Singapore

Personal income tax: residents 0-24% progressive (top 24% on income above S$1M, raised from 22% in YA2024). Non-residents: flat 15% or progressive — whichever higher. No capital gains tax. No tax on most foreign-source income (subject to specified-foreign-income rules). Earned Income Relief, Spouse Relief, Working Mother's Child Relief, and Course Fees Relief reduce effective rates further. CPF (mandatory retirement savings, 20% employee + 17% employer) applies only to citizens and PRs — not EP holders.

• Software developer$98,000
• Data scientist$95,000
• Investment banker$220,000
• Marketing manager$90,000

MOM Comprehensive Labour Force Survey median monthly gross wages × 12. Senior tech and finance compensation in SG often exceeds London comparable roles, with significant equity grants in fintech and crypto firms.

Mercer 2025 Cost of Living survey ranks Singapore as the most expensive city in Asia and #1-3 globally. Housing is the dominant cost: HDB flat rentals S$3,000-5,500/mo, condo 2BR rentals S$5,500-12,000/mo central. Cars are the world's most expensive due to COE / ARF taxes (~3x US sticker). Food and transport are unusually affordable for the income level.

• Employment Pass (EP)

  Sponsored employment, S$5,600+/mo, COMPASS 40 points. Path to PR after 2-3 years.

• EntrePass

  For founders raising VC or with strong IP / academic credentials. S$50K paid-up capital.

• ONE Pass (Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass)

  5-year unsponsored work permit for top earners (S$30,000+/mo) or globally recognized leaders.

• Tech.Pass

  For experienced founders / senior leaders / AI specialists. 2-year unsponsored work authorization.

Citizenship eligibility: minimum 6 years of legal residence (varies by pathway).

PR application typical after 2-3 years on EP — but acceptance rate is highly selective (~20-30% for first-time applicants). Citizenship requires another 2+ years on PR. National Service obligation applies to male citizens / 2nd-gen PRs.

Singapore Pte Ltd is Asia's premier corporate vehicle. 17% headline corp tax with massive partial exemptions yielding ~5.7% effective on first S$200K. No capital gains, 90+ DTAs.

• Singapore Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)

  World-class for Asia operating businesses, family offices, holding structures. Mandatory resident director adds nominee cost (~S$1.5-3K/yr) for non-residents.

Banking

DBS is the dominant bank — its app and onboarding are world-class. Personal accounts open in 1 day for EP holders with proof-of-address. Business accounts for resident-director companies open in 2-4 weeks; non-resident-director companies face 1-2 in-person meetings + tier-1 KYC docs.