U grant Singapore residency?

Not by themselves. They are tax incentives for the fund vehicle. Residency is a separate application — typically via an Employment Pass and later PR for smaller family offices, or via GIP Option C for families with a S$200M+ AUM family office.

How this guide was verified

Each definition in this glossary reflects the terms and figures verified in VIVOS’s dedicated guide on that topic, cross-checked against the relevant primary source (MOM, ICA, EDB, MAS, IRAS or Singapore’s statutes) as of 17 September 2026. Where a term’s detailed conditions or thresholds change, the linked full guide is the authoritative, most-current source — this glossary is a navigational summary, not a replacement for it.

This page is provided for general information and does not constitute legal, tax or immigration advice. Last verified: 17 September 2026.

Speak With VIVOS’s Licensed Team

VIVOS Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-licensed corporate services and immigration firm — ACRA Registered Filing Agent FA20240323 and MOM Employment Agency Licence 24S2425 — advising on incorporation, family office structuring, trusts, tax incentives and immigration under one team.

Talk to a specialist: WhatsApp +65 8827 7870 or contact@vivos.com.sg.