How to become a freelancer or self-employed in Singapore

Self-employment and freelancing makes up around 14% of the employment market in Singapore in June 2020 which accounted for 228,200 individuals running a business or trade by themselves.¹

As an expat, however, this is a bit more challenging as your long-term stay in Singapore is dependent on securing employment. You may therefore consider applying for an Entrepass or registering a company in Singapore, if you’re considering freelancing as your main source of income.

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What’s the difference between being self-employed and a freelancer in Singapore?

Freelance work is categorised as a form of self-employment, as defined by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). While freelance work involves providing services in return for monetary compensation, other forms of self-employment include commission-based agency work, driving a taxi under a licensed taxi operator or running an online business.

Separately, the Ministry of Manpower defines freelancers as “own account workers” who operate a business or trade without employing any paid workers, and these make up more than 50% of the total self-employed population.

If I’m not a citizen or resident, can I legally freelance in Singapore?

You’ll need to be a citizen or a permanent resident to conduct freelance work in Singapore legally. You’re also required to pay tax on the income earned, and contribute to your personal Medisave account, which is the mandatory medical savings programme for citizens and permanent residents.²

As a foreigner, you cannot work without an Employment Pass, S-Pass or Work Permit. To get around this, your options include:

• Applying for an Entrepass, which requires incorporating a company, and raising a minimum amount of funding or seeking partnerships with approved organisations.
• Setting up a local company, which requires at least one director who is ordinarily a resident in Singapore (i.e. usual place of residence is in Singapore).

What if my spouse or partner is a resident, can I legally freelance?

If you’re living in Singapore legally under a Dependant’s Pass (DP) or a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP), you may not work unless you get a Employment Pass, S-Pass, Work Permit or Letter of Consent, all of which can only be applied for by an employer from the Ministry of Manpower.

The first 3 are straightforward employment permits, while the Letter of Consent caters specifically to DP and LTVP holders who are living in Singapore because of their spouse’s or partner’s Employment Pass (EP). Upon the expiry of the EP, the Letter of Consent is invalidated.

Some expats have previously worked around this employment requirement by getting their spouse or partner to register a sole proprietorship company in Singapore, and then applying for a Letter of Consent under the newly registered company. However, there are some rules you have to abide by if you want to register a sole proprietorship company as a foreigner.

Do I need a special visa to freelance from Singapore?

There’s currently no special work passes or permits for foreigners who’d like to become a freelancer in Singapore. A company has to apply for your work pass/permit, with the exception of the EntrePass, you can apply for this pass yourself. Unfortunately, the EntrePass isn’t suitable for freelancers, as this one is meant for entrepreneurs, innovators or investors.

What’s the cost of an EntrePass in Singapore?

It costs S$105 to apply for an EntrePass, and an additional S$ to receive it upon approval. On average, the entire application takes 8 weeks to complete.³

EntrePass requirements

Foreigners of all nationalities are eligible to apply, either as a seasoned entrepreneur, an established innovator, or an investor with a proven-track record.

To apply for the Entrepass as an entrepreneur or innovator, you’ll need to meet the following conditions:

• Have started, or intend to start, a private limited company registered with ACRA that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.
  • If registered, the company must be less than 6 months old on the date you apply.
  • If not registered, you can do so after you know the outcome of your application.
• Meet any of the following innovative criteria as an entrepreneur, innovator or investor listed below. You don’t need to meet all of the criteria for each respective profile, but having more qualifications would help your application.⁴

Entrepreneur

• Raise at least S$100,000 from a government investment vehicle, venture capitalist (VC) or business angel that is recognised by a Singapore Government agency.
• Your company is registered as an incubatee at an incubator or accelerator in Singapore that is recognised by the Government.
• You’re well experienced in business or network and have a promising entrepreneurial track record of starting highly-scalable businesses and want to start and operate an innovative tech or venture-backed business in Singapore.

Innovator

• You or your company holds an intellectual property (IP), registered with an approved national IP institution, which delivers a significant competitive advantage to your proposed business that cannot be easily replicated.
• Has a research collaboration with an IHL or research institute in Singapore
• You have exceptional technical or domain expertise in an area related to your proposed business that is either venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.

Investor

• You have a good track record of investing in businesses and want to grow new or existing businesses in Singapore by starting an investment-related company.

