Republic of Singapore vs Taiwan (Republic of China)
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 Republic of Singapore and Taiwan (Republic of China) 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
- Ministry of Manpower — Work passes and permits
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
- National Immigration Agency
National Immigration Agency (Taiwan) - verified
- MOM — Employment Pass
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
- National Development Council - Taiwan Employment Gold Card
National Development Council (Taiwan) - verified
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
Taiwan (Republic of China)
Taiwan manages immigration through the National Immigration Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of the Interior, with work authorisation governed by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and entry visas issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA). The headline routes for skilled foreigners are the Employment Gold Card, which bundles a visa, residence and open work permit for designated specialist fields, and the employer-sponsored work permit plus Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). After five years of continuous residence, many foreign professionals can apply for an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC).
- Official portal
- National Immigration Agency (Taiwan)
- Languages
- Mandarin Chinese
- Currency
- New Taiwan dollar
How Republic of Singapore and Taiwan (Republic of China) differ
| Dimension | Republic of Singapore | Taiwan (Republic of China) |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 6 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 4 | 4 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 0 | 5 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Employment Pass -> discretionary PR application after building a Singapore record -> citizenship usually no earlier than PR+2 years. | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Employment Pass (EP) | Taiwan Employment Gold Card |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | SGD 5,600/month | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | MOM says Employment Pass applications submitted online are processed, or receive an update, within 10 business days. | — |
| Skilled visa government 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 | English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil | Mandarin Chinese |
| Currency | Singapore dollar | New Taiwan dollar |
| Primary regulator | LawSoc | TBA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
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
Taiwan (Republic of China)
Taiwan Employment Gold Card
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Republic of Singapore
Routes unique to Taiwan (Republic of China)
Visa routes side by side
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 Pass
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration of study programme.
Taiwan (Republic of China) (6)
Taiwan Employment Gold Card
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Valid for 1 to 3 years; renewable.
Work Permit for Specialized or Technical Work + ARC
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Work permit and resident visa run with the employment contract (which must have more than six months remaining at application); renewable.
Foreign Special Professional Work Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Employment permit of up to five years for designated foreign professionals; renewable.
Entrepreneur Resident Visa
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial residence of 2 years; extensions of up to 2 years each subject to continuing to meet the qualification directions.
Visitor Visa for Employment-Seeking Purpose
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Short-stay visitor visa for job-seeking; the holder must convert to a work-permit-based resident visa to stay and work.
Permanent Residence (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, APRC)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent, subject to maintaining the rolling presence requirement; re-entry and the certificate are maintained per NIA rules.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Singapore or Taiwan (Republic of China)?+
Republic of Singapore’s Employment Pass (EP) requires a salary of at least SGD 5,600/month; Taiwan (Republic of China)’s Taiwan Employment Gold Card is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
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, "Republic of Singapore vs Taiwan (Republic of China) immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/singapore/vs/taiwan. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons