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Trade agreements with Singapore
The UK has 3 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Singapore:
- the bilateral UK-Singapore FTA which entered into force on 11 February 2021
- the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) which entered into force on 14 June 2022
- the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade agreement including 12 countries (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the UK and Vietnam), which entered into force between the UK and Singapore on 15 December 2024
The UK-Singapore FTA should be read in conjunction with the EU-Singapore FTA because the UK-Singapore FTA incorporates provisions of the EU-Singapore FTA. The following Parliamentary report provides information about significant differences between the two.
The UK-Singapore FTA and the UK-Singapore DEA will remain in force alongside CPTPP. At times, you will need to specify which agreement you choose to trade under (notably when applying rules of origin), but benefits from either agreement will mostly apply automatically. Our guides attempt to highlight where businesses may need to make an explicit decision.
CPTPP entry into force and ratification
As of 24 December 2024, CPTPP is in force between the UK and:
- Australia
- Brunei
- Chile
- Japan
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Peru
- Singapore
- Vietnam
This means that the UK can access CPTPP provisions with said countries.
The following countries have not yet ratified the terms of the UK’s accession:
Canada and Mexico.
This means that the UK cannot yet access CPTPP provisions with those countries.
This guidance will be updated following each of the remaining countries’ ratification of the terms of the UK’s accession to CPTPP and will include when CPTPP will enter in force between the UK and the relevant remaining country.
This guidance is an explanation of both the UK-Singapore FTA Chapter 8 – Section D: Temporary Presence of Natural Persons for Business Purposes and CPTPP Chapter 12: Temporary Entry for Business Persons. Key documents include Singapore’s schedule of commitments for temporary entry for business persons in accordance with Article 12.4 of the CPTPP agreement.
This guidance outlines how the temporary entry provisions in these agreements support the movement of skilled UK business professionals to Singapore to facilitate trade in goods and services, as well as investment. CPTPP is now in force with Singapore, and UK professionals can now benefit from the agreement. Please note, when applying for temporary entry to Singapore, you will not need to specify that you are entering under a particular FTA.
Please be aware that entry into Singapore is subject to meeting the relevant immigration and employment requirements set out in Singaporean legislation. For more details, visit the UK government guidance on living in Singapore.
Temporary entry
Temporary entry provisions in FTAs help provide greater certainty and access for the temporary movement of professionals to:
- deliver services
- negotiate the sale of goods
- invest in businesses in person
The movement of skilled UK professionals supports economic growth, innovation, and collaboration between the UK and its international partners.
These commitments do not afford legal rights to business persons directly. They apply to British citizens only, and not to foreign nationals who reside in the UK. For example, they do not allow British citizens to enter a CPTPP country to look for employment, nor do they apply to measures regarding citizenship, nationality, residence or permanent employment.
FTA commitments on temporary entry do not necessarily lead to improvements in domestic legislation of CPTPP countries. However, they guarantee that CPTPP countries will treat covered business persons no less favourably than what is set out in the FTA. The domestic law of each CPTPP country remains the authoritative source of rights and obligations on temporary entry. Each CPTPP country must ensure that its domestic law conforms with its FTA commitments. If there is an inconsistency between the country’s FTA commitments and its domestic law (the latter is less favourable than the former), this needs to be brought to the attention of the UK government. See the contacts in the support section on this page.
Categories of business person
Singapore provides access for the following categories of business persons. A summary of the main categories and length of stay permitted is below. Please read the full CPTPP definitions in Annex 12-A Singapore Temporary Entry and UK-Singapore FTA definitions in Article 8.13 for each category to ensure you meet the criteria, including applicable sectors set out by Singapore in Annex 8-B-1.
Please note that final visa names are set by the destination country and may vary from the FTA text. Prospective visa applicants should check with Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Ministry of Manpower for full visa details and other immigration requirements.
Within the CPTPP agreement, Singapore provides access for the following categories of business people:
- Business visitors
- Investors
Within the UK-Singapore FTA, Singapore provides access for the following categories of business people:
- Business Visitors for Establishment Purposes*
- Intra-Corporate Transferees*
- Graduate Trainees*
- Business Services Sellers*
*Please note that this applies to the sectors liberalised by Singapore under the UK-Singapore FTA (see Annex 8-B-1 Singapore).
Business Visitors
Business Visitors are UK nationals who are seeking to travel to Singapore for a relatively short amount of time for business purposes which are international in scope. They must be paid from a source outside of Singapore and they must not be seeking employment or residence in Singapore.
Applicable business purposes comprise the following activities:
- conducting or attending business-related conferences, seminars, or workshops
- negotiating for the sale of goods or services, where such negotiations do not involve direct sales to the general public
Business Visitors can stay in Singapore for up to 30 days, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: Are you a representative of a service supplier, planning to travel to Singapore to attend a business-related conference? You can stay in Singapore for up to 30 days, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Investors
Investors are UK nationals who are responsible for setting up, developing or managing a business in which they have committed or will commit a “substantial amount of capital” as supervisor or executive.
Investors can stay in Singapore for up to 30 days, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: Are you an investor who has committed a substantial amount of capital in a business in Singapore, and now plans to travel to Singapore to set up that business? UK investors can stay in Singapore for up to 30 days in order to conduct their operations, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Business Visitors for Establishment Purposes*
Business Visitors for Establishment Purposes are UK nationals in senior positions who are responsible for setting up an establishment in Singapore. They are paid from a source outside of Singapore and are not making sales or supplying goods or services directly to the general public.