💡 Note: This section only covers the basics of EntrePass requirements. You can read more about it in details at the Ministry of Manpower help page if you want to know more.

Do I need a business license to freelance in Singapore?

You don’t need a license to freelance in Singapore, although for certain trades a business license is required. For example, driving for a ride-sharing service, running a real estate agency and running a food stall all require licensing from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Council of Estate Agents (CEA) and the National Environmental Agency (NEA) respectively.

Creative services (Graphic artist, designer, photographers, writers and translators)

There are no licensing requirements to offer creative services as a freelancer. Most potential clients will only request to view a portfolio of your work, and any relevant academic certification to verify your proficiency.

Technical services (Developers and software engineers)

A license is also not required for freelancers working in software development and engineering. Again, potential clients will usually look out for a portfolio of your existing work and any academic certification instead.

Driving for a ride-sharing platform

Introduced in early 2017, a Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational License (PDVL) is required for freelancers who wish to ferry passengers around Singapore in private cars. Applicants are also required to attend a 10 hour course and pay a S$40 application fee.⁵

What business license works the best for freelancers?

Since many freelance services don’t require any formal qualifications, while other specific trades require a specific license, there’s no single business license that freelancers should apply for.

Do I need to register with the Singapore government as a freelancer?

If you’re engaged by a local organisation or individual as a freelancer, you may be required to register for a license depending on the business or trade. In general, you don’t need to register your services with the gove rnment.

How do I register my freelancing business in Singapore?

For the following services or trades, you’ll need to apply for a license with the respective government agencies. Some trades, like conducting real estate transactions or insurance policy sales, require you to attend a mandatory course and pass a written examination.

Service / Trade	Government Agency
Real Estate Salesperson	Council of Estate Agencies
Insurance Agent	Monetary Association of Singapore
Taxi Driver / Private Car Driver	Land Transport Authority
Food Stall Hawker	National Environment Agency

How do I get paid from abroad?

If you’re receiving money from abroad, you’ll need a bank or remittance agency to transfer your money across international borders. Banks and remittance agencies like Western Union and Moneygram will typically use a higher exchange rate to convert to Singapore Dollars, and charge an administrative fee on top of it. Which is why it's good to consider alternatives like Wise.

For example here’s how much you’ll get when transferring £1000 to SGD

Provider	Cost to transfer	Amount receive in SG$
Wise	£4.07	$1,818.11
Barclays bank⁶	£28.44 + international transfer fees	$1773.02
Lloyds bank⁷	£35 + international transfer fees	$1761.05
OFX⁷	£30.25	$1769,72
PayPal⁷	£44.27 + international transfer fees	$1744.13

Unlike traditional banks and providers, Wise doesn’t add any mark-up on exchange rates. Only a small fee to make cross border transactions which is why it's cheaper.

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What about taxes for freelancers in Singapore?

Income from freelance work is taxable in Singapore, and the rates depend on the status of your tax residency. If you’ve stayed and worked for 183 days or more in the previous year, you’ll be treated as a tax resident and have to pay tax based on a progressive tax rate of between 2% to 22%, depending on income.

Non-tax residents need to pay a flat withholding tax rate determined by their type of income. For freelancers working as a professional (consultant, trainer, coach etc), you may choose to be taxed at 15% of your gross income or 22% on your net income. If you’re working as a public entertainer, you’ll need to pay 10% of your taxable income.

If you’re an Australian tax resident, you’ll need to pay tax on the income earned in Singapore. Generally, this is the case if you’re working overseas with an intention to return in the future. If you’re deemed to have left Australia permanently, you’ll be taxed only on any income earned in Australia, like rental, pensions and capital gains on Australian assets.

If you’re a UK tax resident, you’ll need to report foreign income above £2,000, or any money brought into the UK. Tax residency applies if you spent 183 or more days in the UK in the tax year, or if your only home was in the UK and you spent at least 30 days there.

On the other hand, you’ll be treated as a non-tax resident if you:

• spent 16 or fewer days in the UK in the tax year,
• spent 46 days in the UK if you haven’t been a tax resident for the past 3 tax years, or
• work full time, with at least 35 hours a week outside the UK and spent fewer than 91 days in the country,

US citizens, permanent residents and US tax residents need to pay tax on income earned in Singapore. To meet US tax residency status, you’ll have to stay in the US for at least 31 days, and a total of 183 days over the past 3 years, based on a calculation that discounts the number of days spent in the earlier years.

