Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China vs Republic of Singapore
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and Republic of Singapore government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Immigration Department
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
- Ministry of Manpower — Work passes and permits
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
- Immigration Department - General Employment Policy
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
- MOM — Employment Pass
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Hong Kong's Immigration Department runs a suite of talent and employment admission schemes rather than a single points-based system. The headline routes are the General Employment Policy (GEP) for sponsored professionals, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) for talent without a prior job offer, and the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). Most schemes are residence tracks: seven years of continuous ordinary residence can lead to the right of abode.
- Official portal
- Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR)
- Languages
- Chinese, English
- Currency
- Hong Kong dollar
Republic of Singapore
Singapore operates a tiered work-pass system administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The Employment Pass targets professionals earning above the qualifying salary, the S Pass covers mid-level skilled workers, and the ONE Pass and Tech.Pass attract top-tier global talent. EntrePass serves founders. All passes are employer-linked except PEP and ONE Pass.
- Official portal
- Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
- Languages
- English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
- Currency
- Singapore dollar
How Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and Republic of Singapore differ
| Dimension | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China | Republic of Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 8 | 7 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 4 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 8 | 0 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | GEP residence -> extensions -> right of abode/permanent resident status after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence. | Employment Pass -> discretionary PR application after building a Singapore record -> citizenship usually no earlier than PR+2 years. |
| Dominant skilled visa | General Employment Policy (GEP) | Employment Pass (EP) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | No fixed published floor | SGD 5,600/month |
| Skilled visa processing time | Hong Kong Immigration says General Employment Policy applications are normally finalised in four weeks once all documents and fees are received. | MOM says Employment Pass applications submitted online are processed, or receive an update, within 10 business days. |
| Skilled visa government fees | A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees. | A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge. |
| Official languages | Chinese, English | English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil |
| Currency | Hong Kong dollar | Singapore dollar |
| Primary regulator | Law Society | LawSoc |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
General Employment Policy (GEP)
- Salary minimum
- No fixed published floor
- Government fees
- A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees.
- Processing time
- Hong Kong Immigration says General Employment Policy applications are normally finalised in four weeks once all documents and fees are received.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Republic of Singapore
Employment Pass (EP)
- Salary minimum
- SGD 5,600/month
- Government fees
- A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge.
- Processing time
- MOM says Employment Pass applications submitted online are processed, or receive an update, within 10 business days.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Routes unique to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Routes unique to Republic of Singapore
Visa routes side by side
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (8)
General Employment Policy (GEP)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months on employment conditions; extensions typically follow a 3+3+2-year pattern.
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months under the General Points Test (or a longer initial period for Achievement-based applicants); renewable.
Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay of 36 months (Category A) or 24 months (Categories B and C); renewable on meeting the criteria.
Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay of 24 months on time limitation only; renewable subject to meeting the criteria.
Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Employment-based stay aligned with the company quota and the applicant contract; renewable subject to continued eligibility.
Entry for Investment as Entrepreneurs
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months on employment (business) conditions; extensions follow the standard pattern.
Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay granted under the scheme, renewable while the investment and asset requirements continue to be met.
Entry for Residence as Dependants
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Stay normally aligned with the sponsor permitted period of stay; renewable alongside the sponsor.
Republic of Singapore (7)
Employment Pass (EP)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years on first issuance; renewable for up to 3 years.
S Pass
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years; renewable.
Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 5 years; renewable.
EntrePass
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year initially; renewable for 2 years subject to meeting business milestones.
Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 3 years; non-renewable.
Dependant's Pass (DP)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Tied to sponsor's work pass validity.
Student’s Pass
Sponsor · Conditional PR eligibility · Duration of study programme.
Frequently asked questions
How long does permanent residence typically take in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China vs Republic of Singapore?+
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China: GEP residence -> extensions -> right of abode/permanent resident status after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence.. Republic of Singapore: Employment Pass -> discretionary PR application after building a Singapore record -> citizenship usually no earlier than PR+2 years.. Both timelines are route-dependent — see each country’s settlement page for the breakdown per visa.
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Republic of Singapore?+
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China’s General Employment Policy (GEP) requires a salary of at least No fixed published floor; Republic of Singapore’s Employment Pass (EP) requires SGD 5,600/month. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Republic of Singapore have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 4 for Republic of Singapore. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Is the main skilled visa cheaper in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Republic of Singapore?+
Comparing the dominant skilled route in each country: A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees. By contrast, A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge. Those are government fees only and exclude relocation, qualification recognition, and living costs — open each fee page for the itemised breakdown.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China vs Republic of Singapore immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/hong-kong/vs/singapore. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons