Singapore's investment immigration threshold doubles. The message is clear: they want fewer applicants, but wealthier ones.

The Economic Development Board (EDB) has increased the Global Investor Programme minimum investment threshold to SGD 20 million, effective for new applications from January 2026. The previous SGD 10 million threshold had been in place since 2023, itself a significant increase from the SGD 2.5 million that applied before that.

What changed

The EDB announcement outlines the new requirements:

Option A: Invest at least SGD 20 million in a new business entity or expansion of existing Singapore business operations

Option B: Invest at least SGD 50 million in a GIP-approved fund that invests in Singapore-based companies

Option C: Invest at least SGD 50 million to establish a Singapore-based single family office with minimum SGD 500 million assets under management

The fund and family office routes face even steeper requirements than direct business investment. Singapore wants operational investors, not passive capital.

The pattern

This follows Singapore's deliberate strategy of limiting investor immigration volume while increasing quality. The 2023 increase from SGD 2.5 million to SGD 10 million reduced applications substantially. This further doubling will reduce them again.

Singapore approves only dozens of GIP applications annually, not hundreds or thousands like some CBI programs. The low volume is intentional. They're not selling residency; they're recruiting specific investor profiles who will contribute to economic development.

The resulting permanent residence carries genuine value: indefinite stay rights, path to citizenship after 2 years, access to world-class infrastructure and business environment. The selectivity is part of what makes it valuable.

Who this affects

The SGD 20 million threshold (approximately $14.8 million USD) prices out all but high-net-worth individuals and substantial business operators. This isn't a golden visa in the European sense; it's a program for people building significant Singapore operations.

Existing applicants with submitted applications before January 2026 remain under the previous SGD 10 million threshold. The rush to file before the deadline was predictable.

For those now priced out of Singapore, alternatives exist: Hong Kong's Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (HKD 30 million), UAE Golden Visa (AED 2 million property), or various European programs at lower thresholds. None offer quite what Singapore does, but Singapore has made clear that's the point.

The practical calculation

At SGD 20 million minimum, GIP isn't a residency purchase. It's a business decision about whether Singapore makes sense as an operational base worth substantial capital deployment.

For family offices, hedge funds, and multinational holding structures, Singapore's regulatory environment, tax treaties, and professional services infrastructure justify the commitment. For individuals primarily seeking residency, the threshold no longer makes economic sense compared to alternatives.

Singapore has consistently prioritized quality over quantity in immigration policy. This change continues that pattern.