Singapore has signed Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) with numerous countries including Australia and the UK. These agreements prevent tax residents working overseas from paying tax twice, to both their country of tax residency and the country where the work was done. Refer to the respective agreements to see what kind of taxes are payable to which country.

What’s the best way to find freelance jobs and clients?

If your skills and nature of business allows you to work with an international clientele, online freelance platforms are your best bet to get jobs and clients. Browse UpWork, Freelancer and Guru to look for jobs, or list your profile and portfolio and let clients find you.

If you’re looking to find jobs or clients in Singapore, you can post small ads on public noticeboards legally, or advertise them online on popular Singaporean forums and online marketplaces like Carousell and Gumtree.

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How do I find a co-working space in Singapore?

In recent years, many co-working spaces have been set up all across Singapore. The quality of work environment and facilities usually varies proportionally to the membership fees, but here are several well-regarded places to check out:

• Regus
• The Working Capitol
• The Hive

You can also compare the facilities and membership rates at GorillaSpace, which has a wide range of co-working spaces and commercial offices for rent.

How can I find proper health insurance coverage if I’m a freelancer in Singapore?

Citizens and permanent residents in Singapore are required to pay for the mandatory national health insurance Medishield. For an affordable annual premium, this covers the fees for some expensive medical treatment and in-patient hospitalisation expenses.

If you’re a foreigner, you’ll want to purchase private health insurance in Singapore as medical treatment is expensive in Singapore.

What bank account is best for freelancers?

For personal banking, you’ll want to choose a bank with good branch and ATM coverage. DBS Bank, OCBC Bank or UOB Bank are the top 3 banks in Singapore, and cater to a wide variety of financial needs. If you need a quick to open business or personal account, Wise could also be a good option.

If you prefer to go with a bank that's a major presence in your home country, you can also open a personal banking account with one of these international banks:

• HSBC
• Standard Chartered
• Citibank
• Maybank
• State Bank of India
• ICICI Bank

Any tips to becoming a successful freelancer in Singapore?

To be an effective freelancer, you’ll need to deliver quality work to your clients on time. Here are some tips to help you stand out:

• Ensure your online profiles on freelance platforms are detailed, and demonstrate your skills, academic qualifications and portfolio.

• Find a conducive place to work from, either a co-working space or a small private office. Crowded cafes and your bedroom, though cheap and tempting, might not be the best places to keep you focussed on your work.

• If you can’t afford an office space, work from public libraries. On weekdays, during office hours, you’ll be able to work in air-conditioned comfort and use the shared desks, power outlets and free WiFi.

• Deliver work on time and meet the agreed scope and standards. If you feel like you can’t handle a project, inform the client right from the start.

• Even if a client is an individual or based overseas, agree on the scope of work and sign a contract on it. Even a simple email acknowledgment by both parties may be legally binding, and is invaluable in case a dispute arises.

• Once you’re done with a job, always ask for feedback, both positive and negative. Improve on the negative points, and politely ask your clients to post a review online if they’re positive. Every 5-star review goes a long way to securing more jobs and enhancing your reputation as a freelancer!

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Final thought
Freelancers and self-employed individuals play an important role in Singapore’s economy, especially since many companies prefer short-term contract workers instead of permanent employees these days.

While you get to choose who to work with and how you want to work, not having a steady paycheck means you’re at the risk of not earning enough for the month. On the upside though, you have no limits on your income, as long as you can take on more work and deliver value to your clients.

If you’re not a citizen or a permanent resident, doing freelance work locally will be difficult because you’d need an employer to qualify for long-term stay in Singapore. If you do manage to secure a long term visit pass or dependant pass, look for overseas clients and work over the internet. As long as you have the right skills and charge a reasonable price, the world’s your oyster!

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Sources used for this article:

1. Ministry of Manpower research
2. Skuad blog post
3. Ministry of Manpower Passes and Permits
4. Ministry of Manpower Passes and Permits - eligibility
5. Carro blog post
6. Wise price comparison page
7. Lloyds bank fees