Republic of Singapore vs Socialist Republic of Vietnam
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 Socialist Republic of Vietnam 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
- Vietnam Immigration Department
Vietnam Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security) - verified
- MOM — Employment Pass
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - 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
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Vietnam's Immigration Department, under the Ministry of Public Security, issues visas and residence cards, with employment authorised separately by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). Headline routes are the employer work visa plus work permit, the tiered DT investor visas, the Temporary and Permanent Residence Cards, and a five-year Talent Visa launched in 2025; a proposed ten-year Golden Visa has been announced but is not yet in force.
- Official portal
- Vietnam Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security)
- Languages
- Vietnamese
- Currency
- Vietnamese dong
How Republic of Singapore and Socialist Republic of Vietnam differ
| Dimension | Republic of Singapore | Socialist Republic of Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 8 |
| 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) | Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit |
| 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 | Vietnamese |
| Currency | Singapore dollar | Vietnamese dong |
| Primary regulator | LawSoc | MoJ |
| 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
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Republic of Singapore
Routes unique to Socialist Republic of Vietnam
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.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (8)
Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Work permits are commonly issued for up to about two years, with the LD visa and any residence card aligned to the permit.
Investor Visa (DT1-DT4)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Validity rises with the tier - the highest tiers run for several years, while the lowest tier is shorter; residence cards align to the tier.
Temporary Residence Card (TRC)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Issued for a multi-year period aligned to the underlying status (commonly up to two or three years), renewable.
Permanent Residence Card
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Long-term permanent residence, with the card periodically renewed as an identity document.
Family / Dependent Visa (TT)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Aligned to the sponsor's status, with a temporary residence card commonly available for a multi-year period.
E-visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Issued for a limited maximum period per entry, with single or multiple-entry options.
5-year Talent Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · A five-year multiple-entry facility, with a capped stay per entry under the scheme terms.
Student / Intern Visa (DH)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Aligned to the study or internship programme, with a temporary residence card available for the course length.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Singapore or Socialist Republic of Vietnam?+
Republic of Singapore’s Employment Pass (EP) requires a salary of at least SGD 5,600/month; Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit 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 Socialist Republic of Vietnam immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/singapore/vs/vietnam. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons
Underlying comparison sources (3)