How long does a GIP application actually take?
The Global Investor Programme is not one clock, it is three. Here is the full sequence EDB publishes, from downloading the forms to the day your Re-Entry Permit is issued.
Step 1 to 4: submitting the application
Before EDB even looks at your case, four things need to happen in order.
- Download the forms and prepare your supporting documents. The GIP e-application form has three parts: Form A (personal profile), Form B (proposed investment plan) and Form C (payment details), all available from EDB's GIP page.
- Pay the S$20,000 application fee. Non-refundable regardless of outcome, sent as a single telegraphic transfer or local interbank transfer before you submit the forms. The application will not be processed until the full amount is received, and any transaction or intermediary bank charges are on top, borne by the applicant.
- Upload the completed e-application forms. Only original forms are accepted online, scanned copies are rejected.
- Mail the hard-copy supporting documents to EDB within 1 month of paying the fee. EDB then emails instructions to upload the same documents in soft copy once the hard copies arrive.
Step 5 to 7: interview to Approval-in-Principle
- EDB interview. You are invited to discuss your track record and, for the family office route, the functions of your Single Family Office, proposed investment sectors, asset types, geographical focus and philanthropy interest.
- Approval-in-Principle (AIP). If you meet the assessment criteria, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) issues an AIP, valid for 6 months.
- Fulfil the investment condition. Within 6 months of the AIP letter, you must complete the investment under your chosen option. For the family office route, that means transferring at least S$50 million into Singapore and deploying it into EDB's specified investment categories.
Step 8 to 10: Final Approval to Permanent Residency
- Submit evidence and sign the Investment Undertaking. Once you have made the investment, you provide documentary evidence and sign the Investment Undertaking on its terms and conditions.
- Final Approval. Once EDB verifies the investment, ICA issues the Final Approval letter. For the family office route specifically, at least S$50 million must be deployed into the specified investments no later than 12 months from the date of Final Approval, and then maintained throughout the validity of the Re-Entry Permit.
- Formalise your PR. You must do this within 12 months of the Final Approval letter. Once formalised, you receive a Re-Entry Permit valid for 5 years.
The three clocks, side by side
The most common confusion is treating "12 months" as one number. It is not, it is the same figure appearing at two different stages, either side of a separate 6-month window.
| What it covers | Duration | |
|---|---|---|
| Application processing | From submitting a complete application to Approval-in-Principle | ~12 months |
| Post-AIP investment window | Making the required investment after Approval-in-Principle | 6 months |
| Post-Final-Approval deployment | Deploying the S$50 million for the family office route (Option C) | 12 months from Final Approval |
| Post-Final-Approval PR formalisation | Formalising Permanent Residency | 12 months from Final Approval |
Indicative Figures current as of the EDB GIP Factsheet update dated 5 May 2025, verified against the live document July 2026. Processing time depends on complete documentation and due diligence outcomes; a licensed specialist tracks your case-specific timeline.
How this differs from the general setup timeline
If you are only setting up a family office for the tax schemes, the whole process typically runs four to six months, see our family office setup timeline. GIP is a separate, longer track layered on top of that when you also want Permanent Residency. See the full Global Investor Programme guide for who qualifies and what the family office route requires, and the setup guide for how the tax schemes and residency route fit together.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a GIP application take?
EDB states it will take approximately 12 months for a GIP application to be processed, provided you submit complete supporting documents at the point of application. Every application is also subject to due diligence checks, which can extend this.
What is the GIP application fee?
S$20,000, non-refundable regardless of outcome, paid in a single transaction before you submit the application forms. Any transaction or intermediary bank charges are on top of that and must be borne by the applicant.
What happens after Approval-in-Principle?
You have 6 months from the date of the AIP letter to fulfil the investment condition under your chosen option. For the family office route that means transferring and deploying the required capital, then submitting evidence of the investment together with a signed Investment Undertaking before EDB verifies it and ICA issues the Final Approval letter.
When must the S$50 million be deployed for the family office route?
No later than 12 months from the date of Final Approval, and it must then be maintained throughout the validity of the Re-Entry Permit. This is a separate clock from the roughly 12-month application-processing stage that comes before it.
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Steps, fees and timeframes are drawn from the Singapore Economic Development Board's Global Investor Programme Factsheet (updated 5 May 2025), fetched and verified on 18 July 2026. Processing times and requirements change and depend on individual circumstances; this page is general information, not immigration, financial, tax or legal advice, and does not constitute a personalised assessment. A licensed specialist confirms your position before you apply.