Business Visitors for Establishment Purposes can stay in Singapore for up to 90 days in any 12-month period, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: Are you a senior employee of a service supplier, planning to travel to Singapore to establish an enterprise in Singapore? As a UK Business visitor for establishment purposes, you can stay in Singapore for up to 90 days in any 12-months period, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
*Please note that this applies to business people employed in the sectors liberalised by Singapore under the UK-Singapore FTA (see Annex 8-B-1 Singapore).
Intra-Corporate Transferees*
Intra-Corporate Transferees are UK nationals employed by an enterprise of the UK or, in the case of business services, partners of their firm for at least one year and who are being transferred to a subsidiary, branch, or head company of their enterprise in Singapore on a temporary basis.
There are different types of Intra-Corporate Transferees.
1. Executives are business people responsible for the management of the establishment with wide decision-making powers and who receive general supervision by the board of directors or stockholders. They do not perform any direct tasks related to the services that their enterprise provides.
2. Managers are business people working in a senior position and are primarily responsible for managing the establishment. They receive general supervision or direction by high-level executives, the board of directors, or stockholders.
Their responsibilities can include:
- directing the establishment, or a department or a sub-division of such establishment
- supervising and controlling the work of other supervisory, professional or managerial employees
- having the authority to recruit and dismiss employees or recommend recruiting, dismissing, or other personnel actions
3. Specialists are business people working for an enterprise and with specialist or expert knowledge that is essential for the establishment’s production, research equipment, techniques or management. In assessing whether the business person is a specialist, knowledge specific to establishment and their qualifications, including if they are member of a qualified profession, will be considered.
Intra-Corporate Transferees can stay in Singapore for up to 3 years, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements. After this period, their stay can be extended for a further 2 years, subject to domestic law.
Example: Are you a UK based business looking to transfer a senior manager or specialist to a branch office in Singapore? That employee could benefit from Intra-corporate Transferee provisions within the FTAs that will mean they can stay in Singapore for up to 5 years, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
*Please note that this applies to business people employed in the sectors liberalised by Singapore under the UK-Singapore FTA (see Annex 8-B-1 Singapore).
Graduate Trainees*
Graduate Trainees are UK nationals with a university degree, who have been employed by a UK company for at least one year, and who are temporarily transferred to Singapore for career development or for business training purposes.
Graduate Trainees can stay in Singapore for up to one year, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: Are you a UK business looking to transfer a graduate trainee to a branch office in Singapore? That employee can stay for up to one year in Singapore, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
*Please note that this applies to business people employed in the sectors liberalised by Singapore under the UK-Singapore FTA (see Annex 8-B-1 Singapore).
Business Service Sellers*
Business Service Sellers are UK nationals who represent a UK services supplier and seek temporary entry to Singapore to negotiate the sale of services or enter in agreement to sell services, on behalf of the supplier. They are paid from a source outside of Singapore and are not making sales or supplying goods or services directly to the general public.
Business service sellers can stay in Singapore for up to 90 days in any 12-months period, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: Are you a representative service supplier, planning to travel to Singapore to negotiate the sale of a service? UK Business service sellers have certainty that they can stay in Singapore for up to 90 days in any 12-months period, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
*Please note that this applies to business people employed in the sectors liberalised by Singapore under the UK-Singapore FTA (see Annex 8-B-1 Singapore).
Check out the UK government’s travel advice for Singapore to find out more about Singapore entry requirements.
Department for Business and Trade support
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) helps businesses export, drives inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade agreements, and champions free trade. Helpful links, tools and services available from DBT and wider government include:
Export Support Service (ESS) team
Get support on how to do business abroad. You may also be eligible for 1-2-1 support from a local International Trade Adviser. Businesses in Wales can also access support from Business Wales.
Export Support Service – International Markets (ESS-IM)
DBT's overseas in-market export support service for SMEs with high-export potential. Our International Market Advisers provide tailored support and market introduction information to new and current UK exporters looking to enter or expand into new markets. The service may be accessed globally with International Markets teams in South Asia, China, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, North America and Latin America.
Sign up to access free training on how to grow your international sales.
Information on finance and insurance for UK exports.
Trade and investment factsheets
The latest statistics on trade and investment between the UK and individual overseas partners.
Overseas business risk profiles
Information for UK businesses on political, economic and security risks when trading overseas.
Advice and warnings about travel abroad, including entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences.
Check or report a trade barrier
If you encounter an issue when exporting to any country – report the issue and UK government officials will be able to assess the issue and consider the options we have open to addressing it as appropriate
Search for your specific product to find applicable tariffs for each market, explore rules of origin and step-by-step help on customs procedures
Check import duties and allows you to check the status of available tariff rate quotas
Useful resources
You can find more information about export opportunities, business culture and any existing trade barriers on our Singapore market guide.
Prior to export, you must be aware of local regulations and import conditions in Singapore that apply to your goods or services. This can include tax considerations, labour laws, intellectual property rules, labelling and packaging regulations, among others.
To seek further information related to local regulations, business culture, or to find a local lawyer, translator, importer or distributor, you can use the following contacts:
- DBT’s Export Support Service International Markets team
- get in touch with DBT at the local British Embassy
- get in touch with the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
To see information on political, economic and security risks when trading with Singapore, please see: